Optimizing energy performance of office buildings using high-performance glazing: Solar Control and Low-E glass

Abstract

The selection of glazing materials has a direct impact on the energy efficiency of buildings, especially in hot and humid tropical climates such as that of Vietnam. This paper presents the results of an energy simulation for an industrial office building using two types of high-performance glazing: Solar Control Dark Grey T25 and Low-E Neutral T40. The study focuses on the influence of the building envelope on energy-saving potential, represented by Energy Use Intensity (EUI). DesignBuilder software was employed to simulate six scenarios with varying parameters, including building orientation, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and air conditioning setpoint temperature. The findings reveal that employing Solar Control glass in a north-oriented building, with a 45 % window-to-wall ratio and an air conditioning setpoint temperature of 26,5 °C, results in the most efficient energy performance, achieving more than 5,2 % savings compared to the original model. Scenarios using Low-E glass also demonstrated high performance and achieved the maximum score under the LOTUS green building rating system. This study highlights the significant potential of high-performance glazing in reducing operational energy consumption and enhancing building sustainability.