Experimental analysis of double and triple glazed façades with different shading devices in Qatar

The design of fully-glazed façades on buildings has become very popular, especially in hot regions where the use of natural ventilation is not recommended. The integration of shading devices to façade surfaces has been extensively studied to mitigate the resulting increase in cooling load due to larger glazed areas. In this paper, the effect of double and triple-glazed façades oriented in the south direction with different types of shading devices is analyzed and experimentally-quantified over the cooling period in Qatar. The façade and shading combinations have been chosen according to actual construction practices in the country. It was found that adding panes to glazed surfaces is more beneficial than shading devices due to the country's large portion of convective heat gain of the space total cooling load. On the other hand, the benefits of the blinds lie in reducing the transmitted radiation energy with minimal effect on the heat transfer across the façade.