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Double Skin Facade -a Solution for Reducing Energy Consumption of Residential

Buildings in Romania

Conference Paper · February 2013

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1454.2245

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 Recent Advances in Engineering Mechanics, Structures and Urban Planning

Double Skin Facade - a Solution for Reducing Energy Consumption of

Residential Buildings in Romania
MIRCEA HORNEŢ1), IOAN LUCIAN CÎRSTOLOVEAN1), DORIN CRISTIAN NĂSTAC1)
VALENTIN-VASILE UNGUREANU2), ADAM DÓSA2)
1)
Buildings Services Department
Transilvania University of Braşov
5th Turnului Street, Brasov
ROMANIA
mircea.hornet@unitbv.ro, luceoe@yahoo.com, nastaccristi@unitbv.ro
http://www.unitbv.ro/constructii/en
2)
Civil Engineering Department
Transilvania University of Braşov
5th Turnului Street, Brasov
ROMANIA
vvungureanu@unitbv.ro, adamdosa@yahoo.com http://www.unitbv.ro/constructii/en

Abstract: - One of the many ways of reducing the energy consumption for non-residential buildings is to adopt
the closer solution with double skin facade. The low energy consumption methods for buildings are:
- during cold weather times, the limitation of heat losses by increasing the thermal insulation of building
envelope and the increase of inside heating flux through positive thermal solar inputs;
- during hot weather times, reducing the energy consumption for cooling process through recovering the
renewable coldness during the nights (night cooling);
- during transition periods, the decrease of energy consumption for cooling process through extension of
time periods for natural ventilation;
- during the whole year, by extending of the natural lighting.

Key-Words: - double skin facade, thermal transmission factor, thermal solar input, energy

1 Introduction groups involved: architects, structural

In addition of measures regarding the decrease of
primary energy consumption necessary for thermal
energy production are required also the solutions
that provide low energy consumption for heating
and cooling interior building spaces. The decrease
of energy consumption for all types of buildings is a
challenge present all over the world.
Generally, the adopted cooling solutions in
Romania are using the artificial cooling, which
implies important energy consumption. In the
last 20 years, especially in Western Europe,
there are implemented more and more cooling
solutions based on natural ventilation and night
cooling [3]. To succeed such a deployment,
there is necessary an adequate architectural
approach, in order to allow this actions. In this
regard, the project management is preceded by
an important and necessary period of ”planning”
operation, during which the proposals are made,
there is a certain analyzing activity by all the
engineers, plumbing engineers, there are also a
lot of simulation activity in dynamic thermal
conditions of building and then the cycle is
reengaged till the best solutions are adopted [5].
Unfortunately, in Romania the things are not
going in the same direction. Usually, the
plumbing engineers receive the final solutions
of architecture and building resistance, which
makes practically impossible to adopt an
optimal solution regarding the natural
ventilation and night cooling process. This
article presents the following issues:
- The main energy consumption methods of
a building;
- The Romanian climate features;
- The double skin facade behaviour during
both cold and hot weather.

ISBN: 978-1-61804-165-4 93
 Recent Advances in Engineering Mechanics, Structures and Urban Planning

2 The energy consumption forms of a 3 The Romanian climate features

building
3.1 Average outdoor temperature and
2.1 The energy consumption needed for rainfall
heating during cold weather The Romanian climate is European moderate
The conduction and convection heating transfer climate, with gentle summers and cold winters. In
represent the forms of the thermal transfer through the below charts is presented the average outdoor
which the buildings lose the most of the heat temperature and rainfall, and the outdoor
quantity towards exterior environment during the temperature and heating days per year for Bucharest
cold weather time. As it is well known, this thermal city. In summary, the important meteorological data
transfer takes place because of the difference of are as follows:
temperature between the interior and exterior - mean annual temperature: +11.2°C;
environment and it is measured with the thermal - decennial temperature minimum: -14.3°C;
transmittance factor (U value), which indicates the - decennial temperature maximum: +34.9°C.
heat flux unit (W/m2) through the building envelope
for one degree difference of temperature between
the interior and exterior [4].
For the Romanian climate features, the
conduction and convection heating transfer bring
significant increase to the building energy
consumption during the whole year, but especially
during cold weather time. The decrease of heating
loss of a building is obtained by optimizing the
envelope thermal insulation.

Fig.1 Average outdoor temperature and rainfall

2.2 The energy consumption for cooling
in Bucharest. [6]
during hot weather
The direct and indirect solar radiation is the one
which favours the heat penetration inside
buildings through the buildings envelope, and
especially through the window pane surfaces,
during the hot weather times [1]. Obviously, it
is necessary to consume a considerable amount
of energy for interior space cooling to insure the
optimal comfort parameters inside the building.
In Romania, the solar flux input through a
triple glazing window over the summer period
is about 6.5 MJ/m², per day for south/west Fig.2. Outdoor temperature and heating days
orientation, respectively 5.5 MJ/m², per day for per year in Bucharest. [6] (Heating days in
east orientation. dependence to heating start temperature)

2.3 The energy consumption for artificial
lighting
The energy consumption for the artificial
lighting has a small part of the total energy
consumption of buildings from Romania.
Nevertheless, in case of non-residential
buildings, in more situations an important
amount of energy is consumed even for
lighting.
3.2 The warming, cooling and neutral
periods of time
As it can be noticed from the next chart:
- 54% of the year represents the period when the
interior warming of the buildings is needed;
- 10% of the year represents the period when the
interior cooling of the buildings is needed;
- 36% of the year represents the neutral period
from the exterior temperatures point of view, when
neither heating nor cooling is necessary.

