ACADEMIC NOTES |AR 8011 - ENERGY EFFICIENT ARCHITECTURE

UNIT I

PASSIVE DESIGN

Introduction

What is Energy?
 Energy exists in many forms, such as heat, light, chemical energy, and electrical energy.
 Energy is the ability to do work or apply force to move an object
 Thermodynamics is the study of energy.
 First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot
be created or destroyed.

What is Efficient?
 Capable of producing desired results with little or no waste (as of time or materials)

Table of Contents

1.0 Energy efficient Architecture.....................................................................................................................................2

Energy efficiency in buiildings.....................................................................................................................................................2
2.0 Concept of energy efficiency .......................................................................................................................................2
Task of an Architect..................................................................................................................................................................... 3
3.0 Passive Design........................................................................................................................................................... 5
4.0 Passive Solar Design Basics……………………………………………………………………………………..11
5.0 Passive solar heating techniques………………………………………………………………………………...13
6.0 Passive cooling design……………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
7.0 Daylight designs techniques……………………………………………………………………………………… 32
8.0 Photovoltaic Module or Array………………………………………………………………………………………37
9.0 Nanotechnology in Construction Industry……………………………………………………………………….. 39

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1.0 Energy Efficient Architecture

What is Energy efficient? (Using less energy to perform the same task)
It refers to a method of reducing energy consumption by using less energy to attain the same
amount of useful output.
For example, an energy-efficient 12-watt LED bulb uses 75-80% less energy than a 60-watt traditional
bulb but provides the same level of light.

It brings a variety of benefits:

 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
 Reducing demand for energy imports, and
 Lowering our costs on a household and economy-wide level.

While renewable energy technologies also help accomplish these objectives,

There are enormous opportunities for efficiency improvements in every sector of the economy, whether
it is buildings, transportation, industry, or energy generation

Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Aim of Building designers are to creation of zero-energy buildings with the help of
incorporating renewable energy technologies.
Changes in existing buildings can also be made to reduce energy usage and costs. These may include
small steps, such as choosing LED light bulbs and energy efficient appliances, or larger efforts such as
upgrading insulation.

Human Behavior
 What impact can a highly efficient technology have if households and businesses are not motivated
to buy, install, and/or activate it?
 How does driving behavior and unnecessary idling impact gas mileage?
 How many people will use public transportation?

Research has shown that 30 percent of the potential energy savings of high efficiency technologies
is lost due to a variety of social, cultural, and economic factors.
Addressing these factors is also an important component of making our economy more energy
efficient.

2.0 Concept of Energy Efficiency

Buildings, as they are designed and used, contribute to serious environmental problems because
of excessive consumption of energy & other natural resources.
The global energy scenario has undergone a drastic change in the last two decades. It is
estimated that almost 2/3rd of the global energy demand is due to buildings ,as their construction,
operation and maintenance are concerned and is expected to grow by an additional 45 percent by 2025.
The present day buildings that are designed and used, symbolize un- restrained consumption of
energy, be it a five star hotel, commercial establishment, govt buildings or a residence complex.

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Commercial and residential buildings account for more than 30percent of the electricity consumption
in India. We add more than 40millionsq.m of commercial and residential space annually and these
results in the additional burden of 5.6billion units of electricity.
In this scenario introduction of energy efficient building design concept has become critical for
achieving the collective objectives of energy security and environmental protection, which in turn can
ensure economic and social development.

Energy resource efficiency in new constructions can be effected by adopting an integrated approach to building
design.
The primary steps in this approach would be to:
 Incorporate solar passive techniques in building design to minimize load on conventional systems (heating,
cooling, ventilation and lighting).
 Design energy efficient lighting and HVAC systems.
 Use renewable energy sources to meet part of building load.

Use low energy materials & methods of construction & reduce transportation energy.
Thus in brief, an energy efficient building balances all aspects of energy use in a building: lighting, space-
conditioning and ventilation.

The task of an Architect

Architects can achieve energy efficiency in the buildings they design by studying the macro and micro-
climate of the site, applying bioclimatic architectural principles. Some common design elements that
affect the thermal conditions are:

a. Orientation:
The placement of the building in north-south direction, reduces the heat energy input in the building,
increases overall ventilation and provides thermal comfort to the building.

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b. Landscaping:
Landscaping alters the micro climate of the site. It reduces direct sun from striking the building &
heating up the building surfaces.
c. Materialsofconstruction:
Choice of building materials is very important in reducing the energy contents of buildings.
d. Locationofwaterbodies:
Water is a very good modifier of microclimate. It takes up large amount of heat in evaporation and
causes significant cooling in hot and dry climate. On the other hand, in humid climates, water should
be avoided as it adds to humidity.
e. Buildingform/surface to volume ratio:
The volume of space inside a building that needs to be heated or cooled and its relationship with the
area of the envelope enclosing the volume affects the thermal performance of the building. For any
given building volume, the more compact the shapes, the less wasteful it is in gaining / losing heat.
Also, the building form determines the airflow pattern around the building, directly affecting its
ventilation.

