IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i22p12425-d676185.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Field Study on Thermal Comfort and Cooling Load Demand Optimization in a Tropical Climate

Author

Listed:
  • Masoud Esfandiari

    (Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 19839-69411, Iran)

  • Suzaini Mohamed Zaid

    (Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Muhammad Azzam Ismail

    (Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Mohammad Reza Hafezi

    (Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 19839-69411, Iran)

  • Iman Asadi

    (Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Saleh Mohammadi

    (Department of Architectural Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands
    Department of Sustainable Building Technology, School of Business Building and Technology, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 70.000, 7500 KB Enschede, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Energy consumption to cool an indoor environment is a substantial part of total energy end-use, particularly in a tropical climate with high energy demand for cooling. To improve energy efficiency, cooling systems can be optimized using a variety of neutral indoor temperatures to maintain a balance between an occupant’s thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. This explanatory study investigated the thermal quality and cooling energy demand of a Platinum-certified office building in the tropical climate of Malaysia. The investigation aimed to suggest a balance between occupant thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. The thermal investigation includes an objective field measurement that implements environmental equipment to monitor thermal quality and a subjective occupant’s thermal feedback using a questionnaire survey. To calculate cooling energy demand, the total equivalent temperature difference method (TETD) is applied. The results suggested an occupant’s cooling sensation of around 24 °C, with no significant difference concerning age and gender. Cooling load calculation indicated a 36% energy reduction by increasing air temperature to 26 °C, for occupants to feel thermally comfortable in a tropical climate. These findings contribute to improving sustainable energy policies, sustainable construction, and thermal comfort improvement for a tropical climate.

