Martin Kotol

The Effect of Thermal Mass on Annual Heat Load and Thermal Comfort in Cold Climate Construction

AbstractThermal mass in building construction refers to a building material’s ability to absorb and release heat based on changing environmental conditions. In building design, materials with high thermal mass used in climates with a diurnal temperature swing around the interior set-point temperature have been shown to reduce the annual heating demand. However, few studies exist regarding the effects of thermal mass in cold climates. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of high thermal mass on the annual heat demand and thermal comfort in a typical Alaskan residence using energy modeling software. The model simulations show that increased thermal mass can decrease the risk of summer overheating in Alaskan residences. They also show that increased thermal mass does not significantly decrease the annual heat load in residences located in cold climates. These results indicate that while increased thermal mass does have advantages in all climates, such as a decrease in summer overheating, i...

Energy performance and indoor air quality in modern buildings in Greenland—Case study Apisseq

A new dormitory for engineering students “Apisseq” was built in Sisimiut, Greenland in 2010. Its purpose is not only to provide accommodation for students, but thanks to its complex monitoring system, it enables researchers to evaluate the buildings energy performance and indoor air quality. Some of the installed technologies are not commonly used in the current Greenlandic building stock. Therefore, evaluation of their performance under local conditions is essential for further use and development. The first year of operation has disclosed some errors made during the design process and construction phase, which have negative effects on the energy performance and indoor air quality. The heat demand in 2011 was 26.5% higher than expected. One of the main causes of the extra heat demand is the fact that the ventilation system was over-dimensioned, and although it is running on the lowest fan power it maintains 1.1 ACH in the building. Reduction of the airflows and better frost protection of the heat exchangers are important issues to be dealt with in order to decrease the heat demand. This article describes the building and how it is evaluated after the first year of operation, and it explains some of the revealed problems.