Some key energy saving measures:

 Orient the building to have maximum exposure & maximum glazing along north and south facades.
 Restrict the glazing area to a maximum of 40-50% of the gross external wall area.
 Use atrium / skylights with adequate solar control to provide daylight access into deeper spaces.
 Use shading strategies for the east, west and south facades to minimize solar gain and reduce glare.
 Use rigid insulation such as extruded or expanded polystyrene, mineral wool for wall and roof.
 Use energy efficient glass with spectrally selective coating to take maximum daylight and yet have
effective solar control.
 Energy efficient devices such as CFL’s, T5 fluorescent lamps, electronic chokes, can be used to
reduce consumption.
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 High efficiency chilling systems along with appropriate controls should be used.
 Passive conditioning strategies such as earth embedded cooling systems, thermal storage systems
etc., can also be explored to reduce demand on conventional air conditioning.
 By the application of these techniques, the energy consumption and demand would come down,
which is good for people, society, nation and our world.

3.0 Passive Design

Passive Design regards the particular way to construct a building using the natural movement of heat
and air, passive solar gain and cooling in order to maintain a good internal comfort.
Through the use of passive solutions it is possible to eliminate, or at least reduce, the use of mechanical
systems and the energy demand by 80% as well as the CO2 emissions.
Building a passive house takes careful planning, which includes the introduction of five basic
principles:
 orientation
 overhangs and shadings
 insulation
 double or triple glazing
 thermal mass

Orientation
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It is a significant design consideration, mainly with regard to solar radiation and wind
In predominantly cold regions, buildings should be oriented to maximize solar gain; the reverse is
advisable for hot regions
For a cold climate, an orientation slightly east of south is favored (especially 15°east of south), as this
exposes the unit to more morning than afternoon sun and enables the house to begin to heat during the
day.
This has been amply demonstrated in the MLA hostel building at Shimla.

Overhangs and Shading

They are important devices which help in reducing overheating during the summer season. Therefore,
it is very important that the devices are properly sized.
Shading devices can have a huge impact on the building appearance as well as reducing the cooling
demand,
There is several type of shading devices, some general recommendations have been listed just below:
 To control direct solar radiation in the south façade use fixed overhangs
 Limit the number of east and west windows because they are very difficult to shade compared to
the south side. Maybe some consideration of the surrounded landscape, such as type of tree that
might be used to shade
 North facade can be out of shading as it receives very little direct solar radiation
 Interior shading devices, such as Venetian blinds or vertical louvers, might be used in order to
control glare,

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Insulation
A well insulated building helps in reducing heat loss during the winter and keeping the building cool
during the summer.
Insulated materials, so called because they are poor conductors of heat, form a barrier between interior
and exterior spaces, by means between warmed interior and cool exterior, and cool interior and hot
exterior according to the season.
There are many type of insulation material which might be used in a passive building, such as
cellulose, cotton, fiberglass, polyurethane, mineral wool, perlite and sheep's wool
Insulation materials are normally used in walls, floors and roof because they work by resisting heat
flow, which is measured by an R-value (the higher the R-value, the greater the insulation).

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Windows
Glazed surfaces play an important role in a passive building because they serve as solar collectors
bringing in light and heat while also providing natural ventilation
 Double glazing: has two layers of glass with a gap between them of around 16 mm (argon gas
filling).
 Triple-glazing: has tree layer of glass, with argon or krypton gas filled between glazings, and low-
conductance edge spaces. It has a very low heat loss rate (low U-factor). It will give greater sound
insulation and energy saving

Thermal mass
The concept of thermal mass regards a solid or liquid material which absorbs and store warmth and
releases it when is needed
A thermal mass could moderate the temperature of internal spaces, reducing the need for mechanical
cooling and winter heating requirements and the most cost effective method normally is to take
advantage of thermal mass in the building structure.
Thermal mass can be a brick, tile or thick concrete floors (called Solar Slab). It can also be a large
brick or stone internal fireplace or an interior wall made of adobe or brick. A masonry or concrete wall
(called a Trombe Wall) or water filled containers (called a Tube Wall) can also be used to absorb heat
and cool.

List of some thermal mass material that might be used in a passive building according to their thermal
capacity

 Water = 4186 KJ/m3K

 Concrete = 2060 KJ/m3K
 Compressed earth blocks = 1740 KJ/m3K
 Rammed earth = 1673 KJ/m3K
 Brick = 1360 KJ/m3K
 Earth wall (adobe) = 1300 KJ/m3K

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Unit 1 – Questionnaires

2 marks

1. What is energy?
2. What is energy efficient?
3. Explain the difference between passive and active design?
4. Explain the key measure to save the energy in buildings?
5. How insulation helps to save energy in buildings?

