The Design of a Decentralized Ventilation System for an Office in Singapore: Key Findings for Future Research

Abstract

In this paper, we present what was learned in the research & design process of a decen tralized ventilation system with chilled ceilings for a commercial office in Singapore. We make two key observations from the knowledge gathered. First, we observe, in quanti tative terms, that present-day radiant cooling panel products may not provide sufficient sensible cooling capacity for commercial offices in hot and humid climates. However, upon considering the use of passive chilled beams as an alternative chilled ceiling prod uct, we do observe that a decentralized ventilation system comprising both recirculating and dedicated outdoor air fan coil units may reduce daily electricity requirements for air-conditioning in Singaporean office spaces by over 15%.