An Innovative Predictive Model for Indoor Thermal Comfort Condition of Residential Buildings to Mitigate Urban Warming: Case Study Kolkata, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v6i2.6612Abstract
The thermal comfort of building interior is one of the most important components of its thermal performance. The reliance of a building on artificial conditioning depends primarily on its inner comfort conditions. In recent times, this higher reliance of buildings on artificial ventilation and air conditioning has led to firstly, the creation of the heat island effect within cities, and secondly, the continuous warming of urban centers (particularly metropolises) with respect to the region and the hinterland to which they belong. The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between the indoor thermal condition of old and new buildings to the contributing factors and to develop an innovative predictive numerical model to design buildings ensuring better indoor thermal comfort conditions. To date, no such composite predictive model has been innovated, although a considerable amount of work has been done on the factors separately. Considering the global urban warming since 1970 this research has sampled an equal number of residences from "Old Buildings" built before 1947 CE and "New Buildings" built after 1970 CE. This study is based on a composite analysis of the thermal performances of sample buildings against the physical factors influencing thermal performance—initially through examination of correlation and thereafter by developing a set of innovative numerical predictive models between indoor thermal conditions and their contributing parameters. This new numerical model shows a 55% curve-fitting on the thermal comfort index used.
Keywords:
Urban warming; Heat island mitigation; Thermal comfort; Heat index; Residential building; Predictive modelReferences
[1] Pellegrino, M., Simonetti, M., Chiesa, G. (editors), 2015. Climate-responsive residential buildings in India. Just a drop in the ocean?. ICUC9-9 the International Conference on Urban Climate jointly with 12th Symposium on the Urban Environment; 2015 Jul 20–24; Toulouse, France.
[2] Handbook of Energy Conscious Building [Internet]. IIT Bombay and Solar Energy Centre, Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources. Available from: https://www.sustainability-initiatives.org/sikris/data/HANDBOOK%20ON%20ENERGY%20CONSCIOUS%20BUILDINGS.pdf
[3] Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report [Internet]. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_LongerReport.pdf
[4] Regional Fact Sheet-Urban Areas [Internet]. IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Sixth Assessment Report. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/factsheets/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Regional_Fact_Sheet_Urban_areas.pdf
[5] Nath, B., Acharjee, S., 2013. Urban municipal growth and landuse change monitoring using high resolution satellite imageries and secondary data. Studies in Surveying and Mapping Science. 1(3), 43–54.
[6] Rajagopalan, P., Lim, K.C., Jamei, E., 2014. Urban heat island and wind flow characteristics of a tropical city. Solar Energy. 107, 159–170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.05.042
[7] Santamouris, M., Papanikolaou, N., Livada, I., et al., 2001. On the impact of urban climate on the energy consumption of buildings. Solar Energy. 70(3), 201–216. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-092X(00)00095-5
[8] Santamouris, M., Papanikolaou, N., Koronaki, I.P., et al. (editors), 1998. Natural ventilation in urban environments. 19th Annual AIVC Conference "Ventilation Technologies in Urban Areas"; 1998 Sep 28–30; Oslo, Norway.
[9] Taha, H., 2004. Heat islands and energy. Encyclopedia of energy. Elsevier: Amsterdam. pp. 133–143.
[10] Mitra, S., 2018. A methodology to attain green urban settlements through GIS mapping. Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology (JCEET). 5(4), 211–214.
[11] Sustainable Development in a Desert Climate [Internet]. Available from: https://www.phoenix.gov/pddsite/Documents/PZ/pdd_pz_pdf_00342.pdf
[12] Rizwan, A.M., Dennis, L.Y., Chunho, L.I.U., 2008. A review on the generation, determination and mitigation of Urban Heat Island. Journal of Environmental Sciences. 20(1), 120–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(08)60019-4
[13] Fanger, P.O., 1970. Thermal comfort. Danish Technical Press: Copenhagen.
[14] Patterns of Sustainability in Desert Architecture [Internet]. Aridlands Newsletter. Available from: https://ag.arizona.edu/oals/ALN/aln47/pearlmutter.html
[15] Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies [Internet]. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-05/documents/reducing_urban_heat_islands_ch_3.pdf
[16] Santamouris, M., 2020. Recent progress on urban overheating and heat island research. Integrated assessment of the energy, environmental, vulnerability and health impact. Synergies with the global climate change. Energy and Buildings. 207, 109482. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.109482
[17] Mohan, M., Bhati, S., Sati, A.P., 2022. Urban heat island effect in India: assessment, impacts, and mitigation. Global urban heat island mitigation. Elsevier: Amsterdam. pp. 199–250.
[18] Szokolay, S.V., 2014. Introduction to architectural science: The basis of sustainable design. Routledge: London.
[19] ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2013: Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy [Internet]. Approved American National Standard (ANSI). Available from: https://ierga.com/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/10/ASHRAE-55-2013.pdf
[20] Hansen, J.L.M., 1991. On the thermal interaction of building structure and heating and ventilating system [Ph.D. thesis]. Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology.
[21] de Dear, R.J., Akimoto, T., Arens, E.A., et al., 2013. Progress in thermal comfort research over the last twenty years. Indoor Air. 23(6), 442–461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12046
[22] Fanger, P.O., 1973. Assessment of man's thermal comfort in practice. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 30(4), 313–324.
[23] Humphreys, M., 1978. Outdoor temperatures and comfort indoors. Batiment International, Building Research and Practice. 6(2). 92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09613217808550656
[24] Nicol, F., Roaf, S., 1996. Pioneering new indoor temperature standards: The Pakistan project. Energy and Buildings. 23(3), 169–174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-7788(95)00941-8
[25] Olgyay, V., 1963. Design with climate: Bioclimatic approach to architectural regionalism. Princeton University Press: Princeton.