16 marks

1. What are passive design and its design strategies?

2. What will be the task of architects to make energy efficiency buildings?

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Unit 2
Passive heating

4.0 Passive Solar Design Basics

To reduce or even eliminate the need for mechanical cooling and heating and daytime artificial
lighting.

A complete passive solar design has five elements:

Aperture/Collector:
The large glass area through which sunlight enters the building. The aperture(s) should not be
shaded by other buildings or trees from 9a.m. to 3p.m. daily during the heating season
Absorber:
The hard, darkened surface of the storage element. The surface, which could be a masonry wall,
floor, or water container, sits in the direct path of sunlight. Sunlight hitting the surface is absorbed as
heat.
Thermal mass:
Materials that retain or store the heat produced by sunlight. While the absorber is an exposed
surface.
Distribution:
Method by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage points to different areas
of the house. A strictly passive design will use the three natural heat transfer modes-conduction,
convection and radiation-exclusively. In some applications, fans, ducts and blowers may be used to
distribute the heat through the house.
Control:
Roof overhangs can be used to shade the aperture area during summer months. Other elements
that control overheating include electronic sensing devices, such as a differential thermostat that signals
a fan to turn on; low-emissivity blinds; and awnings.

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D E S I G N TECHNIQUES

Passive solar heating techniques generally fall into

one of three categories:
a. Direct gain,
b. Indirect gain and
c. Isolated gain.

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5.0 Passive solar heating techniques

Three categories of passive solar heating techniques

Direct gain
Solar radiation that directly penetrates and is stored in the living space.

Indirect gain
Collects, stores, and distributes solar radiation using some thermal storage material (e.g.,
Trombé wall). Conduction, radiation, or convection then transfers the energy indoors.

Isolated gain systems (e.g., sunspace)

Collect solar radiation in an area that can be selectively closed off or opened to the rest of the
house.

DIRECT GAIN

 Sunlight is admitted to the space (by aperture) and virtually all of it is converted to thermal energy.
 The walls and floor are used for solar collection and thermal storage by intercepting radiation
directly, and/or by absorbing reflected or reradiated energy.
 At night, when outside temperatures drop and the interior space cools, the heat flow into the storage
masses is reversed and heat is given up to the interior space in order to reach equilibrium.
 This re-radiation of collected daytime heat can maintain a comfortable temperature during
cool/cold nights and can extend through several cloudy days without "recharging".

Direct gain design is simple in concept and depends greatly upon

 The site and topography;

 Building location and orientation;
 building shape (depth, length, and volume); and
 Space use.

Direct gain-masonry walls

Masonry walls collect and stores heat during the day. At night stored heat is radiated into the
living spaces.

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Direct gain –water wall

 Water contained within plastic or metal containment and placed in the direct path of the sun's rays
has the advantage of heating more quickly and more evenly than masonry walls during the
convection process.
 The convection process also prevents surface temperatures from becoming too extreme as they
sometimes do when dark colored masonry surfaces receive direct sunlight

Direct gain-diffusing glazing

 The masonry heating problem can be alleviated by using a glazing material that scatters sunlight so
that it is more evenly distributed over walls, ceiling, and floor storage masses
 This decreases the intensity of rays reaching any single surface but does not reduce the amount of
solar energy entering the space.

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INDIRECT GAIN

Sunlight enters through the glass and is immediately absorbed at the surface of the storage wall
where it is either stored or eventually conducted through the material mass to the inside space.

Trombe walls

This build up of heat can be utilized to warm a space by providing heat-distributing vents the top of the
wall (where the heated air, rising upward due to less density, can flow into the interior space).

 Vents at the bottom of the wall allow cool air to be drawn into the heating space thereby replacing
the out flowing hot air, and picking up heat itself.
 The top and bottom vents continue to circulate air as long as the air entering the bottom vent is
cooler than the air leaving the top vent. This is known as a natural convective loop.
 At night the vents can be closed to keep cold air out and the interior space is then heated by the
storage mass, which gives up its heat by radiation as the room cools.

Water trombe wall

Water walls used in this way need not be vented at top and bottom and can be constructed in many
ways -specially constructed plastic or sealed concrete containers.

Again, as the water is heated, the convection process quickly distributes the heat throughout the mass
and the interior space is warmed by heat radiated from the wall

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Green house effect

A south facing "greenhouse space" is constructed in front of a thermal storage wall exposed to the
direct rays of the sun. This wall would be at the rear of the greenhouse and the front of the primary
structure.

 The thermal wall absorbs heat at the same time the interior space of the greenhouse is being heated.

 If a vented masonry wall is used as storage, heat can also be released into the living space by
convection.

