Effect of the amount of translucent layer on optimal geometry and direction of energy-efficient buildings: A case study of low-rise residential buildings in suburban Ahvaz, Iran

Mashhoor, Zeinab

doi:10.22034/jrenew.2025.225889

Effect of the amount of translucent layer on optimal geometry and direction of energy-efficient buildings: A case study of low-rise residential buildings in suburban Ahvaz, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Zeinab Mashhoor

Department of Architectural and Urban Planning, National University of Skills (NUS), Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jrenew.2025.225889

Abstract

Building energy consumption is a multi-faceted issue affected by various factors. The building envelope of the building as an interface between the inside and outside is important in creating thermal comfort and protecting residents from adverse environmental conditions. The amount of heat loss through the building envelope is directly related to energy consumption, which is, in turn, affected by solar radiation received. Therefore, proper design of envelope and balance in receiving and losing energy based on climatic conditions as a passive solution can considerably reduce energy consumption. This study seeks to find balance between heat loss and solar energy intake in buildings and investigates the effect of window area on optimal form and direction of low-rise buildings in Ahvaz. The research design is quantitative and comparative using optimization and energy simulation software. The basic model is a building with dimensions of 10 x 10 and an area of 100 m². The window-to-wall ratio (wwr) is the primary independent variable, the length of the southern side and the rotation angle are the secondary independent variables, and energy consumption is objective function. The results indicate that for wwr < 30%, building stretching in the east-west direction is desired. For wwr≥30%, north-south elongation is more favorable as solar radiation reception increases. The optimal proportions vary depending on the window size, but optimal rotation angle is always 0 degrees.

Keywords

energy consumption

building shape

building envelope

optimization

Subjects

Renewable Energy

- مراجع

[1]	Z. Hesami, “Effectiveness of the implementation of the resolution of the reform of the energy consumption pattern and resources in buildings (Case study: Tehran municipality buildings),” Urban Economy, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 48-52, 2020. (in Persian)
[2]	P. Wilde, “The gap between predicted and measured energy performance of buildings: A framework for investigation,” Automation in Construction, No. 41, pp. 40-49, 2014.
[3]	W. J. Suh, C. S. Park and D. W. Kim, “Heuristic vs. meta-heuristic optimization for energy performance of a post office building,” in 12th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Association, Sydney, Australia, 2010.
[4]	Y. Fang and S. Cho, “Design optimization of building geometry and fenestration for daylighting and energy performance,” Solar Energy, No. 191, pp. 7-18, 2019.
[5]	F. Kheiri, “A review on optimization methods applied in energy-efficient building geometry and envelope design,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, No. 92, pp. 897-920, 2018.
[6]	SH. Mohammad, “Evaluating the thermal performance of wall construction materials, Case study: Residential buildings of Tehran,” Journal of Fine Arts: Architecture and Urban Planning, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 69-78, 2013. (in Persian)
[7]	SH. Heidari, Thermal Adaptation in Architecture First Step of Energy Saving. Tehran: University of Tehran Press, 2019. (in Persian)
[8]	G. S. Najafi, Y. Gorji Mahlabani, and P. Pilechiha, “Sensitivity analysis and optimization of building geometry with energy-daylight efficiency approach,” Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 45-58, 2023. (in Persian)
[9]	V. Z. Leskovar and M. Premrov, “An approach in architectural design of energy-efficient timber buildings with a focus on the optimal glazing size in the south-oriented facade,” Energy and Buildings, No. 43, pp. 3410-3418, 2011.
[10]	K. Momeni and M. Tanoorsaz, “Comparison of the influence of exterior walls on the thermal comfort of dwellers and selection of optimal materials in hot and semi- arid climates (case study: Dezful),” Architecture in Hot and Dry Climate, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 211-227, 2023. (in Persian)
[11]	M. Mahdavinia and I. Khayat, “An analytic study of the effect of envelope insulation on annual energy consumption in tall office buildings of Tehran metropolitan city,” Architecture and Urban Planning, Vol. 10, No. 20, pp. 147-160, 2018. (in Persian)
[12]	A. A. Ahadi, “The Assessment of role of orientation, Type of materials and facade construction details on the energy consumption of residential buildings in Tehran,” Hoviat Shahr, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 81-92, 2022. (in Persian)
[13]	J. Shaeri, R. Vakilinazhad, M. Yaghoubi, and M. Aliabadi, “The effect of materials on energy consumption, carbon production and thermal comfort in office building in hot and humid, hot and dry and cold, Iran,” Iranian Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 6-33, 2020. (in Persian)
[14]	M. Pakdel and B. Alemi, “A solution to improve the thermal efficiency of the exterior shell of a building using natural non-woven composite materials,” Renewable and New Energy, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 110-121, 2023. (in Persian)
[15]	E. Heydari, J. Mahdinejad, and P. Doulabi, “Strategic principles of designing the form of a residential building in Bushehr based on reducing energy consumption,” Karafan Quarterly Scientific Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 345-361, 2022. (in Persian)
[16]	R. Salimi Gargari, S. M. Mofidi, and H. Sanaieian, “Reviewing the design parameters of the building -envelope in order to reduce energy consumption (case study: contemporary residential buildings in district 15),” Iranian Islamic City Studies, Vol. 14, No. 51, pp. 113-131, 2024. (in Persian)
[17]	M. Kasmai, Climate and Architecture. Esfahan: Khak publications, 2007. (in Persian)
[18]	M. Madahi and F. Tavanaiee, “Optimization of thermal performance of external walls of residential building in cold and dry climate by utilizing the energy simulation software (A case study: Mashhad, Iran),” Energy Engineering and Management, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 108-121, 2019. (in Persian)
[19]	A. Khatibi, M. Shahbazi, and Z. Torabi, “Analyzing the thermal behavior of facades in order to determine the optimal performance of energy consumption (Case study: An office building in Tehran),” Renewable and New Energy, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 121-129, 2022. (in Persian)
[20]	H. Varmaghni and A. Kasmai, “Factors affecting the reduction of energy consumption in buildings: A case study of high-rise buildings in district 22 of Tehran,” Iranian Journal of Energy, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 67-100, 2021. (in Persian)
[21]	l. Balilan Asl, S. Nourivand, D. Sattarzadeh, and M. Asefi, “Simulation-based design in experimental researches of building performance: A case study of an office building in Tabriz,” Armanshahr, Vol. 14, No. 36, pp. 113-131, 2021. (in Persian)
[22]	R. Pacheco, J. Ordónez, and G. Martínez, “Energy efficient design of building: A review,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, No. 16, p. 3559–3573, 2012.
[23]	M. M. Ghiabi and A. Hossein Pour Hajjar, “The relation of energy consumption and opening ratio in high rise buildings,” Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 57-70, 2014. (in Persian)
[24]	Z. Ghiabaklou, Fundamentals of Builging Physics 2. Tehran: Amirkabir University of Technology Branch, 2016. (in Persian)
[25]	National Building Legislations: The Nineteenth Topic, Energy Consumtion Saving, 4 ed. Tehran: Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center, 2023. (in Persian)