Print Email Facebook Twitter The Comfort Unit: Developed as part of a Climate Adaptive Skin Title The Comfort Unit: Developed as part of a Climate Adaptive Skin Author Hasselaar, B.L.H. Contributor Cauberg, J.J.M. (promotor) Faculty Architecture Department Building Technology Date 2013-06-04 Abstract In what way would a façade be able to create a comfortable indoor office environment using only the indoor and outdoor environment as its energy sources? The low (average) outdoor temperatures in The Netherlands suggest that the outdoor climate is cold enough to cool the indoor climate through ventilation with fresh outdoor air without resorting to active climate control, such as through centralised air conditioning. The Comfort Unit (CU) is created using the ‘research by design’ method, evolving from a fully integrated façade design to a stand-alone climate unit in combination with an undefined façade and a standard office. By using the CU, optimal use can be made of both internal and external energy sources, thereby reducing the energy consumption for heating and cooling. This CU differentiates itself from systems already on the market by integrating both an air-to- air heat exchanger and thermal storage through the use of PCM in one device, while potential additional heating is achieved through electric heating rather than through the use of a water-to-air heat exchanger. In order to make optimal use of the CU, the space it is placed in needs to adhere to a number of prerequisites concerning the amount of thermal mass available as a thermal buffer for the indoor climate, the effectiveness of shading, the amount of thermal mass (PCM) available in the CU, the amount of additional heating, the amount of ventilation and the internal heat load. Once these basic conditions are met, an office room can be kept at a comfortable temperature and provided with ample fresh air all year round using the CU in combination with almost any façade design, while consuming less than 5 kWh/m2 per year for heating. Subject PCMenergycomfortfacadeofficeefficientthermal massshadingsimulationtestventilationheat loadinternaladaptive To reference this document use: https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:83f692c1-38a5-4fbf-8138-d78346d046db Embargo date 2013-06-04 ISBN 9789088916335 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type doctoral thesis Rights (c) 2013 Hasselaar, B.L.H. Files PDF volledig proefschrift v 1 ... a_corr.pdf 3.95 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:83f692c1-38a5-4fbf-8138-d78346d046db/datastream/OBJ/view