The Effects of Building Glass Façade Geometry on Wind Infiltration and Heating and Cooling Energy Consumption
Corresponding email: Amiraslandarvish@gmail.com
Published at : 21 Apr 2020
Volume : IJtech
Vol 11, No 2 (2020)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v11i2.3201
Darvish, A., Eghbali, S.R., Eghbali, G., Mahlabani, Y.G., 2020. The Effects of Building Glass Façade Geometry on Wind Infiltration and Heating and Cooling Energy Consumption. International Journal of Technology. Volume 11(2), pp. 235-247
| Amiraslan Darvish | Department of Architecture and Urban Development, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran |
| Seyed Rahman Eghbali | Department of Architecture and Urban Development, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran |
| Golsa Eghbali | Department of Architecture Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran |
| Yousef Gorji Mahlabani | Department of Architecture and Urban Development, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran |
The control of energy loss through building envelopes has always been a passive design solution for architecture and improvements in space quality. A significant factor is the control of infiltration through the geometry of the glass façades of buildings. The uncontrolled input air flow from the outside into an interior space is known as infiltration. The main infiltration factor is the pressure difference between a building’s interior and exterior. This difference might result from the interaction of the wind with the façade. Other possible causes are the stack effect and mechanical ventilation. There is a fundamental question about the effects of the outer glass shell geometry on wind infiltration and building energy consumption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the geometries of building façades with glass materials in different climates and to measure wind infiltration. Consequently, building energy simulations were performed to calculate the infiltration rates in building shells with different geometries. Four forms were simulated, and the effects of the wind infiltration-induced air exchange on heating and cooling energy consumption were evaluated in four climates in Iran. The results indicate that convex geometry reduces the wind pressure in the outer shell and the air exchange rate resulting from the infiltration; thus, heating and cooling energy consumption is reduced.
Energy consumption; External geometry; Infiltration; Simulation; Wind pressure
The
building sector is responsible for approximately 40% of the world’s total
annual energy consumption (Omer, 2008). This
situation has therefore raised the need for sustainable designs for reducing
energy consumption in buildings (Pacheco et al.,
2012; Russ et al., 2018; Yusuf et al., 2018). The sustainable
development principles in the built environment have encouraged researchers to
focus on more efficient building envelopes (Hong et
al., 2019). A principal constituent of building envelopes, façades play
a vital role in protecting indoor environments and controlling the interactions
between outdoor and indoor spaces (Ghaffarianhoseini
et al., 2016). Conventional façades can lead to poor natural
ventilation, low daylight levels, thermal discomfort, and increased energy
consumption (Yin et al., 2012; Luo et al., 2016).
With the modern movement in architecture, vast glazed façades were introduced
to improve the aesthetics of architecture.
Now, many high-rise buildings around the world have fully glazed façades
or large areas of glazing. Infiltration through
glazed façades plays a
significant role in
energy loads and,
Infiltration is unintended leakage, such as the
flow of outdoor air through cracks in a building (ASHRAE,
1997). The main reason is the difference between the pressure inside the
building and the pressure on its façade. This can be the result of wind
pressure, the chimney effect, or mechanical ventilation (Jackman, 1974). Factors such as leakage, the quality of materials,
the age of the building, the environmental conditions, and the geometry of the
building have an effect on infiltration (Ji et al.,
2005). Infiltration occurs through the building envelopes (Powell et al., 1989). It is a significant aspect
in heat loss calculations, which play a fundamental role in determining the
thermal load caused by the entry of outside air into a building. Air
infiltration, along with ventilation, has a considerable effect on indoor
environment quality. The moisture carried by infiltrating air leads to failures
in the performance of building materials.
Airflow
leakage also affects the distribution of indoor air pollutants and detrimental
microbes (Lstiburek et al., 2002; Rantala and
Leivo, 2009). Infiltration causes undesirable heating and ventilation
conditions that lead to indoor overheating and excessive energy consumption (Liddament, 1986). In this context, it is possible
to control the impact of the prevailing winds through the use of aerodynamic
shells to minimize infiltration (Jokisalo et al.,
2009). The static pressure at the outer surface of a building is
produced by the interaction of the wind with the building shell, and this is
influenced by wind speed and direction, air density, surface orientation, and
environmental conditions. Depending on the wind angle and the building form,
the pressure produced on the building exterior can be positive or negative, and
this will influence the infiltration flow (Sherman,
1987). Thus, the building envelope would appear to have a significant
influence on the infiltration factors. In this regard, buildings with glass
façades are very important because of the direct interaction with outdoor
environmental factors, such as sun radiation and wind velocity.
The
purpose of this study was to investigate the wind-driven infiltration rate on
the geometries of building façades and to determine the optimal forms for
reducing energy consumption. In buildings with glass façades, the leakage rate
is higher because of the unique type of envelope. Therefore, infiltration plays
a significant role in reducing heating and cooling energy consumption. The
study examined the effects of four forms (simple, indented, convex, and
concave) on the infiltration rates on building façades in four climates in Iran.
