Comparison of annual energy performances with different ventilation methods for temperature and humidity control

Stratum ventilation has been proposed to accommodate elevated indoor temperatures recommended by governments in East Asia. TRNSYS is used for computation of the space cooling loads, sensible and latent, as well as system energy consumption. Typical configurations of an office, a classroom and a retail shop in Hong Kong are investigated. Desiccant dehumidification with and without solar assistance is utilized for the air treatment under displacement ventilation and stratum ventilation, while simple reheating is adopted under mixed ventilation. Compared with mixing ventilation and displacement ventilation, stratum ventilation derives its energy saving potential largely from the following five factors: the reduction in ventilation, dehumidification and transmission loads, prolonged free cooling period and increased the COP of the chillers. For the office, the year-round energy saving is found to be substantial at 20% and 40% without the need for solar energy provision when compared with displacement ventilation and mixing ventilation respectively. For the classroom and retail shop, the year-round energy saving is at about 25% and at least 37% with the aid of solar energy provision when compared with displacement ventilation and mixing ventilation respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.