Energy performance of a dual airflow window under different climates

Abstract

Ventilated windows have shown great potential in conserving energy in buildings and provide fresh air to improve indoor air quality. This paper reports our effort to use EnergyPlus to simulate the energy performance of a dual airflow window under different climates. Our investigation first developed a network model to account for the two-dimensional heat transfer in the window system and implemented it in EnergyPlus. The two-dimensional assumption and the modified EnergyPlus program were validated by the measured temperatures of the window and the energy demand of a test cell with the window under actual weather conditions. Then EnergyPlus was applied to analyze energy performance of a small apartment installed with the dual airflow windows in five different climate zones in China. The energy used by the apartment with blinds windows and low-e windows was also calculated for comparison. The dual airflow window can reduce heating energy of the apartment, especially in cold climate. The cooling energy reduction by the window was less important than that by shading solar radiation. The dual airflow window is recommended for colder climate. If improving air quality is a major consideration for a building, the window can be used in any climate.