Multi-Objective Optimization of Building Envelope for Daylight and Energy Performance in Hot and Dry Climate Indian Climate
Abstract
The climate-responsive envelope design is the principal component for maintaining the indoor environment. This research presents a multi-objective optimization (MOO) approach to evaluate visual comfort and energy performance. A hypothetical building plan situated in the hot and dry climate of Ahmedabad (23.07° N, 72.63° E), India is chosen as a case study. The optimization was initiated with a Rhinoceros Grasshopper, and the Octopus plugin was used to perform optimization. Spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), Spatial Glare Autonomy (sGA), and Energy Use Intensity (EUI) were taken as performance objectives. The design variables such as wall window ratio (WWR), window height, shading configuration, window assembly, wall materials, aspect ratio, building form, and orientation are integrated into the optimization to identify Pareto optimal solutions. This study illustrates that the optimal trade-off solution can reduce the EUI by 31.09% and enhance the sDA and sGA by 93% and 18.58%, respectively, compared to the worst-performing Pareto solutions. The outcomes of this work help building professionals for the designing, and renovation of building envelopes in hot and dry climates and contributing to creating a sustainable built environment.
Keywords
Visual comfort, Energy efficiency, Muli-objective optimization, Envelope design