Determination of the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient of the Building Envelope from the Bioclimatic Comfort Point of View

Abstract

This new method to determine the optimum overall heat transfer coefficients for the opaque components of the building envelope in respect to orientation, window characteristics and transparency ratio, is based on the comfort values of the inner surface temperatures of the facade elements. The inner surface temperatures of the transparent components are calculated initially assuming window characteristics and climatic conditions. The inner surface temperatures for the opaque parts can be calculated from the inner surface temperatures of the transparent components, transparency ratios and the comfort value of the inner surface temperatures of the facade elements. The optimum values of the heat transfer coefficients f or the opaque components are determined from these and the sol-air temperatures.