Optimization of thermal environment in a building with low-exergy radiant systems and glazed facade

The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of thermal comfort enhancement in a selected
zone of a modern office building with high ratio of glazed façade and a heating / cooling
system with high thermal inertia, equipped with low-exergy radiant heating and cooling.
Experimental measurements performed over three reference weeks, distributed over heating,
transition and cooling period, revealed overheating during 15 % - 30 % of the evaluated time
intervals in the heating period. A simulation model of the reference zone with four variations
of ventilation and shading system control strategies was created in TRNSYS to investigate the
possibilities of thermal environment optimization. Three different heating/ cooling radiant
systems were implemented to the model with the optimal set-point variation. The simulations
indicate a potential to significantly enhance thermal comfort by improving the control strategy
of the heating system and of the external blinds, however, the difference between the thermal
environments created by the three different radiation systems were negligible.