COMPLIANCE WITH ENERGY SAVINGS AND LABOUR LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS IN WIDE-OPEN INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS REFURBISHMENT

Abstract

Given the continuing requirements of the EU in terms of reducing the emissions of gases and improving energy efficiency, the refurbishment of existing buildings is of particular importance, considering that 40% of the energy is consumed in building sector. With respect to partially-open industrial buildings, air conditioning while refitting leads to increase of productivity, for it maximizes the working hours. Nevertheless, due to the resulting energy consumption increase, it seems necessary to clarify what would be the most efficient way of air conditioning this type of buildings, considering at the same time its economic viability. Therefore, the study presents an integrated approach to HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems to identify the most adequate of them in the case of an existing workshop. An application to a workshop in Carmona (Seville, Spain) shows that a highly efficient HVAC system, along with a climate separation by means air curtains, makes possible to keep the indoor thermal conditions of the premises between the mandatory ranges prescribed by the work legislation during much longer periods of time (reducing the hours out of compliance from 56% to 2%), with a reasonable energy consumption level (79.63% lower than a conventional system). Keywords: wide-open industrial buildings; air curtain; climate separation; HVAC systems; energy efficiency