Impact of Façade Glazing on Energy Demand & Indoor Environment Quality Process for early glazing design of office buildings

Abstract

Façade glazing parameters have large influence on energy demand and indoor environment quality in office buildings. However, the scientific background in this area is vague. The objective of this study is to use IDA ICE building simulation tool and investigate the impact of window-to-wall ratio and g-value on heating, cooling and lighting demand, as well the impact on PPD value and daylight factor in an office building in Malmö, Oslo and Reykjavik. The office building is portrayed by a study case designed according to the Norwegian passive house standard NS 3701. Hence, the results are only applicable based on this study case. Overall, this study creates a guidance for the optimal façade glazing design that aims to achieve the lowest energy demand and best indoor environment quality in an office building. The results showed that the glazing parameters’ effect on energy demand and indoor environment quality very much depends on the climate conditions in terms of the outdoor temperature and solar radiation intensity. Therefore, the façade glazing must be selected carefully for specific orientation and location. Overall, the middle size glazing of 25% WWR and the highest performance glazing with g-value of 0.45 is the best combination for the lowest ED and best IEQ.