Suggested Citation

  • Masoud Esfandiari & Suzaini Mohamed Zaid & Muhammad Azzam Ismail & Mohammad Reza Hafezi & Iman Asadi & Saleh Mohammadi, 2021. "A Field Study on Thermal Comfort and Cooling Load Demand Optimization in a Tropical Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-25, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12425-:d:676185
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/22/12425/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/22/12425/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mirrahimi, Seyedehzahra & Mohamed, Mohd Farid & Haw, Lim Chin & Ibrahim, Nik Lukman Nik & Yusoff, Wardah Fatimah Mohammad & Aflaki, Ardalan, 2016. "The effect of building envelope on the thermal comfort and energy saving for high-rise buildings in hot–humid climate," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1508-1519.
    2. Singh, Manoj Kumar & Mahapatra, Sadhan & Atreya, S.K., 2011. "Adaptive thermal comfort model for different climatic zones of North-East India," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(7), pages 2420-2428, July.
    3. Masoud Esfandiari & Suzaini Mohamed Zaid & Muhammad Azzam Ismail & Mohammad Reza Hafezi & Iman Asadi & Saleh Mohammadi & Salah Vaisi & Ardalan Aflaki, 2021. "Occupants’ Satisfaction toward Indoor Environment Quality of Platinum Green-Certified Office Buildings in Tropical Climate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, April.
    4. Moosavi, Leila & Mahyuddin, Norhayati & Ab Ghafar, Norafida & Azzam Ismail, Muhammad, 2014. "Thermal performance of atria: An overview of natural ventilation effective designs," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 654-670.
    5. Mazzeo, D. & Oliveti, G. & Arcuri, N., 2016. "Influence of internal and external boundary conditions on the decrement factor and time lag heat flux of building walls in steady periodic regime," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 509-531.
    6. Peeters, Leen & Dear, Richard de & Hensen, Jan & D'haeseleer, William, 2009. "Thermal comfort in residential buildings: Comfort values and scales for building energy simulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(5), pages 772-780, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Enescu, Diana, 2017. "A review of thermal comfort models and indicators for indoor environments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1353-1379.
    2. Ren, Zhengen & Chen, Dong, 2018. "Modelling study of the impact of thermal comfort criteria on housing energy use in Australia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 152-166.
    3. Zhang, Sheng & Lin, Zhang, 2020. "Standard effective temperature based adaptive-rational thermal comfort model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    4. Yang, Liu & Yan, Haiyan & Lam, Joseph C., 2014. "Thermal comfort and building energy consumption implications – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 164-173.
    5. Buratti, C. & Ricciardi, P. & Vergoni, M., 2013. "HVAC systems testing and check: A simplified model to predict thermal comfort conditions in moderate environments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 117-127.
    6. Ning, Haoran & Wang, Zhaojun & Ji, Yuchen, 2016. "Thermal history and adaptation: Does a long-term indoor thermal exposure impact human thermal adaptability?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 22-30.
    7. Janusz Marchwiński & Agnieszka Starzyk & Ołeksij Kopyłow & Karolina Kurtz-Orecka, 2023. "Impact of Atrium Glazing with and without BIPV on Energy Performance of the Low-Rise Building: A Central European Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-25, June.
    8. Yu, Jinghua & Ye, Hong & Xu, Xinhua & Huang, Junchao & Liu, Yunxi & Wang, Jinbo, 2018. "Experimental study on the thermal performance of a hollow block ventilation wall," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 619-631.
    9. Leccese, Francesco & Salvadori, Giacomo & Asdrubali, Francesco & Gori, Paola, 2018. "Passive thermal behaviour of buildings: Performance of external multi-layered walls and influence of internal walls," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 1078-1089.
    10. Ascione, Fabrizio & Bellia, Laura & Capozzoli, Alfonso, 2013. "A coupled numerical approach on museum air conditioning: Energy and fluid-dynamic analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 416-427.
    11. Pisello, Anna Laura & Goretti, Michele & Cotana, Franco, 2012. "A method for assessing buildings’ energy efficiency by dynamic simulation and experimental activity," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 419-429.
    12. Buratti, C. & Palladino, D. & Ricciardi, P., 2016. "Application of a new 13-value thermal comfort scale to moderate environments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 859-866.
    13. Taleghani, Mohammad & Tenpierik, Martin & Kurvers, Stanley & van den Dobbelsteen, Andy, 2013. "A review into thermal comfort in buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 201-215.
    14. So-Young Lee & Myoung-Won Oh, 2020. "Sustainable Design Alternatives and Energy Efficiency for Public Rental Housing in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-26, October.
    15. Diana Carolina Gámez-García & José Manuel Gómez-Soberón & Ramón Corral-Higuera & Héctor Saldaña-Márquez & María Consolación Gómez-Soberón & Susana Paola Arredondo-Rea, 2018. "A Cradle to Handover Life Cycle Assessment of External Walls: Choice of Materials and Prognosis of Elements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-24, August.
    16. Patteeuw, Dieter & Reynders, Glenn & Bruninx, Kenneth & Protopapadaki, Christina & Delarue, Erik & D’haeseleer, William & Saelens, Dirk & Helsen, Lieve, 2015. "CO2-abatement cost of residential heat pumps with active demand response: demand- and supply-side effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 490-501.
    17. Rodrigues, Eugénio & Fernandes, Marco S. & Gomes, Álvaro & Gaspar, Adélio Rodrigues & Costa, José J., 2019. "Performance-based design of multi-story buildings for a sustainable urban environment: A case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Halawa, Edward & Ghaffarianhoseini, Amirhosein & Ghaffarianhoseini, Ali & Trombley, Jeremy & Hassan, Norhaslina & Baig, Mirza & Yusoff, Safiah Yusmah & Azzam Ismail, Muhammad, 2018. "A review on energy conscious designs of building façades in hot and humid climates: Lessons for (and from) Kuala Lumpur and Darwin," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2147-2161.
    19. Chen, Xi & Yang, Hongxing & Wang, Yuanhao, 2017. "Parametric study of passive design strategies for high-rise residential buildings in hot and humid climates: miscellaneous impact factors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 442-460.
    20. Wang, Zhe & Hong, Tianzhen, 2020. "Learning occupants’ indoor comfort temperature through a Bayesian inference approach for office buildings in United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12425-:d:676185. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.