Numerical study on the influence of moisture buffering effect and energy impact of interior materials in hot and humid climates

Taiwan is located in a subtropical climate region. The hot and humid climate provides a suitable environment for microbes. Some studies indicated that the moisture buffering effect of interior materials can help achieve energy-saving and reduce the range of fluctuations in humidity However, we found that when methods for moisture buffering are used in Taiwan, the indoor relative humidity remains high because the moisture buffering effect can only reduce the range of fluctuations in humidity. In this study, some ventilation strategies were adopted for drying interior materials during the daytime in order to achieve better dehumidification performance, and numerical simulation of indoor climate and energy consumption were carried out. Both indoor air quality and energy consumption were considered in order to evaluate the performance of these strategies in three major cities in Taiwan. It was found that appropriate ventilation methods should be adopted according to the local weather pattern.