WINDOW THERMAL PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION IN GOVERMENTAL HOUSING PROGRAM IN ABU DHABI, UAE

This paper stems from a study that aims at the optimization of the window thermal performance in a typical house within the Emirati Family Housing Program. A survey of the newly constructed houses revealed the same window design for all houses orientation disregarding windows critical heat gain impact under the extreme hot climate of the United Arab Emirates. Through a survey, the 5-bedroom villa emerged as the dominant type in this housing program. Thereafter, its thermal performance in relation to orientation was tested using HEED, an energy analysis software. The results indicated variable annual energy consumption per orientation with the highest rates of consumption being for the west oriented units. Thereafter, two scenarios of optimized alternatives with thermally efficient window’s components were tested. The first included thermally improved glazing (Double Tinted Squared Low E) and framing material (Vinyl) while the second introduced additional external shading (Automated Slatted Blinds). The results indicated an improvement in building thermal performance with annual energy savings ranging between 6-11%. Of more relevance to designers, similar thermal behavior was reached for all orientations.