This facilitated energy simulation and modeling on the basis of the obtained
data in order to determine the optimal forms for façades. Accordingly, the
study has proposed optimal energy consumption solutions.
Sustainable development
principles in the built environment have encouraged researchers to focus on
more efficient building envelopes. Façades, as a principal constituent of
building envelopes, have a vital role in protecting indoor environments and
controlling the interactions between outdoor and indoor spaces. The design and
implementation of façade building systems can have positive
effectives on energy waste reduction and air leakage. Infiltration control
through façade geometry plays an important role in building energy consumption.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of façade geometries
on wind infiltration rates and heating and cooling energy consumption in
buildings in four climates in Iran. Four models with convex, concave, simple,
and indented geometries were simulated in Design Builder and studied in Yazd,
Tabriz, Rasht, and Bandar Abbas, which are in the hot–arid, cold–arid, moderate, and hot–humid zones. The
results confirmed that the interaction of the wind with the concave spaces in
the double-skin façades with concave and indented geometry increased the wind
pressure and air infiltration rates. In the convex model, the
wind pressure and air infiltration rate were lower. The wind pressure was
transferred to the exterior surfaces, and the total wind pressure on the
exterior façade was reduced. In addition, the increase in the
air infiltration rate increased cooling and heating energy consumption.
The results indicate that the energy consumption in the analyzed cities was lowest in the convex model and highest in the indented geometry model. The annual cooling energy savings in the convex models for the Yazd, Tabriz, Rasht, and Bandar Abbas were 5%, 4.3%, 3.7%, and 5.3% more than the savings in the indented models, respectively. In addition, the annual heating energy savings for the mentioned cities in the convex model were estimated as 7.6%, 7.1%, 7.3%, and 9.5 greater than the indented model. In general, the unwanted infiltration related to the façade geometry had a much greater effect on heating energy consumption than on cooling energy consumption. In addition, the façade geometry had a significant effect on heating and cooling energy consumption in the hot climates.
Four glass façade geometries were simulated in this study. Based on the results in the four climate regions, the designer must evaluate the available facilities and estimate the construction costs for the most appropriate geometry. Redesigning the glass façade is less costly, and it does not affect the interior spaces. Also, this method can be applied to existing buildings which reduces the need for mechanical heating or cooling systems and associated costs. Last, considering the quality of materials and their associated infiltration rates, designers can draft intelligent façades to increase the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings by adapting the geometries to account for wind pressure and direction.
Achenbach, P., Coblentz, C., 1963. Field Measurements of Air Infiltration in Ten Electrically Heated Houses. ASHRAE Transactions, Volume 69, pp. 358–365
Anderlind, G., 1985. Energy Consumption due to Air Infiltration. In: Proceedings of the 3rd ASHRAE/DOE/BTECC Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings
ASHRAE. 1997. Handbook of Fundamentals. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta
ASHRAE. 2009.Handbook of Fundamentals. Chapter 16: Ventilation and Infiltration. USA Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta
Chen, C., Zhao, B., Zhou, W., Jiang, X., Tan, Z., 2012. A Methodology for Predicting Particle Penetration Factor Through Cracks of Windows and Doors for Actual Engineering Application. Building and Environment, Volume 47, pp. 339–348
Ghaffarianhoseini, A., Ghaffarianhoseini, A., Berardi, U., Tookey, J., Li, D.H.W., Kariminia, S., 2016. Exploring the Advantages and Challenges of Double-Skin Façades (DSFs). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 60, pp. 1052–1065
Goubran, S., Qi, D., Saleh, W.F., Wang, L.L., 2017. Comparing Methods of Modeling Air Infiltration through Building Entrances and Their Impact on Building Energy Simulations. Energy and Buildings, Volume 138, pp. 579–590
Grosso, M., 1992. Wind Pressure Distribution around Buildings: A Parametrical Model. Energy and Buildings, Volume 18(2), pp. 101–131
Han, G., Srebric, J., Enache-Pommer, E., 2015. Different Modeling Strategies of Infiltration Rates for an Office Building to Improve Accuracy of Building Energy Simulations. Energy and Buildings, Volume 86, pp. 288–295
Happle, G., Fonseca, J.A., Schlueter, A., 2018. A Review on Occupant Behavior in Urban Building Energy Models. Energy and Buildings, Volume 174, pp. 276–292
Hong, A.W.-T., Ibrahim, K., Loo, S.-C., 2019. Urging Green Retrofits of Building Façades in the Tropics: A Review and Research Agenda. International Journal of Technology, Volume 10(6), pp. 1140–1149
