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Modelling the influence of layout on overheating risk of london flats

Abstract:

An analysis of overheating levels corresponding to building morphology yielded the modelling uncertainty due to the geometry and layout of two-bedroom flats in London, England. A new method is introduced, which collates information on various flat layouts in the current London housing stock. To ensure an unbiased sample was selected, dwellings were chosen randomly, yielding twelve flats in and around inner London. Dynamic thermal simulations were performed using EnergyPlus to determine individual dwellings' overheating risk. The results described the influence of geometry and layout configuration on overheating risk, which has rarely been analysed in previous studies. Irregular façades led to higher overheating levels in the set-back part of the building. Default configurations were used to model basecase archetypes, with further simulations performed to study the effects of orientation, ceiling heights and window glazing fractions. Compared with these factors, bigger differences between mean operative temperatures of flats were due to layout, with 3.5 °C in bedrooms, 1.5 °C in living rooms and 2.2 °C in kitchens.