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 This combination also works with an unvented water wall. The greenhouse, then, is heated by
direct gain while the living space is heated by indirect gain.
 The advantage is that a tempered greenhouse condition can be maintained through days of no sun,
with heating from both sides of the thermal storage wall

Thermal roof pond-Radiative

 An indirect gain design which provides both heating and cooling is the thermal pond approach,

 One of the major advantages of this approach is that it allows all rooms to have their own radiant
energy source

In colder climates, where heating is more desirable, attic ponds under pitched roof glazing are
effective.
 Winter heating occurs when sunlight heats the water, which then radiates energy into the living
space as well as absorbs heat within the water thermal mass for night time distribution.
 For best effect, roof ponds must be insulated (movable) so that heat will not radiate and be lost to
the outside.
 Heating cycle -Roof pond collects and stores heat during the day. At night roof ponds are covered
and stored heat is radiated into the space below.

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OTHER STRATEGIES

A north facing exterior wall will receive little sunlight during the winter and this will be a major source
of heat loss since heat always moves toward cold.
The building should be shaped so that the roof slopes downward from the south to the north wall. This
reduces the height of the north face of the building and therefore the area through which heat is lost

INDOOR SPACE PLANNING

Habitable spaces that are most occupied and have the greatest heating and lighting requirement should
be arrayed along the south face of the building.
•Rooms that are least used (closets, storage areas, garages) should be placed along the north wall where
they can act as a buffer between high use living space and the cold north side

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ENTRY WAYS
To reduce both direct and infiltration losses, entryways should be recessed or protected against the
direct force of prevailing winds. Additional loss reduction can be accomplished by providing an
enclosed interior "air lock" space between an entrance door and the main building.

WINDOWS
The major expanse of windows in a passive solar energy structure will be south facing solar windows
For the most part, window areas on east, west and north facing walls should be kept as small and as
minimal as is consistent with interior requirements and should be recessed and all should be double-
glazed.

CLEARSTORIES
 Vertical south facing windows located at roof level.
 Their advantages are that they allow diffuse lighting into a room; they provide privacy; and they
can be placed almost anywhere on a roof.
 In a compartmentalized building layout, each room can have its own source of heat and light.
 They should be located at a distance from a thermal storage wall that allows direct sunlight to hit
the wall throughout the winter.

It can be used to provide sunshine onto interior walls which would normally not have a clear view of
winter sunlight.

Skylights provide an alternative for direct solar gain, shading devices must be included as an integral
part of the skylight to prevent overheating the space during mild periods.

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Unit 2 – Questionnaires

2 marks

1. What is passive heating?

2. What is U-value?
3. What is passive solar design?
4. Explain the SHGC and VLT?
5. What is use of clear stories in buildings?

16 marks

1. What are passive solar heating and its design strategies?

2. Explain thermal roof pond and other strategies of passive heating?

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Unit 3
Passive cooling
Sources of heat gain

There are three major sources of unwanted summer heat:

 Direct solar impacts on a building and through windows and skylights;
 Heat transfer and infiltration, of exterior high temperatures, through the materials and elements of
the structure; and
 The internal heat produced by appliances, equipment, and inhabitants.

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6.0 Passive cooling design

Internal conditions modified due to the behavior of building form and fabric, without or with a
little mechanical assistance

Strategies for passive cooling

Minimize heat gain, maximize heat removal to avoid overheating in spaces and reduce or
eliminate ventilation and A/C energy uses

Important Elements
Building envelope
Other structural elements
Ventilation strategy

Heat gain control

The first step towards passive cooling is reducing the heat gain through openings.

 A building's surroundings should be designed to minimize summer sunlight striking external

surfaces, and to prevent surrounding area heat re-radiation and reflection.
 Mitigation of undesirable summer direct sun and thermal impacts is achieved through use of
vegetation i.e. deciduous trees which interrupt the summer sun's direct path,
 And ground covers which prevent ground reflection as well as keep the earth's surface cooler
thereby preventing re-radiation.

Windows and glazing

 Glazing should be minimized on the roof and the east and west walls where summer sunlight is
most intense.
 The summer sun is much higher in the sky and has a negative impact on skylights and roof
windows and lead to enormous solar heat gains. They should not be used in hot climates unless
they are insulated and/or shaded
 Vertical south facing glass (windows, clerestories, etc.) with overhangs or shades, is important
 The use of deciduous trees that shade the south face and roof during the summer.

Shading device
Proper shading devices to keep out the heat coming in through the windows
Shading devices could be sized using this graphic method.

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Role of vegetation in reducing heat gain

 Vegetation is perhaps the most effective way of keeping the intense morning and afternoon sun off
the east and west walls and windows, but care must be taken to avoid blockage of nighttime
summer breezes that can be part of the diurnal cooling strategy
 If vegetation is impractical, a combination of tinted or reflecting glass and exterior shades or shade
screens that roll down over east and west windows are an effective strategy.
 Additionally, light-colored paints and materials on the roof and the walls are effective in reflecting
away most of the sunlight that makes it past your shading.

