Investigation of Electricity Consumption and CO2 Emissions from Cooling System Operation Strategies in Mosques

Air conditioners used for thermal comfort conditions in indoor environments during hot summer days lead to high energy consumption. In this study, three different operation strategies were proposed to diminish the electricity consumption and CO2 emissions of air conditioners for cooling in a typical neighborhood mosque in Turkey. The simulation results were compared with the electricity consumption invoices of the real usage of air conditioners. Furthermore, monthly average thermal comfort conditions were evaluated in the study. In Case-1, the non-operation and continuous operations of air conditioners were examined. In Case-2, air conditioners were operated at prayer times, 20 and 60 minutes before the daily prayers, until the end of the prayers. In Case-3, the cases of operating the air conditioners from the morning to the night prayer and from the noon to the night prayer were evaluated. Higher electricity consumption and CO2 emissions in the cases where the air conditioners in cooling mode were operated continuously (2138 kWh, 1303 kg) and operated from the morning to the night prayer (1926 kWh, 1174 kg) than the invoices were acquired. It was suggested to determine the most appropriate operation strategies for air conditioners by examining the thermal comfort conditions at prayer times.