Jackman, P., 1974. Heat Loss in Buildings as a Result of Infiltration. Building Services Engineer, Volume 42, pp. 6–15
Ji, Y., Cook, M., Hunt, G., 2005. CFD Modelling of Buoyancy-Driven Natural Ventilation Opposed by Wind. In: Proceeding 9th International Building Performance Simulation Association Conference, Montreal, Canada, pp. 207–214
Jokisalo, J., Kurnitski, J., Korpi, M., Kalamees, T., Vinha, J., 2009. Building Leakage, Infiltration, and Energy Performance Analyses for Finnish Detached Houses. Building and Environment, Volume 44(2), pp. 377–387
Jurelionis, A., Bouris, D., 2016. Impact of Urban Morphology on Infiltration-Induced Building Energy Consumption. Energies, Volume 9(3), pp. 1–13
Kirkwood, R., 1977. Fuel Consumption in Industrial Buildings. Building Services Engineer, Volume 45(3), pp. 23–31
Liddament, M.W., 1986. Air Infiltration Calculation Techniques: An Applications Guide. Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre, University of Warwick, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Lstiburek, J., Pressnail, K., Timusk, J., 2002. Air Pressure and Building Envelopes. Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, Volume 26(1), pp. 53–91
Luo, Y., Zhang, L., Liu, Z., Wang, Y., Meng, F., Wu, J., 2016. Thermal Performance Evaluation of an Active Building Integrated Photovoltaic Thermoelectric Wall System. Applied Energy, Volume 177, pp. 25–39
Mattingly, G.E., Peters, E.F., 1977. Wind and Trees: Air Infiltration Effects on Energy in Housing. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, Volume 2(1), pp. 1–19
Montoya, M.I., Pastor, E., Carrie, F.R., Guyot, G., Planas, E., 2010. Air Leakage in Catalan Dwellings: Developing an Airtightness Model and Leakage Airflow Predictions. Building and Environment, Volume 45(6), pp. 1458–1469
Nevrala, D., Etheridge, D., 1977. Natural Ventilation in Well-Insulated Houses. In: Proceedings of International Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer, International Seminar, UNESCO, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Ng, L.C., Persily, A.K., Emmerich, S.J., 2014. Improving Infiltration in Energy Modeling. ASHRAE Journal, Volume 56(7), pp. 70–72
Omer, A.M., 2008. Green Energies and the Environment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 12(7), pp. 1789–1821
Pacheco, R., Ordóñez, J., Martínez, G., 2012. Energy Efficient Design of Building: A Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Volume 16(6), pp. 3559–3573
Persily, A., 1982. Understanding Air Infiltration in Homes, Report PU/CEES=/= 129. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies
Powell, F., Krarti, M., Tuluca, A., 1989. Air Movement Influence on the Effective Thermal Resistance of Porous Insulations: A Literature Survey. Journal of Thermal Insulation, Volume 12(3), pp. 239–251
Rantala, J., Leivo, V., 2009. Heat, Air, and Moisture Control in Slab-on-Ground Structures. Journal of Building physics, Volume 32(4), pp. 335–353
Relander, T.-O., Thue, J.V., Gustavsen, A., 2008a. Air Tightness Performance of Different Sealing Methods for Windows in Wood-Frame Buildings. In: Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 417–424
Relander, T.-O., Thue, J.V., Gustavsen, A., 2008b. The Influence of Different Sealing Methods of Window and Door Joints on the Total Air Leakage of Wood-Frame Buildings. In: Proceedings of the 8th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 497–504
Ren, Z., Chen, D., 2015. Simulation of Air Infiltration of Australian Housing and Its Impact on Energy Consumption. Energy Procedia, Volume 78, pp. 2717–2723
Russ, N.M., Hanid, M., Ye, K.M., 2018. Literature Review on Green Cost Premium Elements of Sustainable Building Construction. International Journal of Technology, Volume 9(8), pp. 1715–1725
Sailor, D.J., 2008. A Green Roof Model for Building Energy Simulation Programs. Energy and Buildings, Volume 40(8), pp. 1466–1478
Sfakianaki, A., Pavlou, K., Santamouris, M., Livada, I., Assimakopoulos, M.-N., Mantas, P., Christakopoulos, A., 2008. Air Tightness Measurements of Residential Houses in Athens, Greece. Building and Environment, Volume 43(4), pp. 398–405
Sherman, M.H., 1987. Estimation of Infiltration from Leakage and Climate Indicators. Energy and Buildings, Volume 10(1), pp. 81–86
Swami, M., Chandra, S., 1987. Procedures for Calculating Natural Ventilation Airflow Rates in Buildings (No. FSEC-CR–163–86). Florida Solar Energy Center, Cape Canaveral, FL.
Yin, R., Xu, P., Shen, P., 2012. Case Study: Energy Savings from Solar Window Film in Two Commercial Buildings in Shanghai. Energy and Buildings, Volume 45, pp. 132–140
Younes, C., Shdid, C. A., Bitsuamlak, G., 2012. Air Infiltration Through Building Envelopes: A Review. Journal of Building Physics, Volume 35(3), pp. 267–302
Yu, S., Cui, Y., Xu, X., Feng, G., 2015. Impact of Civil Envelope on Energy Consumption based on EnergyPlus. Procedia Engineering, Volume 121, pp. 1528–1534
Yusuf, M.F., Ashari, H., Razalli, M.R., 2018. Environmental Technological Innovation and Its Contribution to Sustainable Development. International Journal of Technology, Volume 9(8), pp. 1569–1578