Optimizing Window Configuration Counterbalancing Energy Saving and Indoor Visual Comfort for Sydney Dwellings

Abstract

Building penetrations are the most-potent elements providing daylight and moderating the lighting energy consumption and affecting indoor comfort and consequent energy usage. In a semi-tropical climate with a green environment such as Sydney, there is a radical demand to extend windows providing views. This research aims to optimize sunlight admission and maintain indoor comfort while minimizing energy consumption. The method for investigation is to simulate a multiobjective optimization using NSGA-II considering visual and thermal comfort along with energy usage and view of the outside. A combination of human and machine assessments responding to manual and microcontroller-operated indoor validating simulation improves the generalizability. The solutions were assessed for local codes compliance and double-checked against statistical sky conditions. Regarding north, a window-to-wall ratio of 10.7–20% delivers an optimum daylight metric, yielding a 12.16% decrease in energy use intensity. For an east-facing window, altering 26.4% of WWR decreases 2% in lighting energy and a provides a drastic change in visual comfort. Regarding west, changing WWR by about 51% brings about a 50% saving in lighting but no change in other energy loads. Regarding south, when window length is limited to 39% envelope width, it delivers the optimum energy consumption. This study covers visual and thermal comfort together with energy usage and view of the outside, which has not been investigated for southern hemisphere dwellings. A combined simulation and field measurement of human and machine assessment justifies the solutions.

The role of double-skin facade configurations in optimizing building energy performance in Erbil city

“…Lighting, heating, and cooling energy demands can all be altered using WWR optimization. The window sill, and the window's position in relation to the facade have no impact on EUI 18 .…”

Curve Optimization for the Anidolic Daylight System Counterbalancing Energy Saving, Indoor Visual and Thermal Comfort for Sydney Dwellings

“…In this study, all the parametric modeling was generated by Rhinoceros 3D [34], a computer graphics and computer-aided design application, and an algorithmic modeling plugin Grasshopper [35] used to develop parametric models. To simulate the building daylight and energy performance, the most advanced and widely accepted plugin Cli-mateStudio, developed by Solemma ® , was used as the climate-based daylight modeling (CBDM) [36] tool using the EnergyPlus engine for energy-related simulation and a modified progressive path-tracing RADIANCE engine for daylight simulation [3,36,37]. Evaluation and simulation of the virtual model's luminous performance were performed using the raytracing method of RADIANCE, a four-component dynamic climate-based model that analyses daylighting through raytracing calculation [38].…”

“…To perform a vigorous analysis and generalize the results, the authors conducted a detailed study on local construction and climate conditions. Only the north-facing façade (the dominant orientation in the southern hemisphere) is exposed to the sunlight, and a window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of 14% was assumed since it is the typical local WWR [3]. The window-to-floor ratio (WFR) is 10% as utilizing ADS In hot climates requires WFR ≤ 10% [18,19].…”

“…where x i at point i describes the incident number exceeding the ASE illuminance threshold (1000(Lux)), and T i is the annual absolute hour threshold [3,48].…”

“…Daylight penetration significantly affects building thermal-daylighting performance [3] since daylighting and heat are highly correlated [4]. Daylighting is an invaluable tool that provides a natural, pleasant environment in terms of the quality and source of energy saving in buildings which does not need deteriorating natural resources without energy conversion loss.…”