Indoor thermal nonuniformity of atrium-centered public building: Monitoring and diagnosis for energy saving

Heating ventilation and air conditioning system accounts for over one third of building energy usage, especially for public buildings due to large indoor heat source and high ventilation and thermal comfort requirement compared to residential buildings. Natural ventilation shows high application potentials in public buildings because of its high-efficient ventilation effect and energy saving potential for indoor heat dissipation. In this paper, the building design is conducted for a science museum and library with atrium -centered natural ventilation consideration. The floor layout, building orientation and internal structure are optimized to make full use of natural ventilation for space cooling under local climatic conditions. A natural ventilation model is established through building field tests to evaluate the air flow and thermal environment under indoor and outdoor pressure differences. The preliminary results show that Building A's courtyard exhibited overheating issues, likely attributed to outdoor solar radiation, whereas Building B's courtyard experienced localized cooling, possibly due to indoor air conditioning system controls. Addressing these concerns necessitates modifications in courtyard design and structure. Moreover, both courtyards displayed vertical temperature gradients, emphasizing the need for effective management of outdoor heat influx and enhancements in indoor ventilation and shading strategies. To mitigate these issues, the study proposed three distinct roof design models and more refined indoor air conditioning system control strategies. The optimization of architectural design can achieve a maximum energy-saving rate of 46.54 %. Furthermore, aligning functional zones with thermal comfort areas was recommended to enhance overall building thermal comfort. The findings and proposed solutions from this study are anticipated to contribute to the enhancement of thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and vertical temperature distribution in large public buildings, catering to user requirements while reducing energy consumption. This research holds significant implications for advancing sustainability and environmental preservation in the realm of architecture.