The Effects of Building Glass Facade Geometry on Wind Infiltration and Heating and Cooling Energy Consumption

The control of energy loss through building envelopes has always been a passive design solution for architecture and improvements in space quality. A significant factor is the control of infiltration through the geometry of the glass facades of buildings. The uncontrolled input air flow from the outside into an interior space is known as infiltration. The main infiltration factor is the pressure difference between a building's interior and exterior. This difference might result from the interaction of the wind with the facade. Other possible causes are the stack effect and mechanical ventilation. There is a fundamental question about the effects of the outer glass shell geometry on wind infiltration and building energy consumption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the geometries of building facades with glass materials in different climates and to measure wind infiltration. Consequently, building energy simulations were performed to calculate the infiltration rates in building shells with different geometries. Four forms were simulated, and the effects of the wind infiltration-induced air exchange on heating and cooling energy consumption were evaluated in four climates in Iran. The results indicate that convex geometry reduces the wind pressure in the outer shell and the air exchange rate resulting from the infiltration; thus, heating and cooling energy consumption is reduced.