**3.3 Findings and discussions**

The resultant temperature (operative temperature-°C) is analyzed using ASHRAE 55-2017 [28] to determine when the naturally ventilated office is within acceptable ranges. The averages for May, September, October, and the yearly average are in the range of 80% and 90% acceptability. In addition to these, June and August are only in the 80% acceptability range. Therefore, January, February, March, April, November, and December are considered cool months by virtue of being below the acceptable ranges; but only July is considered hot because it is above the acceptable ranges, as can be seen in **Table 3**.

#### *Adaptive Thermal Comfort of an Office for Energy Consumption-Famagusta Case DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101077*

The yearly average solar gain (for all glass sizes and window opening percentages) of the office is 674.30 W, which also occurs when half of the skin is made of glass with a fully open window. When the glass size on the external skin is changed from 10 to 20%, solar gain increased by 113%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 20 to 30%, solar gain experienced a 48% increase. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 30 to 40%, solar gain increased by 25%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 40 to 50%, solar gain increased by 21%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 50 to 60%, solar gain increased by 20%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 60 to 70%, solar gain increased by 12%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 70 to 80%, solar gain increased by 13%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 80 to 90%, solar gain experienced an 8% increase. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 90 to 100% (full opening), solar gain increased by 8.5%. When the glass size on the external skin changed from 10 to 100%, there was a 763.16% increase in solar gain. Conversely, window opening percentages never affected solar gain, as shown in **Table 4**.

The yearly average infiltration ventilation gain (heat gained or lost by air flow) in the office for all glass sizes and window opening percentages reported a heat loss of 311.49 watts. Regardless of the glass size on the external skin or window opening percentage, the office is always losing heat during hot and humid climatic conditions. When the window opening percentage was set between 10 and 100% (from smallest to largest), the office lost 100% heat when the glass size on the external skin was 10%, 43.24% when the glass size on the skin was 20%, 37.80% when the glass size on the skin was 30%, 30.58% when the glass size on the skin was 40%, 33.78% when the glass size on the skin was 50%, 23.67% when the glass size on the skin was 60%, 28% when the glass size on the skin was 70%, 27.35% when the glass size on the skin was 80%, 38.10% when the glass size on the skin was 90%, and 40.84% when the glass size on the skin was 100%. A maximum of 100% heat loss occurred when the glass size was only 10% with all ratios of window openings, while the minimum of 23.67% heat loss occurred when the glass size was 60% of the external skin with all window opening ratios. However, when the window was 10% opened with all sizes of glass on the external facade (from smallest to largest), the office lost 762% of its heat; when the window was 20% opened with all sizes of glass on the facade, the office lost 622% heat; when the window was 30% opened with all sizes of glass on the facade, the office lost 506% heat; when the window was 40%, 70% and 80% opened with all sizes of glass on the facade, the office lost ~485% heat; when the window was half open with all sizes of glass on the façade, the office lost 458% of its heat; when the window was 60% open with all sizes of glass on the facade, the office lost 473% heat; when the window was 90% open with all sizes of glass on the façade, the office lost 516% heat; and when the window was fully open with all sizes of glass on the facade, the office lost 507% of its heat. The maximum 762% heat loss occurred when the window was always 10% opened with all sizes of glass on the external skin and the minimum 458% heat loss occurred when the window was always opened halfway with all sizes of glass on the external skin, as shown in **Table 4**.

In the hot and humid climatic conditions of Famagusta, the yearly average external environmental temperature of 19.89°C is close to the monthly average of 17.91°C in November. The yearly average resultant temperature (for all external glass skin sizes and window opening percentages) for the simulated office was 21.91°C, which is also very closely achieved when the glass skin is 40% of the opaque skin with a 20% window opening ratio, half of the skin is glass with 40% and 50% window opening


