A parametric approach to optimize solar access for energy efficiency in high-rise residential buildings in dense urban tropics

Abstract

This study demonstrates a parametric approach to optimize solar access for high-rise residential buildings in urban tropics. Using parametric modelling, 75 urban contexts were generated for three simulation models characterized as high-rise residential buildings located in an urban tropical climate. In order to optimize solar access in terms of daylight and annual energy savings, this study quantified the shading effects of the urban context, on annual cooling energy, annual daytime lighting energy and spatial daylight autonomy (sDA) for the simulation models. In this study, the optimum solar access is defined for a perimeter zone in a high-rise residential building, achieving 75 sDA (300lx|50) with corresponding annual energy savings of 28%-36% in the east–west and 8%-12% in the north–south directions. As the optimum solar access is difficult to calculate at the early design stage, building setback curves were developed. The prescribed building setbacks were validated with three calibrated case studies. All case studies met 50% of interior spaces (living rooms and bedrooms) with 55 sDA (300lx|50) and annual energy savings of 26%-31% in east–west and 9%-15% in north–south directions. Therefore, the prescribed building setback curves for optimum solar access developed in this study could be applied to high-rise residential buildings between 10 and 31 floors in the tropics.