Comparison of CIBSE thermal comfort assessments with SAP overheating assessments

Session 6, Paper 3, CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium, Dublin, Ireland, 3-4 April 2014

A comparison of the overheating risk assessment of a number of residential developments shows that designs can more easily pass the Part L overheating assessment using the SAP methodology compared to the CIBSE thermal comfort assessment using dynamic modelling. There is a risk therefore, that residences are being designed and built without an appropriate evaluation of overheating risk, if only the standard building regulation assessment procedure is used. The Part L overheating assessment is relatively simplistic, thus potentially leading to inappropriate design decisions regarding building form, materials and ventilation strategies. Dynamic modelling, on the other hand, provides a more detailed assessment and prediction of overheating risk, and should be more widely used to evaluate residential designs. This work shows that, without appropriate evaluation, overheating risk in residences could increasingly become a problem.