ate size and orientation, with interior or exterior shad-losses and gains thr ough the building skin. The orientation of a green buildings to be constructed is the position of the building on the site or the plot of land selected for the project with respect to the sidewalks, the roadways, and the landscaping features. During summer, its path is at a high angle and slightly north to the east west axis. The sun is at a low angle during the winters and to the south of the east-west axis. Thus they play a pivotal role in NZEB design approach as these strategies are one time interventions and their potential benefits should not be missed.Building designs vary according to context of its location and climate. Regarding the volume, the “patio-house” is the most suitable form and can benefit in summer from the microclimatic effects of cool air pools that occur in courtyards. For square shaped buildings, a width to length ratio 1:1 in a north-south orientation receives the lowest annual total solar insolation.
SIERRA’s eFACiLiTY®: A smart high performance buildingOccupant perspectives: NZEB at CEPT University – CARBSEGreen journey of INFOSYS: High performance with low environmental impactApproach & strategies for a large-scale net zero development: IIT-JodhpurGreen Conversations: Puma Retail Store & HQ for KPCLGreen conversations: HQ of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE)Renewable Energy Market & Policy for NZEBs in India (Climate Responsive Building: Appropriate Building Construction in Tropical and Subtropical Regions, 1993)Optimal form of the buildings depends on the following parameters:The compactness of the building is measured using the ratio of surface area to volume (S/V). except in very small buildings, much of the floor ar ea in A building that optimizes daylighting and natural venti- (Climate Responsive Building: Appropriate Building Construction in Tropical and Subtropical Regions, 1993)Building blocks should be arranged as to benefit from mutual shading to minimise solar exposure on vertical surfaces during summer months. Appropriate building orientation can result in reducing cooling demand and energy use compared to a wrongly oriented building. These walls should thus normally be kept as small as possible and contain as few and small openings as possible.
The building form determines the air flow pattern around the building directly affecting its ventilation. (Climate Responsive Building: Appropriate Building Construction in Tropical and Subtropical Regions, 1993)Buildings with a ‘rectangular form’ should ideally orient their longer axes towards north-south direction. Courtyard buildings with proper wind protection are a suitable solution. (nzeb.in)The surface of the surroundings may store and reflect solar radiant heat towards the building, depending on the surface’s angle relative to the solar radiation and on the type of surface. The present analysis shows through a semi-attached house, the importance of building orientation in heating and cooling demands.
The building should therefore be designed not only with protected openings, but also with protected walls. (Climate Responsive Building: Appropriate Building Construction in Tropical and Subtropical Regions, 1993)Buildings are preferably rather compact. Appropriate building orientation can result in reducing cooling demand and energy use compared to a wrongly oriented building. (nzeb.in)Normally, buildings should have an elongated shape along the east-west axis. In hot & dry regions and cold climates, building’s shape needs to be compact to reduce heat gain and losses, respectively.Orient buildings to take advantage of prevailing wind. Some compromise must be made in order to achieve the most satisfactory distribution of the total heat gained in all seasons. Greater the perimeter to area ratio, greater is the heat gain of the building. The alteration in path affects solar radiation penetration patterns during different seasons and consequently, heat gain and loss in a building.Form and orientation constitute two of the most important passive design strategies for reducing energy consumption and improving thermal comfort for occupants of a building. Because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the side of the building that is utilized for solar gain needs to be facing the south to take maximum advantage of the sun’s potential energy. The heat exchange between the building and the environment depends greatly on the exposed surfaces. In this case, a reasonable compromise should be made based on a detailed analysis of the specific situation, considering the possibilities for diverting the wind direction by means of vegetation and structural arrangements, such as parapet walls within the external adjoining space. (BEE, Design Guidelines For Energy-Efficient Multi-Storey Residential Buildings, Composite and Hot and dry climates, 2014). Building Orientation Based on Climatology in India The placement of any object on earth’s surface is like placing a ball on a slope. Orientation also plays an important role with regard to wind direction. Therefore, the ratio of surface to volume is an important factor.