Convective cooling

 The next step in natural cooling is to take advantage of "convective" cooling methods -those which
use the prevailing winds and natural, gravity-induced convection to ventilate a house at the
appropriate times of the day.

Natural ventilation

 The oldest, straightforward convective method admits cool night air to drive out the warm air.
 If breezes are predominant, high vents or open windows on the leeward side (away from prevailing
breeze) will let the hottest air, located near the ceiling, escape.
 The cooler night air sweeping in through low open vents or windows on the windward side will
replace this hot air and bring relief.
 To get the best cooling rates, leeward openings should have substantially larger total area (50% to
100% larger) than those on the windward side of the house
 Locate cool air inlet vent on the building side which receives predominant cool summer breezes.

Thermal chimneys

 If there are only light breezes at the site, natural convection can still be used to ventilate and cool a
house, then
 The coolest air around a house is usually found on the north side, especially if this area is well
shaded by trees or shrubs and has water features.

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 Cool air intake vents are best located as low as possible on the north side.
 The greater the height difference between the low and high vents, the faster the flow of natural
convection and the more heat mitigation can occur.
 To aid in natural ventilation, during summer use high ceiling vaults, and thermal chimneys to
promote rapid air changes.

Stack induced ventilation

Enhancing ventilation

 There are two basic ways to enhance the convective cooling rate: 1) increase the volume of air
escaping per minute, or 2) bring in cooler air.
 If Delta T is the temperature difference between exiting indoor air and incoming outdoor air, the
overall cooling rate per hour is given by the simple equation:
Cooling rate = 1.08 x V x DT
 Where V is the volume of air escaping in cubic feet per minute.

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Turbine vents

 Turbine vents at the roof peak are one way to enhance airflow and improve the cooling rate.
 Even gentle breezes flowing up and over the roof peak create an upward suction that draws out
warm interior air

Thermal chimneys

Ventilation through courtyards

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Trombe wall and ventilation

 An even better approach is to use solar radiation to induce a more rapid flow.
 For e.g., uses a Trombe wall vented to the outside. Sunlight striking the concrete wall will heat the
air in the space between glass and wall to temperatures above 150°F.
 This very hot air rises quickly and escapes, drawing cool air into the house through low vents on
the north wall.

Earth air cooling

 Another convective cooling strategy is the drawing of outdoor air is drawn through tubes buried in
the ground and dumped into the house.
 Made of material that allows easy thermal transfer, these tubes are buried several feet deep to avoid
the warmer daytime surface temperatures.
 Warm outdoor air entering the tube gives up its heat to the cooler earth, and cools substantially
before entering the house

RADIATIVE COOLING METHODS –roof ponds

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 In the cooling cycle insulating panels remain closed by day to

reject unwanted solar heat.
 The cool ponds act as "thermal sponges", absorbing room heat
conducted through the interior ceiling (metal deck) supporting
them.
 At night panels are rolled back, exposing the ponds to the black
body of the night sky and to the cooler night air and breeze.
 The ponds lose heat by radiation to the night sky and by natural
convection to the air.
 Roof pond systems are particularly effective in regions of low
humidity and clear summer nights

EVAPORATIVE COOLING METHODS

 Evaporative methods can be used to enhance the cooling rates in convective cooling systems. One
way of doing this is to bring the outdoor air into the house through a moist filter or pad
 The familiar evaporative cooler, is a mechanical system which uses these principles with a motor to
force air movement and distribution.
 Swamp cooler -drier outside air is drawn through a moist pad. As moisture is picked up by the air
heat is absorbed by the water, the result is cooler air.

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Cooling towers

 Cool towers use gravity to move cool air without any fans, although fans may be used to reduce the
size of the towers.
 The most common cool towers do this by having a wet pad medium in the top of the tower. Since
cool air is heavier than warm air, it will fall, creating its own airflow.
 Wind is not required, but will improve the airflow in a cool tower.

 This is the most common cool tower in use.

 As wind blows through the wet pads, the water evaporates and cools the air.
 Cooler pads sit at the top of a tower with pump re-circulating water over them.
 As hot air passes through the pads it is cooled by the evaporation of the water.
 Cool moist air is heavier than hot dry air and drops down the tower and into your house. In order
for the cool air to flow in, hot air must be exhausted.

Unit 3 – Questionnaires

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2 marks

1. What is passive cooling?

2. What is Evaporative cooling?
3. What is the source of heat gain?
4. What is the role of vegetation in passive cooling?
5. Explain the cooling tower?

16 marks

1. What are passive cooling and its design strategies?

2. Explain earth tunnel and other techniques used in passive cooling?

UNIT IV DAY LIGHTING AND NATURAL

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VENTILATION

 Day lighting is the controlled admission of natural light into a space through windows to
reduce or eliminate electric lighting.
 Day lighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for building
occupants, while reducing as much as one third of total building energy costs.

