Energy savings in buildings applying ASHRAE 55 and regional adaptive thermal comfort models

The building sector plays an important role in energy performance and energy poverty. Decarbonization policies aims to reducing the energy consumption of the built environment, especially using HVAC systems better. Some studies have adopted adaptive thermal comfort models to increase energy savings in winter and summer. However, applying models based on international standards could overestimate setpoint temperatures. This study therefore assesses the potential energy savings by using regional models and quantifies variations with the model of ASHRAE 55-2017. A total of 7 countries and 13 regional models were considered adopting two adaptive strategies: natural ventilation and mixed mode. The results showed that the applicability of a model is not determinant to assess the possible energy saving. Likewise, cooling demand was significantly saved by both regional models and the model of ASHRAE 55 in the warmest countries. However, natural ventilation showed a limited applicability in most countries, with this adaptive strategy being the most applied in warmer months.