The form and orientation of a building can have an effect on energy performance. The difficulty has been to find the most energy efficient form-aspect ratio. In this paper, a volume with different aspect ratios has been used to investigate the effect on energy performance (cooling load). The volume used is of the same construction and an hourly dynamic simulation programme was used for the analysis. It was evident that the square form was the most energy efficient whiles elongated forms used much energy. However, since spaces could warm up when oriented towards the east and west, the authors further recommend a detailed look into the function of spaces in design schemes and the use of simulation for design alternatives.

Since the energy crisis in 2007, energy performance of buildings is gradually becoming an issue in Ghana. The authors of this paper used simulation as a tool to analyse three conventional residential building types, in order to see the effects of orientation on energy performance, specifically on cooling loads. The three building types; a single storey square block, a single storey rectangular block and a two storey square block with different thermal properties were modelled and simulated. Alternate north angles were used and results compared for the best orientation resulting in minimum cooling loads in the climatic context of Kumasi, Ghana. The results on the rectangular building indicated the best orientation as being north and south. No particular orientation could be recommended for the single and two storey building (with square plans) and this showed that the influence of other factors such as windows, configuration and function of spaces, and building mass directly affected cooling loads and eventually orientation.