Development of Energy-efficient Houses Equipped with Central Duct Space-conditioning System and Solar Collector

In recent years, insulation and air-tightness have been all the more emphasized and have drastically advanced in Japan, and a duct central space conditioning system has been often introduced. This system is thought of as a useful measure to various problems in living environment, such as heat shock and sick house syndrome. However, the current central space conditioning system usually has a concern with an increase of energy consumption compared to individual space conditioning. Therefore, for the spread of this system, evaluation of the system performance is necessary. In this study, the combinational effect of the central duct space conditioning system equipped with personal circulation fans, which blow warm or dry cool air into each room from the air-conditioned space by the direct current fans, and the solar collector such as a double-skin facade and direct gain on energy saving is examined by numerical simulation utilizing the simulation software ‘THERB’.