Benefits of Day lighting

 Day lighting has the potential to significantly improve life-cycle cost, increase user productivity,
reduce emissions, and reduce operating costs:
 Improved Life-Cycle Cost: Increased User Productivity: Daylight enlivens spaces and has been
shown to increase user satisfaction and visual comfort leading to improved performance.
 Reduced Emissions: By reducing the need for electric consumption for lighting and cooling, the use
of daylight reduces greenhouse gases and slows fossil fuel depletion.
 Reduced Operating Costs: Electric lighting accounts for 35 to 50 percent of the total electrical
energy consumption in commercial buildings. By generating waste heat, lighting also adds to the
loads imposed on a building's mechanical cooling equipment.
 The energy savings from reduced electric lighting through the use of day lighting strategies can
directly reduce building cooling energy usage an additional 10 to 20 percent.
 Consequently, for many institutional and commercial buildings, total energy costs can be reduced
by as much as one third through the optimal integration of day lighting strategies.

The light entering a room is a result of

 direct (from the sun) or
 indirect (reflected and diffuse) radiation.
 In an average room the light will be strong near the windows, where the component of
direct light is high,
 and weaker further inside the room, where most of the light is a result of reflection from surfaces
within the room itself

Location of windows on the plan

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Efficient utilization and uniformity of light improve if the window is located close to a side wall
in the room, because of reflection from the wall. Columns between the windows reduce light
uniformity.
A higher placement of the window in the room (in section) will give a lower level of light at the level
of work surfaces but greater uniformity of light because of reflection from the window.

Combining artificial and natural lighting

A nearly uniform lighting level within the building space may be achieved by adding sources of
light far from the window. This can be done either by artificial lighting or by natural light from a
parallel wall or the ceiling.

Bringing the window closer to the ceiling causes higher average light intensity and more uniform
lighting in the room.

7.0 Daylight designs techniques:

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A number of design strategies should be understood and explored during the design process. These
strategies are briefly described below.
 Increase perimeter daylight zones—extend the perimeter footprint to maximize the usable
day lighting area.
 Allow daylight penetration high in a space. Windows located high in a wall and clerestories will
result in deeper light penetration and reduce the likelihood of excessive brightness.
 Slope ceilings to direct more light into a space.
 Avoid direct beam daylight on critical visual tasks. Poor visibility and discomfort will result if
excessive brightness differences occur in the vicinity of critical visual tasks.
 Filter daylight. The harshness of direct light can be filtered with vegetation, curtains, louvers,
or the like, and will help distribute light.
 Reflect daylight within a space to increase room brightness. A light shelf, if properly designed,
has the potential to increase room brightness and decrease window brightness.
 Understand that different building orientations will benefit from different day lighting strategies;
for example light shelves which are effective on south façades are often ineffective on the east or
west elevations of buildings.

Materials and Methods of Construction

Exterior Shading and Control Devices:

In hot climates, exterior shading devices often work well to both reduce heat gain and diffuse natural
light before entering the work space. Examples of such devices include light shelves, overhangs,
horizontal louvers, vertical louvers, and dynamic tracking or reflecting systems.

Glazing Materials: The simplest method to maximize daylight within a space is to increase the glazing
area. However, three glass characteristics need to be understood in order to optimize a fenestration
system:
U-value, Shading Coefficient, and Visible Transmittance.
 U-value represents the rate of heat transfer due to temperature difference through a particular
glazing material.
 Solar Heat Gain Factor (SHGF), is the amount of solar heat gain of a given glazing assembly
 Visible Transmittance (VT) is a measure of how much visible light is transmitted through a given
glazing material.

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 Reflectance of Room Surfaces: Reflectance values for room surfaces will significantly impact
daylight performance and should be kept as high as possible.
 It is desirable to keep ceiling reflectance’s over 80%, walls over 50%, and floors around
20%.
 Of the various room surfaces, floor reflectance has the least impact on day lighting penetration.

Integration with Electric Lighting Controls:

With advanced lighting controls, it is now possible to adjust the level of electric light when
sufficient daylight is available. Three types of controls are commercially available:
 Switching controls—on/off controls simply turn the electric lights off when there is ample day
light.
 Stepped controls—provide intermediate levels of electric lighting by controlling individual lamps
within a luminaire.
 Dimming controls—continuously adjust electric lighting by modulating the power input to lamps to
complement the illumination level provided by daylight.

Daylight designs

Windows

 Windows are the most common way to admit daylight into a space.
 Their vertical orientation means that they selectively admit sunlight and diffuse daylight at different
times of the day and year.
 Therefore windows on multiple orientations must usually be combined to produce the right mix of
light for the building, depending on the climate and latitude

Light shelves

Special light shelves in the windows ensure energy efficiency and comfort by deflecting natural
light into the rooms and reflecting it off the ceiling to light the room and reduce the heat of direct
sunlight.

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Sky light

 Skylights are often used for day lighting.

