Analysis of a Structure for Efficient Energy Utilization Using Design Builder

Abstract

A major concern for the Indian Construction industry is its negligence of energy efficiency aspects of the various building projects being undertaken nowadays. Moreover, it is a concern for the citizens as well. Heat island and climate change phenomenon has led to a massive increment in the ambient temperatures, intensified reliance on energy resources, created discomfort conditions. By 2030, India's dependence on energy imports is expected to exceed 53% of the country's total energy consumption [5]. As growth is inevitable, a multifaceted and scalable solution is needed to temper the environmental impacts of growing cities. The growth in the cities leads to hot urban environments. The temperature variation between urban areas and adjacent rural areas is called the "heat island phenomenon". It is found that the heat island phenomenon triples the peak electricity demand, doubles the building's cooling load, and reduces the mechanical cooling system's coefficient of performance by 25% [5]. To ease our lives in such a climate we need to invent the cooling techniques and those too are energy and cost-efficient. Many of the environmentalists and architects are putting forward their contributions toward it, suggesting solutions to make use of more and more sustainable systems of energy not like those being practiced in earlier times like courtyards and cavities but newer techniques which merges out with the present form of architecture, few of which are namely, the green roof techniques, terracotta pot, outdoor cooling systems. In this paper, we have analysed the Academic Block 4 building of our college and estimated the size of an outdoor cooling plant based on weather data, occupancy, and constructional details of the building such as heat absorbed by various facades due to internal and solar gains, etc.