Thermal comfort of global model Earthship in various European climates

Abstract

This paper explores the thermal performance of the Global Earthship design. Earthship is an autonomous earth-sheltered home utilising passive solar principles. Hourly monitoring data of the indoor temperature in such a building in Taos, New Mexico, were used to calibrate a simulation model of the building. Using the calibrated model, the performance of this design is investigated in other locations: Paris, Albacete, Seville, Valladolid, and London. The results show that the Global Earthship is able to provide thermal comfort without heating and cooling provided there is adequate solar irradiance but where overcast conditions prevail, a small amount of backup heating is necessary. The study also finds that the ground temperature has a large influence on indoor air temperature and indicates the need for further research in simulating Earthship designs.