Optimization Analysis of the Residential Window-to-Wall Ratio Based on Numerical Calculation of Energy Consumption in the Hot-Summer and Cold-Winter Zone of China

Abstract

Along with the rapid urbanization and economic growth of China over the past decades, the thermal comfort needs of the people in this region have risen dramatically, and at the same time, promoting building energy efficiency is cited as part of the major projects in the 14th five-year plan for energy efficiency improvement. In addition, the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has plunged people into long-term panic, and promoted the entire construction industry to think about a healthier and more sustainable living environment. To respond to the imbalance between energy supply and demand, an optimization analysis based on energy use is developed, assessing the energy efficiency of the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) design and calculating the energy consumption of three different types of residential buildings for both cooling and heating loads as well as for year-round loads. Owing to its harsh climate and huge energy consumption, in this study, the Hot-summer and Cold-winter (HSCW) zone of China was chosen as the experimental setting for the optimization analysis of WWR. Then, in the three main types of residential buildings, including detached houses, multi-story dwellings and high-rise dwellings, a correlation between WWRS and energy consumption in the cooling season, heating season and year-round was built. The comparisons between the WWRS and energy consumption for different types of residential buildings are presented. The design optimization recommendation for WWRS are proposed. It has significant positive meanings for the development of green and sustainably designed residential buildings that offer high levels of thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

Assessing the Energy Efficiency and Daylight Performance of Windows in Buildings in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

“…According to the results of the questionnaire investigation, existing dwellings with a higher WWR have a higher energy demand and correlate with the simulation results of Yang et al [21]. However, contrary to the findings of Yang et al [21], the simulation results of Liu et al [22] revealed that the heating demand is higher than the cooling demand in China's hot summer and cold winter climates. A WWR of 40 to 50% was proposed as the optimal solution for energy efficiency for the three types of residential buildings, such as a detached house, multi-story building, and high-rise building.…”

“…Liu et al [22] investigated the optimal WWR of residential buildings in the same climates of China. According to the results of the questionnaire investigation, existing dwellings with a higher WWR have a higher energy demand and correlate with the simulation results of Yang et al [21].…”

“…In general, it is essential to perform investigations based on local climate data and to consider multiple aspects of window design and building features. According to Kaasalainen et al [27] and evidence from studies by Liu et al [22] and Yang et al [21], the energy performance of buildings located within the same climate zone can differ considerably. Thus, this research aims to investigate the optimal glazing type, WWR, and orientation for the buildings and climate of Nur-Sultan.…”

Study on the Relationship between Thermal Comfort and Learning Efficiency of Different Classroom-Types in Transitional Seasons in the Hot Summer and Cold Winter Zone of China

“…Additionally, the tested students in the experiment were asked to wear similar clothes (a long sleeve, a pair of trousers and a coat) in advance, so it could be predicted that the basic clothing insulation (lcl) was about 0.75 clo [38]. The students were in a quiet sitting position for reading and writing during the experiment, so their metabolic rate (M) could be chosen to be 1.2 met [39]. Finally, the other environmental parameters corresponded to the measured data under different experimental conditions, and the PMV was calculated separately for different experimental conditions.…”

The Relationship between the Outdoor School Violence Distribution and the Outdoor Campus Environment: An Empirical Study from China

“…Once the questionnaires were returned, individual data samples needed to be screened and processed to improve the accuracy and completeness of the underlying data based on the following criteria [76,77].…”