Multi-objective optimization design of green building envelopes and air conditioning systems for energy conservation and CO2 emission reduction

• Published in: Sustainable cities and society 2021-01, Vol.64, p.102555, Article 102555
• Main Authors: Lin, Yu-Hao, Lin, Min-Der, Tsai, Kang-Ting, Deng, Ming-Jay, Ishii, Hirofumi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air conditioning system; Building envelope; CO2 emission reduction; Energy conservation; Green building; Multi-objective optimization
• ISSN: 2210-6707; 2210-6715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102555

•Building envelope and air conditioning energy performance mode is developed.•Multiobjective algorithm optimizes the envelope and air conditioning configuration.•Tradeoff configurations for two conflict objectives are obtained.•Optimized configuration reduced the construction cost and CO2 emission. Configurations of the building envelope and the air conditioning system have a considerable effect on annual building energy efficiency. Taiwan government proposed two green building indices, namely the Envelope Energy Load (ENVLOAD) and the Performance of Air Conditioning System (PACS), as energy performance models of building envelopes and air conditioning systems. Relatively few studies, however, have been mainly conducted, using multiobjective optimization design for building envelope and air condition systems, with a goal to treat both the building energy systems and the envelope. Consequently, this study is to make contribution to this related filed by proposing a multi-objective optimal building envelope and air conditioning system energy performance decision model (MOBELM). This model was used to design the optimal configurations of building envelopes and air conditioning systems based on the ENVLOAD and PACS constrictions and the two conflicting objectives. The first refers to the minimal construction cost when the building envelope and air condition system are built. The second is concerned with the minimal CO2 emission when the envelope materials are manufactured and used to form the building envelope. In the case study, the optimized configurations that dominated the original unoptimized design could validate the MOBELM.