Impact of Shape on Residential Buildings Energy Performance

Author(s):  
Alexandra Pappas ◽  
Eric Loew ◽  
Tim Scotland-Stewart ◽  
Moncef Krarti

The impact of the shape on energy performance for residential buildings has been investigated using a series of simulation analyses. The shape of a building is quantified by its compactness relative to a reference building. In this paper, the performance of a prototypical residential building with various shapes is investigated for selected locations in the US. Various window-to-wall ratios are considered in the analysis. The findings indicate that significant energy can be saved when the shape and the window-to-wall ratio of the building are optimized. A simplified evaluation method is provided to help designers assess the impact of basic building architectural features on the energy performance of residential buildings.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Soutullo ◽  
E. Giancola ◽  
M. J. Jiménez ◽  
J. A. Ferrer ◽  
M. N. Sánchez

Based on the European energy directives, the building sector has to provide comfortable levels for occupants with minimum energy consumption as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper aims to compare the impact of climate change on the energy performance of residential buildings in order to derive potential design strategies. Different climate file inputs of Madrid have been used to quantify comparatively the thermal needs of two reference residential buildings located in this city. One of them represents buildings older than 40 years built according to the applicable Spanish regulations prior to 1979. The other refers to buildings erected in the last decade under more energy-restrictive constructive regulations. Three different climate databases of Madrid have been used to assess the impact of the evolution of the climate in recent years on the thermal demands of these two reference buildings. Two of them are typical meteorological years (TMY) derived from weather data measured before 2000. On the contrary, the third one is an experimental file representing the average values of the meteorological variables registered in Madrid during the last decade. Annual and monthly comparisons are done between the three climate databases assessing the climate changes. Compared to the TMYs databases, the experimental one records an average air temperature of 1.8 °C higher and an average value of relative humidity that is 9% lower.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Lobna Elgheriani ◽  
Brian Cody

Nowadays, high-rise buildings are developing very fast to cater to the increase in demand in major urban cities. This phenomenon has contributed to several environmental problems in both construction and operation. High-rise buildings design parameters seem to lack contextual environmental consideration. Evaluating the impact of such design parameters is a practical approach to enhance the overall energy and thermal performance. Existing research gaps are distinguished based on this review. Future research directions are also proposed through a methodological scheme to investigate comparatively, the effects of different geometric factors on both thermal and energy performance, specifically in the high-rise residential buildings with consideration to different climatic regions. Keywords: Energy Performance; Thermal Performance; High-rise Buildings; High-rise Residential BuildingseISSN: 2398-4287 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v4i11.1717


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1595
Author(s):  
Valeria Todeschi ◽  
Roberto Boghetti ◽  
Jérôme H. Kämpf ◽  
Guglielmina Mutani

Building energy-use models and tools can simulate and represent the distribution of energy consumption of buildings located in an urban area. The aim of these models is to simulate the energy performance of buildings at multiple temporal and spatial scales, taking into account both the building shape and the surrounding urban context. This paper investigates existing models by simulating the hourly space heating consumption of residential buildings in an urban environment. Existing bottom-up urban-energy models were applied to the city of Fribourg in order to evaluate the accuracy and flexibility of energy simulations. Two common energy-use models—a machine learning model and a GIS-based engineering model—were compared and evaluated against anonymized monitoring data. The study shows that the simulations were quite precise with an annual mean absolute percentage error of 12.8 and 19.3% for the machine learning and the GIS-based engineering model, respectively, on residential buildings built in different periods of construction. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis using the Morris method was carried out on the GIS-based engineering model in order to assess the impact of input variables on space heating consumption and to identify possible optimization opportunities of the existing model.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 297
Author(s):  
Jarosław Konior ◽  
Marek Sawicki ◽  
Mariusz Szóstak

The research presented in the article, which includes methods, models, and conclusions, contains synthetic and analytical model solutions concerning the problems of the technical maintenance and wear of residential buildings with a traditional construction. The cause and effect relationships between the occurrence of damage in the elements of tenement houses (treated as proof of their maintenance conditions), and the size of the technical wear of these elements were determined using a representative and purposefully selected sample of 102 residential buildings erected during the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Wroclaw’s “Downtown” district. Quantitative damage analysis, which was carried out using empirical (visual) methods of assessing the technical condition of a building, indicates the type and size of damage to the building’s elements that are characteristic for the relevant maintenance conditions. Research concerning the cause–effect relationships (“damage–technical wear”) in observed states allows for a numerical approach to the impact of building maintenance conditions on the degree of the technical wear of its components. The maintenance and exploitation conditions determine the degree of the technical wear of the elements of an old residential building. The exploitation condition of these buildings is manifested by damage to elements caused by water and moisture penetration, which is especially important for poorly maintained buildings. The article shows that the age of the elements of an old residential building with a traditional construction is of secondary importance in the process of the intensity of losing its serviceability value. It was calculated that no more than 30% of the damage of building components is explained by the passage of time, and it is therefore not age that determines the course of the technical wear of the elements of the analyzed tenement houses.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Khakian ◽  
Mehrdad Karimimoshaver ◽  
Farshid Aram ◽  
Soghra Zoroufchi Benis ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
...  

The energy performance of buildings and energy-saving measures have been widely investigated in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to buildings located in rural areas. The aim of this study is to assess the energy performance of two-story residential buildings located in the mountainous village of Palangan in Iran and to evaluate the impact of multiple parameters, namely building orientation, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), glazing type, shading devices, and insulation, on its energy performance. To attain a nearly zero energy building design in rural areas, the building is equipped with photovoltaic modules. The proposed building design is then economically evaluated to ensure its viability. The findings indicate that an energy saving of 29% can be achieved compared to conventional buildings, and over 22 MWh of electricity can be produced on an annual basis. The payback period is assessed at 21.7 years. However, energy subsidies are projected to be eliminated in the near future, which in turn may reduce the payback period.


