Analyzing thermal comfort and related costs in buildings under Portuguese temperate climate

摘要

? 2022 Elsevier LtdThe main goal of this research is to assess the thermal comfort quality in residential and non-residential buildings, and its relationship with the corresponding energy and economic costs, the building type of use, the severity of the climate, the thermal insulation of opaque elements, the type of control of the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system and the probable evolution of the energy price. In addition, the financial framework of the building's holder, an aspect with a huge impact on the economic cost of thermal comfort and repeatedly neglected in the literature, is considered together with all relevant parameters related with previous issues. Data were obtained with a validated in-home software. The results demonstrate that better quality of thermal comfort, with lower costs, is achieved through control of the HVAC system with Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) setpoints rather than the traditional control with air temperature (Tair); moreover, the useful thermal energy needs for climatization is substantially higher for buildings with permanent occupation than for those with intermittent use. A significant portion of the thermal comfort cost is related to the investment in the HVAC system, varying between about 20% and 70%. The rise of thermal comfort cost with the increase of the energy price inflation rate is substantially higher in the case of residential buildings. If that inflation rate is high, it will lead to an increase of families in energy poverty.