Wednesday, February 1, 2017: 9:45 AM-10:45 AM
Fundamentals and Applications
Chair:
John Elson, Ph.D., Kansas State University
Technical Committee: 2.1 Physiology and Human Environment
Achieving the necessary occupant satisfaction with the built environment is a major focus of engineers. The demand to increase energy efficiency requires more creative methods to maintain the essential thermal comfort needs of the occupants. Energy saving measures, such as natural ventilation and non-uniform environments created by windows, can make prediction of thermal comfort complicated for the designer. SSPC 55 has created tools to improve thermal comfort prediction and account for the effects of natural ventilation. This seminar explores the tools developed for the thermal comfort standard and the areas where natural ventilation applications can be improved.
1 Understanding Thermal Comfort and ASHRAE Standard 55: Free Online Analysis and Visualization Tools
Recently, multiple free-to-use online tools have been developed to help practitioners and researchers analyze thermal comfort. This presentation covers two such tools: one is the official ASHRAE Standard 55 thermal comfort tool and the other is a mean radiant shoebox analysis and visualization model. Both include the recent Addendum G to Standard 55, which added a calculation method accounting for the comfort effects of direct solar on occupants. Topics will include: advanced visualization of the Standard 55 comfort zone, local discomfort determination, clothing ensembles, direct solar, LEED thermal comfort credit documentation, shortwave vs longwave radiation, glazing properties, and others.
2 How Comfortable Is Natural Ventilation
Before there was air conditioning or mechanical ventilation, there was natural ventilation. We have come full circle in the quest for low energy and zero energy buildings. Natural ventilation is used on many projects, but how is it used and how effective is it? ASHRAE Standard 55 describes how natural ventilation can be assessed to meet adaptive comfort criteria, how comfortable is this criteria? The work presented shows natural ventilation applications in various locations around the world and the compliance or noncompliance to adaptive comfort criteria. The presentation also highlights areas where natural ventilation applications need to be strengthened.