Determination of the reference building form concerning thermal comfort and minimum heat loss

The aim of this paper is to introduce a methodology for the determination of the reference building form from a thermal comfort and heating energy conservation point of view. The thermal comfort of building occupants should always be satisfied in any enclosure. To ensure conditions of thermal comfort with minimum energy consumption is of great importance for the health of the user and energy conservation. As the energy demand increases due to thermal comfort requirements, a considerable portion of energy is consumed for heating purposes in buildings. The most important design parameters affecting indoor thermal comfort and energy conservation on the building scale are: orientation, building form and optical and thermophysical properties of the building envelope. As the building form is one of the most important components with respect to total heat loss of whole building, it has been taken into consideration in detail. The reference building form is determined by means of the calculated heat loss of the through the whole building envelope. A building form which provides minimum heat loss is qualified as the reference building form and the A/V ratio which defines this form is also qualified as the reference A/V ratio. In order to determine the reference building form for each floor area, the total heat loss through the whole building envelope has been compared by means of graphic systems in this study.