Resilience of naturally ventilated buildings to climate change: Advanced natural ventilation and hospital wards

Naturally ventilated buildings have a key role to play mitigating climate change. The predicted indoor temperatures in spaces with simple single-sided natural ventilation (SNV) are compared with those in spaces conditioned using a form of edge in, edge out advanced natural ventilation (ANV) for various UK locations. A criterion, for use in conjunction with the BSEN15251 adaptive thermal comfort method, is proposed for determining when the risk of overheating, both now and in the future, might be deemed unacceptable. The work is presented in the context building new, and refurbishing existing, healthcare buildings and in particular hospital wards. The spaces conditioned using the ANV strategy were much more resilient to increases in both internal heat gains and climatic warming than spaces with SNV. The ANV strategy used less energy, and emitted less CO₂ than conventional, mechanically ventilated (MV) alternatives. In a warming world, the ‘life-expectancy’ of passively cooled buildings can be substantially influenced by the internal heat gains. Therefore, resilience to climate change, susceptibility to internal heat gains and the impact of future heat waves, should be an integral part of any new building or building refurbishment design process.     

Architectural design of an advanced naturally ventilated building form

Advanced stack-ventilated buildings have the potential to consume much less energy for space conditioning than typical mechanically ventilated or air-conditioned buildings. This paper describes how environmental design considerations in general, and ventilation considerations in particular, shape the architecture of advanced naturally ventilated (ANV) buildings. The attributes of simple and advanced naturally ventilated buildings are described and a taxonomy of ANV buildings presented. Simple equations for use at the preliminary design stage are presented. These produce target structural cross section areas for the key components of ANV systems. The equations have been developed through practice-based research to design three large educational buildings: the Frederick Lanchester Library, Coventry, UK; the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, London, UK; the Harm A. Weber Library, Elgin, near Chicago, USA. These buildings are briefly described and the sizes of the as-built ANV features compared with the target values for use in preliminary design. The three buildings represent successive evolutionary stages: from advanced natural ventilation, to ANV with passive downdraught cooling, and finally ANV with HVAC support. Hopefully the guidance, simple calculation tools and case study examples will give architects and environmental design consultants confidence to embark on the design of ANV buildings.     

城市住宅节能技术的优化探讨

根据国务院部署大力发展节能省地型建筑,建设节约型社会的要求,全面实施建筑节能50%设计标准,进而推动城市节能65%标准的实施。目前,我国大部分城市正在制订或者已经执行居住建筑节能65%的标准。如何将建筑的性能化节能指标转化为围护结构的热工性能指标,需要对节能50%设计标准的住宅热工性能现状进行分析总结,才有可能在技术上找到合理地提高住宅节能水平的设计方法。结合近年来西安市住宅围护结构的构造做法和热工性能,其节能指标与节能50%、节能65%标准的比较,找出目前住宅的热工性能指标与新标准的差距。据此提出应优先采用高效节能保温窗;墙体保温材料的选择要综合考虑保温层的特点、造价等因素;同时,对于因抗震设计而产生的热桥影响应引起高度重视,以寻求新的构造方式加强热桥部位的保温。     

A methodology for energy-efficient renovation of existing residential buildings in China and case study

Energy-efficient renovation had been accepted widely as the best solution for aging residential buildings. In order to guide such real projects in China and maximize the benefits in energy, environmental and economic fields from these activities, this article developed a methodology to assist decision-makers to design energy-efficient renovation plan in the early stage of design phase, and used a case study to demonstrate how to apply it. Following it, a suitable energy-efficient renovation plan, integrating all effective and available energy-saving measures, could be put forward for the subject building, and its effects on reduction of energy consumption, CO₂ emission and cost be evaluated accurately. The results showed that from the viewpoint of reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emission, energy-efficient renovation was worth being implemented to upgrade the existing residential buildings in China, but from the economic view, governments should provide certain subsidy for such real projects and increase electricity price.     

