Study of air-conditioning load: Comparison of steel and RC residence units

Recently, the fight against global warming is becoming increasingly important. Being major energy consumers, air-conditioning (AC) loads are gaining importance. Therefore, the effects of heat insulation methods and AC usage patterns on AC loads should be verified before a building is constructed. This paper examines the AC loads of two typical residential units of steel (S) and reinforced concrete (RC). To compare and analyze these cases, THERB, software for dynamic simulation of the thermal environment of residential buildings, is employed to simulate the loads. Three common patterns based on the lifestyle in Japan are applied in this study to show that different family makeup can lead to varying AC loads. Further, two RC units (exterior wall insulated on the inside/ outside) and one S unit (exterior wall insulated on the inside) are studied. The results reveal that the high heat capacity of concrete influences the living environment and causes differences between the RC and S units. The AC load of an RC unit with an exterior wall that is insulated on the inside is lower than that of a unit with an exterior wall that is insulated on the outside and is almost equal to that of the S unit.