Building Climatology

Building Climatology

Objectives and benefits

Modern transparent architecture Building climatology represents the

demands simple, intelligent climati-
sation concepts, in order to allow
environmentally compatible buil-
dings with high user comfort com-
bined with low investment and
operating costs and high functiona-
lity.
Building climatology supports the
architect in achieving a comfortable
building climate together with an
energy-saving structural design.
Here the primary emphasis is on
providing maximum protection
against external factors by means
of passive measures concerning the
building construction, such as gla-
zed facades, storage masses and so
on. Another essential aspect is the
utilisation of natural resources,
such as natural light, natural venti-
lation, solar heating and geother-
mal heat.
link between the various design dis-
ciplines, and it pursues an integral
design approach that focuses on the
complex interactions among the
facade, the building`s structure and
the technical plants of the building.
This objective is supported by a
variety of simulation tools.
Building climatology consulting
yields an optimal overall solution
that is adjusted to the particular
building project and its specific
requirements. It allows to achieve a
high degree of design reliability,
thereby supporting the realisation
of ecological building concepts.

Cover picture:
Administration building
of MEAG GmbH, Munich.
Architects: Denk, Mauder,
Wisiol & Altenberend,
Munich.
Exemplar for an atrium
with a glazed roof and
adjacent natural
ventilated offices.
 Climatisation concepts

The desire for environmen-

tally compatible, energy-
saving buildings where users
feel comfortable requires
new approaches to climati-
sation concepts.

In line with the motto „less

often is more“, the objective
pursued is to achieve more
functionality using less tech-
nology. This is done by
regarding the building as a
total system that interacts
with its environment. For
example the facade, the
structure of the building
and the technical plants of
the building interact with
each other.
Climatisation concept for an atrium with adjacent offices

Within the context of the building

climatology approach, the objective
is to exploit available natural
resources and to match the facade,
the building structure and the tech-
temperature [°C]

nical plants of the building

optimally to each other.

Here the primary emphasis is on

optimisation of the facade´s ener-
ambient air getic properties, activation of the
building´s storage masses and
maximum use of natural lighting
and natural ventilation of the buil-
summer time (MEST) ding´s rooms.
Interior temperature during a period of nice weather according to VDI 2078
(July; 14 warm, sunny summer days) Building simulation is an important
tool for the development of innova-
tive climatisation concepts. It en-
frequencies in a year while operation time [h/a]

without heat discharge during night ables to predict the influence of the
night ventilation by open windows complex interactions between the
building and it´s environment, in
heat discharge by component cooling during night
order to develop an optimal soluti-
on which fulfills the requirements
of investor and user. Various poten-
tial solutions can be evaluated,
compared and analysed in terms of
their cost effectiveness. Furthermo-
re innovative solutions and the uti-
lisation of regenerative sources of
energy can be investigated with
regard to their functionality and
cost effectiveness under the prevai-
temperatures ling general conditions and con-
averaged year (Test Reference Year, Region 8 for Augsburg) straints.
Facade

outer sheet (6-mm float SOLAR RA

DIATION
glass with solar protective
coating)
As the link between the building
and its external environment, the
façade is highly significant for the
design of the building. Furthermo- Inner sheet (16-mm
re, it plays a decisive role with fire-resistant sheet with
regard to energy flows and other embedded gel)

interactions between the interior

and exterior of the building. The
demands imposed on the facade
thus arise from a variety of techni- darkening fabric temperature
cal functions. In particular, the (externally specular)
80°C
interactions among these technical 60°C
functions are very important and 50°C

compel an integral perspective. ventilation of

Temperature distribution inside a glazed skylight structure roof gap

With regard to climatic conditions

present during the summer months,
limiting solar thermal heat gain via
the transparent areas of the façade
is a key consideration. Here it is
recommended to analyse the sha-
ding situation as the first step, in
order to determine whether a sha-
ding system is necessary. Such an
analysis may also be relevant with
regard to planning permission and
building regulations.

The amount of solar heat gain via a

transparent façade exposed to
intense solar radiation depends on
the choice of glazing materials and Shadows projec-
the shading system. tions by a roof
wing

The shading quality of a façade is

expressed in terms of its solar heat
gain coefficient (shading factor).
Although an initial, rough value for
this coefficient can be approximate-
percent [%]
ly estimated using the solar heat ding system, such an rough esti-
gain coefficient of the glazing and mate cannot take system-specific
the attenuation factor of the sha- properties into account, such as
high levels of reflection from
specular elements of the shading
system. Significantly better
results can be obtained by com-
putational calculations, which
base on the physics of energy
radiation and the spectral distri-
absorption butions of transmission, reflec-
tion and absorption for each of

reflection
transmission
the façade´s individual layers
(i.e. glass panes and/or shading
system) and which deliver reli-
able values for the specific faca-
de´s properties of the particular
project.

