Proc. of Int. Conf.

on Emerging Trends in Engineering and Technology

Principles of Energy Conscious Design

Mimansa Gulati1, Dr. Anamika Paul2
Ch. Brahm Prakash Govt Engg College, Environmental Engg Dept, New Delhi, India
2
Email: mimansagulati@gmail.com1, anamika.sikdar@gmail.com

Abstract With the growing awareness of the energy crisis, the need to conserve and
manage the energy resources in a responsible manner is being increasingly felt by different
sectors of the economy. With recent exponential increases in energy pricing, the
underestimated concept of energy conservation has swiftly assumed great significance and
potential in cutting costs and promoting development, economically mainly in developing
countries. With the increase standard of living, the consumption of energy in buildings is
progressively rising. The present paper delineates the energy conscious architectural
strategies and the imperative need to design energy efficient buildings. Passive architecture
aims to maintain interior thermal comfort and reduces heating and cooling loads through
energy efficiency strategies. Specific consideration is required with respect to the location of
the site, prevailing climate, design and construction, placement of glazing, shading elements
and incorporation of thermal mass. The paper presents a discussion on a few basic
strategies for design of an energy efficient building.

Index Terms Solar passive techniques, Passive thermal control, natural convection,
Isolated gain systems.

I. INTRODUCTION
Human comfort is gaining importance in the recent decades [6]. The energy conscious design approach helps
designers and building owners to economically reduce building costs, while improving comfort for the
buildings residents [1]. Passive Architecture involves the use of eco-friendly and less energy intensive
materials for construction of building, incorporating passive solar principles in building design and operation
including day lighting features, integration of renewable energy, methods to conserve water, waste water
recycling techniques, rainfall harvesting and use of appliances in buildings that are energy efficient. Passive
cooling can be adopted as a viable alternative to conventional cooling system because conventional means of
creating thermal comfort are energy intensive and hence harmful to ecological system [6]. Passive design
maximizes the efficiency of the building envelope by minimizing heat gain from the external environment
and facilitating heat loss though various natural sources of cooling such as air movement, cooling breeze,
evaporation and earth coupling. Good envelope design responds to climate and site conditions and further
optimizes thermal performance. It lowers down the operating costs, improves comfort and minimizes
environmental impact. Energy resource efficiency in new constructions can be affected by adopting an
integrated approach for designing a building. The preliminary steps required in this approach are listed
below:demultiplexers[3]. The OTDM system designing comprises of three major building blocks as
transmitter, channel and receiver as shown in figure 1.
Incorporate solar passive techniques in a building design to minimize load on conventional systems
(heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting). Passive solar cooling considers two basic concepts: prevents

DOI: 03.AETS.2013.3.193
Association of Computer Electronics and Electrical Engineers, 2013
 heat gain and rejects unwanted heat [5].
Design energy-efficient lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) systems. Once the
passive solar architectural concepts are applied to design the HVAC and lighting loads is reduced [8].
Use renewable energy systems (solar photovoltaic systems / solar water heating systems) to meet a part of
building load
Use materials of low energy and methods of construction to reduce transportation energy [7].

