In the Middle East 40% of energy is used in buildings, more than in industry or transport, and the absolute figure is rising fast, because of the recent construction boom. In hot arid climate, the energy consumption in office building for cooling and lighting is enormous due to problems of overheating and high solar gain. Since the building envelope functions as an environmental filter, and controls the influence of the outdoor on the indoor environment, appropriate design strategies and technologies are necessary to create a climate responsive envelope. This paper is directed to optimizing thermal, visual comfort and energy efficiency through the application of different technologies and design strategies for office building envelope in hot arid climate. The study analysed the outdoor and indoor climatic conditions, to understand the problems of overheating, discomfort, and the energy needed to achieve the indoor environment quality. Building simulation programs were used to evaluate the effects of different technologies and design strategies on the comfort and energy consumption. The technologies included: glazing performance, shading and solar control, insulation, thermal mass, and daylight systems. In addition, the design strategies included: opaque to transparent ratio, orientation, and natural day and night ventilation. The results show the potential for a significant decrease in energy consumption for cooling and lighting. On the other hand, thermal and visual comfort can be increased. Reducing the energy consumption for cooling and lighting as well as improving the indoor comfort are of great importance towards sustainable and climate responsive buildings.

عنوان المؤتمر

CIB World congress 2010

دولة المؤتمر

المملكة المتحدة

تاريخ المؤتمر

15 مايو، 2010 - 25 مايو، 2010

راعي المؤتمر

CIB