Energy-efficient educational building design based on green building concept and its stability analysis

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and globalization significantly influence society, necessitating the use of non-renewable natural resources to create electricity. The electricity demand has risen substantially in recent years, owing to the sophisticated lifestyles of today’s rapidly expanding population. This demand can be gradually reduced by harnessing natural resources such as sunlight and wind. In this study, a G+7 educational building is designed using green building construction methods, and its stability is tested under various load combinations. Appropriate shading and ventilation designs are incorporated to minimize the energy consumed; as a result, the designed energy-efficient model is compared to a similar conventional building using an energy simulation tool to determine the quantum of electricity conserved. The investigation found that modifications in shading and ventilation have a more significant proportional influence on controlling artificial energy usage in buildings.

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AIP Conference Proceedings 2515, 040001 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0102967 2515, 040001
© 2022 Author(s).
Energy-efficient educational building design
based on green building concept and its
stability analysis
Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 2515, 040001 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0102967
Published Online: 30 September 2022
K. S. Anandh, Mahamoud Irshad, Aravind Murali, et al.
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Energy-efficient educational building design based on
green building concept and its stability analysis
K. S. Anandh1a, Mahamoud Irshad2, Aravind Murali3, M. G. Soundarya Priya4
1,4Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and
Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur – 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India
2Zeus Trading and Contracting, Doha - 122104, Qatar
3Civil Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6
aCorresponding author: anandhk@srmist.edu.in
Abstract. Rapid urbanization and globalization significantly influence society, necessitating the use of non -
renewable natural resources to create electricity. The electricity demand has risen substantially in recent years,
owing to the sophisticated lifestyles of today's rapidly expanding population. This demand can be gradually reduced
by harnessing natural resources such as sunlight and wind. In this study, a G+7 educational building is designed
using green building construction methods, and its stability is tested under various load combinations. Appropriate
shading and ventilation designs are incorporated to minimize the energy consumed; as a result, the designed energy-
efficient model is compared to a similar conventional building using an energy simulation tool to determine the
quantum of electricity conserved. The investigation found that modifications in shading and ventilation have a more
significant proportional influence on controlling artificial energy usage in buildings.
Keywords: Energy efficiency, Passive solar design, energy simulation, Green building, Sustainability
INTRODUCTION
Electricity is quite an essential requirement in today's world, day by day, the usage for the same is drastically
increasing with the growth of population and urbanization [1]. In places like India, there have been times where
it failed to produce sufficient energy than the required amount, which causes frequent power cuts in rural areas.
Most countries like Canada and America have reduced power consumption of large-scale buildings and have
standardized regulations by increasing tax. Instead, we could incorporate few changes to the structure, which
provides a better efficient building. The concept of green building plays a vital role in spare the planet and
support life. It is an essential rule to be adopted in every developing country, which brings sustainability.
Various studies have shown a gradual improvement in the quality of work-life in these environmental conditions
[2,3]. Professionals working in construction industries can incorporate lean concepts, along with this will entails
assigning probabilities and outcomes to individual risks and determining risk exposure [4-7].
One-third of India's energy consumption comes from the utilization of domestic and commercial spaces. The
energy demand is predicted to rise to nearly 37% by the year 2047. Also, energy consumption has a direct
relationship to energy generation, air pollution and climate change. It is vital to study methods to decrease the
utilization of energy in residential and commercial spaces. This study tries to reduce the power consumption of
educational buildings by incorporating the passive solar design. It's already a proven method; many studies have
been carried out on the efficient design of windows and shades, which ultimately block the direct penetration of
the radiation from the sun [8]. By this, the energy consumed for cooling the area and air circulation can be
reduced. Apart from the design of certain elements, In the project, we have also induced various other changes
that have a more significant impact on the cooling of the structure by regulating natural wind flow and selecting
appropriate materials that will provide us with a comfortable temperature. The thermal-based building proves to
be economical in power consumption and its value due to its benefits has increased on par with rapid
urbanization [9]. Reducing power consumption is beneficial for the nation and its organization as it reduces the
cost annually [10].
Civil Engineering Concepts towards Sustainability
AIP Conf. Proc. 2515, 040001-1–040001-7; https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0102967
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-4201-6/$30.00
040001-1

MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
The project's methodology primarily involved analyzing the factor that affected the design of green or
energy-efficient buildings compared to conventional ones. The methodology followers are chronologically
discussed below in the following sections.
Design and Layout
A G+7 educational building was drafted for comparative analysis based on proper architectural guidelines
using the AutoCAD software. The drawings incorporated two different aspects of design guidelines placed
under comparison, namely, conventional and green building thermal efficient design. The designs were carried
out based on the legal nuances and criteria as given in Indian standard codes such as IS 456 - 2000 (Plain and
reinforced concrete code of practice) [11] and IS 875 - 1987 (Part 3) (Wind load on buildings) [12]. The wind
load factor was taken into account due to the height of the structure under consideration.
Incorporation of Green Building Concept into the Design
In this study, the green or sustainable building was designed to reduce the sunlight entering, ultimately
reducing the inside temperature throughout. To process the same, the sun path chart was studied to understand
the angle of sunlight that passes at the particular location that has been selected for the study. For the found
angle, Proper windows for the structure were de-signed according to IS4021 (1995) (Timber Door, Window and
Ventilator Frames) [13].
Though the window could block most of the sunlight, The placement of the window in structure would
change based on the direction of the wind; hence, the geographical wind direction for the particular location was
studied and the prevailing direction in the selected region was from North to South direction or North-East to
South-West direction. Keeping this in mind, we oriented the building and windows in such a way to allow
maximum cross ventilation and also block most of the sunlight. Various materials and things were replaced to
provide better efficiency, such as Window glass type, Blinds, Roof insulation, exterior coating, paint, sunshade
and ventilation running mode [14].
Comparison and Analysis
Once the design of the building was completed using standard design procedures, a total energy analysis was
carried out for both the cases under consideration. Differentiating parameters were selected to compare the two
designs, i.e., the conventional and energy-efficient designs. The materials used in the two design has been
elaborated in the following section. The materials used for the energy-efficient model ensure a very low thermal
heat gain in the building and most of the heat is reflected off the building. The energy simulation followed this
and the results of the two designs were compared.
A selection of parameters was used to compare the results; parameters such as space cooling, ventilation
fans, area lighting and miscellaneous equipment electricity consumption were used. The changes between the
two buildings simulated and the impact on electricity consumption were studied detailly. Once all the design
loads are formulated, a structural analysis of the building was carried out on STAAD. Pro software. The results
obtained from the analysis were used as the limiting forces to calculate the design of the structural members. All
the members were made with RCC construction.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Building Planning
The plan of the G+7 institutional building was done using AutoCAD. The classroom sizes and layout of the
building have been drawn out by following India's Compendium of Architectural norms. The plan encompasses
multiple classrooms and large presentation halls, and windows are provided on the building's north and south
face to encourage cross ventilation. An additional multi-purpose hall is provided for large gathering events. The
building has three exit points and a central stairway.
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Proposed Solar Passive Design Recommendations
The design of fenestration and shading devices was done to understand the prevailing wind direction and
analyze the sun path at the particular location. The prevailing wind direction in Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu,
India, was from North to South direction or North-East to South-West direction as per Indian meteorological
department survey. Considering this concept, the building was thus oriented in such a way as to allow maximum
cross ventilation [15,16].
Implications of Window Design
The design of the shading elements was done by interpreting the sun path chart obtained for the
Kattankulathur location. As depicted in Fig. 1, the Sun path chart illustrates the detailed information on the
elevation and azimuth angles of the sun throughout the year. These angles are essential as they are used to
calculate the dimensions of the shading device.
FIGURE. 1 Sun path chart
Implications for Vertical Shading
Sunshade for the window has been designed for a particular area with the help of the Sun path chart above.
Based on the sun path chart depicting the azimuth versus elevation chart, a solar elevation of 55° would block
the entry of sunlight ultimately, which makes it evident to have a minimum solar elevation of 50° in the winter
solstice, thus allowing the shades to permits sunlight entering at a minimum angle of 5° by winter solstice which
will permit required heat during the period and also blocks the maximum sunlight during the summer solstice.
The obtained design is depicted in Fig. 2. The length of the vertical sunshade is thus calculated as 0.8 m based
on trigonometric postulates.
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FIGURE. 2 Vertical Shading
Implications for Horizontal Shading
Similar to vertical shading, horizontal shading has also been designed with respect to the azimuth vs
elevation chart. Having its shade at the angle of 60* on either side of the window would block the entry of
maximum sunlight, thus obtaining a length of 0.75 m for the vertical sunshades. The diagrammatic
representation of the proposed window is given in Fig. 3.
FIGURE. 3 Window based on solar passive design recommendation
Building Energy Simulation and Data Analysis
The simulation of the total energy consumed over a given period becomes essential to authorize the
efficiency of the designed green building. Along with the implications for the window design, other factors
listed in Table 1 were also incorporated into the energy-efficient building design.
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TABLE 1. Proposed differences in the green building design
Attributes
Conventional buildings
Proposed Changes
Window glass type
Single clear tint
Double reflective
Blinds
No blinds
Light-color opaque blinds
Window dimensions
3 m × 1 m
3 m × 1.8 m
Roof insulation
No insulation
6inch thick polyisocyanurate R-42
Exterior Coating
No coating
Vapor deposited low e coating
Paint
Standard white gloss paint
‘light’ paint with absorptivity 0.4
Sunshade
No sunshade
Sunshade extension of 1m
Cross-ventilation
No cross ventilation
between interior walls
3 m × 0.8 m louvered windows provided above the
doors of interior walls
Ventilation running mode
Continuous
Intermittent
With the help of eQuest energy simulation software, the conventional building and the proposed building
have been compared and analyzed. The output thus obtained for the conventional and energy-efficient buildings
are given in Table 2 and 3, respectively.
TABLE 2. Energy efficiency analysis of conventional design
Electric Consumption (1000 kWh)
for the year 2020
Space
Cooling
Ventilation
Fans
Pumps and
Auxiliary
Miscellaneous
Equipment
Area
Lighting
Total
January
0.28
1.29
0.11
3.88
7.57
13.13
February
0.2
1.17
0.06
3.51
6.85
11.79
March
0.35
1.29
0.06
3.88
7.58
13.15
April
0.32
1.35
0.06
4.01
7.91
13.65
May
0.82
1.29
0.01
3.88
7.57
13.57
June
2.40
1.29
0.00
3.86
7.56
15.12
July
3.86
1.35
0.00
4.04
7.92
17.16
August
3.13
1.29
0.00
3.88
7.57
15.87
September
3.65
1.29
0.00
3.86
7.56
16.36
October
1.81
1.35
0.00
4.03
7.92
15.12
November
0.37
1.11
0.09
3.40
6.53
11.49
December
0.56
1.35
0.11
4.04
7.92
13.97
Total
17.75
15.42
0.49
46.27
90.47
170.4
TABLE 3. Energy-efficient analysis of designed green building
Electric Consumption (1000 kWh)
for the year 2020
Space
Cooling
Ventilation
Fans
Pumps and
Auxiliary
Miscellaneous
Equipment
Area
Lighting
Total
January
0.11
0.03
0.11
3.88
7.17
11.30
February
0.22
0.06
0.06
3.51
6.49
10.34
March
0.29
0.07
0.06
3.88
7.17
11.48
April
0.38
0.09
0.06
4.01
7.49
12.03
May
0.87
0.15
0.01
3.88
7.17
12.08
June
1.84
0.27
0.00
3.86
7.16
13.13
July
2.77
0.40
0.00
4.04
7.50
14.70
August
2.19
0.32
0.00
3.88
7.17
13.56
September
2.50
0.36
0.00
3.86
7.16
13.89
October
1.36
0.21
0.00
4.03
7.50
13.09
November
0.34
0.07
0.09
3.40
6.19
10.08
December
0.19
0.04
0.11
4.04
7.50
11.87
Total
13.06
2.07
0.49
46.27
85.66
147.5
5
040001-5

