Climate-based daylighting metrics assessment to select among optimum energy efficient windows' shading devices solutions: A case study of an office in a hot climate

Abstract

Window's external shading is playing a major role in preventing unwanted direct solar gain. Thus, the main objectives of this study are to optimize the fixed windows' shading type (overhang with sided-fins, simple overhang, and louvers) for the four main orientations (East, West, North, and South) using Genetic Algorithm (GA). The findings show savings in East by 27%, 25%, and 24% for the overhang with sided-fins, simple overhang and louvers respectively. Therefore, to select among the optimum energy efficient solutions, climate-based daylighting metrics were utilized to assess the daylighting availability. The other orientation were straightforward were the results in favor of overhang with sided-fins.