Simulation-Based Optimization of Building Orientation for Optimum Electricity Consumption of Indian Residential Buildings

Abstract

The demand for electrical energy had grown tremendously over the last few decades. The 2019 annual report by electricity sector of India shows that India is the third largest consumer of electricity in the world. Studies revealed that buildings are major consumers of electricity, in which residential buildings consumes the most. Tremendous increase in electricity demand are anticipated in Indian residential sector in the coming years due to development plans such as Power for all policy. Studies depicted that residential buildings have an energy saving potential of about 30-50% and most of the previous researchers had focused only to replace the electrical appliances in the constructed facility and had ignored the design features of the building to minimize electricity consumption. The present study therefore focused on reducing the energy use in residential sector of India by simulation-based optimization of buildings at its design stage. Design Builder software version 6.1.0.006 with Energy Plus simulation engine 8.9 was used for the study. A two storied residential building in Kochi, Kerala was considered for the study. The building model was validated using previous electricity bills and was then retrofitted using Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC). The model was simulated for eight different orientations for different cases in five different climatic zones in India. East orientation was found to be the best orientation for all cases except cold climatic zone. The percentage saving in annual electricity consumption and cost of electricity bills that could be saved by opting the best orientation were also found.