2020 ◽  
pp. 34-48
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Glatolenkova

This article examines the peculiarities of formation of residential areas along the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER); analyzes the pattern of settlements; and examines the architectural nuances of residential buildings. The object of this research is the architectural urban development peculiarities of Russian railroad stations on the territory of Northern Manchuria. The subject of this research is the residential environment in the settlements along the Chinese Eastern Railway. The chronological framework covers the first three decades of the XX century: beginning of construction and first years of exploitation of the railway, characterized by active urban development process and creation of full-fledged environment for accommodation of construction workers, railway workers, migrants from Russia, Southern Manchuria and mainland China. The theoretical foundation for this study consists in the systemic-axiological approach, according to which the culture defines the system of materialistic and spiritual values passed from one generation to another, and allows determining the value grounds of cultural interaction and its panhuman significance. The work explores the peculiarities of architecture and urban development in the settlements along CER. Study is carried out on the construction process of the railway and living conditions of first workers, approaches towards design of the stations of the main line and the southern branch, as well as architecture of residential building of the settlements. The author considers the impact of Russian environment upon the existing Chinese cities, and the use of the traditional Chinese approaches in the projects by the Russian engineers and architects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Lobna Hassan Ali Hassan Elgheriani ◽  
Parid Wardi ◽  
AbdulBasit Ali Ali Ahmed

Natural ventilation is an effectual passive design approach to create a better indoor thermal condition as well as energy efficiency. The primary goal of building design is providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment titled as sustainable architecture. Literature suggests that the significant feature that alteration has to take place on for better energy performance is the envelope design. This paper aims to augment the Window to Wall Ratio (WWR), orientation and courtyard corridor size for improving the design of naturally ventilated courtyard high-rise residential buildings. Briefly, the findings indicate that contending with WWR, orientation and courtyard corridor size could increase the potential of improving its natural ventilation and thus, thermal performance.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7656
Author(s):  
Athanasios Tzempelikos ◽  
Seungjae Lee

While it is well-known that cool roofs can efficiently reduce cooling demand in buildings, their overall energy performance in mixed and cold climates has been a topic of debate. This paper presents a comprehensive simulation study to evaluate the combined impact of roof reflectivity, insulation level, and construction type (adhered vs attached) on annual energy demand and energy costs in the United States, for different buildings and climate zones. EnergyPlus was used to model three building types (retail, office, and school buildings) for the 16 most climate-representative locations in the US using typical reflectivity and insulation values. The results show that (i) roof reflectivity is equally important to roof insulation in warm climates; (ii) for low-rise offices and schools, the benefits of reflective roofs vs dark-colored roofs are clear for all US climatic zones, with higher savings in warm climates; (iii) for big-box-retail buildings, reflective roofs perform better except for cold climate zones 7–8; (iv) dark-colored, mechanically attached roofs achieve slightly better performance than reflective roofs in mixed and cold climates. Decision makers should consider building type, climatic conditions, roof insulation levels, and durability performance, along with roof reflectivity, when assessing the overall potential benefits of cool roofs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6 Part A) ◽  
pp. 2355-2365
Author(s):  
Veliborka Bogdanovic ◽  
Dusan Randjelovic ◽  
Miomir Vasov ◽  
Marko Ignjatovic ◽  
Jelena Stevanovic

This paper analyzes the impact of Trombe wall construction on heating and cooling demands of building with form (rectangular single-store building of about one hundred square meters area) which is common for individual residential buildings in the Republic of Serbia. Trombe wall, as a representative of a passive solar design, was installed on the south wall of the building. Model of the building was made in the Google SketchUp software, while the results of energy performance were obtained using EnergyPlus and jEplus. Parameters of thermal comfort and climatic data for the area of city of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, were taken into account. Coverage of the south fa?ade was varied, as well as the thickness of the thermal mass and orientation. Energy consumption of the object is discussed, based on obtained results of the analysis. According to comparative analysis of the above mentioned models it can be concluded that the application of the Trombe wall structure on south side may lead to savings of 33% on heating, but also the higher energy consumption for cooling. Total energy consumption on an annual basis is reduced by using this system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Farrukh Arif ◽  
Rabia Khalid ◽  
Nida Azhar

Depleting energy sources are forcing humans to preserve energy and utilize it wisely. Globally, researchers are working to find ways to manage the energy crisis. Residential buildings are considered to be in the most energy demanding sector. Therefore, efforts are being made to reduce the increasing energy consumption and make the buildings energy efficient. The paper focuses on finding ways to retrofit the existing residential buildings into energy efficient buildings. This study evaluated the energy performance of a G+2 residential building with a total of 3 floors covering an area of 991.68 sq. meters, to identify relevant potential improvement measures. An energy analysis of the building was performed using information modeling assisted with energy audit data for accurate and realistic analysis. It was found that there is potential for the reduction of the annual energy usage and annual energy cost up to 2.33% and 4.54% respectively, by making improvements in the window to wall ratio. Another potential energy cost saving of 14.8% can be achieved by changing Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) type, and 7.62% of a reduction in cost can be achieved through modification in lighting fixtures. Moreover, installing solar photovoltaic panels can save up to PKR 1 million, and natural ventilation could result in saving more than PKR 0.2 million annually.


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