Indoor climate loads for dwellings in different cold climates to assess hygrothermal performance of building envelopes

Abstract

This study tests the performance of an EN ISO 13788 occupancy modified model for indoor temperature and humidity in dwellings by comparing the model with the measured indoor temperature and relative humidity in Canada. The performance of EN ISO 13788 occupancy modified model is tested in 13 outdoor climates and compared with the simplified approach given in the ASHRAE 160 standard. It was found that the Estonian model’s proposed indoor temperature profile works reasonably well in accordance with the measured indoor temperatures in Vancouver, Canada, which are dependent on the outdoor climate; on the other hand, the ASHRAE 160 indoor temperature profile might not be the best for cold climates. Drawbacks were noted concerning the humidity loads given as a simplified approach in the ASHRAE 160 with the suggestions for the possible future renewal. A new approach for selecting the indoor humidity load for dwellings in cold climates is proposed.