Reduction of the Energy Loads of an Office Building with Double-Skin Facade Systema and Solar Shading Devices

Thermal comfort is a result of the thermal exchange between the body and the environment. The building envelope separating the building from the outside environment plays a major role in ensuring comfort conditions. Double skin facade systems are used to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. In this study, the energy loads of an office building built in Antalya in a hot and humid climate and having a single skin facade system are reduced by a second skin and solar shading devices added to the facades. Within the scope of the research, different models of the building were prepared with the help of DesignBuilder simulation program and the heating and cooling loads of these models were compared. First, the current state of the building was modelled and the energy loads were calculated. Then, a double-skin facade system was created by adding glass layers to the two appropriate facades. The energy loads of the models with double-skin façade system whose glazing U values and cavity width are different from each other were compared. Subsequently, vertical solar shading devices to two and later four facades were added to the most suitable system determined in the first stage and the heating and cooling loads were calculated. In the study conducted, the second skin facade in terms of heating loads and the solar shading devices in terms of cooling loads were found to be more effective. A total reduction of 21.8% was achieved in the total energy loads of the building with a second skin to only two facades and sun shading devices applied to four facades.