What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore the impact of air-conditioning anthropogenic heat on energy consumption in residential buildings.

April 22, 2026Open Access

Feedback Effects of Air-Conditioning Anthropogenic Heat on Cooling Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings: A CFD–EnergyPlus Co-Simulation Study

Key Points

To explore the impact of air-conditioning anthropogenic heat on energy consumption in residential buildings.
Conducted field experiments measuring temperature and humidity around air-conditioning units.
Utilized CFD modeling with varying grid densities to validate temperature predictions.
Applied EnergyPlus software to simulate cooling energy consumption variations across building floors.
ACAH significantly increases local air temperature by 4.3 °C within 0.5 m of the unit.
Localized heat accumulation observed at 3.5 °C higher in central areas compared to the bottom.
Cooling energy consumption across floors varies by approximately 7.8% considering ACAH.

Abstract

With global warming and accelerated urbanization, building air-conditioning (AC) releases more heat into the environment, exacerbating the urban heat island (UHI) effects and increasing building cooling energy consumption. Existing research has limited quantification of the impact of air-conditioning anthropogenic heat (ACAH) on the cooling energy consumption of different types. This study aims to explore the distribution characteristics of ACAH and its impact on residential building energy consumption. Firstly, typical residential buildings in the Pearl River Delta region were selected as a case study. Field experiments were conducted to measure temperature and humidity at 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m, and 3 m from the outdoor unit, alongside ambient temperature and wind speed. Three grid densities were applied to verify the CFD model, with a prediction error of less than 0.3 °C at 0.5 m under a medium grid. The simulated temperature at 1 m from the outdoor unit under calm wind conditions was compared with field measurements to reveal the horizontal and vertical distribution characteristics of ACAH. Secondly, the effects of different building shapes, ambient temperatures, and wind speeds on the spatial distribution of ACAH were investigated. Finally, EnergyPlus (V23.1.0) was employed as the building energy simulation software, with its microclimate coupling interface implemented via Python scripts to quantify cooling energy consumption variations across different building floors under ACAH influence. Results indicated that ACAH exhibits significant horizontal non-uniformity, exerting the greatest impact within a 0.5 m radius (affected air temperature 4.3 °C higher than ambient). Vertically, localized heat accumulation occurs in the building’s central area, with air temperature 3.5 °C higher than at the bottom. Furthermore, compared to fixed meteorological conditions, the cooling energy consumption difference across floors considering ACAH reaches approximately 7.8%. This study provides accurate meteorological boundary conditions for building energy assessment and supports microclimate management in residential areas.

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