These calculations can also pro-

vide information about the tem-
wavelength [mm] perature profile within the glass
ultraviolet visible
infrared radiation façade under conditions of inten-
radiation light
sive solar radiation.
Typical spectral distributions of transmission, reflection and absorption for a coated pane of glass
Day light
Day light is becoming an increa-
singly important factor in the pro-
cess of developing buildings that
are energy-efficient and user-friend-
ly. In architecture, natural light
represents an essential design fac-
tor.
With good day lighting, changes in
the natural light level during the
day, as well as variations in light
due to weather conditions and the
seasons, can be percieved at the
workplace. This maintains the
connection to the external world.
Well day lighted rooms with plea-
sant natural-light atmospheres sig-
nificantly enhance the sense of per-
sonal well-being.
Besides, this intensified day lighting
generally yields a decreased use of
artificial light. However, since the
availability of natural light is cha-
racterized by strong seasonal varia-
tions at our latitudes, a strategy
that strives to exploit day light to
the maximum possible extent must
also consider adequately the aspec-
ts of solar shading and glare pro-
tection. The objective is to develop
solutions, which are compatible
with the use of the building while
taking local conditions and structu-
ral factors into account. A ingeni-
ous day light planning begins in the
early conceptual design stage, in
order to allow the design freedom
to be fully exploited. During sub-
sequent conceptual and detailed
design stages, various day light
systems or strategies for rational
natural lighting can be investigated
and evaluated in terms of their
functionality and efficiency.
Visualisation of lighting
conditions and shadow-
ing in a long atrium on a
sunny day.
Natural ventilation

Natural ventilation of buildings is a

key factor in climatisation concepts
that aim to achieve low energy con-
sumption and a high level of envi-
ronmental compatibility. Only a
few years ago, a uniform, artificial
interior climate produced by full air
conditioning was regarded as ideal.
Now, by contrast, it is generally
recognised that the sense of perso-
nal well-being and the quality of
the workplace can be significantly
enhanced by providing an increased
influence of ambient air (for in-
stance, to allow daily and seasonal
climatic variations to be experien-
ced) and allowing people to adjust Above:
room climates to suit their personal [m2/h] Ventilating offices and
favorites. Even in office buildings facade gap via sub-
terranean channels.
and administrative buildings, it is AAero = 15 m2

now hardly imaginable to build

AAero = 10 m2
working rooms that do not allow Left:
Intensity of facade ven-
at least occasional natural ventilati- tilation driven by ther-
on.
airflowrate

mal buoyancy (calming,

AAero = 5 m2 necessary airflowrate no wind forces), show-
with 30 % smokers
ing the influence of the
As part of the current trend to- cross-sectional area of
wards transparent architecture, necessary airflowrate
the openings.
natural ventilation is increasingly without smokers

tasked with discharging heat loads

out of the building in addition to
air hygiene aspects.
temperature difference

In the conceptual and detailed

planning of natural ventilation
solutions, appropriate considerati-
on must be given to wind forces as
well as thermal induced buoyancy
forces. Our range of services inclu- Müller-BBM GmbH
des formulating requirements for Robert-Koch-Straße 11
air hygiene, fresh air supply and D-82152 Planegg (near Munich)
heat discharge, determining venti- Telefon 089-8 56 02-0
lation rates and air speeds, dimen- Telefax 089-8 56 02-111
sioning ventilation openings and www.MuellerBBM.de
developing concepts for control info@MuellerBBM.de
and regulation.
Müller-BBM GmbH
Lessingstraße 10
D-01465 Dresden-Langebrück
Telefon 03 52 01-725-0
Telefax 03 52 01-725-20
We would like to inform you that
Müller-BBM has a quality manage- Müller-BBM GmbH
ment system which includes our Nollendorfplatz 3–4
headquarters in Planegg (near Mu- D-10777 Berlin
nich) and all branch offices. This Telefon 030-21 79 75-0
management system is based on the Telefax 030-21 79 75-35
international standard ISO 9001
and was certified by the DQS Deut- Müller-BBM GmbH
sche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung Am Bugapark 1
von Managementsystemen mbH. D-45899 Gelsenkirchen
The certificate registration number Telefon 02 09-9 83 08-0
is 5398. Telefax 02 09-9 83 08-11