A high demand for heating energy in winter, overheating in summer and visual discomfort are important issues in school buildings in the cold climate of China. This study presents the use of simulation–optimization tools to find the optimal trade-off between minimizing energy use for heating and lighting, reducing summer discomfort time and maximizing the Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI_avg, between 100 and 2000 lx). Different spatial configurations were investigated, including a single-sided open corridor type, a single-sided enclosed corridor type and a double-sided corridor type school. The following passive design parameters were considered in the optimization analysis: orientation, room depth and corridor depth, window-to-wall ratio of different interfaces, glazing materials and shading types. The results of the optimization study show that the energy demand for heating and lighting can be reduced by 24–28% and summer thermal discomfort by 9–23% while the UDI_avg (100–2000 lx) can simultaneously increase by 15–63%. Considering all three aspects, the double-sided enclosed corridor type performs best due to its energy performance while the one-sided enclosed corridor type is the least suitable for the cold climate because of its relatively poor visual comfort quality. In addition, the passive design parameters should be carefully considered as each spatial configuration has its own optimal passive design parameters.

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This paper discusses the energy impact of corridor design for school buildings in the cold climate of China. Local school buildings were classified into three types in terms of the corridor design patterns. Architectural related parameters of corridors which could have a potential impact on the energy consumption were summarized and discussed, including form and orientation, temperature control, opaque envelope components, glazing, ventilation and infiltration. The annual heating, cooling, lighting and total energy consumption were compared. Results showed that form and orientation have the most significant influence on building energy consumption while opaque envelope insulation of corridors shows the least effect on energy demand. By combining the most beneficial strategies at each step, this study resulted in a better performing corridor design that increases the energy-saving by around 6% for the double-sided corridor building type and 17% for the one-sided enclosed corridor type of school building respectively.@en

A good school design consists of a thermally comfortable school and schoolyard as well as a low energy consumption of the school building. The main contribution of this study is that it develops an integrated design approach to systematically evaluate and optimize school design parameters at different design stages for summer outdoor thermal comfort and building cooling demand. A typical school in northern China was selected to illustrate the simulation-based design framework. The three-dimensional microclimate model ENVI-met was used to calculate outdoor temperatures and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index as a measure of the outdoor thermal comfort condition. The ENVI-met results were then used as input for the thermal boundary conditions in the energy simulation software DesignBuilder. DesignBuilder, in turn, was applied to calculate the building cooling demand while taking into account the local outdoor thermal conditions. The integrated design approach proves to be effective for mitigating school heat stress and energy saving. By taking the school case as a reference, the integrated design method resulted in a high-performance design that reduced the outdoor discomfort time by 25% and the building cooling demand by 5%. Planting trees was found to be the most effective considering both the outdoor thermal comfort and building cooling demand. Other implications for planning and designing schools in terms of the school case are also presented in order to help architects in selecting strategies that enhance the thermal performance characteristics of both the school building and the schoolyard.@en

This paper discusses the role of geometry parameters including building shape, window to wall ratio, room depth, and orientation on the energy use and thermal comfort of school buildings in cold climates of China. The annual total energy demand and summer thermal discomfort time were compared through computer simulations with DesignBuilder. Furthermore, a questionnaire was conducted that related to the students’ subjective preference for various building geometry parameters. Results showed that a maximum of 13.6% of energy savings and 3.8% of thermal comfort improvement when compared to the reference case could be achieved through variations in geometry parameters. The H shape performed the best when the building thermal performance and students’ preferences were considered, as well as the various design options for rchitects. Window to wall ratio, room depth, and orientation should also be carefully addressed in terms of different building types. The results of this study can serve as a reference for architects and school managers in the early design stages of schools in cold climates of China.@en