Energy use impact of and thermal comfort in different urban block types in the Netherlands

•Single, linear and courtyard urban block layouts are simulated in the Netherlands.•Annual heating and lighting energy, and summer thermal comfort are studied.•The results demonstrate the importance of the surface-to-volume ratio.•The 3-storey courtyard layout uses 22% less energy compared to the on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy and buildings 2013-12, Vol.67, p.166-175
Main Authors: Taleghani, Mohammad, Tenpierik, Martin, van den Dobbelsteen, Andy, de Dear, Richard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Building insulation
Buildings
Buildings. Public works
Computation methods. Tables. Charts
Energy use
Exact sciences and technology
External envelopes
Structural analysis. Stresses
Thermal comfort
Urban block types
Urban development
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Summary:•Single, linear and courtyard urban block layouts are simulated in the Netherlands.•Annual heating and lighting energy, and summer thermal comfort are studied.•The results demonstrate the importance of the surface-to-volume ratio.•The 3-storey courtyard layout uses 22% less energy compared to the one zone layout.•The 3-storey courtyard layout has 9% less discomfort hours than the one zone layout. This paper discusses the energy and comfort impact of three types of urban block configuration in the Netherlands. The annual heating and lighting energy demand, and summer thermal comfort hours are compared. In total, 102 thermal zones forming single, linear and courtyard building combinations are simulated within the Netherlands’ temperate climate. The results demonstrate the importance of the surface-to-volume ratio in achieving both annual energy efficiency and summer thermal comfort. Considering different types with 1-, 2- and 3-storey heights, the courtyard model has the lowest energy demand for heating and the highest number of summer thermal comfort hours.
ISSN:0378-7788
DOI:10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.08.024