 Skylights admit more light per unit area than windows, and distribute it more evenly over a space.
 The optimum number of skylights (usually quantified as "effective aperture") varies according to
climate, latitude, and the characteristics of the sky light, but is usually 1-10% of floor area.

Light tubes

 Light tubes or light pipes are used for transporting or distributing natural or artificial light. In their
application to day lighting, they are also called solar pipes, daylight pipes, or solar light pipes.
 Generally speaking, a light pipe or light tube may refer to:
 a tube or pipe for transport of light to another location, minimizing the loss of light;
 a transparent tube or pipe for distribution of light over its length, either for equi-distribution
along the entire length

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 A round tube lined with highly reflective material leads the light rays through a building
 Light transmission efficiency is greatest if the tube is short and straight. In longer, angled, or
flexible tubes, part of the light intensity is lost

HAZARDS OF DAYLIGHT
For all of its power and charm, it is important to remember that there are distinct hazards of daylight
applied improperly. Keep at the forefront of your mind the perils that can befall a space with poorly-
controlled daylight contributions.
Heat Gains
Unmitigated direct sunlight generally contributes a fair amount of heat, in addition to excessive light.
There are low-emissivity glasses and coatings that can transmit visible light without the heat
contribution, but these are not commonplace. If you want direct sunlight, you get heat, or you make use
of these expensive glazing technologies.
Glare and Contrast
Sunlight is an obvious culprit, creating light hundreds of times brighter than our brightest electric
sources. As a task light, direct daylight is simply too bright. As an accent light, sunlight can still cause
glare and contrast to which the human visual system simply cannot adapt. Skylight and diffused
sunlight can also present problems when not carefully considered with the material reflectances,
colors, and visual criteria of a space.
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Excessive Window Light

Daylight windows are not necessarily view windows. Windows placed for clear views of the exterior
environment should always be considered for the daylight that they will receive. Far too often, glazing
is designed for views with no consideration for the intrusion of daylight that will result. Daylight
systems should be designed independent of view windows and vice versa. Simple wall glazing can
certainly serve both purposes, but careful study and consideration are necessary.

DAYLIGHT AS A CONTROLLABLE ELEMENT

The bottom line is that sunlight and skylight are controllable, predictable sources of light that can be
used to satisfy the needs of all of our five layers when implemented properly. There are daylight
ingredients to serve the needs of way finding, mood, accenting, spatial revelation and tasks.
The key is to take control of daylight and design systems that use it. Even simple wall windows
deserve the consideration of diffusing curtains, blinds and shading devices. Daylight should never be
an accident, nor should it be neglected. Like many other aspects of light, fear keeps designers from
confidently implementing daylight. Daylight is such an elemental material that there are numerous
simple ways to successfully put it to use.
Unlike electric light devices, there are few product catalogs that illustrate daylight systems. Good
daylight use is often the product of unique situations and a fair amount of experimenting. If you come
across an application that you like, take note, sketch it, and start a collection of daylight systems that
you can draw from the next time you need to lean on the sublime character of sunlight and skylight.

Unit 4 – Questionnaires

2 marks

1. What are Daylight and its benefit?

2. What are the hazardous of daylight?
3. How daylight integrate with artificial light?
4. What is the role of light shelf in daylight?
5. Explain the light tube?

16 marks

1. What are daylight design techniques?

2. Explain natural ventilation and its different methods adopted in buildings?

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UNIT V CONTEMPORARY AND FUTURE

TRENDS

The solar cell or photovoltaic (PV) cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical
energy.

Overview of Materials and Technologies Used in Current PV Products

The basic raw material that still rules the PV market is silicon. It is a very hard, grey material
that glitters like metal. The use of silicon came into focus due to its semiconductor properties, in other
words its ability to conduct electricity.
Currently there are two main technological processes used to create solar cells from silicon.
Wafer-based technologies, often called first generation photovoltaic’s, cut crystalline silicon
ingots to get solar cells. This results in cells with specific thicknesses, sizes and shapes.
The second generation, thin film technology uses amorphous silicon to create a homogeneous
thin layer. Consequently there is no limitation on the size of the cells. One of the greatest advantages is
that this process uses much smaller amounts of silicon
The third generation cells that are used currently in building integration are dye-sensitized solar
cells using biomimics through artificial photosynthesis. In this case the semiconductor material is
TiO2. It is a very promising technology that significantly reduces the initial costs of solar cells.

Mono crystalline& Multi crystalline-WAFER-BASED pattern arrangement of the cells

Thin film opaque &Thin film translucent -THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY –flexibility different
Substrates of the building skin
Dye Solar Cell –NANOTECH –pattern stripes –grid size of tiles

8.0 Photovoltaic Module or Array

 A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and
mounted in a support structure or frame is called a photovoltaic
module.
 Modules are designed to supply electricity at a certain voltage, such
as a common 12 volts system.
 The current produced is directly dependent on how much light strikes
the module.

