Human Comfort and Auxiliary Control Considerations in Passive Solar Structures

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7082134· OSTI ID:7082134

Place, W.; Kammerud, R.; Andersson, B.; Curtis, B.; Carroll, W.; Christensen, C.; Hannifan, M.

Energy consumption and human comfort implications of various passive solar and energy conservation strategies are investigated for single-family, one-story, slab-on-grade residences in Albuquerque, NM and Washington, DC. The building energy analysis computer program BLAST is used to perform annual dynamic heating and cooling load calculations for a building in which the glazing area, glazing location, and thermal mass are varied systematically. The impacts on building performance of forced-flow ventilative cooling and nighttime and weekday thermostat setpoint adjustments are investigated. The results indicate that the annual heating and cooling loads are highly sensitive to glazing area, glazing location, and thermostatic controls. Annual cooling loads are substantially reduced by increased thermal mass in the walls. In contrast, annual heating loads are fairly insensitive to increased thermal mass in the walls, unless very large areas of south glazing are involved. BLAST calculates the air temperatures (T/sub a/) and mean radiant temperatures (T/sub mr/) in each zone for every hour of the year; a weighted average of T/sub a/ and T/sub mr/ is used to evaluate comfort conditions under various circumstances.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 7082134
• Report Number(s): SERI/TR-721-823
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
320101 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
AUXILIARY HEATING
BUILDINGS
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COOLING LOAD
DIRECT GAIN SYSTEMS
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
EQUIPMENT
GLAZING MATERIALS
HEATING
HEATING LOAD
HEATING SYSTEMS
HOUSES
MASS
MATERIALS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PASSIVE SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SOUTHWEST REGION
SPACE HEATING
SPACE HVAC SYSTEMS
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL COMFORT
THERMAL MASS
THERMOSTATS
USA
WASHINGTON DC
direct gain systems
houses
thermal analysis
thermal comfort