Energy-saving performance of respiration-type double-layer glass curtain wall system in different climate zones of China: Experiment and simulation

Abstract

The development of energy-saving technologies for buildings is an important means of achieving carbon neutrality. The respiration-type double-layer glass curtain wall (RDGCW) is a kind of enclosure structure with natural air circulation and a shading function. The RDGCW provides energy saving, and it is being widely promoted and used in China. However, there is still a lack of relevant research on the energy-saving effects and operating strategies of the RDGCW throughout the year. In response, this paper describes experimental evaluation and numerical simulation. First, the energy-saving effects in an office building using an RDGCW in Tianjin during the winter were studied experimentally, and the real-time temperature changes in the RDGCW and the room were measured with high accuracy under different operating strategies. Second, because the temperature distribution and energy consumption in a room is affected by the air flow in the RDGCW and by outdoor meteorological parameters in a complex manner, this investigation developed a coupled model on the basis of TRNSYS and CONTAM. The simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Third, the verified model was used to evaluate the annual energy-saving effects of the RDGCW under dynamic outdoor meteorological conditions in Tianjin. When the optimal operating strategy was adopted, the energy-saving effect of the RDGCW in comparison with single skin façade (SSF) reached 32.8% under summer conditions and 38.3% under winter conditions. Finally, the RDGCW system in typical cities (Changchun, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming and Tianjin) in five climate zones in China was simulated for the whole year. Under the optimal strategy, the RDGCW achieved good energy-saving effects. The energy saving was 27.7–49.2% in summer and 25.6–46% in winter, in comparison with SSF.