Thermo-hygrometric comfort analysis in a real public conference room to support a digital-twin targeted to parametric investigations

In this paper, the efficient use of a building-plant system in terms of thermal comfort conditions was verified in the summer for a real conference room by its digital twin. A DesignBuilder model was calibrated by experimental data concerning the indoor air temperature, average radiant temperature, relative humidity and CO2 concentration. Different situations for people's well-being were studied by varying emitter typology, control strategies, subjective parameters and internal loads. The EMS tool was used to simulate high-level control strategies. It was found that radiant ceilings in continuous operation could promote situations of undercooling, whereas a predicted plant operation is appropriate with an intermittent functioning. People’s metabolism affects comfort conditions more than internal loads determining an increase of about 3 degrees in indoor air and mean radiant temperature. Inlet temperature variations in fan coils modify comfort conditions marginally, however these emitters badly interact with internal loads than radiant ceilings. Aside from the Fanger PMV, discomfort indices following EN 15251 were also evaluated, however, in prevision of the implementation of predictive control strategies, the degree hour approach is not recommended because it does not consider clothing resistance properly.