Unlocking Energy Efficiency of Building Envelope Through Passive Retrofitting
Abstract
The thermal and visual comfort of occupants is a primary concern in a building when we talk about its optimal performance. HVAC systems are utilized in a building to maintain thermal comfort as per the standards provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and health societies. Passive strategies optimize the energy required to provide occupant comfort without relying on mechanical and electrical systems. Passive strategies improve thermal comfort for occupants by maximizing natural ventilation, minimizing thermal fluctuations, and controlling solar heat reflection or absorption. The present study examines the effect of retrofitting different passive techniques on the thermal and visual comfort of a building. The retrofitting techniques considered for the assessment are window layers, window colours, insulation location in walls and roof, infiltration, insulation material and thickness, window local shading, and reflective surface. The integration of these tactics will result in a reduction of total energy consumption by regulating thermal conditions and daylight levels per specific needs. The utilization of passive retrofitting as input parameters is employed to fulfil the objective functions, while a non-sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA2) is utilized to optimize the results. The study illustrates that employing passive strategies in a building can yield energy savings of up to 36% compared to a conventional building.
Keywords
Passive techniques, Optimization, Nsga2, Building energy performance, Occupant comfort