Towards Energy Efficient Facade Through Solar-powered Shading Device

AbstractIn tropical regions (23.50N – 23.50 S), the east-west building facades receive the greatest amount of solar radiation for vertical walls. The need for glazing windows in that area sometimes cannot be avoided due to various reasons regarding to space planning inside the building. The presence of east-west glazing windows causes the increasing of air conditioning load of the building at a significant rate, which causes increasing energy usage. There are several external shading devices available to be used to limit the incoming low-altitude angle sunlight falling to that direction, however all the available sun shading devices are not adjusted and based on the fixed location as a part of building façade. Since the sun moves regularly according to its daily and seasonal path, generally the fixed external sun shading does not function well to reduce solar heat gain as well as to keep an indoor standard illumination level simultaneously.The solar-powered automatic vertical shading device is the solution for the problem since it obstructs the direct solar heat using the received solar energy itself, and at the same time maintaining the required daylight illumination at an appropriate level inside the room. The research dealing with solar-powered automatic shading device was developed through integrated interdisciplinary and collaborative approach at the Center for Building Energy Study Petra Christian University Surabaya.The broaden usage of this device also opens possibility toward a more specific culturally façade that encompasses functional needs, energy efficiency criteria, architectural aesthetic value, and cultural appearance of building