The Effect of Window Openings on Energy Consumption of an University Building: A Case Study in Izmir

Abstract

Buildings have almost a third of total energy consumption. University buildings also have significant energy consumption because of their high usage floor areas and user numbers, as they are heavily used buildings. In order to provide energy efficiency in such buildings, the insulation of the buildings, choosing the systems used in the building as energy efficient, the most appropriate use / operation of these systems and the building are the main factors. On the other hand, behavior of the users is also very effective in energy consumption. It is known that users frequently interfere with windows, especially in buildings that serve a large number of users. The aim of this study is to determine the interventions made by the users on the windows and the effects of these on the energy consumption through the year-round measurements in the selected classes in a university building. Within this scope, measurements of window opening, indoor air temperature, CO2 concentration, and electricity consumption were made in selected classes throughout 2019. Energy consumption model has been developed with the help of measurement results and regression analysis to determine the suggestions and percentages of the building's energy consumption reduction. The measurement results show that the total opening time of the windows in the classes is up to 33.6% of the annual usage time. It has been determined that keeping the windows open for a long time increases the energy consumption of the building by 4.07% in heating mode and 2.63% in cooling mode.