II. PRINCIPLES OF ENERGY CONSCIOUS DESIGN

An energy efficient home is designed to deliver maximum comfort to occupants by making the most of free
natural heating, cooling, lighting and utilizing efficient design principles and building materials to reduce the
need for appliances. For a home to be energy efficient it needs to have all the correct elements of design.
A. Building Envelope
A building interacts with the environment through its external faades such as walls, projections, windows
and roofs referred to as the building envelope. This building envelope is a thermal shell, which if constructed
in a thoughtless way, may result in energy leaks through each and every component [1]. Configuring the
geometry of the building appropriate to the climate and usage can control the magnitude of the heat flow.
B. Site Selection
Energy-conserving planning and passive solar design begins with site selection. Analysis of a development
site and its characteristics is a key element in the design process for maximizing use of the suns energy, heat
and light. Site analysis involves assessing a range of environmental factors that can affect the development of
a site. Site planning is an interactive process, beginning with defining the overall goal for energy use and cost
in the proposed building determining the most effective solar concepts to achieve this goal, and using that
information to determine how to site plan for the building [2]. Site-specific conditions such as land form,
vegetation, open spaces, water bodies etc. play an important role in design of any building. Analysis can be
done for these conditions can enable one to choose a site and make suitable design plans [1].
C. Orientation of Buildings
Appropriate orientation of buildings can provide physically and psychologically comfortable conditions in
the building. It can help to eliminate the undesirable effects of severe weather to a great extent. For example,
in cold weather conditions, a building must be oriented to receive maximum solar radiation into the living
areas for warmth on one hand, while keeping out the prevailing cold winds on the other [1].
D. Area To Volume Ratio (S/V Ratio)
The ratio of the surface area to the volume of the building (S/V ratio) determines the magnitude of the heat
transfer in and out of the building. The larger the S/V ratio the greater is the heat gain or loss for a given
volume of space. Conversely, a smaller S/V ratio will result in the reduction of heat gain/loss. For example,
in cold climates it is preferable to have compact house forms with minimum S/V ratio.
E. Building Configuration
Configuring the geometry of the building appropriate to the climate and usage can control the magnitude of
the heat flow. Wind when obstructed by a building creates pressure differences, creating positive pressure on
the windward side and negative pressure on the leeward side. Consequently, a new airflow pattern gets
developed around the building. Thus, wind pattern across any building can get modified by shaping it
appropriately. Structures can be designed to conserve energy in both winter and summer. Shading devices
such as chajjas block the solar radiation incident on the exposed surfaces of a building, consequently
reducing heat gain. Buffer spaces such as courtyards, atria, balconies and verandahs provide shading and
catch wind.
F. Building Components
The nature of a building envelope determines the amount of radiation and wind that will enter the building. It
consists of Roof, Walls, Ground-based floor, fenestrations, external color and texture. The heat flow through
these elements is characterized by their resistance, thermal capacity, absorption, transmission and emission.
Windows act as the means of achieving desired solar heat gains, natural light and ventilation. They can also
be the major route of internal heat loss and excessive heat gain resulting in overheating. Walls offer
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opportunities for solar heat gain and act as a source for internal heat loss through exhaust fans and vents, gaps
around window, door frames, joints between walls, ceilings and floors etc.

III. PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING

Passive solar heating is one of the several design approaches collectively called passive solar design. Passive
solar design involves mainly the collection of solar energy through properly oriented openings (south facing
windows) and managing thermal energy flows of a building by usage of thermal mass comprising of
materials having high heat capacity (concrete slabs, brick walls, tile floors). It also involves providing
mechanisms of natural convection and radiation in the building and window specification to allow high solar
heat gain coefficient [3]. Fig. 1 shows the components of Passive Solar Heating System

Figure 1. Components of Passive Solar Heating system [2].

Passive solar heating systems are often categorized by the relationship between the solar system and the
building, i.e, whether or not the solar system is part of a room being heated, part of the building, or totally
separate from the building. Using this reasoning, there are three categories of passive solar heating systems
[2].
(A) Direct gain systems
(B) Indirect gain systems
(C) Isolated gain systems
A. Direct gain systems
In this technique, sunlight is admitted into the living spaces directly through openings or glazed windows.
The sunlight heats the walls and floors, which then store and transmits the heat to the indoor environment.
The main requirements of a direct gain system are large glazed windows to receive maximum solar radiation
and thermal storage mass [1]. There are mainly two types of direct gain heating systems. A Direct Gain
without storage (thermal mass) and a Direct Gain with storage which includes additional internal mass for
storage capacity. A Direct Gain system has few components like glazing which transmits and traps the
incoming solar radiation, thermal mass to store heat for night time use, insulation to reduce losses at night,
ventilation for cooling in summers and shading for reducing overheating. Fig. 2 shows the components of
Direct Gain System.
Glazed windows:-The principal function of a glazed window in a direct gain approach is to admit and trap
solar energy so that it can be absorbed and stored by elements within the space. Glazing has a major impact
on the energy efficiency of the building envelope. Windows that are not designed properly, glazed surfaces
and skylights can make space hot or cold. If designed correctly, they further help to maintain year round
comfort, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling [4].
Mass effect:-Thermal mass is one of the powerful tools for controlling temperature inside a building. Passive
and energy conserving buildings seeks to manage the available energy in order to maintain conditions for
human comfort. During hot weather conditions it absorbs heat, keeping the house comfortable. During winter
season the same thermal mass can store the heat from the sun or heaters to release it at night, helping the
home stay warm [4]. Massive construction has a longer heating-up period in the morning and the stored heat

