Design, Environment, Energy and Comfort in Buildings Equipped with a PMV-Controlled HVAC System

This work presents a study of the design, environment, energy and comfort in buildings equipped with a PMV-controlled HVAC system. This control system, based on the three categories of the international standard, ISO 7730, employs the level of thermal comfort instead of the traditional control of the air temperature. In this type of control, using the PMV index, the average air temperature, average air relative humidity, average radiant temperature, average air velocity, level of clothing and level of physical activity are considered. The four initial parameters are associated with environmental ones and the last two are associated with personal ones. The simulation is carried out using a simulator of the dynamic thermal response of buildings and the thermophysiology of the occupants. The simulator considers energy and mass balance integral equations. This equation system is generated, by the simulator, based on the building design. In this study, three cases are performed, categories A, B and C. According to the results obtained, it is possible to verify that it takes some time to achieve acceptable comfort conditions when the HVAC system is connected. However, after the conditions are achieved, the system guarantees acceptable conditions during the occupancy time. Category A provides higher levels of energy consumption than Category B and C.