An Analysis of the Development of Modular Building Design Elements to Improve Thermal Performance of a Representative High Rise Residential Estate in the Coastline City of Famagusta, Cyprus
Journal article
Altan, H. and Ozarisoy, B. (2022). An Analysis of the Development of Modular Building Design Elements to Improve Thermal Performance of a Representative High Rise Residential Estate in the Coastline City of Famagusta, Cyprus . MDPI Sustainability. 14 (Art.4065). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074065
Authors | Altan, H. and Ozarisoy, B. |
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Abstract | Passive design strategies can reduce heating and cooling demands with integration of more efficient building systems as well as the potential to integrate modular off-site construction technology and its technical systems to offset overall energy consumption. This study evaluates the energy performance of the nationally representative post-war social housing estate in the southeastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus where the weather is subtropical (Csa) and partly semi-arid (Bsh). This study employed a mixed methods research design approach which was based on a thorough field study that consisted of a questionnaire survey conducted with residents of the social housing estate in the hottest summer month of August, to explore the occupants’ thermal sensation votes (TSVs), their habitual adaptive behaviour, and home energy performance concurrently. On-site environmental monitoring was performed, and in-situ measurements of each occupied space were recorded to identify ‘neutral’ adaptive thermal comfort. The selected representative high-rise residential development was modelled using Integrated Environmental Solutions’ Virtual Environment (IES-VE) software, where extensive dynamic thermal simulations have been produced to assess existing energy performance and energy effectiveness of retrofitting strategies. The results demonstrated that a moderate–strong relationship was found between orientation and reasons for thermal discomfort (χ2 = 49,327, p < 0.001, Cramer’s V = 0.405). Individual levels of thermal comfort were not limited to household socio-demographic characteristics, however; environmental factors were also determinants in the development of adaptive thermal-comfort theory. Furthermore, the occupants’ TSVs indicated that in a southeastern Mediterranean climate, 28.5 °C is considered a neutral temperature, and the upper limit of the indoor-air thermal-comfort range is 31.5 °C. |
Keywords | building performance optimisation; passive cooling design; retrofit energy design; thermal comfort |
Year | 2022 |
Journal | MDPI Sustainability |
Journal citation | 14 (Art.4065) |
Publisher | MDPI |
ISSN | 2071-1050 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074065 |
Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074065 |
Publication dates | |
29 Mar 2022 | |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 23 Mar 2022 |
Deposited | 04 Oct 2023 |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/95215
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