Question-and-Answer Resource for the Building Energy Modeling Community
 | 1 | initial version |
From the Engineering reference:
Several things should be noted about the fraction of heat that is radiated directly to people. This parameter is somewhat sensitive and will have a direct impact on the thermal comfort models. This is exactly the intent of the high temperature radiant heaters; however, one must use caution when determining this fraction since overestimation of this number might lead to predictions of thermal comfort where in fact it does not exist. In addition, this fraction of radiant energy to people does not have a direct impact on any of the surface heat balances. The thermal comfort energy balance is completely separate from and has no bearing on the zone air or the surface heat balances. Thus, in order to not “lose” this amount of energy from the perspective of the zone air or the surface heat balances, the model assumes that any radiation from the high temperature radiant heater that is incident directly on people is accounted for in the thermal comfort model using Equation but is also assumed to be added to the zone air heat balance via convection from people to the surrounding air. This guarantees that the people within the space feel the direct radiative effect of the heaters and that this quantity of energy is not “lost” within the heat balance routines.
So your Floor and walls should sum up to unity and people should be low around the 5%.
