A Systematic Approach for the Thermal Design Optim

://jen.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/2/95Theonlineversionofthisarticlecanbefoundat:Publishedby::JournalofBuildingPhysicsAdditionalservicesandinformationfor::::©2005SAGEPublications.Allrightsreserved.Notforcommercialuseorunauthorizeddistribution.atPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVonApril12,2008*DepartmentofArchitecturalEngineeringKingFahdUniversityofPetroleumandMineralsDhahran31261,SaudiArabia(ReceivedSeptember25,2004)ABSTRACT:Earlydesigndecisionscanbesignificantindeterminingthethermalperformanceofbuildings.However,necessaryinformationtobasesuchdecisionsisrarelyavailable.Implementationofsystematicapproachestothedesignprocesscanhelpinprovidingsuchinformationwiththeleastcost.Thisarticlepresentsthedevelopmentandvalidationofanoptimizationmodelthatutilizesadirectsearchoptimizationtechniqueincorporatedwithanhourlybuildingenergysimulationprogramfortheoptimumthermaldesignofbuildingenvelopes.Theimplementationresultsofthemodeltothedesignofofficeandresidentialbuildingsatdifferentclimaticconditionsarealsopresented.KEYWORDS:systemsapproach,optimization,building,envelope,thermaldesign,energyconservation.INTRODUCTIONBUILDINGDESIGNISanartandascience.Manypeopleviewthedesignofbuildingsasapurelyartistictask.However,withthecomplexityofcontemporarybuildings,thedesignprocessgoesthroughdifferentstagesthatinvolvemanyspecialties.Thecomplexityofbuildingsystems,suchasstructural,mechanical,electrical,andconstructionsystemsrequiresengineeringexpertisetointegratesuchsystemstoachievetherequiredobjectivesofthedesignwithingivenlimitingconstraintswithoutsacrificingaestheticsorfunctionofthebuilding.*E-mail:[e-mail]CS,Vol.29,No.2—October2005951744-2591/05/020095–25$10.00/0DOI:10.1177/1744259105056267
2005SagePublications©2005SAGEPublications.Allrightsreserved.Notforcommercialuseorunauthorizeddistribution.atPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVonApril12,2008(forearlydesigndecisionmakingpurposes).Thisrequiresformulatingthebuildingasawell-definedthermalsysteminaframeworksuitablefortheapplicationofsystematicapproaches.SYSTEMSAPPROACHArchitectsareaccustomedtomakingtheirdecisionsbasedonpersonalexperience.However,asmuchasexperienceisnecessary,relianceuponanindividual’sexperiencealonemayleadtoinaccurateandinefficientdecisions.Thecomplexityofproblemsassociatedwithcontemporarybuildingsandthemanyvariablesandinterrelationsthatlinkthemcannotadequatelybepenetratedbyaseriesofimplicitevaluations.Suchapproachestendtoproducedeficientbuildingsintoomanyaspects(Handler,1970:p.3).Technologicaladvancesinbuildingstructuralsystemsandmaterials,heating,air-conditioning,lightingandotherhumancomfort-designedsystems,aswellashumanneedsandrequirementsfornewspatialarrangementsandnewbuildingtypesandtheassociatedcosts,allleadtothenecessaryintegrationofbuildingtechnologyandaestheticswiththefunctionofbuildings.Asystemsapproachhelpsinreachingoptimumintegrationofthesystemasawholethroughthedivisionofcomplexsystemsintosmallerandmoremanageablecomponentsthatarelogicallylinkedtoachievedefinedobjectivesusinglogicalandsystematicproceduresthatcanbeexplainedandrepeated.Inbuildingdesign,asimilarconcerncanberealizedindesigning96M.S.AL-HOMOUD©2005SAGEPublications.Allrightsreserved.Notforcommercialuseorunauthorizeddistribution.atPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVonApril12,2008