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Product development trends

PV products used on the building skin and Most products on the market are not specifically
developed for building integration.
Structural integration came into focus with products developed specifically for building
integration. These can reduce the overall initial cost of using photovoltaic's in buildings
 Roof
 Facade cladding
 Glazing

Solar water heater -How do they work?

 A typical domestic solar water heater consists of a hot water storage tank and one or more flat
plate collectors.
 The collectors are glazed on the sun facing side to allow solar radiation to come in.
 A black absorbing surface (absorber) inside the flat plate collectors absorbs solar radiation and
transfers the energy to water flowing through it.
 Heated water is collected in the tank which is insulated to prevent heat loss.
 Circulation of water from the tank through the collectors and back to the tank continues
automatically due to density difference between hot and cold water

Flat plate collectors

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Solar water heaters based on Flat plate Collectors (FPC based SWH)

 Here the solar radiation is absorbed by flat plate collectors which consist of an insulated outer
metallic box covered on the top with glass sheet.
 Inside there are blackened metallic absorber (selectively coated) sheets with built in channels or
riser tubes to carry water.
 The absorber absorbs the solar radiation and transfers the heat to the flowing water

Hot water storage tank

 The hot water storage tank in domestic solar water heating systems is typically a double walled
tank.
 The space between the inner and the outer tanks is filled with insulation to prevent heat losses.
 The inner tank is generally made of copper or stainless steel to ensure long life.
 The outer tank could be made of stainless steel sheet, painted steel sheet or aluminum.
 Electrical heating elements controlled by thermostat scan be provided as an option in the tank
itself to take care of those days when sun is not there or demand of water has gone up.
 The capacity of the tank should be in proportion to the collector area used in the system.
 A commonly used thumb rule is to provide 50 liters of storage for every sq. m of collector area.
Too large or too small tanks are both detrimental to efficiency.

9.0 NANOTECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Nano materials offer many improved performance properties for

 Adhesives,
 Concrete,
 Coatings,
 Flooring,
 Glass ,
 Lighting equipment,
 Plumbing fixtures and
 Other construction products.

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Various Nano materials in Building Materials:

The main Nano materials which could be used in Construction materials are:
 Nano Silica (SiO2)

Nano Silica mixed in Concrete can improve:

 Mechanical Properties
 Can Control the degradation of the fundamental
 C-S-H(Calcium-Silicate -Hydrate)reaction of concrete.
 Can block water penetration and therefore lead to improvements in durability.
 They also increase strength.

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Titanium Dioxide (TiO2):

Titanium Dioxide Nano powder added to concrete can give:

 Used for its ability to break down dirt or pollution and then allow it to be washed off by rain water
on everything from concrete to glass.
 TiO2 is a white pigment and can be used as an excellent reflective coating.
 It gives self cleaning properties to surfaces to which it is applied

Carbon Nanotubes (CNT):

Carbon Nanotube addition to concrete can give the benefits like:

 CNT is used to strengthen and monitor concrete.
 The addition of small amounts (1%wt) of CNT’s can improve the mechanical properties of
samples.
 Oxidized multi walled nano tubes (MWNT’s) show the best improvements both in compressive
strength (+25N/mm2) and flexural strength (+8N/mm2)

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Various Nano coatings can provide:

 Fire Protection.
 Heat Insulation.
 Corrosion Protection.

Fire Protective & Heat Insulating Coatings

“Thermo-S” is a real alternative to all Heat-insulating Technologies

The coating can be applied on metals, plastics, concrete, brick, wood and any other brick building
material in any dry weather.
 Provides excellent protection against frost penetration.
 Protects the surface against condensate appearing.
 Features excellent repair capability.
 Does not sustain the burning and stops spreading the flame.
 Reduces financial and energy expenditures.
 Greatly enlarge the operation life of pipelines.

Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2007 & 2017

The purpose of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is to provide minimum requirements for
energy-efficient design and construction of buildings and their systems.

The Code also addresses site orientation and specifies better design practices and technologies that can
reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort and productivity of the occupants
.
The Code is applicable to buildings or building complexes that have a connected load of 100 kW or
greater
Generally, buildings or complexes having conditioned area of 1,000 m2or more will fall under this
category

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Introduces passive design features such as daylight requirements and shading provisions;

Introduces provisions of installing Renewable Energy Systems;

Sets minimum energy efficiency standards for design and construction;

Encourages energy efficient design or retrofit of buildings;

Pathway toward Near Zero Energy Buildings

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Unit 5 – Questionnaires

2 marks

1. What are Contemporary trends?

2. What is the benefit of daylight?
3. How daylight integrate with artificial light?
4. What is the role of light shelf in daylight?
5. Explain the light tube?

16 marks

1. What is the role of ECBC in Buildings?

2. Explain the solar cells, its type and integration in buildings?

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