Description:
Integrating the energy-efficient thermally activated building system (TABS) with the eco-friendly glass fibre reinforced gypsum (GFRG) construction would reduce both operational and embodied energies. This integrated system is termed a thermally activated glass fibre reinforced gypsum (TAGFRG) system. The influence of various parameters of the TAGFRG system must be well understood to vary them and achieve the required cooling output and thermal comfort. Therefore, the influences of two operating parameters, namely, supply water temperature and the number of cooling surfaces of a TAGFRG system, are investigated. The thermal comfort of an experiment room (3.5 m × 3.5 m × 3.15 m) with a TAGFRG roof, located in a warm and humid climate, is quantified by Fanger (PMV-PPD) and adaptive thermal comfort models. A decrease in supply water temperature from 26 to 18℃ decreases the average operative temperature from 26.1 to 24.1°C and the predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) from 15 to 6%. An increase in the cooling surface area increases the cooling output and improves thermal comfort. The average PPD is 22% if the roof alone is cooled directly with TABS. It reduces to 6% if all surfaces are cooled. Cooling only roof achieved 80% comfort, whereas cooling all surfaces achieved 90% comfort specified by the adaptive thermal comfort model