Multi-Zone Energy Performance Assessment of Algerian Social Housing Using a Parametric Approach

Abstract

In the early stages of building design, decisions are made about the building’s form and envelope, but designers rarely base their decisions on sophisticated energy simulations, even though these features are critical to a building’s energy performance. This paper employs three methods—empirical, parametric, and uncertainty—to assess the interconnectedness of building form, envelope, orientation, and occupancy regarding thermal comfort and energy consumption for heating and cooling a residential building across three regions: Gdyel (mediterranean climate), Oum El Bouaghi, and Constantine (semi-arid climate). The study variables include indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and energy consumption. The initial findings stem from an experiment conducted in an apartment on the top floor of a building in Gdyel, which allowed us to record the evolution of the variables mentioned throughout the year and validate the parametric results of the multi-zone model created in TRNSYS16 software. This study showed that for the considered climates, a compact form is more suitable; it was found that the top floor with SF = 0.57 needs about 30% to 54% more energy than the inter-floor with SF = 0.21. In addition, the heating and cooling methods and habits adopted by Algerian households are responsible for 18% to 35% on the top floor and the inter-floor, respectively.