Abstract
The demand for cooling systems has increased as a result of economic growth and an improving quality of life. But increased demand can result in an increase in energy consumption for space cooling. On the other hand, it has been recognized that a district heating system reduces energy consumption, and improves the atmospheric environment. Accordingly, a district heating system, which supplies a heat source for space heating, typically during the heating season, has been tried for use for space cooling during the cooling season. These attempts can increase energy management efficiency at the national level. Research results report that a radiant floor cooling system is more advantageous than a packaged air-conditioner, in terms of comfort and energy saving, and reduces initial cost, because an existing radiant floor heating system is used for cooling. Most of these studies were performed at the individual household level. In this study, the feasibility of a radiant floor cooling system(RFC) in apartment houses that installed a district heating(cooling) system was evaluated at the level of the entire apartment house complex. Evaluation of the cooling performance and comfort through dynamic simulation and economic analysis(Life Cycle Cost) were performed. According to the results, compared to a packaged air conditioner(PAC), application of a radiant floor cooling system using a district cooling source is feasible, in terms of cooling performance and comfort, as well as on economic grounds.