Comparing the conventional and proposed energy-efficient buildings as depicted in Fig. 4, it can be seen that
energy consumption has dropped by 13.4% annually. The major reduction is due to the changes caused by the
ventilation fan and the area of lightning, which was mainly due to the enlargement of the windows. Whereas
pumps and auxiliary had no significant impact on the reduction. The difference in energy consumption between
the two buildings is about 22,800 kWh annually.
FIGURE. 4 Energy efficiency comparison
CONCLUSION
Passive solar heating concepts, fenestration designs and green building construction practices were
considered to design an effective G+7 green educational building. The design of shading and fenestration
elements was done with the help of a detailed Sun path chart of Kattankulathur, which was further incor porated
in the design of the energy-efficient building. The designed fenestration and shading elements and other energy-
saving attributes were incorporated into the proposed design. The proposed design was compared with a similar
conventional building on equest energy simulation application from which it has been found that the use of
double reflective windows, proper shading, proper roof insulation and low heat ab-sorption paint reduced the
space cooling electricity consumption by 26%, followed by the use of an intermittent ventilation mode rather
than a continuous ventilation pat-tern has resulted in electricity savings of 87% in ventilation electricity
consumption. The increase in window dimensions has helped allow a high quantum of natural light into the
building, which resulted in reducing the electricity requirement for area lighting by 5.3%. The resulting
economic green building will sustain itself in the long run as it does not heavily depend on natural resources to
generate electricity, satisfying the ecological and social aspects of life in a community.
On the whole, all these simple changes reduced the overall building electricity consumption by 13.4%, with
an average of 1900 kWh saved every month. The results are high-lighted that the incorporated fenestration and
shading design, along with appropriate energy-conserving building materials could reduce the electricity
consumption of a building.
0
5
10
15
20
Conventional building Green building
040001-6

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur for providing possible
support to carry out this research work.
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