Energy performance: A comparison of four different multi-residential building designs and forms in the equatorial region

Abstract

Building sector has been identified as a major energy consumer with nearly half of the world's energy used is associated with providing environmental conditioning in buildings. Approximately, two third of this is for heating, cooling and mechanical ventilation. Therefore, there is a need for optimizing the building design which collaborates with surrounding environment in enhances the energy conservation programme. Energy consumption evaluation and audits for buildings is the most important step that can contribute to energy conservation. As preliminary studies to this research, four low rise residential college buildings with specific layout were selected in finding the relationship between green/passive building strategies and energy performance. The study initial approach was to critically analyse the design of the selected buildings through scaled drawings and site visits. Comparison of the two were carefully made to obtain current and post renovation conditions and surroundings as most of the drawings were drawn 30 to 40 years back. The elements of bioclimatic design were implemented as matrixes or criteria, particularly on natural ventilation and day lighting. Then, the energy performance was crucially audited to find out Building Energy Performance (BEP) acknowledged as energy use per unit floor area, and EnergyEfficiency Index (EEl) to elaborate the kWhlm 2 /year of each residential college for five years duration. As initial findings, the implementations of appropriate green building strategies is able to provide positive impacts to the overall energy performance of the residential colleges.

The Dynamics of Daylighting at a Residential College Building with the Internal Courtyard Arrangement

“…Initially, two from eight selected rooms had been chosen to represent two different scenarios. The findings from each selected room will give a general evaluation of daylight penetration and distribution based on the identified scenario (Jamaludin et al, 2012). Theoretically, the worse or better conditions were expected in the room with the combination of two or more scenarios.…”

“…The Dayasari Residential College (Dayasari RC) was established in 1966 with 18,212.51m 2 of the total floor area and leads other residential colleges in the University of Malaya campus in terms of its implementation of bioclimatic designs, especially when it comes to allowance for the best utilisation of daylighting (Jamaludin et al, 2012). This residential college is a low-rise and naturally-ventilated building and can accommodate up to 847 residents at one time.…”

Impact Study of the Solar Energy on the Energy Performances of the Rural Housing in Algeria

“…Jukka Heinonen et al [8] analyzed holistically the residential energy consumption patterns and the overall housing energy requirements of urban and rural households in Finland. Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin et al [9] analyzed the energy performance of four residential colleges which are low-rise multiresidential building. Mario Cucumo et al [10] analyzed the performances of building equipped with low-emissivity glazed components.…”

Preferences of Student Residents Towards Sustainability With the Concept of Bioclimatic Design

“…The internal courtyard provides daylight and natural air in the corridor and staircase area whereas inside the room daylight and natural air can be obtained through the transom on top of the entrance door and the wall. Thus, lessening the usage of the corridor lamp during daytime is difficult to achieve at other residential college buildings with a linear arrangement of building layout (Jamaludin et al, 2012). Consequently, Dayasari RC has among the lowest Energy Efficiency Index (34.52 kWh/m 2 /year) compared to the other residential colleges; which are in the range of 40 to 125 kWh/m 2 /year (Jamaludin et al, 2013).…”

“…Most of the plants are well matured with huge canopies that are capable of covering the ground. The plant composition also shields the building from maximum sunlight penetration especially in the midafternoon (Jamaludin et al, 2012;Al-Obaidi & Woods, 2006).…”