Using Thermally Activated Building Systems for indoor thermal comfort in hot arid regions

This research investigates the efficiency of using embedded cool water pipes to achieve indoor thermal comfort in hot arid regions. The analysis investigates their use in different building components, including the external walls and roof, and in three climatic regions in Egypt. Four simulation scenarios were developed using TRNSYS software to identify the best system that can be applied in each region. The analysis was applied during the summer season, and the result revealed that the system has reduced the indoor temperature in the three mentioned locations. Nevertheless, when compared to the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 55, the thermal comfort has been validated in two cities (Cairo and Marsa Matrouh) with significantly moderate temperature but not in Aswan which is characterized by its high temperature. This indicates the efficiency of using embedded cool water pipe systems to reduce cooling loads during summer season in hot arid climates but necessitates the importance of testing by simulations to stand on its suitability under different weather conditions.