A Smart Roller Shutters Control for Enhancing Thermal Comfort and Sustainable Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings

This work focuses on the impact of different types of glazing and the dynamic control of shading using roller shutters on the thermal comfort and energy consumption of office buildings. Shading systems control is based on solar radiation and outdoor temperature during the winter period adapted to the Algerian climatic context. The main objective is to evaluate the efficiency of different control strategies in reducing heating demands and CO2 emissions. The research was conducted experimentally and numerically using TRNSYS 17 (Transient System Simulation Program). A validation was done of the prototype office building and then a parametric study aimed at verifying the influence of various parameters, including glazing type, climate, and the proposed shading scenarios based on temperature or solar radiation on both energy demand and thermal comfort. Different scenarios were proposed to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact. The obtained results demonstrate that shading systems are beneficial even in winter and highlight the effectiveness of controlling shutters based on solar radiation compared to temperature control for the different studied regions for a standard building. This approach achieves reductions of up to 21% for energy consumption, along with a significant decrease in carbon footprint, contributing to the sustainability of energy management in office buildings.