Optimal characteristics and dimensions of glazing components in building skins

The overall shape and the details of construction projects typically are determined by planning zones, laws, and norms, as well as by economics and by energy requirements and the incidence of light. However, this approach often leads to sub-optimal solutions in respect of thermal efficiency when operating buildings, as the passive solar energy available may not be used optimally inside the building. To achieve a better use of this important source of renewable energy, planers need to be able to assess the influence of their decisions on capturing passive solar energy through the building skin early in the planning process with a simple, yet accurate, software tool. The impact of glazing on the energy balance of a building depends on factors like the geographic location, surrounding topography and buildings, orientation and the shape and size of the building, building insulation, thermal capacity of the building, transmission losses, light transmission, summer heat protection, heating and cooling energy requirements, energy needs for lighting, and the sources of energy used. Since the glazing of a building’s skin also determines the aesthetics and the uses of said buildings, the software tool needs to allow for an easy, quick assessment of different solutions at the earliest stage of a project.