[26] Koenigsberger, O.H., Ingersoll, T.G. A Mayhew, Z., et al., 1973. Manual of tropical housing and building: pt.1: Climatic design. Longman: London.
[27] Djongyang, N., Tchinda, R., Njomo, D., 2010. Thermal comfort: A review paper. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 14(9), 2626–2640. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.040
[28] Sustainable Building Design for Tropical Climates Principles and Applications for Eastern Africa [Internet]. Available from: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/download-manager-files/Sustainable%20Building%20Design%20for%20Tropical%20Climates_1.pdf
[29] Taylor, J., Lang, J., 2016. The great houses of Calcutta: Their antecedents, precedents, splendour and portents. Niyogi Books: New Delhi.
[30] Bose, K., 2019. Seeking the lost layers: An inquiry into the traditional dwellings of the urban elite in North Calcutta. SID Research Cell CEPT: Ahmedabad.
[31] Bose, Shivashish, 2010. Management of existing building Stock at Chitpur in Kolkata for sustainability through conservation and conversion. ABACUS. 5(1), 65–73.
[32] Pellegrino, M., 2012. Comparing techniques, bioclimatic features and indoor thermal conditions inside heritage and modern buildings in Kolkata. ABACUS. 7(2), 35–39.
[33] Bose, S., Sarkar, S., 2015. Top floors of low-rise modern residences in Kolkata: Preliminary exploration towards a sustainable solution. Current Science. 109(9), 1581–1589.
[34] Pellegrino, M., Simonetti, M., Chiesa, G., 2016. Reducing thermal discomfort and energy consumption of Indian residential buildings: Model validation by in-field measurements and simulation of low-cost interventions. Energy and Buildings. 113, 145–158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.12.015
[35] Radhakrishnan, S., Shanthi Priya, R., Sundarraja., M.C., 2010. Climate responsive vernacular architecture: A case study of Chettinadu housing in Tamilnadu. ABACUS. 5(1), 51–58.
[36] Madhumathi, A., Vishnupriya, J., Vignesh, S., 2014. Sustainability of traditional rural mud houses in Tamilnadu, India: An analysis related to thermal comfort. Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology. 1(5), 302–311.
[37] Priya, R.S., Sundarraja, M.C., Radhakrishnan, S., 2012. Comparing the thermal performance of traditional and modern building in the coastal region of Nagappattinam, Tamil Nadu. Indina Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 11(3), 542–547.
[38] Subramanian, C.V., Ramachandran, N., Kumar, S.S., 2017. Performance evaluation of traditional and modern residential buildings for thermal comfort by questionnaire survey in Thanjavur. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology. 8(2), 440–451.
[39] Tablada, A., De la Peña, A.M., De Troyer, F. (editors), 2005. Thermal comfort of naturally ventilated buildings in warm-humid climates: field survey. 22nd International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture; 2005 Nov 13–16; Beirut, Lebanon.
[40] Mahar, W.A., Amer, M., Attia, S. (editors), 2018. Indoor thermal comfort assessment of residential building stock in Quetta, Pakistan. European Network for Housing Research (ENHR) Annual Conference 2018; 2018 Jun 29; Uppasala, Sweden.
[41] Benkaci, L., & Benabbas, M., 2022. An investigation of thermal comfort and assessment of energy consumption in individual vernacular and modern living space. Technium Social Sciences Journal. 37, 701–712.
[42] Rai, Y.P., 2014. Improving thermal comfort of residential buildings in Kathmandu - using passive design strategies [Master's thesis]. Liverpool: University of Liverpool.
[43] Steadman, R.G., 1979. The assessment of sultriness. Part I: A temperature-humidity index based on human physiology and clothing science. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. 18(7), 861–873. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1979)018<0861:TAOSPI>2.0.CO;2
[44] Steadman, R.G., 1979. The assessment of sultriness. Part II: effects of wind, extra radiation and barometric pressure on apparent temperature. Journal of Applied Meteorology (1962–1982). 18(7), 874–885.
[45] Heat Index [Internet]. Available from: https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/heat-index
[46] How Does the Heat Index Work? [Internet]. Available from: https://web.archive.org/web/20110621004825/http://www.slate.com/id/2123486/fr/rss
[47] What is the Heat Index [Internet]. Available from: https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex#:~:text=The%20heat%20index%2C%20also%20known,combined%20with%20the%20air%20temperature
[48] The Heat Index Equation [Internet]. Available from: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex_equation.shtml
[49] Kolkata [Internet]. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/place/Kolkata
[50] Simha, R.V. (editor), 2012. Thermal comfort in India. 3rd Regional Conference& Exhibition "Innovations in Sustainable Habitats - the GRIHA Approach"; 2012 Dec 10–11; Bangalore, India.
[51] Gupta, J., Chakraborty, M., 2012. Sustainability of rural mud houses in Jharkhand: Analysis related to thermal comfort. ABACUS. 7(1), 56–63.
[52] Albatayneh, A., Alterman, D., Page, A., et al., 2018. The significance of the orientation on the overall buildings thermal performance-case study in Australia. Energy Procedia. 152, 372–377. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2018.09.159
[53] Mitra, S., Mandal, S.K., 2024. A Comparison of thermal comfort of old indigenous houses with new residential buildings of Kolkata, India. ISVS e-journal. 11(2), 364–379.
[54] Jackson, S.L., 2009. Research methods and statistics. Cengage Learning: New Delhi.
[55] Multiple Linear Regression Calculator [Internet]. Available from: https://www.statskingdom.com/410multi_linear_regression.html
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Article Type
License
Copyright © 2024 Author(s)
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.