A Simplified Model Validation for the Energy Assessment of Opaque Adaptive Façades with Variable Thermal Resistance

Ismael Palacios Mackay, Laura Marín-Restrepo and Alexis Pérez-Fargallo ()
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Ismael Palacios Mackay: Department of Building Science, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Concepción PC 4051381, Chile
Laura Marín-Restrepo: Department of Building Science, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Concepción PC 4051381, Chile
Alexis Pérez-Fargallo: Escuela de Arquitectura, Facultad de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepcion PC 4081339, Chile

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-35

Abstract: Adaptive façades, also known as climate-adaptive building shells (CABSs), could make a significant contribution towards reducing the energy consumption of buildings and their environmental impacts. There is extensive research on glazed adaptive façades, mainly due to the available technology for glass materials. The technological development of opaque adaptive façades has focused on variable-thermal-resistance envelopes, and the simulation of this type of façade is a challenging task that has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this study was to configure and validate a simplified office model that could be used for simulating an adaptive façade with variable thermal resistance via adaptive insulation thickness in its opaque part. Software-to-software model comparison based on the results of an EnergyPlus Building Energy Simulation Test 900 (BesTest 900)-validated model was used. Cooling and heating annual energy demand (kWh), peak cooling and heating (kW), and maximum, minimum, and average annual hourly zone temperature variables were compared for both the Adaptive and non-adaptive validated model. An Adaptive EnergyPlus model based on the BesTest 900 model, which uses the EnergyPlus SurfaceControl:MovableInsulation class list, was successfully validated and could be used for studying office buildings with a variable-thermal-resistance adaptive façade wall configuration, equivalent to a heavyweight mass wall construction with an External Insulation Finishing System (EIFS). An example of the Adaptive model in the Denver location is included in this paper. Annual savings of up to 26% in total energy demand (heating + cooling) was achieved and could reach up to 54% when electro-chromic (EC) glass commanded by a rule-based algorithm was added to the glazed part of the variable-thermal-resistance adaptive façade.

Keywords: adaptive opaque façade; building performance simulation (BPS); climate-adaptive building shell (CABS); EnergyPlus model validation; nearly-zero-energy building (nZEB); variable thermal resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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