The Influence of Stack Effect and Other Pressure Forces on Infiltration Heating and Cooling Loads

Abstract

The calculation of the heating and cooling energy demands for mega-tall buildings is a critical issue, especially when considering the impact of energy usage on the building and the resultant CO2 emissions from the building and its systems. Infiltration is one of the forms of energy demand in a building, but it does not receive much detailed in building design. This paper presents an alternate thought on how to assess infiltration/exfiltration on supertall (300+ m) and mega tall (600+ m) buildings. It proposes a quick method of determining the neutral pressure level for tall buildings which is required to assess infiltration rates. This paper takes then previous work and quantifies the energy consequences of infiltration and exfiltration on an example building and compares to a common rule of thumb. By identifying the true heating and cooling loads required to operate a tall building's HVAC systems, a proper estimate of the overall demand can be made and the systems right-sized and correctly operated. This approach has the potential to provide cost and energy benefits long term.