A parametric study of the energy performance of double-skin façades in climatic conditions of Crete, Greece

Double-skin facades (DSF) are considered an innovative energy efficient technique that gained an increasing interest worldwide. The aim of this article is to perform a parametric study for the DSFs’ configuration in hot climatic conditions. The parameters under investigation are the ventilation rate, the shading requirements and the cavity dimensions. A newly erected building with surface area of 18 500 m2 is considered as the basis for the parametric study. The building is monitored and simulated using Energy Plus. The parametric analysis showed that the ventilation rate in the DSFs’ configuration is of a major importance especially during the cooling season. The lack of adequate ventilation increases the cooling demands and deteriorates the DSF's effectiveness. Finally, the integration of shading in the overall construction, especially the external ones, results to 24% annual energy conservation.

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