Numerical analysis of thermoenergetic performance of a hybrid system with earth-air heat exchanger and electrochromic devices

This study presents a numerical analysis of a Hybrid System (HS) composed of an Earth-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) and an Electrochromic Device (ECD), seeking thermal comfort improvement and reduced energy consumption in buildings. This HS was used in a case study for cooling and heating a Ventura House building in Viamão city in south Brazil. Computer simulations of the building with natural ventilation and with an HS were performed using the EnergyPlus software. To analyze the building’s thermoenergetic performance, a methodology was developed to obtain climatological data via ERA5 and generate a climate file for Viamão. The results were compared between two cities in different bioclimatic zones 3 and 7 (BZ3 and BZ7). When comparing the hybrid system with natural ventilation in spring, the maximum temperature decreased by 15.4% in BZ3 and 24.8% in BZ7. After adopting the hybrid system in BZ3, the thermal comfort of the environment improved in autumn and winter by reducing the discomfort due to cold. In BZ7, the hybrid system reduced thermal complaints in winter and spring, thus improving thermal comfort. Finally, it was observed lower energy consumption of the hybrid system in BZ7 than in BZ3, making this system more favorable to be applied in BZ7 buildings.