Thermal envelope field measurements in an energy-efficient office and dormitory
A 345-m/sup 2/ earth-covered structure located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the focus of a DOE-sponsored building envelope research project. Based on field-measured data, heating the office and dormitory building over the 1981-1982 heating season cost $1.70/m/sup 2/ ($0.16/ft/sup 2/), assuming the cost of electricity to be $0.057/kWh. The building's thermal integrity factor is 0.016 kWh/m/sup 2/ /sup 0/C (2.8 Btu/ft/sup 2/ /sup 0/F). A preliminary DOE-2 model estimates the monthly electric energy needs for heating to be within 5% of our field data-derived estimates. DOE-2 building simulations suggest that this earth-covered, passively solar heated office dormitory saves 30% of the space heating and 26% of the cooling costs of an energy-efficient above grade structure. A preliminary winter energy balance has been generated from data collected in February and March and provides a fractional breakdown of thermal losses and gains. Performances have been isolated for several of the energy-conserving components: the earth-covered roof, the bermed wall, and the nonvented Trombe wall. The earth-covered roof system showed an overall thermal transmittance of 0.18 W/m/sup 2/ /sup 0/C (R = 31 h ft/sup 2/ /sup 0/F Btu/sup -1/). The thermocouple wells in the earth surrounding the building indicate that burying a wall is more energy efficient than berming. During one week in February, the Trombe wall produced a 50% greater net thermal gain to the building than an equivalent area of south-facing windows.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 6456297
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-8571; ON: DE83010453
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
14 SOLAR ENERGY
EARTH-COVERED BUILDINGS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
AIR INFILTRATION
DATA ACQUISITION
ENERGY BALANCE
ENERGY DEMAND
HEAT GAIN
HEAT LOSSES
HEAT METERS
HEAT PUMPS
OFFICE BUILDINGS
PERFORMANCE
THERMAL MASS
THERMOCOUPLES
TROMBE WALLS
VENTILATION
BUILDINGS
DEMAND
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
HEATING SYSTEMS
LOSSES
MASS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
WALLS
320102* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Office Buildings- (-1987)
320101 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Residential Buildings- (-1987)
140901 - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling