Simulation assisted design exploration to evaluate view and energy performance of window shading

One of the most effective passive cooling strategies for buildings in a hot and dry climate is to use suitable shading devices. Dense shading is more effective in reducing the energy required for cooling, but it reduces visibility through openings. This paper explores the influence of more than 300 fixed shading systems on view to outside and energy consumption of a typical south-facing office building in Tehran, Iran. The shading devices vary in depth, number, angle, and thickness in three types of horizontal, vertical and egg-crate. Among the optimised shading devices, the horizontal shadings were the most frequent and on the contrary, no egg-crate shadings were found. The results showed that when the view to the outside is considered equally important as the energy consumption, the horizontal shadings are most suited. However, where the view to the outside has priority to energy consumption, vertical shadings are the best choice. The smaller the width and number of louvres, the higher the chance to reach the optimal performance. The research objectives were found not sensitive to the louvres’ thickness and angle.