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Energy efficiency is one of the main requirements that buildings must satisfy nowadays, both when designing new buildings or when major renovation takes place. The main issues that need to be considered in designing energy efficient buildings are: reduction of energy consumption generated from fossil fuels and reduction of environment pollution. Building envelope is the most responsible architectural element of the building that impacts thermal comfort and energy balance. Besides thermal properties of the envelope, equipment for heating, cooling and lighting influence largely on energy consumption in buildings. From the design point of view, the analysis of various facade scenarios, in terms of their contribution to reducing energy consumption, is crucial and necessary for each specific case and climate. This paper presents the estimation of energy performances of different scenarios of the hypothetical models of façade design, in case of an office building in Belgrade climate conditions. For the analysis, the model of the typical office was created and three various facade concepts were applied. Methodological approach entails three steps: design of different facade concepts - models, numerical energy simulations of the models and comparison of the results. For each of the three shading concepts, the following scenarios have been created: the basic scenario without shadings, and three scenarios of different facade design solutions related to types of shading devices. Assessment of the scenarios includes consideration of energy demands for heating and cooling, reduction of energy consumption for cooling by implementation of different shading devices and comparison of the results. The results of the simulations show how much the various alternatives of shadings contribute to the reduction of total energy demands, and how much the application of shadings affects the reduction of environmental pollution. The design method, as well as the results, can generally be applicable for the design of new and renovation of existing office buildings, both in Belgrade and in places with similar climatic conditions. • Buildings with glazed envelope on the southern facades have large window heat gains. • Shadings contribute to the reduction of energy demand in glazed envelope buildings. • Horizontal shadings are the most efficient when placed in the upper zone of window. • Vertical louvres on south facade are the most efficient when oriented west or south. • Combination of horizontal and vertical shadings shows the best energy reduction results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses annual energy performance of atrium type hotel building in Belgrade. The objective is to examine the impact of the atrium on the hotel building’s energy demands for space heating and cooling. Integrated approach through numerical simulations that include Belgrade climate data and thermal comfort parameters, indicates an optimal model of hotel building with atrium for this area. Building energy simulation is carried out using EnergyPlus simulation engine, as a basic tool in the process of building energy optimization. The methodological approach includes the creation of a hypothetical model of an atrium type hotel building, numerical simulation of energy performances of several design alternatives of the hotel building with atrium, and comparative analysis of the obtained results. The main task of analysis is to change certain parameters in the particular model (for example, building structure, orientation, etc.) and to observe how the changes influence energy performance of the building. The goal of this research is to show that the atrium contributes to the heating and cooling energy savings in the rest of the building, but also that the atrium itself demands a lot of energy for its air-conditioning. The most sustainable solution should be to cover energy demands for atrium by using the renewable energy sources. In this case, the atrium can contribute to the energy efficiency of the hotel building in Belgrade climatic conditions, thus reducing its negative impact on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present a case of an office building and show how different concepts of envelope construction affect the energy efficiency of building. Assessment of energy performances of different scenarios of the hypothetical models of the office building in the central zone of Belgrade is the aim of this research. A few scenarios are created for each hypothetical model: basic scenario and scenarios of two shading devices types in order contribution to reduction of cooling demands to be estimated. The office building scenarios are modelled and analysed by using PHPP ’ 2007 software to estimate heat and cooling energy demands. Also, CO 2 emissions are discussed. Comparative analysis of the results highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the treated models and scenarios of office building envelope construction. Findings indicate the preferable solutions and highlight methodological approach in the office building envelope design, which has not yet been adopted extensively in practice in our country. Methodological approach and findings can generally be applicable for new office building design, both in Belgrade and in the similar climatic conditions. The paper demonstrates various feasible solutions of office building envelope construction that might help comply with the regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]