Energy in buildings and comfort of the occupants

Efficient design generation is key to the application of solar radiation in buildings, particularly when renewable energy is intended to enhance occupant comfort. Renewable energy is considered in the development and assessment of building design, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality in buildings with complex topology. In this work, the building thermal response software is used. In this numerical model, the energy and mass balance integral equations for the transparent and opaque building bodies are used for temperature and contaminants evaluation. In thermal comfort, the PMV and PPD indices are used. Indoor air quality is assessed based on carbon dioxide concentration. A building with a complex topology, used as a shopping center and equipped with internal greenhouses in the ceiling, will be analysed. The building has a circular configuration, featuring a central corridor (with a greenhouse in the ceiling) and stores on both sides. The airflow is transported from the external environment to the central corridor and then to the stores on both sides. Indoor air quality is ensured by maintaining an acceptable airflow rate. The study was conducted under winter conditions in a Mediterranean environment. The greenhouse contributes to obtaining thermal comfort conditions both in the corridor and in stores.