住宅建筑气候适应性优化设计研究

以中国5个典型城市的气候条件为例，提出住宅建筑气候适应性优化设计流程。基于Grasshopper参数化性能分析平台，和Ladybug/Honeybee环境分析插件，以热环境舒适度模型、建筑能耗模型和建筑生命周期成本模型为目标函数进行优化分析。发现哈尔滨和北京气候条件下，住宅建筑应选择nZEB'（权衡最优）设计参数，而上海、昆明和深圳气候条件下，C-O（成本效益最优）解决方案比nZEB（节能最优）解决方案的综合效益更好。基于参数化性能模拟的多目标优化可以有效辅助住宅建筑的气候适应性设计研究。     

Design strategy for low-energy ventilation and cooling within an urban heat island

Natural ventilation is a proven strategy for maintaining thermal comfort in non-domestic buildings in the UK. The energy consumption and thus the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are lower than in conventional air-conditioned buildings. However, the ambient temperatures in the UK have risen over the last decade and new climatic data for use in the design of naturally ventilated buildings has been published. Using these data and dynamic thermal modelling, it is shown that passive stack ventilation alone was unlikely to maintain summertime comfort in a proposed University College London building within an urban heat island. The stack ventilation strategy was evolved by the introduction of passive downdraught cooling. This low-energy technique enables cooled air to be distributed throughout the building without mechanical assistance. The underlying principles of the technique were explored using physical models and the anticipated performance predicted using thermal modelling. The architectural integration is illustrated and the control strategy described. The resulting building is believed to be the first large-scale application of the passive downdraught cooling technique; construction began in late 2003.     

Life-cycle carbon and cost analysis of energy efficiency measures in new commercial buildings

Energy efficiency in new building construction has become a key target to lower nation-wide energy use. The goals of this paper are to estimate life-cycle energy savings, carbon emission reduction, and cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency measures in new commercial buildings using an integrated design approach, and estimate the implications from a cost on energy-based carbon emissions. A total of 576 energy simulations are run for 12 prototypical buildings in 16 cities, with 3 building designs for each building-location combination. Simulated energy consumption and building cost databases are used to determine the life-cycle cost-effectiveness and carbon emissions of each design. The results show conventional energy efficiency technologies can be used to decrease energy use in new commercial buildings by 20-30% on average and up to over 40% for some building types and locations. These reductions can often be done at negative life-cycle costs because the improved efficiencies allow the installation of smaller, cheaper HVAC equipment. These improvements not only save money and energy, but reduce a building’s carbon footprint by 16% on average. A cost on carbon emissions from energy use increases the return on energy efficiency investments because energy is more expensive, making some cost-ineffective projects economically feasible.     

Design strategy for low-energy ventilation and cooling within an urban heat island

Natural ventilation is a proven strategy for maintaining thermal comfort in non-domestic buildings in the UK. The energy consumption and thus the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are lower than in conventional air-conditioned buildings. However, the ambient temperatures in the UK have risen over the last decade and new climatic data for use in the design of naturally ventilated buildings has been published. Using these data and dynamic thermal modelling, it is shown that passive stack ventilation alone was unlikely to maintain summertime comfort in a proposed University College London building within an urban heat island. The stack ventilation strategy was evolved by the introduction of passive downdraught cooling. This low-energy technique enables cooled air to be distributed throughout the building without mechanical assistance. The underlying principles of the technique were explored using physical models and the anticipated performance predicted using thermal modelling. The architectural integration is illustrated and the control strategy described. The resulting building is believed to be the first large-scale application of the passive downdraught cooling technique; construction began in late 2003.     

Beyond the code: Energy, carbon, and cost savings using conventional technologies

As states in the U.S. adopt new energy codes, it is important to understand the benefits for each state and its building owners. This paper estimates life-cycle energy savings, carbon emission reduction, and cost-effectiveness of conventional energy efficiency measures in new commercial buildings using an integrated design approach. Results are based on 8208 energy simulations for 12 prototypical buildings in 228 cities, with 3 building designs evaluated for each building-location combination. Results are represented by easy-to-understand mappings that allow for regional and state comparisons. The results show that the use of conventional energy efficiency technologies in an integrated design framework can decrease energy use by 15-20% on average in new commercial buildings, and over 35% for some building types and locations. These energy reductions can often be accomplished at negative incremental life-cycle costs and reduce a building's energy-related carbon footprint by 9-33%. However, generalizing these results on energy use, life-cycle costs, and carbon emissions misses exceptions in the results that show the importance of location-specific characteristics. Also, states do not appear to base energy code adoption decisions on either potential energy savings or life-cycle cost savings.     

