Assessment of Climate Change Impact in Tropical Buildings: Sensitivity Analysis of Light Shelf and Building Design Parameters for Daylighting and Thermal Balance

Authors

  • Nur Nasuha Abd Salam Big Data and Advance Analytics Research, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia
  • Simon Lannon Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
  • Noor Dina Md Amin Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia
  • Hanita Yusof Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia
  • Muhamad Hanafi Rahmat Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia
  • Izudinshah Abd Wahab Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/arfmts.124.1.144159

Keywords:

Sensitivity analysis, climate change, daylighting, energy efficiency, tropical region

Abstract

Climate change may lead to more intense sunlight in tropical regions, potentially increasing the daylight available for buildings. While this can enhance natural lighting inside buildings, it may also exacerbate issues such as glare and overheating if not properly managed through shading devices and glazing treatments. Nevertheless, common strategies to mitigate heat gain and glare such as shades and blinds often obstruct natural light, necessitating increased reliance on artificial lighting. The conflicting interplay between daylighting and thermal performance can undermine building performance if not carefully considered. Existing research on the influence of key design parameters in tropical climates tends to focus predominantly on heat gain mitigation, neglecting other aspects. This study addresses these gaps by examining the holistic daylighting and thermal energy performance of buildings to develop optimised façade and resilient designs against climate change. The investigation encompasses an analysis of 11 design parameters of light shelves and building characteristics that are critical during the initial design stage. Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) is employed to identify the most influential design parameters affecting useful daylight illuminance, uniformity ratio, cooling energy, and solar gain energy. A case study involving double-story terrace houses in Malaysia is employed, with analyses conducted for the present and future climates of three Malaysian cities (Kuala Lumpur, Bayan Lepas, and Kota Bahru). The findings reveal that, across all three cities, glazing transmittance is the most influential parameter for daylighting performance, while room depth assumes primary significance for thermal performance. Although the relative ranking of parameters remains consistent between present and future climates, their magnitudes differ. In summary, this paper gives designers insights into the critical design parameters essential for achieving a balanced and resilient daylight-thermal design in tropical climates at the initial stages of the design process.

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Author Biographies

Nur Nasuha Abd Salam, Big Data and Advance Analytics Research, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

nurnasuha@uthm.edu.my

Simon Lannon, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

lannon@cardiff.ac.uk

Noor Dina Md Amin, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

dina@uthm.edu.my

Hanita Yusof, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

hanita@uthm.edu.my

Muhamad Hanafi Rahmat, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

mdhanafi@uthm.edu.my

Izudinshah Abd Wahab, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia

izudin@uthm.edu.my

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Published

2024-11-20

How to Cite

Abd Salam, N. N. ., Lannon, S. ., Md Amin, N. D. ., Yusof, H. ., Rahmat, M. H. ., & Abd Wahab, I. . (2024). Assessment of Climate Change Impact in Tropical Buildings: Sensitivity Analysis of Light Shelf and Building Design Parameters for Daylighting and Thermal Balance. Journal of Advanced Research in Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Sciences, 124(1), 144–159. https://doi.org/10.37934/arfmts.124.1.144159

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Articles