Passive Cooling Applications in Commercial Buildings in Hot Regions
Date
2017-12-14
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Abstract
Reports show that 75% of the electricity demand of the whole United Arab Emirates comes from the buildings and that 70% goes into cooling (Supreme Council of Energy, 2014). Secondly, many modern buildings in the region have glazed glass façades. In line with the emirate's vision for sustainability 2021, Dubai Municipality (DM) Building Department prioritized the improvement of building efficiency. Buildings that have been constructed in the last 12 years have complied with the DM's minimum efficiency requirements. These included air conditioning equipment and thermal insulation for energy saving (Supreme Council of Energy, 2014). The Dubai Silicon Oasis
Authority (DSOA) is one of those complying with the energy saving requirements set by the DM Building Department. The DSOA headquarters building is, however, incurring high-energy cost that can be attributed to its cooling system.
The main goal of this study was to evaluate passive techniques to reduce cooling loads in multi-storeyed glass-façade commercial buildings. In recent years, Passive Cooling has found greater acceptance as an energy reducing measure across the world, as it is sustainable, economical, and is in alignment with the local natural resources. The effectiveness of each alternative cooling system depends on factors such as insulation, building design, orientation, etc. In addition, the applicable passive cooling techniques vary from region to region owing to variance in climate conditions and building material, local vegetation and climatic features. This study, therefore,
assessed which of these systems or strategies is appropriate for the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) headquarters building as a case study and explored the principles of passive cooling techniques applicable to multi-storeyed buildings with glass façades. One wing (B) has been selected from the case study building. An Hourly Analysis Program, HAP, was used as a simulation tool in this research. Data of the studied building were collected and further analyzed by the said Program. The studied parameters were Air System Properties and Space Parameters.
Results showed that 18% saving in the cooling load of the seventh floor could be achieved by installing a green roof with a U-value glass of 0.7 W/m2K. This saving figure can be obtained from the other typical floors.
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Keywords
Glass Facad, Green Roof, U value, Cooling Load, GHG, Green House Gas Emission, HAP, Energy Simulation Tools, Glass Types, Heat Gain, Government Buildings
Citation
Amr Al-Sadoon (2017). Passive Cooling Applications in Commercial Buildings in Hot Regions (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.