Analysis and Optimization of Varying Door and Windows Opening on Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort in Air-Conditioner Office

The energy consumption of air conditioners (ACs) in buildings is particularly high during summer, thus placing high demands on indoor thermal comfort. However, previous studies have only focused on a single factor either AC energy consumption or indoor thermal comfort, and only a few comprehensive analyses have attempted to optimize the AC energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort in buildings during summer. In this study, the comprehensive evaluation model was introduced to quantitatively evaluate the performance of different ventilation and cooling systems. A total of 48 orthogonal tests were conducted to evaluate cooling efficiency under different working conditions. The degree of door and window opening/closing and the AC setpoint temperature were considered in the test, and the degree–power index was proposed as an evaluation metric. The effects of multiple working conditions on the energy consumption and thermal comfort of a single AC office were estimated using the Gray-Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (GRA-TOPSIS) model. Results show that, AC energy consumption is positively correlated with the degree of door and window opening/closing, especially at an AC setpoint temperature of 28 ℃. The increase in energy consumption is especially significant, thereby highlighting the importance of window and door management in controlling the energy consumption of buildings at high summer temperatures. Meanwhile, reducing the AC setpoint temperature improved the comfort of the indoor environment. Opening one window at an AC setpoint temperature of 26 °C provides the best balance between energy saving and thermal comfort. The experiments demonstrate that optimizing the degree of door and window opening/closing and setting rational AC temperatures not only ensure thermal comfort but also effectively reduce energy consumption in buildings. © 2024 School of Science, DUTH. All rights reserved.