Assessment of the Impact of Window Size, Position and Orientation on Building Energy Load Using BIM

Applicability of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Sustainable Design of Commercial and Office Buildings. A Case Study from Tehran, Iran

“…They demonstrated that energy consumption can be efficiently reduced by improving the thermal insulation of the roof and the building envelope (with analysis on the important and main spaces in terms of energy consumption and installing crystalline solar panels on the roof). In another study, Kim et al (2016) investigated the condition of windows and their impact on energy consumption. Their simulation indicated that when windows are located in the middle height, the lowest load is needed, and that if windows are positioned on the east side it affects the total energy load the most.…”

Conception of a complex window design method

“…Studies have been conducted on the mutual influence of operational characteristics of windows. They are associated primarily, with the study of the relationship of thermal and light characteristics of windows [34,35], of the optimal ratio of thermal characteristics between windows and walls [36][37][38], and also of the influence of size of windows and orientation for heat loss [39][40][41].…”

“…The analysis of the works showed that among the significant research results (for this work) we can distinguish the following: -constructive solution of the windows should be selected taking into account the visual comfort of the premises (no glare). At the same time, the use of solar protection will contribute to the energy efficiency of the building, which reduces energy costs (in comparison with the use of air conditioning systems and the use of artificial lighting) [17,18,34,35]; -orientation and thermal parameters of windows should be assigned not only from the conditions of energy efficiency [38], but also to ensure a comfortable temperature near the windows in winter and summer [22,39]; -in order to improve energy efficiency (reduce air conditioning costs), the choice of glazing design (including the type of glass used -low-emission, sunscreen) should be made taking into account the reflectivity of the facades [26]; -overall dimensions (including the height of the window sill) should be selected taking into account the facade orientation and climatic conditions of construction [40]. The increase in the size of the windows on the northern facades does not have a significant impact on heat loss, but significantly increases the day light [41]; -for cold climatic conditions, the use of insulation glass units with the low-emission glass (with a high value of the solar factor) on the southern facades contribute to energy efficiency of buildings [42], in the southern regions it is preferable to use glazing with a low solar factor [43]; -thermal characteristics of the windows have a greater impact on energy costs in winter, than on cooling in summer [30]; -the target to search for optimal window designs should take into account the mode of building operation (the load on heating and cooling) and climatic conditions (hours of summer/winter discomfort) [15]; At the same time, these studies are not fragmented and are considered, as a rule, for specific construction conditions.…”

Effect of the Window Position in the Building Envelope on Energy Consumption

“…The position of the window aperture in the external wall of the building is one of the considerations that affect the amount of lighting and natural ventilation, according to its direction, proportion and dimensions Previous studies measured the effect of the different positions of the aperture on the amount of natural lighting inside the room. One of these studies showed that the openings, whose center on the vertical wall axis with WWR of 10-20%, result in almost the same amount of natural lighting in the room, while openings, whose center lay on the wall's horizontal axis, produce more consistent lighting and more efficient than other window positions, especially with the increase of the aperture ratio [ 4 1 ] Some studies show that when the opening in the wall has a WWR of about 20%, the effect of the opening becomes more evident [ 19 ] .…”