facade

To evaluate the impact of the natural ventilation of the air cavity in the prototype of the glazing system being studied in the frame of the project SOLVENT, funded in part by the Commission of the European Union, a prototype of a reversible naturally ventilated glazing system. The system consists of a double (clear and tinted) glazing. In the summer position the tinted glazing is in the outer position and the cavity is open to the outside air at both top and bottom extremes.

In conventional construction, the ventilation air enters a building through a combination of ‘desired’ pathways, via opened apertures, such as a window, vents, and ‘undesired’ pathways, via cracks such as around external openings, joints between building

Double skin façades may help combine a high degree of transparency with high thermal and solar performance. Advanced façades serve as filters and may be responsive to changes in environmental conditions and occupant requirements. Since the strategies for

This paper reports some findings from IEA ECBCS Annex 35 about wind driven flow through building openings. Wind tunnel studies have been performed on simplified buildings, in order to know if pressure distributions on sealed buildings can be used to predict airflow through facade openings. A new parameter, the catchment area, is introduced by author.

Aims to supply a simple and useful tool for the analysis of energy performance of different ventilated facades typology. A steady state energy balance was applied to a control volume solving basic equations with finite element code with an iterative procedure, in order to simulate the studied sample. The different surfac3e and air mass temperatures are calculate for each step of the channel height, and the mass flow rate evaluated as overall natural draught.

Within the EC-JOULE project "AIRLIT-PV", a new facade unit, integrating ventilation, daylighting, solar protection, intelligent local control and photovoltaic power, has been developed and is under evaluation by means of performance testing at four different test sites in Europe, both in test cells and in occupied buildings. This paper will summarise an extensive market survey, describe the shape and function of the unit and report on the first findings from the performance testing of the units. The ventilation performance will be emphasised.

The paper, which is based around a proposed design for a building in Germany, discusses how the facade can be used to provide the driving force for building ventilation, design constraints and the application of a zonal airflow model driven by convective heat gains, to the analysis of the performance of building.

Measures air permeability of 21 facades of occupied dwellings. Investigates what proportion of air permeability is due to various gaps (moveable sections) and joints (between fixed sections) in 12 of the facades. Results show that the contribution of joints to air permeability is greater than mentioned in the Dutch Standard NEN 3661. This standard stipulates conditions with regard to the manufacture of facade elements. It is apparent that the gaps of 5 out of the 12 measured facades do not meet the minimum requirements of the standard.