Application of Indoor Greenhouses in the Production of Thermal Energy in Circular Buildings
Eusébio Conceição (),
João Gomes,
Maria Inês Conceição,
Margarida Conceição,
Maria Manuela Lúcio and
Hazim Awbi
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Eusébio Conceição: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
João Gomes: CINTAL, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Maria Inês Conceição: Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Margarida Conceição: Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Maria Manuela Lúcio: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Hazim Awbi: School of Built Environment, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AW, UK
Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-24
Abstract:
The production of thermal energy in buildings using internal greenhouses makes it possible to obtain substantial gains in energy consumption and, at the same time, contribute to improving occupants’ thermal comfort (TC) levels. This article proposes a study on the producing and transporting of renewable thermal energy in a circular auditorium equipped with an enveloping semi-circular greenhouse. The numerical study is based on software that simulates the building geometry and the building thermal response (BTR) numerical model and assesses the TC level and indoor air quality (IAQ) provided to occupants in spaces ventilated by the proposed system. The building considered in this study is a circular auditorium constructed from three semi-circular auditoriums supplied with internal semi-circular greenhouses. Each of the semi-circular auditoriums faces south, northeast, and northwest, respectively. The semi-circular auditoriums are occupied by 80 people each: the one facing south throughout the day, while the one facing northeast is only occupied in the morning, and the one facing northwest is only occupied in the afternoon. The south-facing semi-circular greenhouse is used by itself to heat all three semi-circular auditoriums. The other two semi-circular greenhouses are only used to heat the interior space of the greenhouse. It was considered that the building is located in a Mediterranean-type climate and subject to the typical characteristics of clear winter days. The results allow us to verify that the proposed heating system, in which the heat provided to the occupied spaces is generated only in the semi-circular greenhouse facing south, can guarantee acceptable TC conditions for the occupants throughout the occupancy cycle.
Keywords: building geometry; building thermal response; circular auditorium; semi-circular auditorium; thermal comfort; indoor air quality; semi-circular greenhouses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:15:p:3962-:d:1709178
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