Climatic and internal factors affecting future UK office heating and cooling energy consumptions

There is a large consensus concerning the expected trend, if not the magnitude of change, of the UK climate in the coming decades [Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, April 2007]. This study aims to quantify how such changes will have a direct effect on heating and cooling energy use in future office environments (i.e. by the year 2030). When considering future offices, it is also necessary to account for a change in the small power and lighting equipment being used, in this case by assuming an improved efficiency in both categories. This will also have a significant effect on the balance of heating and cooling an office. Furthermore, the subtle effect of a change in location within the UK can affect results further, with northern cities having substantially higher heating loads (and lower cooling loads) than southern locations. Such factors can influence approaches towards reducing future office energy demands and, in some cases, be the difference between a heating-dominated or cooling-dominated building. This study should also inform future choices for supplying energy to office buildings, in particular microgeneration options. It confirms the importance of dealing with demand-side changes before assessing the supply-side opportunities, with buildings having very different heating and cooling needs post-refurbishment. The study also highlights the importance, and possibilities, of adapting to future climates, and the benefits of promoting heating-dominated buildings instead of cooling-dominated.     

Thermal building simulation using the UKCP09 probabilistic climate projections

This article investigates how to use UK probabilistic climate-change projections (UKCP09) in rigorous building energy analysis. Two office buildings (deep plan and shallow plan) are used as case studies to demonstrate the application of UKCP09. Three different methods for reducing the computational demands are explored: statistical reduction (Finkelstein-Schafer [F-S] statistics), simplification using degree-day theory and the use of metamodels. The first method, which is based on an established technique, can be used as reference because it provides the most accurate information. However, it is necessary to automatically choose weather files based on F-S statistic by using computer programming language because thousands of weather files created from UKCP09 weather generator need to be processed. A combination of the second (degree-day theory) and third method (metamodels) requires only a relatively small number of simulation runs, but still provides valuable information to further implement the uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. The article also demonstrates how grid computing can be used to speed up the calculation for many independent EnergyPlus models by harnessing the processing power of idle desktop computers.     

Energy efficient design and occupant well-being: Case studies in the UK and India

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationships between sustainable building design and occupant well-being. It starts with a definition of sustainable design and well-being, and focuses on the relationships between energy performance and occupant feedback. Methodologically it draws on detailed monitoring and surveys of 12 case study office buildings in the UK and India, and the paper uses the data to explore whether energy use and associated CO₂ emissions are correlated to occupant satisfaction and comfort. The results demonstrate that increased energy use in the case study buildings is associated with increased mechanisation (e.g. centralised air conditioning) and reduced occupant control. This reduced control in turn is shown to relate to reduced occupant comfort and satisfaction. Finally, the paper reveals that the reported health conditions of occupants correlates strongly with their levels of satisfaction. The overall conclusion is that energy use in typical office buildings is inversely correlated with the well-being of the occupants: more energy use does not improve well-being.     

邻近既有地铁隧道的风井改建基坑工程设计

上海轨道交通4号线既有地铁车站的风井改造,基坑邻近既有地铁隧道和居民住宅楼,周边情况复杂,环境保护要求高。介绍了基坑设计中对既有地铁的保护要求、基坑保护等级以及基坑围护结构的设计方案。简单介绍了基坑计算方法,针对邻近地铁隧道区间和居民住宅楼2个对象,运用有限元方法分析了深基坑开挖对周围环境的影响。该设计方案能保证基坑开挖对周围建筑物的影响在可控制范围之内。     

Thermofluid-dynamic analysis of ventilated facades

Ventilated facades can be used in cases of renovation of existing buildings and new buildings to improve both the thermal performance of building, and external architectural skin. The energy advantage provided by the ventilated facades during the summer is the reduction of the heat load due to the combined effect of the shading of the external wall and the air flow caused by natural convection into the heated duct.The evaluation of ventilated facade performance requires a complete thermofluid-dynamic analysis of a ventilated air duct and an accurate knowledge of heat transfer coefficients, friction factors and thermo-physical properties of the materials.The Authors have used the computer code “Fluent” to investigate the thermal behaviour of three different typologies of ventilated facades.The aim of this research is to show an analytical method for design applications able to provide all the useful criteria for choosing the most suitable ventilated facades both in case of forced convection, due to the action of a fan, and natural convection due to stack effect.     

