Lu Aye & Fuller, RJ 2006 ‘Heating and Cooling in the CH2 Building’ Report to Melbourne City Council, Melbourne, pp. 1-20.
Summary
This report critically assesses whether the proposed heating and cooling system for the CH2 building, under construction in Melbourne, will provide the desired thermal conditions for the building’s occupants. The system being used in CH2 is of interest to the expanding green building market because the system is expected to deliver thermally comfortable conditions, and will also result in financial savings, and reduced energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Achieving comfortable working conditions is important, as they have been shown to increase worker productivity.
Indoor thermal comfort is affected by the interaction of temperature, humidity and air flow within a space. A widely accepted definition of thermal comfort is “that state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment”1. Many factors – physical, psychological, seasonal, and those related to clothing – determine an individual’s thermal comfort. The intention of a conditioning system is to maintain a thermally comfortable indoor environment by moderating the relation between temperature, humidity and air movement, within set limits that satisfy occupants’ comfort expectations.
Climate controlled office spaces at CH2 have been designed to ensure a resultant temperature in the range of 21-23ºC. Active and passive systems will combine synergistically and have positive outcomes for occupant satisfaction, energy efficiency, cost savings and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The cooling system includes various components including chilled ceilings and beams, a phase change material (PCM) thermal store, shower towers, cooling towers, absorption and electric chillers, a night purging process to cool the thermal mass, and under-floor ventilation.
Keywords: Heating; cooling; occupant productivity; performance; thermal comfort.