ISBN: 978-1-61804-165-4 94
 Recent Advances in Engineering Mechanics, Structures and Urban Planning
Fig.3. The warming, cooling and neutral
periods of time in Bucharest. [6]
Because of the extension of colder weather period,
the energy consumption for interior building heating
represents an average of 70% of the annual energy
consumption of a building.
3.3 The potential of climate regarding the
natural ventilation and night cooling
process
Fig.4.Window ventilation in dependence of
outdoor temperature and relative humidity in
Bucharest.[6]
By analyzing of the chart, it is obvious that the
natural ventilation could be over:
- 930 [h] per year (11%) - in good comfort zone;
- 2100 [h] per year (24%) - in moderate comfort
zone.
Fig.5. Cooling potentials of a free night
ventilation in Bucharest. [6] (Approximated
night ventilation hours per month due to
outdoor temperature)
ISBN: 978-1-61804-165-4
From the above chart results a high potential for
an automated night cooling. Especially the peak
cooling month July and August are ideal for the
night ventilation.
4 The double skin façade behaviour
4.1 The double skin façade behaviour
during cold weather time
The bellow chart shows the temperature variation
associated with a double skin facade, for the exterior
climate of Bucharest city, during a period of 72
hours, when the minimum annual temperature is
recorded. During this period of year, the cavity of
double skin facade is working, most of the time, on
the „closed” position, which makes the air from
interior to have an important thermal insulation
function. The solar protection devices installed in
the double skin facade cavity are functioning during
cold weather time on "open" position, speeding up
the heat penetration from solar radiation.
Fig.6. Temperature flow in south façade, cold
days in winter in Bucharest. [6]
The chart clearly shows the measure of contribution
from the double skin facade to the decrease of
building heating losses. The exterior air
temperature, during the analysis period, fluctuates
between -15°C and +3°C. From the chart analysis it
can be observed that even the temperature of
exterior glass of double skin facade has low values
(between -15°C and +12 °C), the temperature of
interior glass of double skin facade has much higher
and constant values (between +17°C and +24 °C).
Hereby, the conduction and convection heating
transfer is significantly reduced, which leads to an
important decrease of heating losses through the
building envelope. In addition, through the window
pane of double skin facade it can be obtained an
important solar radiation flux input.
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 Recent Advances in Engineering Mechanics, Structures and Urban Planning
4.2 The double skin façade behaviour
during hot weather time
The bellow chart shows the temperature fluctuation
regarding a common double facade for the exterior
climate in Bucharest, during a period of 72 hours
(20th -23th of July). During hot period, the solar
protection devices assembled in the double facade
cavity work automatically, dependent on the sun
positioning, reducing significantly the solar input.
They can so reduced up to 90%. The exterior air
temperature is (between +22°C and+38°C) during
the analyzed period.
Fig.7. Temperature flow in south façade for hot
days in summer in Bucharest. [6]
From the diagram it can be understood that even
the temperature of exterior glass has much higher
values (between +22°C and +42°C), the
temperature of interior glass has much lower values
(between +22 oC and +26 oC).
In the same time, the chart shows higher values
of the air behind the solar protection system.
Therefore, to achieve the natural ventilation of
the building through internal cavity of the facade, it
is necessary to extract the excess heat from this
cavity. This can be achieved through an adequate
mechanical ventilation of the facade cavity.
5 Conclusions
The double skin facade solution is one of the most
recent closer solutions of the buildings, which can
provide a decrease up to 40-50% of energy
consumption during of exploitation and activity of
non residential buildings [2]. In the Romanian
climate features, the main disadvantage of this
solution is the overheating of the interior air of the
double skin facade during summer. Certainly, the
disposal of the heating assumes energy consumption
with the ventilation of the double skin facade cavity,
fact that decreases the global performances of this
solution from the energy consumption point of view.
ISBN: 978-1-61804-165-4
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In addition, this paper wants to draw attention of
Romanian specialists on the opportunity of adopting
the cooling solution by using both the natural
ventilation and night cooling as much as possible.
As it was already mentioned, this approach is
assuming a new path in designing, which is quite
difficult task in Romania where these projects are
realized in small workgroups.
Also, it would be a great idea to implement the
coaching of future specialists by using the
simulation of building behaviour in dynamic
thermal condition.
In the same idea, it should be mentioned that
even Romanian legislation is presuming the
reducing of the energy consumption for buildings,
the owners of non-residential buildings (of present
and future buildings) are not concerned of these
amendments.
References:
[1] Saelens, D., Carmeliet, J., Energy performance
assessment of multiple skin facades,
International Journal of HVAC&R, USA, 2003.
[2] Arons, D., Properties and Applications of
Double-Skin Building Facades, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, 2004.
[3] Poirazis, H., Double Skin Façades for Office
Buildings, Lund University, Lund Institute of
Technology, 2004, ISBN 91-85147-02-8.
[4] Vijaya, Y. A., Evaluation and Design of
Double Skin Facades in Hot Climates, Thesis a
Texas A&M University, May 2004.
[5] Pollet, I., Renson Ventilation for ventilation
and solar shading, RENSON VENTILATION
NV, Waregem- Belgium, 2009.
[6] Winfried Heusler - Facade technology – theory
and specific project, PPT_Vorlage_01.pot -
SCHUECO Engineering, 2009.
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