ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Built Environ.
Sec. Indoor Environment
Volume 11 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2025.1606399
Exploring Hybrid Ventilation in Cold Climates: Energy Efficiency, Thermal Comfort, and Future Climate Adaptation in a nZEB Case Study in Norway
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
- 2Department of Energy and Technology, Multiconsult AS, 0276, Oslo, Norway
- 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ardakan University, P.O. Box 184, Ardakan, Iran
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The Climate House at Tøyen in Oslo is a nearly zero-emission building (nZEB) designed for exhibitions and educational purposes. It operates with a hybrid ventilation system, where natural ventilation via operable windows serves as the primary strategy, supplemented by mechanical ventilation when natural ventilation alone cannot maintain acceptable indoor thermal comfort and air quality. However, monitoring and analysis indicate that the current ventilation system underperforms, particularly during the winter season, resulting in suboptimal thermal comfort and reduced energy efficiency. This study aims to investigate whether optimized hybrid ventilation control strategies can be beneficial in nZEB buildings in cold climates, both under current and future conditions. A new control strategy was tested using IDA-ICE 5.0 simulations, prioritizing mechanical ventilation while using natural ventilation as a supplement.Results show a 13% energy reduction compared to full mechanical ventilation, with improved thermal comfort and compliance with indoor air quality standards. When tested under future climate scenarios (RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.6), the strategy yields energy savings of 19-21% by 2050 and up to 30% by 2100. However, under extreme heat conditions in 2100, the system may struggle with overheating, indicating the need for higher airflow rates and extended night ventilation. Overall, the findings suggest that, with adaptive control, hybrid ventilation is a promising solution for improving energy efficiency in low-energy buildings in cold climateseven as temperatures rise.
Keywords: NZEB, Hybrid ventilation, mechanical ventilation, Future climate, Building energy saving, Indoor climate
Received: 05 Apr 2025; Accepted: 23 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rabani, Sønderland and Rabani. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mehrdad Rabani, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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