Optimizing the Dimensions of the South-Facing Openings an Energy Consumption Reduction Approach (Case Study: Rural Houses in the East of Guilan Province)

Document Type : Research article - extracted from the dissertation

Authors

1 PhD student of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Ramsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ramsar, Iran.

3 PhD of Architecture, Department of Architecture, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran.

10.22124/gscaj.2025.27023.1295

Abstract

Heat transfer through glazing - particularly on the southern windows - can significantly increase indoor temperature fluctuations. Hence, the use of transparent façades is essential for providing adequate natural daylight. In residential buildings, especially in temperate and humid climates such as Guilan, where overcast days are more frequent and occupants tend to spend longer periods indoors, controlling energy through window openings becomes more challenging. This study aimed to optimize the size and proportions of south-facing windows in rural dwellings of eastern Guilan to reduce energy consumption while ensuring sufficient daylight availability. To begin, residential buildings in Hosseinabad village (the city of Rudsar) were classified based on building components and climatic requirements using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The most prevalent typologies were then simulated for energy performance using Rhino software and its Honeybee plugins. In the low-energy-consumption samples, southern openings—identified as contributing to increased energy demand—were further examined for optimization. Variables such as opening proportions, width, height, OKB, and WWR were analyzed. By keeping all other building components and openings constant, and using the Wallacei plugin, the optimal dimensions and ratios for southern openings were determined. Results showed that in the optimized state, annual energy consumption was reduced by 153.49 kWh. The proposed modifications, compared to the existing conditions, showed an average change of -33.3% in width, -22.22% in height, +50% in OKB, and -39.89% in WWR across the three southern-facing spaces. These changes resulted in a 0.62% reduction in energy use according to sDA standards. Additionally, the average optimized WWR was 9% lower, leading to a further reduction of 73.15 kWh/year, or 0.22% in total energy consumption.

Highlights

  • There is a wide variety of rural residential building types in eastern Guilan, based on the region’s climatic design components.
  • The proportions of window openings generally play a significant role in the energy consumption of rural residential buildings in eastern Guilan.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Geographical Studies of Coastal Areas Journal
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 22
September 2025
Pages 83-101

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