The Control of Venetian Blinds: A Solution for Reduction of Energy Consumption Preserving Visual Comfort

Francesco Nicoletti,Mario A Cucumo,Natale Arcuri,Cristina Carpino

doi:10.3390/en13071731

Abstract

Glazing surfaces strongly affect the building energy balance considering heat losses, solar gains and daylighting. Appropriate operation of the screens is required to control the transmitted solar radiation, preventing internal overheating while assuring visual comfort. Consequently, in the building design phase, solar control systems have become crucial devices to achieve high energy standards. An operation based on well-defined control strategies can help to reduce cooling energy consumption and ensure appropriate levels of natural lighting. The present study aims at investigating the effect of smart screening strategies on the energy consumption of a test building designed in the Mediterranean climate. With the aim of automatically setting the inclination of venetian blind slats, the necessary equations are analytically found out and applied. Equations obtained are based on the position of the sun with respect to the wall orientation. In the case of a cloudy day or an unlit surface, empirical laws are determined to optimize the shielding. These are extrapolated through energy simulations conducted with the EnergyPlus software. Finally, using the same software, the actual benefits obtained by the method used are assessed, in terms of energy and CO2 emissions saved in a test environment.

Highlights

Due to the extreme urgency of tackling climate change, it is necessary that buildings are as energy independent as possible [1]
The type of shading used produces a different impact on the level of natural lighting, thermal comfort and visual comfort
Cooling energy saving will further increase between 5.6% and 10.4% if the shadings are applied to all facades with single clear glazing. [9] analyzed the effect of different fixed shading on the control of air temperature and the improvement of illuminance level of an office building in Jordan

Summary

Introduction

Due to the extreme urgency of tackling climate change, it is necessary that buildings are as energy independent as possible [1]. It is important to implement measures for reducing energy consumption trying to take advantage of solar radiation [2,3]. The use of shielding devices is among the suggested interventions for energy conservation in buildings. An effective design of solar-control systems allows to reduce both cooling energy by preventing the transmission of direct-solar radiation in summer and heating energy maximizing solar gains in winter. Solar-control systems can help to reduce electricity for artificial lighting and ensure adequate visual comfort trying to take the most advantage of the healthy natural light. In addition to users’ well-being, well-designed shielding devices can improve the architectural quality of the building. Shielding systems can be divided into two categories, which are fixed and mobile systems [5]. According to the type of control, mobile systems can be furtherly distinguished in manual control, central up-down commands and fully automated control [6]

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Conclusion