Abstract
Windows account for a significant proportion of the total energy lost in buildings. The interaction of window type, Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR) scheduled and window placement height influence natural lighting and heat transfer through windows. This is a pressing issue for nontropical regions considering their high emissions and distinct climatic characteristics. A limitation exists in the adoption of common simulation-based optimisation approaches in the literature, which are hardly accessible to practitioners. This article develops a numerical-based window design optimisation model using a common Building Information Modelling (BIM) platform adopted throughout the industry, focusing on nontropical regions of Australia. Three objective functions are proposed; the first objective is to maximise the available daylight, and the other two emphasize undesirable heat transfer through windows in summer and winter. The developed model is tested on a case study located in Sydney, Australia, and a set of Pareto-optimum solutions is obtained. Through the use of the proposed model, energy savings of up to 8.57% are achieved.
Highlights
The built environment accounts for up to 40 percent of global energy consumption
This paper proposes a novel approach which automatically optimizes window designs, including the window type, which extends the notion of glazing type to include the framing materials; the Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR); and window placement height as a response to the current limitation in the literature
This can help alleviate the problem and, can lead to a more efficient workflow given that Revit/Dynamo are integrated with other Building Information Modelling (BIM) services [35,40]
Summary
The built environment accounts for up to 40 percent of global energy consumption. Among all sectors in the built environment, residential buildings alone is anticipated to consume 13% of the total energy delivered in 2040 [2]. Building performance varies notably across countries and regions. With this in mind, there needs to be alternative measures adopted to enhance the sustainability of buildings based on the local climate of the region in which they are built. Passive design is believed to be the most effective strategy to improve building energy performance [5]. The glazing system, regarded as an important design consideration, is responsible for approximately 47% of total energy loss from the residential building envelope; this is Buildings 2020, 10, 0206; doi:10.3390/buildings10110206 www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings
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