Inter-related effects of cooling strategies and building features on energy performance of office buildings

The paper compares effects on thermal performance and energy use of various pre-cooling and ventilation strategies, which might be used for reducing peak power demands in typical office buildings located in moderately warm climatic regions. Simulations were performed for different features of the building envelope, and for two levels of internal heat load. Results indicate: significant reductions of required daytime peak power loads may be obtained by cooling strategies that contribute to lowering internal mass temperatures. For buildings with large internal heat loads, intensive night pre-cooling is the most effective strategy for smoothing required power loads. However, for non-loaded buildings, it largely increases total energy loads, and night-time peak power loads. Intensive night ventilation reduces required peak power loads as well as total cooling energy loads for both building types. For nonloaded buildings, it is an extremely efficient strategy, whereas the efficacy of other pre-cooling strategies is highly questionable. Further research should include secondary effects (on required peak power loads. total energy loads, and electricity consumption) as they may decrease the efficiency differences between the two strategies. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.