Simulation-based evaluation of thermal comfort in buildings, by mitigation of heat stress through passive measures

To reduce energy consumption and the associated CO2 emissions caused by cooling buildings, conventional energy-intensive active cooling of buildings must be avoided and passive design strategies need to be given priority. This paper investigates the effectiveness of passive measures for thermal performance in summer. The introduced methodology, using building performance simulations (BPS) with representative future weather data sets is applied to explore the prospective potential for passive measures in cooling buildings without compromising the health and performance of building users. Moreover, the effects of passive measures on thermal comfort as well as energy demand are quantified based on sensitivity analyses. The main finding is that passive design strategies can ensure thermal comfort in summer and thus make a major contribution to decarbonize the building sector.