The effects of window alternatives on energy efficiency and building economy in high-rise residential buildings in moderate to humid climates

Currently, focused efforts are being made to determine the influence of windows on the energy consumption and economy of high-rise buildings. Certain window designs and appropriate glazing systems reduce building energy consumption for heating and cooling and contribute to building economy. This paper addresses double-glazed window units that are composed of tinted glass; clear reflective glass; low emissivity (low-e) glass; and smart glass (one surface consists of a high-performance, heat-reflective glass, and other surface has a low-emissivity coated). These materials reduce the heating and cooling loads of buildings by providing solar control and heat conservation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of these alternative units, rather than readily available double-glazed units, in two types of flats. The flats have the same construction and operating system, but they have different plan types with regard to building energy consumption and building economy as it relates to life cycle cost analysis. For this study, we selected buildings in Trabzon, in Climate Region II of Turkey, due to its moderate-humid climate. F- and C-type high-rise residential blocks, with flats composed of two to three bedrooms, constructed by the Republic of Turkey’s Prime Ministry Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) are used as models for the simulation. The flat plans in these blocks are modeled using DesignBuilder v.1.8 energy simulation software. The simulation results show that smart-glazed units and those with low emissivity glazing are the most efficient alternatives with regard to building energy consumption and economy.

[1]  Joseph S. Amstock.  Handbook of glass in construction , 1997 .

[2]  Ikbal Cetiner,et al.  An approach for the evaluation of energy and cost efficiency of glass façades , 2005 .

[3]  John W. Bull,et al.  Life Cycle Costing for Construction , 2003 .

[4]  Fabio Bisegna,et al.  Saving energy in residential buildings: The use of fully reversible windows , 2007 .

[5]  Hua Chen,et al.  Decoupling dehumidification and cooling for energy saving and desirable space air conditions in hot and humid Hong Kong , 2012 .

[6]  P Pieter-Jan Hoes,et al.  Investigating the potential of a novel low-energy house concept with hybrid adaptable thermal storage , 2011 .

[7]  Hacer Duzen,et al.  Sunshine-based estimation of global solar radiation on horizontal surface at Lake Van region (Turkey) , 2012 .

[8]  A. Chan.  Developing future hourly weather files for studying the impact of climate change on building energy , 2011 .

[9]  José María Sala,et al.  Analysis of different models to estimate energy savings related to windows in residential buildings , 2009 .

[10]  Ahmed Al-Salaymeh,et al.  Influence of windows on the energy balance of apartment buildings in Amman , 2010 .

[11]  Kamil Kaygusuz,et al.  Sustainable energy, environmental and agricultural policies in Turkey , 2010 .

[12]  Mustafa Balat,et al.  Security of energy supply in Turkey: Challenges and solutions , 2010 .

[13]  Abdulsalam Ebrahimpour,et al.  Application of advanced glazing and overhangs in residential buildings , 2011 .

[14]  Tariq Muneer,et al.  Windows in buildings : thermal, acoustic, visual and solar performance , 2000 .

[15]  Mark Luther,et al.  Energy efficient envelope design for high-rise apartments , 2005 .

[16]  A. A. Rousan,et al.  Cooling and heating loads in residential buildings in Jordan , 1997 .

[17]  Abdul Jabbar N. Khalifa.  A study on a passively heated single-zone building using a thermal storage wall , 1998 .

[18]  Siaw Kiang Chou,et al.  A performance-based method for energy efficiency improvement of buildings , 2011 .

[19]  S. C. Sekhar,et al.  On the study of energy performance and life cycle cost of smart window , 1998 .

[20]  Moncef Krarti,et al.  Impact of building shape on thermal performance of office buildings in Kuwait , 2009 .

[21]  Wen-Shing Lee,et al.  Evaluating and ranking energy performance of office buildings using fuzzy measure and fuzzy integral , 2010 .

[22]  Sibel Macka,et al.  The Effects of Window Alternatives on Energy Efficiency And Building Economy In High – Rise Residential Buildings In Cold Climates , 2011 .

[23]  Tony N.T. Lam,et al.  Principal component analysis and long-term building energy simulation correlation , 2010 .

[24]  Hans W. Linderholm,et al.  Observation and calculation of the solar radiation on the Tibetan Plateau , 2012 .

[25]  Ali F. Alajmi,et al.  Saving energy by using underfloor-air-distribution (UFAD) system in commercial buildings , 2010 .

[26]  Jerald D. Parker,et al.  Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning: Analysis and Design , 1977 .

[27]  Hussain H. Alzoubi,et al.  Assessment of building façade performance in terms of daylighting and the associated energy consumption in architectural spaces: Vertical and horizontal shading devices for southern exposure facades , 2010 .

[28]  A. Stegou-Sagia,et al.  The impact of glazing on energy consumption and comfort , 2007 .

[29]  Arne Roos,et al.  A simple model for assessing the energy performance of windows , 2001 .

[30]  Liu Yang,et al.  Building energy efficiency in different climates , 2008 .

[31]  Milorad Bojić,et al.  Thermal insulation of cooled spaces in high rise residential buildings in Hong Kong , 2002 .

[32]  Francis W.H. Yik,et al.  Energy performance of windows in high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong , 2002 .

[33]  Joseph C. Lam,et al.  Multiple regression models for energy use in air-conditioned office buildings in different climates , 2010 .

[34]  Adnan Shariah,et al.  Effects of absorptance of external surfaces on heating and cooling loads of residential buildings in Jordan , 1998 .

[35]  Tariq Muneer,et al.  Energy and environmental impact analysis of double-glazed windows , 1998 .

[36]  F. Al-Ragom.  Retrofitting residential buildings in hot and arid climates , 2003 .

[37]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Energy supply concepts for zero energy residential buildings in humid and dry climate , 2011 .