Investigation on thermal performance of rural house in the Guanzhong region of north China

This paper introduces a field investigation of rural house in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi province in north China, which was a part of a larger research project that targets on developing passive design strategies for rural house in the cold climate zone of north China. To understand the basic conditions of energy consumption and indoor thermal environment of rural houses in the researched region, a questionnaire survey was first conducted in 15 villages. Then, a typical rural house was selected for more detailed investigation. Indoor temperatures were measured continually for two months both in the winter of 2008 2009 and in the summer of 2009. Simulations were also run to identify specific problems of the building envelops. Finally, five target-oriented strategies for improving energy saving and indoor thermal performance of such houses in the investigated region are provided, further researches for implementing passive solar energy technologies and design strategies are also suggested.