Improved Thermal Comfort Through Effective Fenestrationin

Curtain wall comprises the maximum exposed surface in curtain wall buildings and is a large contributor of heat ingress. More importantly, it is the only element that can help reduce the thermal load in a building as all other factors contributing to it, such as, occupant heat load and heat from electrical devices such as computers and laptops are usually not in a designers’ purview.

In practical applications, if you would like curtain glass window in your building, fenestrations on the south of the buildings are beneficial to have a cooling and heating effect during summers and winters respectively. The west and east-facing walls usually receive maximum warmth. The north-facing windows encounter minimum heat transfer, thus more windows are provided on the north and south-facing walls. In addition, The U-factor along with direct solar radiation governs heat gain through fenestrations. Toned Glass includes a tint to the glass to scale back the amount of heat transfer. Reflective coatings are applied to windows as they tend to stop the intake of heat gain while providing privacy inside a house. In some glass curtain wall systems, low emittance glass is usually used during summers as it can absorb and emit out the heat.

Generally speaking, a well-designed envelope is not only important for our comfort, but it is also equally responsible for the heating and cooling loads we spend and the overall energy consumption. Furthermore, by choosing the right glass configuration, the right system as well as profile, we can achieve very effective thermal comfort. The U-value varies from system to system and varies for different glass configurations. In some cases, shading solutions such as louvers, fins, light shelves, etc. can be incorporated to your curtain wall facade system to reduce the envelope load and direct sun, so as to achieve thermal comfort in your curtain wall building. Alternatively, based on the orientation and wind movement, one could look at rain protected operable windows, double screen fa?ades that naturally ventilate buildings and keep them cool. Furthermore, thermal comfort through effective fenestration can be achieved when the whole space is analysed with proper building energy simulation software. With proper analysis, each component of the fenestration design is derived. Elements like sizes and depth of shading devices, door/ window orientation, wall-window ratio, glass specifications, double/ triple glazing systems, etc. can be properly studied in accordance with the desired results to be achieved in the respective climatic zone whereby reducing the load on active energy systems.