Envelopes with low thermal performance are common characteristics in European historic buildings resulting in insufficient thermal comfort and higher energy use compared to modern buildings. There are different types of applications for the European historic buildings such as historic churches, historic museums, historic theatres, etc. In historic buildings refurbished to offices, it is vital to improve thermal comfort for the staff. Improving thermal comfort should not increase, preferably reduce, energy use in the building.

The overall aim in this research is to explore how to improve thermal comfort in historic buildings without increasing, preferably reducing, energy use with the application of non-intrusive methods. This is done in form of a case study in Sweden. Thermal comfort issues in the case study building are determined through a field study. The methods include field measurements with thermal comfort equipment, data logging on BMS, and evaluating the occupant’s perception of a summer and a winter period indoor environment using a standardized questionnaire. According to questionnaire and thermal comfort measurements results, it is revealed that the summer period has the most dissatisfied occupants, while winter thermal comfort is satisfactory – but not exceptionally good.

Accordingly, natural heat sinks could be used in form of NV, as a non/intrusive method, in order to improve thermal comfort in the building. For the historic building equipped with mechanical ventilation, NV strategy has the potential to both improve thermal comfort and reduce the total electricity use for cooling (i.e. electricity use in the cooling machine + the electricity use in the ventilation unit’s fans). It could decrease the percentage of exceedance hours in offices by up to 33% and reduce the total electricity use for cooling by up to 40%. The optimal (maximum) NV rate (i.e. the potential of NV strategy) is dependent on the thermal mass capacity of the building, the available NV cooling potential (dependent on the ambient air temperature), COP value of the cooling machine, the SFP model of the fans (low SFP value for high NV rate is optimal), and the offices’ door scheme (open or closed doors).