**Table 4.**

*Performance of the office space in terms of solar gain, heat loss-gain, resultant temperature, relative humidity, and external temperature.*

percentages, and 60% of the skin is glass with 80–100% window opening percentages. When the windows are between 10 and 100% opened (increasing the opening ratio), the resultant temperature decreased by 2.58% when the skin is 10% glass, 3.09% when the skin has a 20, 30, 90, and 100% glass facade, 2.75% when the skin has 40% glass, 2.46% when the external skin is half constructed of glass, 3.14% when the skin has 60% glass, and 3.24% when the external skin is 70 and 80% glass on the facade, as shown in **Table 4**. However, when the window was 10% and 80% open with

#### *Adaptive Thermal Comfort of an Office for Energy Consumption-Famagusta Case DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101077*

all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.8%. When the window was 20% open, the resultant temperature increased by 7.63% with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest); when the window was 30% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.59%; when the window was 40% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 8.04%; when the window was 50% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.73%; when the window was 60% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 8.08%; when the window was 70% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.94%; when the window was 90% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (starts from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.63%; and when the window was 100% open with all sizes of glass on the external skin (from smallest to largest), the resultant temperature increased by 7.28%, as shown in **Table 4**.

The yearly average relative humidity of the office is 67.56% for all glass sizes on the external skin with all window opening ratios. Moreover, the yearly average relative humidity (aforesaid) is also observed in the office when the glass skin is 10% of the external skin with a 60% to fully open window, when the glass skin is 20% of the external skin with a 40–80% open window, when the glass skin is 30% of the skin with a half open window, when the glass is 40% of the skin with a 20–40% open window, when half of the skin is glass with a 40% open window, when glass is 60–80% of the external skin with a 30–40% open window, and when the glass is 90%and 100% (fully glazed external skin) with a 30% open window. When the window is opened at all ratios (10% to fully opened, starting from smallest to largest), relative humidity increased by 5% when the external skin is 10, 50, and 60% glass, 5.74% when the external skin is 20% glass, 5.96% when the external skin is 30% glass, 5.39% when the external skin is 40% glass, 4.77% when the external skin is 70% glass, 4.52% when the external skin is 80% glass, 4.3% when the external skin is 90% glass, and 4% when the external skin is fully constructed of glass. However, when the external skin has 10–100% glass on the facade (from smallest to largest), relative humidity increases by 2.31% when the window is 10% open, 2.84% when the window is 20% open, 2.5% when the window is 30% open, 2.18% when the window is 40% open, 2% when the window is half open, 1.8% when the window is 60% open, 1.65% when the window is 70% open, 1.5% when the window is 80% open, 1.69% when the window is 90% open, and 1.34% when the window is fully open, as shown in **Table 4**.

Heat is always being transferred away from the internal surface of the opaque wall of the simulated office in all seasons. The minimum heat transfer from the internal surface of the opaque wall for all glass sizes on the external skin and all window opening percentages is in June, during the summer period, at −48.64 W, while the maximum heat transfer is during the winter season in December at −21.26 W. The heat of an opaque wall is always being transferred from the outside surface toward the inside surface in all seasons. The minimum heat transfer from the outside surface of the opaque wall to its inside surface is during the winter season in February at 16.96 W, while the maximum heat transfer is during the summer season in September at 41.31 W. Heat is always being transferred away from the internal surface of the glass wall in the simulated office during all seasons. The minimum heat transfer from the internal surface of a glass surface occurred during the summer season in June at −116.40 W, with the maximum heat transfer during the winter season in November

at −58.17 W. The heat on a glass surface is always being transferred from the outside surface toward the inside surface of the glass during all seasons. The minimum heat transfer from the outside surface of the glass to the inside surface is during the winter season in November at 58.17 W, while the maximum heat transfer from the outside to the inside surface of the glass surface is during the summer season in June at 116.40 W, as shown in **Table 5** and **Figure 5**.

