A Preliminary Discussion on the Effectiveness of Shallow Geothermal Fresh Air Systems in Green Buildings for Improving Indoor Thermal Environments

Abstract

With the progress of carbon neutrality in the construction industry, most of the existing research focuses on improving the efficiency of energy supply side, while the indoor thermal comfort of occupants is relatively neglected. Therefore, the synergistic mechanism between clean energy system and thermal comfort is not clear enough. Evidence-based review using a scoping review method, based on literature found in databases such as Scopus over the last 30 years, addressing the gap between technical performance and human comfort considerations. It develops a standardised evaluation framework suitable for various climatic settings, determines significant coupling processes, and suggests methods for synergistic improvement. The results show that shallow geothermal fresh air systems can lower the summer indoor temperature by as much as 9.12°C and raise the winter indoor temperature by 5.53°C when combined with passive soil preparation and active precise control, keeping the indoor temperature within the range of 18-26°C and PMV between 0 and 1. Furthermore, it achieves an energy efficiency ratio of 4.5-7.0 and regulates humidity well. By broadening the analysis to include the interaction between energy systems, people’s comfort, and buildings, this study gives backing for more integrated green building designs. However, there are still some limitations such as a small scope of climate and no long-term empirical data, so it need a unified monitoring system and longitudinal studies in different climates.