Energy consumption variation due to different thermal comfort categorization introduced by European standard EN 15251 for new building design and major rehabilitations

AbstractEuropean CEN Standard EN 15251 (2007) requires indoor thermal comfort conditions to be assessed and to fall within a category system for different levels of expectation and building purpose. The COMMONCENSE project has prepared and provided information about the energy implications of the Standard and in particular whether the Standard is encouraging high–energy buildings in the case of new buildings and major rehabilitations. Qualitative and quantitative information about the energy implications of the Standard are given, using a range of different cooling and heating techniques and building forms. More specifically, the required energy consumption of twenty eight buildings of different types (offices, hospitals, schools, residences) in Europe was calculated, assuming that the buildings belong to each of the three thermal comfort categories I, II, III as described in the Standard. From these calculations, it was determined if the thermal comfort categories of the Standard express real satisfactio...