Assessing the Effect of Prefabricated Double-Skin Façade on the Thermal Comfort of Office Building to Achieve Sustainbility

Abstract

The increased interest in energy efficient construction because of environmental issues and rising energy costs has resulted in the adoption of initiatives aimed at rising energy efficiency in the building industry as an energy intensive industry with significant potential to decrease energy needs and ozone pollution. Prefabricated double-skin façade (DSF) has been proposed as a sustainable building technology that can be used to boost energy efficiency and the indoor thermal comfort of buildings in hot climates. The study aims to test double-skin façade as a means to enhance indoor thermal comfort of offfce buildings in Abuja Nigeria. Three types of DSFs will be thermally tested using an environmental analysis software which is used to simulate building performance by designers known as Autodesk Ecotect analysis 2011. The analysis will be carried out on two office buildings in Abuja. In each DSF type single and double glazing of the outer skin will be tested to find out which is more suitable. The result showed that DSF has potentials of improving indoor thermal comfort of office buildings and reduction of energy usage.