Influence of Façade Area on Thermal Performance of Building for Cooling Purposes

Abstract

Buildings account for significant energy consumption worldwide particularly in regions where energy patterns influenced primarily by weather. Air conditioning system became an essential evaluation factor during building design and construction. The level of curiosity about air conditioning system efficiency in terms of energy usage is increasing quickly. In Kuwait; which is a hot climate country; air conditioners account for 70% of total electrical power. Electricity in Kuwait is produced entirely by the non-renewable energy resources. This work aims to assess the potential electrical savings that could be acquired by reducing building’s façade area towards East-West directional orientation in Kuwait. For this purpose, a detached building model with uniform geometry; was simulated by Energy Plus Thermal Simulation Engine through its interface with DesignBuilder software. Two cases were developed for the analysis; both have the same simulation inputs. The only difference was the orientation of the facades. The results show a reduction of about 900 kWh cooling annually if the largest facades were positioned towards north and south. The obtained saving in annual basis is attributed to about 420 kWh electrical power. Equivalent CO2 emissions associated with the saved electrical energy from power plants in Kuwait were estimated. The resulted savings are promising for early decision making for prospective buildings to be built in future.