The internal surface of an opaque wall in the simulated office always transfers energy to heat the office air during all seasons. The minimum energy transfer from the internal surface of the opaque wall into the office air is in June at −79.07 W during the summer season, while the maximum energy transfer from the internal surface of the opaque wall into the office air is during the winter season in November at −29.12 W. The external opaque wall is always transferring energy to the external air during all seasons. The minimum energy transfer from the external opaque wall into the external air is during the summer season in June at −313.09 W, while the maximum energy transfer from the external opaque wall into the external air is during the winter season in November at −89.89 W. The internal glass surface in the simulated office is always transferring energy to heat the office air during all seasons, except in January, November, and December because energy transfer in the these three months flows from the external air to the internal surface of the glass to heat it. The minimum energy transfer from the internal surface of the glass surface is during the summer season in July at −5.21 W, while the maximum energy transfer from the internal surface of the glass into the office to heat the office air is in October during the summer season at −1.33 W; however, the internal surface of the glass is heated by the office air in January at 1.86 W, in November at 0.69 W, and in December at 0.77, all during the winter season. The external surface of a glass in the simulated office is always transferring energy to heat the office during all seasons, except in January, November, and


#### **Table 5.**

*Monthly heat and energy transfer performance of the simulated office.*

*Adaptive Thermal Comfort of an Office for Energy Consumption-Famagusta Case DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101077*

December because in these three months, the energy transfer is from the external air to the external surface of the glass in order to heat the external glass surface using the external air temperature, as shown in **Table 5** and **Figure 5**.

The yearly average heat and energy transfer performances are individually shown including as bold for minimum performances in **Figure 5** for the East, West, South, and North walls.

## **4. Conclusion**

The yearly average solar gain is 674.30 W when the glass size is from 10 to 100% (full) on the external wall with different window opening percentages, although solar gain increased by 763.16% when the glass size on the external skin was suddenly changed from 10% to full (100%) glass. Moreover, the maximum solar gain was observed as 113% when the glass size on the external wall changed from 10 to 20%, while the minimum solar gain was 8% when the glass size on the external wall changed from 80 to 90%.

Office environments with the smallest to largest glass size or the smallest to largest window opening percentage always lose heat; moreover, a 311.49 W heat loss was observed as the yearly average for the above conditions. In addition to this, the window opening percentage never affects the solar gain, as shown in **Table 3**.

The maximum heat loss of 100% occurred when the glass size is only 10% for all window opening ratios, while the minimum 23.67% heat loss occurred when the glass size is 60% of the external skin for all window opening ratios. However, the maximum heat loss of 762% occurred when the window is always 10% opened for all glass sizes on the external skin, and the minimum 458% heat loss occurred when the window is always half opened for all glass sizes on the external skin.

The yearly average resultant temperature for the simulated office is 21.91°C for all glass sizes on the external skin, with all window opening percentages. Furthermore, the yearly average resultant temperature is also achieved when the external skin has 40% glass with a 20% window opening ratio, half of the external skin is constructed of glass with 40 and 50% window opening ratios, and the external skin has 60% glass with an 80% to full window opening ratio.

The yearly average relative humidity of the simulated office is 67.56% for all glass sizes on the external skin with all window opening percentages. In addition to this, the yearly average relative humidity is also achieved when the external skin has 10% glass with a 60% to full opening, the external skin has 20% glass with a 40–80% window opening ratio, the external skin has 30% glass with a 50% window opening ratio, the external skin has 40% glass with a 20–40% window opening ratio, half of the external skin is constructed of glass with a 40% window opening, the external skin has 60–80% glass with a 30–40% window opening, and the external skin is 90% to full glass with a 30% window opening ratio.

During all seasons, heat is always transferred away from the opaque and transparent internal surfaces of the simulated office. Moreover, heat is also transferred from the outside of the opaque walls and transparent surfaces toward both internal surfaces.

Office air is heated by energy transferred from the internal surfaces of the simulated office's opaque and transparent walls during all seasons of the year. The external opaque wall is always transferring energy toward the external air, while the internal surfaces of the transparent surfaces transfer energy to heat up the office air except in

January, November, and December, because the energy transfer in these three months flows from the external air to the internal surface.

Architects, users, and engineers should be careful because in a hot and humid climate like Famagusta, adaptive thermal comfort within buildings is of great importance. Furthermore, July was found to be extremely hot, while January, February, March, April, November, and December were extremely cold, indicating that building users should pay attention to the cost of utilizing mechanical devices in these times of the year.
