Building form and energy efficiency in tropical climates: A case study of Penang, Malaysia

Maryam Mohsenzadeh,Aldrin Abdullah,Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki,Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali

doi:10.1590/2175-3369.013.e20200280

Abstract

Abstract Malaysia is a nation that has undergone a massive development based on its abundance of fuel supply. The imbalance ratio between gross domestic products and energy demand clearly indicates the need to promote energy-efficiency strategies in the country. This study investigates the relationship between building shape and energy consumption by considering the control of excessive solar radiation in a tropical climate. In the first step, four basic plan geometries, namely, square, rectangle, triangle and circle shapes, are studied to determine the optimal building shape in terms of energy consumption in Penang, Malaysia. Results of simulation analysis using DesignBuilder software (Version 5.4.0) reveal that the circle is the most suitable form in terms of energy performance. In the second step, all buildings with extended shapes based on the optimal shape obtained from the first step are simulated under the same condition to analyse the thermal behaviour of different building forms. Amongst four alternative extended cases, Case 3 with 90 cm depth and without vertical offset from the top of the window has superior energy performance and sufficient natural daylight. This study contributes to enhance energy efficiency of new buildings by incorporating design strategies in the design process.

Highlights

Building energy useThe United Nations projects that 68% of the world population would be living in urban areas by 2050 (United Nations, 2018), resulting in increased urbanisation, climate change and environmental problems (Susca, 2019)
Evidence shows that the building sector consumes around 31% of the total global final energy use and 54% of the final electricity demand (Carnieletto et al, 2019)
The present study focuses on the energy saving potential of incorporating shading with a selfshading envelope through extended forms for high-rise residential buildings under the hot-humid climate of Penang, Malaysia

Summary

Introduction

Building energy useThe United Nations projects that 68% of the world population would be living in urban areas by 2050 (United Nations, 2018), resulting in increased urbanisation, climate change and environmental problems (Susca, 2019). Evidence shows that the building sector consumes around 31% of the total global final energy use and 54% of the final electricity demand (Carnieletto et al, 2019). The former is expected to increase from 31% to 95% between 2005 and 2050 (Levesque et al, 2018). Population growth is one of the main causes of the increasing demand for fossil fuels in the building sector all over the world. The use of air conditioning in the building sector and the cooling energy consumption have greatly increased. Utilising novel methods will decrease the global energy demand from buildings by up to 47% in 2050 and 61% in 2100 (Levesque et al, 2019)

Objectives

Methods

Results