Glazed balconies impact on energy consumption of multi-story buildings

Abstract

Through this research we have studied the influence of the closure of the balconies on the temperature and humidity. Three residential apartments with enclosed balconies are monitored simultaneously over two periods: a colder one in March and a warmer one in May providing an overview of the thermal performance of a balcony relative to the interior. The results of the balcony#1 simulations made with the Trnsys 17 software show a good energy saving in the cold period, but higher cooling consumption in warm weather.The total energy demand difference between closed and open balconies is about 840 kWh. The simulation also showed us the close connection between the temperature in the balcony and the solar radiation that both grow and decrease simultaneously. At the end of the two campaigns, we came to the conclusion that a closed and thermally rehabilitated balcony is the best solution, being proven to have a winter advantage, the difference between the outdoor temperature and the balcony temperature being around 15 °C, but a summer disadvantage when temperatures in the balcony greatly increase and may exceed 50 °C, with the risk of overheating the balcony.