Assessing the energy performance of modern glass facade systems

Abstract

The design and construction of the building envelope have a significant effect on the energy performance of buildings because the building envelope physically separates the exterior from the interior environment. The use of glass as a component of the building envelope has been significantly growing since its initial introduction as a building material. The glass is necessary for aesthetics, ventilation, and daylight. Despite the many benefits to the building, the glazing still provides the lowest insulating value. Of all envelope components, windows and skylights represent major sources of thermal losses and gains which impact the thermal comfort in buildings. Therefore, window size, type, and design are the most important consideration for reducing the need for space heating and cooling. This study investigates the thermal performance and the effectiveness of various modern glass facade systems to improve building efficiency levels. The main objectives of this study are to provide a comparison and evaluation of glazing systems and to establish guidelines for energy-efficient envelope design that provide architects and designers with a basic framework for the selection of the most appropriate glazing systems. It has been noted that the spectrally selective system and the electrochromic glazing system show high energy efficiency compared to other tested glazing systems.