This paper introduces research being carried out to support effective energy efficient design in Egypt. It is based on deriving results of multiple parametric simulationsof energy performance of office buildings in Cairo and Alexandria. This is used to examine how to optimisepotential by reference to peak summer and winter loads. The outputs will later be used to inform the developmentof a decision support tool based on graphical interpretation.

In Asian countries under sultry climatic conditions includingJapan, natural ventilation and cross-ventilation at nighttime give very good effects on the improvement of physical conditions of the residents and on the coolingof the buildings in intermediate and summer seasons.However, a densely populated urban area such as Tokyo, sufficient ventilation flow rate may not be necessarily maintained because the distances between neighboring houses are shorter and also because of the problem to keep privacy of the residents between the windows, which are positioned face-to-face on wall surfaces.

Presently the assessment of the thermal behaviour and the energy efficiency of naturally ventilated double skin facades (DSF) is only possible by using complex simulationtools, which allow inter-connections between fluid dynamics, energy balances and optical transport mechanisms. The performance assessment of mechanicallyventilated DSF is slightly easier but still requires simulation tools.

In preparation of the implementation of the Energy Performanceof Buildings Directive (EPBD) the responsibleGerman Ministry has undertaken several actions includingthe developmentof a new energy performance calculationprocedure for non-residential buildings (DIN V 18599) and two field tests for the certificationof residential and non-residential buildings.This paper presents the main results of the evaluation of the field tests concerning the form and acceptance of the certificate,the necessary expertise of the issuers, the durationof the work, possible simplifications, etc.The second half o

This document aims to present the progress and the outcome of the research on double skin façades that is being carried out within the European ‘BESTFACADE’ project. Double skin facades have become an important architectural element in office buildings over the last 15 years. The demand for natural and hybrid ventilation in commercial buildings is increasing due to growing environmental consciousness while at the same time energy consumption for buildings has to be reduced.

In order to limit ventilation losses in low-energy buildings,balance ventilation systems with high-efficiency heat recovery units are often used. However, the effectivenessof the heat recovery system may be severely affectedby envelope leakage as the system can be short-circuited by uncontrolled airflows. Therefore, limiting envelope leakage becomes a critical issue in such low-energy buildings.However, in a typical French house, air leakage through and around windows represents 15 to 70% of the total leakage airflow through the building envelope.

The architectural product is influenced by a series of more general economical aspects such as people’s living standard, which includes not only a relative stability of the prices but also that of the family income.Therefore, the architectural product muc

Energy saving and emissions reduction are both affectedby the energy efficiency of the built environment and the matching between the quality of the energy carrierand the quality of the required energy. To take into account qualitative aspects of energy leads to the introductionof the exergy concept. Heating and cooling of buildings require low valued energy, especially if low temperature heating systems and high temperature coolingsystems are used.

This paper shows the analysis of ventilation impact in the energy behaviour in rural areas. Considering that a large percentage of housing production is self-built in this part of Mexico, the impact of this construction activityis very important. This concerns the thermal comfort of the occupants of this type of constructions, which has also effects in the microclimate of the region.Due to the specifically local economy and the social structures, the self-built contributes in 60 % of the wholeof production of housings.

The purpose of this work is to study numerically the indoorenvironmental conditions in an office. The indoor air quality status has already been studied experimentallyunder different indoor and outdoor conditions and it was found that indoor originated pollutants concentrations(CO2, PM10 and total VOCs) were elevated when smoking was taking place and the windows were kept closed.