Development of an integrated passive cooling façade technology for office buildings in hot arid regions

Abstract

Building envelopes play a major role in improving the overall energy efficiency as well as in providing a healthy indoor air quality for occupants in office buildings. The notion of this research is to develop an integrated façade technology that interacts and adapts with the changing climatic conditions, in hot arid regions, in order to improve occupants' thermal comfort in mixed mode office buildings through the use of natural ventilation and evaporative cooling techniques, thereby reducing mechanical cooling energy loads. In this research, façade design decisions were based on two main computer simulation results; thermal comfort levels and the reduction in energy consumption. The authors propose a double skin façade system that consists of an external skin which works on multiple operating modes. This skin integrates passive cooling strategies with the building envelope depending on the data collected by external and internal sensors. My previous investigations showed that shading, natural ventilation and evaporative cooling are the most effective passive cooling strategies for hot and arid regions In conclusion, this research will contribute in reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings, and help provide a productive work environment. © 2014 WIT Press.