Cooling Demand and Indoor Temperatures of a Detached House in Southern Finland: Feasibility of a Monthly calculation Method

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare dynamic thermal modelling with a monthly calculation method based on a European standard and Finnish regulations. Effect of thermal insulation level of a building envelope, solar shading, solar heat gain coefficient and window area on cooling demand were also studied. Increasing the thermal insulation of building shell increased indoor temperatures and hence cooling demand considerably. Solar shading by blinds between window panes decreased indoor temperatures effectively, indicating the performance of passive cooling in Finnish climate. There were rather large differences between calculated indoor temperatures and cooling demands between the two methods although both methods were able to take into account differences between variations in building shell. According to the study, the monthly calculation method underestimates the cooling need which can be significant considering the energy consumption of buildings. Therefore, it is recommended to investigate both summer temperatures and the cooling energy needs of detached houses by modelling.