Abstract
Demand for energy-efficient school buildings, which form a major part of public buildings, is growing in Iran. Window insulation is required to reduce the amount of energy wasted through openings. This study investigates the effect of double-glazing with aerogel insulation compared to a 3 mm glazing pane and a double-glazing window in terms of solar gain and cooling load. The case studies are primary schools in Yazd (hot-dry climate), Bushehr (hot-humid climate), and Zanjan (cold climate). Numerical simulations of a two-story school are performed to calculate solar gain and cooling load. The use of the aerogel glazing system in Yazd resulted in a reduction of 73% of the solar gain and about 33% of cooling loads compared to a simple glazing window; if compared to a double-glazing standard window, the reductions are of about 56% and 16%, respectively for solar gains and cooling consumptions. Also, the use of aerogel glazing in Bushehr allows a reduction of about 64% in terms of solar gain and 27% for cooling when compared to simple glazing. By using the aerogel in Zanjan school the solar gain decreased by about 62% and cooling loads of about 22% when compared to a single layer of glazing.
Highlights
The average energy consumption in school buildings in Iran, as a major category of public buildings, is more than 160 kWh/m2 [1], which is 2.5 times more than the energy consumed in high-performance schools in developed countries, which is approximately 65 kWh/m2 [2].Regarding energy balance, windows can either decrease or increase the energy loads of a building through solar heat gains or conduction heat losses, respectively [3]
The effect of aerogel double-glazing system integrated in the envelope of a school building in terms of solar heat gain and building cooling loads is investigated in Yazd, Bushehr, and Zanjan
Results shows that aerogel outperforms the single and double-glazing configurations under the three investigated climatic conditions for cooling load reduction
Summary
Windows can either decrease or increase the energy loads of a building through solar heat gains or conduction heat losses, respectively [3]. Aerogel may be a very interesting solution to be used in highly energy-efficient windows. It is a solid material with a conductivity of about 0.015 W/m2 K, very low in comparison with common materials for insulation [5]. It has great potential in the window and glazing industry and its use has increased the thermal resistance of these elements [6–8]
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