Parametric Analysis of a Double Skin Facade combined with Mechanical Ventilation

In the search towards energy efficient, comfortable and visual attractive facades, dynamically insulated multiple skin façade systems are currently under investigation. Among them, today, the most popular with architects and investors are the glassed double façade system, so called "double skin façade" (DSF). These façades might also offer interesting synergies as far as concern an integrated design of the building envelope and systems. In this work, the energy performance of a common typology of mechanically ventilated DSF, combined with HVAC system, have been analysed by means of the dynamic simulation of the whole building. The simulations have been performed with TRNSYS and, for the DSF, a specific non standard component (type), developed by the Department of Energetic of the Politecnico di Milano, have been employed. Annual energy demand for heating, cooling and lighting, as far as thermal comfort indexes, have been evaluated for an office module varying orientation, internal capacity, ventilation and shading control strategies. The parametric study also consider two optimized single skin transparent facades in order to provide a comparative analysis among the façade systems under different operational conditions.