Abstract
In many US cities, indoor exposure to heat continues to be the underlying cause of a considerable fraction (up to 80% during extreme events) of heat-related mortality and morbidity, even in locations where most citizens have air conditioning (AC). Nevertheless, the existing literature on indoor exposure to heat often regards AC as a binary variable and assumes that its presence inevitably results in a safe thermal environment. This is also reflected in heat vulnerability assessments that assign a binary attribute to AC. In this study, we used thermal simulation of buildings to investigate overheating in residential buildings in three US cities (Houston, Phoenix, and Los Angeles) and focused on scenarios where an AC system is present; yet not fully functional. Moreover, we identified the role of key building characteristics and investigated the sensitivity of indoor environment to the ambient temperature. Our results show that energy poverty and/or faulty systems can expose a considerable fraction of AC-owning elderly in Phoenix and Houston to excess heat for more than 50% of summer.
be considered in heat vulnerability assessments.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 011005 |
Journal | Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2020 |
Keywords
- air conditioning
- indoor heat exposure
- indoor overheating
- resilient buildings
- thermal comfort
- urban climates
- vulnerability
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Engineering (miscellaneous)
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- Architecture