基于自然通风在现代住宅建筑设计中的应用探析

自然通风是一项古老而重要的通风方式,其与现代技术相结合成为重要的通风技术,受到建筑节能和生态主义者的关注。本文结合笔者多年建筑设计实践,从住宅建筑布局、户型平面、室内通风构造等方面详细阐述了引入自然通风概念的现代住宅建筑设计与技术要点,并进行总结。     

基于模拟的中小学教学楼绿色设计方法研究——以寒冷地区为例

中小学教学楼由于使用人群和功能的特点,其节能设计方法具有明显的特殊性,舒适度具有更高的要求。针对寒冷地区中小学教学楼,笔者运用性能模拟技术,提出了从建筑的整体控制、平面组织到空间优化的被动式绿色设计流程,将适宜的被动式策略应用于场地分析、建筑布局、体型控制、围护结构选择、功能配置以及空间的风光环境优化等设计环节,形成适合寒冷地区中小学教学楼的绿色设计方法,并将该方法应用到天津某小学教学楼设计实践中。     

健康视角下联合办公楼通话空间设计策略初探

分析联合办公楼在发展过程中呈现的办公模式、空间特征和声音干扰问题,为建设良好声环境提供借鉴。通过案例调研与文献综述,归纳分析联合办公使用者对声环境的需求以及声音干扰的影响,探索声音干扰问题产生的源头与使用者交流需求之间的密切相关性。基于此,提出在联合办公楼中设置通话空间,通过这种私密交流空间来缓解使用者被动接受声音干扰的问题;进而,研究基于联合办公楼的健康声环境分析通话空间的营造策略,具体从设计思路、空间布局、建造方式、外部尺寸与隔音设置这5个方面展开设计策略内容。     

面向不同气候条件下低耗能、高效、大进深公共建筑的设计策略类型学

设计规模较大的、可持续性的商业或公共建筑物，大进深的平面布局看起来不太可能是一条路子。本文分析了经过15年发展而来的4种相对不同建筑物类型的环境设计策略，它们都具有一个共商特性：客户都基于对高效的要求而提出大进深平面布局，这些案例分析基于不同的场地：乡村、市郊和市区以及不同的气候条件下英国内陆的温带性气候，温暖的南部地中海式气候，伦敦的都市热岛区，以及美国伊利诺斯州芝加哥的难以宜人的大陆性气候。本文试图证明相应的类型学正兴起在这些作品中，并认为这种类型学中所发掘的潜力可以运用到中国多种气候区的可持续性建筑设计中。     

A comparison of winter pre-heating requirements for natural displacement and natural mixing ventilation

In winter, natural ventilation can be achieved either through mixing ventilation or upward displacement ventilation (P.F. Linden, The fluid mechanics of natural ventilation, Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics 31 (1999) pp. 201-238). We show there is a significant energy saving possible by using mixing ventilation, in the case that the internal heat gains are significant, and illustrate these savings using an idealized model, which predicts that with internal heat gains of order 0.1 kW per person, mixing ventilation uses of a fraction of order 0.2-0.4 of the heat load of displacement ventilation assuming a well-insulated building. We then describe a strategy for such mixing natural ventilation in an atrium style building in which the rooms surrounding the atrium are able to vent directly to the exterior and also through the atrium to the exterior. The results are motivated by the desire to reduce the energy burden in large public buildings such as hospitals, schools or office buildings centred on atria. We illustrate a strategy for the natural mixing ventilation in order that the rooms surrounding the atrium receive both pre-heated but also sufficiently fresh air, while the central atrium zone remains warm. We test the principles with some laboratory experiments in which a model air chamber is ventilated using both mixing and displacement ventilation, and compare the energy loads in each case. We conclude with a discussion of the potential applications of the approach within the context of open plan atria type office buildings.