EVALUATION OF RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VARIOUS PASSIVE AND ACTIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES OF A BUILDING TOWARDS ACHIEVING ENHANCED PERFORMANCE UNDER THE SINGAPORE GREEN MARK SCHEME

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of façade material and the active system of building on the thermal performance of a commercial air-conditioned building. From the observation made from the impact, a combination of the passive and active design strategies will be adopted in performing better thermally and attaining a better green mark certification. VisualDOE 4.0 simulation software is used in the investigation to calculate the Envelope Thermal Transfer Value, Roof Thermal Transfer Value, Energy Efficiency Index and the yearly air-conditioning energy used. Based on the hypothesis, the window area has the most influence in the façade system on the cooling load consumption as it determines the amount of fenestration into the indoor environment. Other than that, under active system strategies, the type of vent fans plays a critical role in the energy consumed for the HVAC system. Combinations of the active and passive design strategies have been tested. The best energy efficiency scoring points’ combination does not come with the best efficiency for all systems. A right combination with the suitable sizing and efficiency level used for the systems would provide the building with the sufficient energy efficient level without compromising the aesthetics and cost efficiency.