Natural ventilation potential from weather analyses and building simulation.

Naturally ventilated buildings' performance relies on their design and climatic conditions. Thus, when investigating the natural ventilation potential (NVP), the meteorological data plays a crucial role. This study discusses NVP assessment under two approaches: a general evaluation, using only meteorological data; and a specific investigation through building simulation. Both analyses included in-situ measured data and open-access weather file. When compared, the climatic data presented some differences in the frequency of wind direction/speed values. Still, they showed similarities in the hourly data, which were perceived in the NVP general analysis. A multi-zone Airflow Network model was employed for specific NVP examinations. Following a structured calibration process, using measured data from an experimental campaign, the validated model presented a final total Goodness-of-fit (GOF) of 2.98%. Subsequently, an annual building simulation was carried out with a hybrid operation mode. The number of occupied hours with natural ventilation and heating loads presented the most significant difference to the detriment of the weather file used, depending on the zone. A greater discrepancy in thermal comfort evaluation was perceived according to the adaptive standard employed. The paper discusses some challenges faced at the NVP analyses and the calibration process, ending with some suggestions on how to address these issues.