Including the effect of solar radiation in dynamic indoor thermal comfort indices

The use of solar gains is one of the most effective passive strategies to reduce the heating energy demand of buildings. However, solar radiation not only affects the thermal balance of the building, but also that of the occupants. Several approaches have been developed for including solar effects into steady-state thermal comfort models (i.e. Fanger Model) proposing a correction to the calculation of the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and validating it experimentally. One of those approaches incorporates solar radiation as an adjustment of the mean radiant temperature (MRT) used in the calculation of the PMV. In this paper the described approach has been integrated in the calculation of three dynamic thermal comfort indices (i.e. TSENS, TSV and DTS). Results have been compared to the corresponding solar-adjusted PMV. The performance of the comfort models has been assessed on 12 different configurations of a shoebox open plan office, given by the combination of two window sizes and two window orientations in three European locations. Results are presented in detailed spatial and temporal maps for a whole year. Two of the three compared dynamic indices (TSENS and TSV) have been found to perform similar to the solaradjusted PMV in detecting comfort issues. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Utilizing solar gains is an effective passive strategy to reduce heating energy demand, as it impacts both the thermal balance of buildings and occupants. By incorporating solar radiation into thermal comfort models, with adjustments to Predicted Mean Vote calculations, it can better account for its effects. Dynamic thermal comfort indices have shown to perform similarly to solar-adjusted PMV in detecting comfort issues in various configurations.