The present energy consumption of European Buildings is higher than necessary, given the developments in control engineering. Optimization and integration of smart control into building systems can save substantial quantities of energy on a European scale while improving the standards for indoor comfort.
The work presented in this paper was done in 1997 as a final thesis in mechanical engineering, supervised by TRANSSOLAR Energietechnik GmbH in cooperation with the Institute for Thermodynamics and Heat Technology (ITW), University of Stuttgart. The contents of the work is the investigation of natural ventilation through window openings (single sided and cross ventilation) in an existing office space. Both measurements and computer simulation have been conducted.
This paper describes the results coming out of the European Commission supported THERMIE Target Project Energy Comfort 2000. This was the first Target project, containing eight non-domestic buildings, started in July 1993 and to be completed at the end of 1998. The project aimed to design and construct buildings which use less than 50% of the energy of a traditional equivalent, by using passive methods, particularly to avoid the need for air-conditioning. High quality internal conditions were to be achieved.
During a field study of the thermal comfort of workers in natural ventilated office buildings in Oxford and Aberdeen, UK, we.re carried out which included information about use of building controls. The data was analysed to explore the effect the outdoor temperature has on the indoor temperature and how this is effected by occupants' use of environmental controls during the peak summer (June, July and August).
Without control high solar fractions arc difficult to obtain from Trombe walls, direct solar gains, and rock bins. Integration of all these techniques by control is absolutely necessary. A short review is given of the available sensors, actuators, and control systems. The control of individual solar techniques as well as several combinations are discussed; for instance, the control strategy for the combination of direct solar gains and Trombe Wall. Based on literature general conclusions are given about the energy efficiency of these systems in relation with the control strategy.
Ventilation systems using variable airflow are useful in urban areas. Due to outdoor pollutionand the indoor load from pollution or thermal sources, it is important to vary the airflow. Thismust be done without disturbing the control of the total distribution. To analyse suchproblems, there is need for a design aid. This paper presents a first version of a modularsimulation program working in the IDA environment. The program is based on a set ofindividual component-models in the NMF (Neutral Model Format) language.