Passive Design Approach to Improve Energy Efficiency for Office Building

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the impact of passive design techniques on building envelope design. Whereas assessment of the heat transfer rate through building envelopes is frequently done using the OTTV standards worldwide. The research includes two parameters for measuring the thermal performance of the building facade. The first measurement uses a methodical approach to calculate the wall's thermal transmittance (U-values) and then moves on to calculate the OTTV. The OTTV of the case study was computed using the OTTV formula given by the Malaysian Standard. At the same time, building specifications were determined via a site examination. After that, the OTTV was compared with a recommended standard value for the local climate. New building materials and specifications are proposed when the OTTV value exceeds the standard range. The results indicated that the present OTTV value is 55.31 W/sq.m, more significant than the proposed value for a standard commercial building. It recommended considering 6 mm single glazing low e-glass for all windows on the East, West, South, and North elevations. As a result, the OTTV was lowered to 45.34 W/sq.m. Since air conditioning consumes most of the energy in an office building, lowering the OTTV will result in a slightly reduced air-conditioning cooling load.