Building Comfort Analysis Using BLAST: A Case Study

摘要

Energy analysis programs have traditionally modeled energy consumption of new orexisting facilities. A new feature of the Building Loads Analysis and Systems Thermodynamics (BLAST) computer program includes the ability to model comfort parameters in addition to evaluating building energy performance. This study demonstrates this unique BLAST feature by examining the comfort parameters at a new Air Force Housing (UEPH) facility at Lajes Field, Azores. The uncomfortably warm conditions of this building made the barracks a good case study for a comfort evaluation. BLAST was used to assess the UEPH and to simulate the building under various hypothetical conditions. Program reports were compared to determine: (1) to what extent thermal comfort problems existed, (2) possible solutions to the identified problems, and (3) the relative energy burden of mechanically cooling the building versus cooling by mechanical ventilation. The comfort analysis showed the facility to be uncomfortably warm, and BLAST modeling specified minor modifications to the building envelope and mechanical systems to resolve the problems.