Heating load

Thermal systems installed in museums should guarantee the maintenance of the optimal hygrothermal parameters ranges for the conservation of their collection materials. Considering the preservation of historic buildings, according to their historical and landscaping constraints, not all the thermal system typologies could be installed in these buildings' typologies. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to present some indications for the choice of the best thermal system solutions for a considered historic museum building, called Vittoriale degli Italiani, in the north of Italy, taking into account their installation feasibility and their related environmental impacts. The methodology includes a monitoring of the current hygrothermal parameters as well as the assessment of design heat and cooling loads related to the maintenance of the optimal hygrothermal parameters ranges for the conservation of collection materials. In addition, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of each selected system typology is considered for highlighting the most eco-friendly solution among the suitable ones. The obtained results highlights the feasible thermal system solutions able to maintain the hygrothermal parameters between the optimal ranges with a lower environmental impact in the Vittoriale degli Italiani historic museum building. OPEN ACCESS Sustainability 2015, 7 12616 Keywords: hygrothermal parameters for historic museum buildings; life cycle assessment (LCA); hydronic fan coil system; multiple-split direct-expansion airconditioning system; design heat load; design cooling load

Heating and cooling load calculations are critical to size Heating, Ventilating and Air conditioning (HVAC) systems and determine energy use of their operations. The ASHRAE recommended heating load calculation model is most commonly used for heating load calculations. It adopts a simplified approach by considering only steady-state conductive heat transfer. However, due to thermal storage effect, heat generated in daytime may still be stored in buildings and released at a later time. Such assumption leads to significantly over-sized heating systems which are usually accompanied by high initial cost and higher cost of energy use. This study therefore examines the thermal response and passive storage characteristic of heavy construction for typical office building in continental US states. By allowing space air to drift to reasonably lower values, buildings need to be warmed up before being occupied in the morning. The worst case conditions might happen during warm-up or beginning of occupied hours. This paper evaluates the optimal size of heating system which satisfies thermal comfort while taking advantage of passive thermal storage. Results show varying downsizing opportunities ranging from 14% to 54% across the US. These results have the potential of establishing new heating device design standards for certain climate classifications

The energy conservation in buildings is one of the European Union main targets
for 2020 to reduce energy dependence and greenhouse gases emissions. For residential buildings,
the energy conservations measures are encouraged by several laws, and the thermal performance
of building is regulated mainly by RCCTE. Old buildings use substantially different
materials and construction solutions from those ones in new constructions, which require special
studies to characterize their thermal performance and support the proper evaluation of retrofit
measures. The “Pombalinos” and “Gaioleiros” buildings are widely studied from the structural
and architectural point of view, with little information about their thermal characteristics. This
communication presents the experimental results related to the evaluation of thermal performance
characteristics in heating mode of a “Gaioleiro” building located in Lisbon.