Design of thermally comfortable and healthy buildings: integration of concrete heated floor system

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The main objective of this project is to develop an efficient design tool and control strategy for the operation of a building integrated with concrete heated floors. Electrically heated floors can store thermal energy in building during off-peak periods and release it during peak periods. In this approach, a floor is heated electrically by placing an electrical resistance into a concrete slab. Integration of this technology in Canadian residential buildings for the purpose of shaving or shifting thermal load is a challenging issue, as these buildings are lightweight constructions and the main floors are made up of plywood and have no thermal mass. However, almost all residential buildings have a basement, and the basement is furnished with a slab concrete floor. The challenge is to use the concrete heated floor as thermal mass activation to shave and shift the demand.The short-term objectives of this research project are to develop design and control tools that will predict, operate, and evaluate the performance of buildings with an integrated concrete heated floor system. This system must also be designed to respond to the actual needs of building occupants on the main floor, and it must be an integral part of the system of the building design.The outcomes of this research will provide a systematic approach for the design, development, and integration of concrete heated flooring within building construction, which will improve energy efficiency while ensuring thermal comfort and health to building occupants, and helping to shift the building's thermal load from peak periods to off-peak periods.