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gets dissipated overnight, thus wasted. Material used for thermal mass can absorb and store excess thermal
energy when the buildings thermal load is high and release the energy when the load is low.
B. Indirect Gain Systems
In Indirect Gain system heat is collected and stored in an exterior wall or on the roof of a building, and
distributed to the building by passing all the way through the storage mass. Fig. 3 shows the Indirect Gain
System.

Figure 2. Direct Gain System [1]

Figure 3. Indirect Gain System [1].

A thermal mass (wall) is placed between the living space and the glazing such that it receives maximum solar
radiation (generally the southern face of the building in the northern hemisphere). This wall absorbs the
sunlight that strikes it and transfers it to living space by conduction. This prevents solar radiation from
directly entering the living space. The collection, absorption, storage and control of solar energy occur
outside it. The glazing reduces heat loss to the ambient atmosphere. Windows are integrated into the thermal
storage wall to provide light and some direct gain heating. Insulation which is movable can be applied

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outside the glazing faades or in the airspace between the glazing and the storage wall to minimize heat loss
during night. Reflecting and shading devices are generally placed on the exterior [1].
Two types of Indirect Gain systems are used:
Thermal storage wall system
Roof Pond Systems
Thermal storage wall system:- The thermal mass is located behind the south facing glazing system. Operable
vents are located at the top and the bottom of the thermal wall that permits convection between the wall and
the glazing into living space. When the vents at night are closed radiant heat from the wall heats the living
space.
Roof Pond Systems:- It contains an absorbing surface, with minimum thermal inertia on the south face (in
northern hemisphere) of the building and a glazing over it, thus forming a solar air heater. It absorbs incident
solar radiation and heats up the air in the absorber-glazing space. A well-insulated collector limits the heat
loss to the outside. The hot air forces itself into the living space through the vents, and warms it up. Cooler
air takes its place and the cycle is repeated. In addition to heating the space, heat can also be stored for later
use by passing the hot air through storage mass. The storage is generally the inner structure of the building
like an internal wall or a concrete ceiling which is not exposed to the outside there by minimizing the heat
loss to the outside [1].
C. Isolated Gain System
Isolated gain passive solar heating systems isolate the collection and storage subsystems from the building
[2]. Fig.4 shows an Isolated Gain System

Figure 4. Isolated Gain System [1].

In Isolated Gain systems the solar radiation collection and storage are thermally isolated from the living
spaces of the building. The most common example of Isolated Gain is the natural convective loop. Here,
solar radiations are absorbed by heat, air or water. The warm air or water rises and passes through the
storage, further transferring the heat. The air as it gets cool it falls on the absorber to get heated up again. The
basic requirements for this system are:
a collector, which absorbs the radiation for heating the fluid
a storage mass, which absorbs the heat by the fluid which gets stored for distribution in the living space
a mechanism to distribute the stored heat in the storage mass [1]

IV. CONCLUSIONS
An energy-efficient building balances all aspects of energy use in a space-conditioning, building lighting, and
ventilation by giving an optimized mix of passive solar design strategies, equipments that are energy
efficient, and renewable sources of energy. Materials usage with low embodied energy forms a major
component in energy efficient building designs. However, buildings can be designed to meet the occupants
need for thermal and visual comfort at reduced levels of energy and resources consumption. Energy
efficiency in buildings can be achieved through a multi-pronged approach involving adoption of bioclimatic
architectural principles responsive to the climate of the particular location; use of materials with low
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embodied energy; reduction of transportation energy; incorporation of efficient structural designs;
implementation of energy-efficient building systems; and effective utilization of renewable energy sources to
power the building. The potential for energy savings is as high as 40-50 % if addressed right at the design
stage. The incremental cost incurred for achieving energy efficiency is 5-8% vis-a-vis conventional design
cost and can have a payback period of 2-4 years.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The financial assistance provided by Centre of Excellence in Energy and Environmental Studies,
Deenbandhu Chottu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal is gratefully acknowledged.

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