Casual gains to rooms are specified in the Thermal View of the Virtual Environment. They are classified for convenience according to type:
· Fluorescent lighting
· Tungsten lighting
· Machinery
· Miscellaneous
· Cooking
· Computers
· People
Gains have in general both sensible and latent components. They may be expressed in terms of either absolute values or on a floor area basis. Each component of the gain is specified as a maximum value modulated by a percentage profile.
Sensible gains add sensible heat to the room (or remove it, if negative). A portion of this heat, dictated by the radiant fraction, is in the form of thermal radiation and the remainder – the convective portion – is input to the room air. The radiant portion is allocated to the room surfaces on an area-weighted basis.
Latent gains add water vapour to the room air. All gains are expressed in terms of an energy input, the conversion factor between latent gain and water vapour addition being the latent heat of vaporisation of water.
