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Shading Systems and HVAC Loads
Designed, Modeled and Written by Ben Claflin, Thomas Almendra, and Sofia Leal Cavazos
Goals
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Design an innovative solution to reduce carbon emissions for commercial and residential buildings
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Tailor our solution towards central Texas, improving our local community
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Reduce carbon emissions for new and existing buildings
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Create a product that wealthy corporations and small businesses can implement
Policy Recommendation
Click to Review our Report
What does it achieve?
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Identifies and addresses high heating and cooling loads for new and existing buildings in Central Texas
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Defines an optimal ratio of shading, glazing, and exterior walls that is data-backed and cost-effective
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Incentivizes implementation through green tax credits that are funded from those lacking efficient systems
Research
Our System:
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Leveraged Grasshopper to quickly create and alter ratios of shading and glazing
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Conducted energy analysis using Ladybug plugin
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Accelerated analysis by studying 6-months of the year (January-July)
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Utilized six different use cases to ensure an accurate policy recommendation
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We used direct sun hours to measure shading system success since direct sunlight dramatically increases heat gain
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Quickly grasp the importance of shading systems to achieve low energy demands when operating buildings
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Determined that shading systems and glazing on buildings should be designed to have at most 135 hours of direct sunlight
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