Glazed balconies and their influence on the temperature reduction factor during the heating season

Abstract

Glazed buffer spaces have an important influence on the energy performance of buildings, especially in the case of dwellings located in multi-family buildings. The ability to utilize solar radiation during the heating season can be assessed with the use of the temperature reduction factor, expressing the relative temperature rise in the solar space above the outside air temperature. The paper is based on the results of the internal temperature monitoring in dwellings with glazed balconies of different envelope construction and airtightness. The dwellings were located in buildings in Lublin and Zamość, cities in the eastern part of Poland. The measurements took place from July 2017 until September 2018, and the temperature was recorded with the use of iButton sensors. The measurement results were supplemented with the weather data coming from the database of the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Thanks to the collected data it was possible to calculate the temperature reduction factor during the subsequent months of the heating season, and to check its relationship with the factors such as the balconies’ orientation, envelope construction and airtightness or the glazing type. The analyses also included the calculation of heat losses reduction achieved thanks to the solar spaces.