Development of Bioclimatic Passive Designs for Office Building in Burkina Faso

Abstract

This article focuses on adopting effective and affordable bioclimatic building design strategies in Ouagadougou, in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. A model representing a standard office building and relevant parameters were input in EnergyPlus, and scenarios were analyzed to evaluate the effect of natural ventilation, window shading, dehumidification with night ventilation, and evaporative cooling with night ventilation on thermal comfort and energy consumption. First, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 55 adaptive comfort model was used to compare discomfort hours and interior temperatures between a conventional office design and improved models using passive approaches. The simulations further tested the reduction in energy cooling demand and energy consumption. The results demonstrated that natural ventilation was the most effective passive cooling technique, helping to reduce the annual discomfort hours by 40% and the annual energy consumption by 30%. Combining passive strategies is the best scenario, with a year of office occupancy resulting in just 617 h of discomfort, a 42% reduction in the annual energy cooling demand, and a 43% reduction in the annual energy consumption. The simulations demonstrated the effectiveness of affordable passive design solutions applicable even in existing office buildings and their significance for the sustainable development of fast-urbanizing Sub-Saharan countries.

Passive Solar Systems for the Promotion of Thermal Comfort in African Countries: A Review

“…Cross-ventilation is generally seen as more effective than unilateral ventilation because it can take better advantage of the high-pressure gradient around the building. In contrast, the efficiency of one-sided ventilation depends on the gradient shape of the single façade [51,84].…”

“…Simulating the behavior of different architectural solutions using computer programs is essential to analyzing the behavior of buildings. According to the literature review, the most used simulation software to compare building performance and optimization is Design-Builder [50], EnergyPlus [51,52], and TRNSYS [53]. Several criteria can be met to generate an efficient building.…”

“…However, they can also be applied in external environments [64]. This can be achieved naturally through trees, pergolas with vegetation, or architectural elements (Figure 7) [51]. In terms of shading the glazed areas, the building must be protected from significant solar gains in the windows, where proper orientation can help reduce the solar gains through glazing [65,66].…”

Recomendaciones para la aplicación de estrategias bioclimáticas pasivas en un clima mega térmico lluvioso, Tena-Ecuador

“…Según Zoure & Genovese (2022), el uso de solo una técnica pasiva no garantiza un confort térmico óptimo y reducción de energía a lo largo del año. Zoure & Genovese (2022), exponen que el uso combinado de estrategias disminuye en un 69% las horas de incomodidad y el consumo anual de energía en un 43%.…”

Comparative Study of the Impact of Bio-Sourced and Recycled Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings in Burkina Faso

“…Burkina Faso's main city, Ouagadougou, features three major structural types: modern cement block buildings, low-rise structures made of molded earth blocks, and compressed earth block structures. Contemporary one-to four-story buildings made of cement block dominate this architectural style [59]. This study focuses on modern and four-story "H"-shaped office buildings made of cement blocks, including the ground floor.…”