What is the impact of enhancing thermal comfort on energy consumption?

Project Location: Cwa

Simulation Scale: Whole Building

Application: Research

Audience: Academic

What is this graphic showing? Describe the different parts of the graphic and how it communicates the data.

This graphic evaluates the impact of providing both cooling and heating, versus cooling alone, on thermal comfort in an office building. It illustrates simulation data of unmet hours, energy consumption, and outdoor temperature using annual hourly heatmaps. Results show that including both cooling and heating leads to a 96% reduction in unmet hours with a 12% increase in energy use intensity, along with compliance with ASHRAE 90.1-2022. This scenario offers optimal thermal comfort.

What type of graphic is this?

Design Variables

What tools were used for the simulation analysis?

What tools did you use to create the graphic?

What was successful and/or unique about the graphic in how it communicates information?

This graphic intuitively communicates the results of thermal comfort assessment through stacked heatmaps, enabling a clear visualization of temporal patterns. Its strength lies in the use of heatmaps, which show exactly when thermal comfort issues occur and their intensity. The side-by-side comparison highlights performance differences, while a concise summary enhances comprehensiveness.

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