Transforming Downtown Vancouver: Smart Glass Solutions for Energy-Efficient Office Building Envelopes and Well-Being: Fid-Bau Portal

Transforming Downtown Vancouver: Smart Glass Solutions for Energy-Efficient Office Building Envelopes and Well-Being

Islam, Md Fahad

Under the Climate Change Accountability Act (2007), British Columbia aims for significant greenhouse gas reductions: 40% by 2030, 60% by 2040, and 80% by 2050 (compared to 2007). The legislation includes an interim target of 16% reduction by 2025. Additionally, starting in 2040, buildings will be required to achieve complete neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions. This research focuses on the crucial role of building envelopes in enhancing energy efficiency, particularly in Vancouver. It addresses the challenge of minimizing the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) to reduce heat loss while considering the potential impacts on natural light, human-nature connection, and overall well-being. The study assesses retrofitting scenarios for building facades aiming for Net Zero Energy while simultaneously improving daylight quality. Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) software has been used for energy and daylight simulation. The study evaluates the energy and environmental impacts of renovating a Vancouver office building, focusing on diverse WWR at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%, along with different types of glass. The analysis reveals that a higher WWR leads to increased energy consumption for single and double-pane windows but shows improved scenarios for triple-pane windows. Notably, the introduction of electrochromic glazing (EC) in triple-pane windows with 100% WWR emerges as the most efficient option both for energy reduction and daylight improvement among all configurations considered. The results show that EC glazing in Downtown Vancouver offices reduces energy use by up to 11.3% and increases Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI 100–2000 lx) area by up to 44% compared to conventional glazing.