Comparison of Thermal Energy Saving Potential and Overheating Risk of Four Adaptive Façade Technologies in Office Buildings

Abstract

Adaptive façades are gaining greater importance in highly efficient buildings under a warming climate. There is an increasing demand for adaptive façades designed to regulate solar and thermal gains/losses, as well as avoid discomfort and glare issues. Occupants and developers of office buildings ask for a healthy and energy-neutral working environment. Adaptive façades are appropriate dynamic solutions controlled automatically or through occupant interaction. However, relatively few studies compared their energy and overheating risk performance, and there is still a vast knowledge gap on occupant behavior in operation. Therefore, we chose to study four dynamic envelopes representing four different façade families: dynamic shading, electrochromic glazing, double-skin, and active ventilative façades. Three control strategies were chosen to study the dynamic aspect of solar control, operative temperature, and glare control. Simulations were realized with EnergyPlus on the BESTEST case 600 from the ASHRAE standard 140/2020 for the temperate climate of Brussels. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to study the most influential parameters. The study findings indicate that dynamic shading devices and electrochromic glazing have a remarkable influence on the annual thermal energy demand, decreasing the total annual loads that can reach 30%. On the other hand, BIPV double-skin façades and active ventilative façades (cavity façades) could be more appropriate for cold climates. The study ranks the four façade technologies and provides novel insights for façade designers and building owners regarding the annual energy performance and overheating risk.

Energy Performance Analysis and Study of an Office Building in an Extremely Hot and Cold Region

“…Such an approach ultimately improves the energy consumption of existing office buildings. Currently, at the window level, most scholars at home and abroad have mainly studied from the following perspectives: glass type [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film [30], dynamic insulation [31][32][33], visible light transmittance [34], smart windows [35], daylight integration [36], and U-value of windows [37]. Among them, at this level, most of the scholars analyze the reduction in building energy consumption through the perspective of glass types.…”

Effect of Semi-Transparent A-Si Pv Glazing within Double-Skin Façades on Visual and Energy Performances Under the UK Climate Condition

“…One of these façade innovations, known as double-skin facade (DSF), is a multi-layer skin approach to the construction of the external face of a building, implementing an external skin, a cavity space, and an inner skin at its core [11]. DSF is also considered an adaptive façade [12], which can optimise the interaction with the surrounding environment [13].…”

Enhancing Energy Consumption in Egypt Within Adaptive Facade Techniques

“…Primarily, from a social perspective, there exists an imperative to attain a heightened level of user well-being and indoor environmental quality. Simultaneously, from an environmental standpoint, there is a pressing need to curtail building energy consumption and mitigate the environmental repercussions associated with buildings [4,5]. Numerous innovative concepts and technologies for building envelopes have been proffered as solutions to enhance indoor comfort conditions while concurrently diminishing environmental impacts across the lifecycle of structures [6].…”