Research on the Distribution of the Energy-Saving Benefits of Building Geometric Parameters Under Different Climate Conditions

Building geometric parameters are key factors influencing energy-efficient building design. However, the systematic influence of building geometric parameters on energy use intensity (EUI) across varying climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels remains incompletely elucidated, hindering the quantitative assessment of their energy-saving benefits in diverse regions and operational scenarios. This study employs a zonal sensor-optimized coupled daylighting–thermal simulation to analyze the impact of building geometric parameters and their values on annual total EUI across different climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels. The interquartile range (IQR), sensitivity analysis (SA), and energy saving rate (ESR) analysis are utilized. The results showed the following: (1) The energy-saving benefits of geometric parameters were the greatest in severe cold (SevC) and temperate regions (TRs), with IQRs ranging from 28.50 to 39.87 kWh/m2, followed by hot summer–warm winter (HS-WW), cold (Cld), and hot summer–cold winter (HS-CW) regions. While high-performance building envelopes significantly reduce EUI, the energy-saving benefits associated with geometric parameters remain undiminished. (2) The WWR is the parameter most sensitive to EUI, with SA reaching a maximum of 41.19%, notably exceeding 20% in HS-CW regions, HS-WW regions, and TRs; floor height has the lowest sensitivity, with SA reaching a maximum of 5.65%. (3) In different climate regions, the influence of floor height and building footprint area on the ESR shifts between positive and negative correlations, while the WWR and window sill height consistently exhibit positive correlations with the ESR in all climate regions. This study provides a quantitative decision-making basis for optimizing building geometric parameters in different climate regions to achieve high-performance building shapes during the early stages of architectural design.

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Publication Details

Journal
Buildings
Published
2025-09-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173176
Primary Topic
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
Type
article
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article

Research on the Distribution of the Energy-Saving Benefits of Building Geometric Parameters Under Different Climate Conditions

Xiaoming Su, Yanqiang Di, Dan Cao, Y Chen et al.
Buildings
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
article

Research on the Distribution of the Energy-Saving Benefits of Building Geometric Parameters Under Different Climate Conditions

Xiaoming Su, Yanqiang Di, Dan Cao, Y Chen, Tingting Tang, Xiaona Li, Yabei Li
article en

Abstract

Building geometric parameters are key factors influencing energy-efficient building design. However, the systematic influence of building geometric parameters on energy use intensity (EUI) across varying climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels remains incompletely elucidated, hindering the quantitative assessment of their energy-saving benefits in diverse regions and operational scenarios. This study employs a zonal sensor-optimized coupled daylighting–thermal simulation to analyze the impact of building geometric parameters and their values on annual total EUI across different climate regions and building envelope thermal performance levels. The interquartile range (IQR), sensitivity analysis (SA), and energy saving rate (ESR) analysis are utilized. The results showed the following: (1) The energy-saving benefits of geometric parameters were the greatest in severe cold (SevC) and temperate regions (TRs), with IQRs ranging from 28.50 to 39.87 kWh/m2, followed by hot summer–warm winter (HS-WW), cold (Cld), and hot summer–cold winter (HS-CW) regions. While high-performance building envelopes significantly reduce EUI, the energy-saving benefits associated with geometric parameters remain undiminished. (2) The WWR is the parameter most sensitive to EUI, with SA reaching a maximum of 41.19%, notably exceeding 20% in HS-CW regions, HS-WW regions, and TRs; floor height has the lowest sensitivity, with SA reaching a maximum of 5.65%. (3) In different climate regions, the influence of floor height and building footprint area on the ESR shifts between positive and negative correlations, while the WWR and window sill height consistently exhibit positive correlations with the ESR in all climate regions. This study provides a quantitative decision-making basis for optimizing building geometric parameters in different climate regions to achieve high-performance building shapes during the early stages of architectural design.

BuildingsVol. 15(17)
Ningxia University (CN), China Building Materials Academy (CN), Ningxia Seismological Bureau (CN), China Academy of Building Research (CN), Inner Mongolia University of Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 75%
Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
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