Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Using Thermostatic Radiator Valve on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Abstract

In this study, experiments were carried out in an apartment with a net area of 98.8 m(2) in order to observe the effects of using a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) on energy efficiency. Experiments were performed with normal valves installed on the radiators, then the existing valves were replaced with thermostatic valves and the experiments were repeated. Thanks to the TRVs, the temperature of each room could be kept constant at the set value and it was observed that a comfortable heating was provided. The use of TRV homogenized the temperature distributions on the radiators and provided natural gas savings by preventing unnecessary heating of the radiator. According to the results obtained, it has been calculated that natural gas consumption can be reduced by 1.4 m(3) per day thanks to TRV. This value means a natural gas saving of 41.82 m(3) per month and 250.9 m(3) with a 6-month usage per year. Considering the current natural gas prices, there is an annual saving of 577.1(sic). A total of 7 thermostatic valves with a unit price of 150 (sic) were installed in the flat and the payback period was calculated as 1.67 years. In addition, it has been observed that a reduction of around 470 kg per year can be made in the amount of CO2 released to the environment due to the decrease in fuel consumption.