Improving the passive energy efficiency of an office building in Agadir Morocco using dynamic thermal simulations in Design Builder

This study aims to assess the impact of various passive energy efficiency measures on the thermal performances of an office building in Agadir. The parameters evaluated are orientation, envelope composition, type and area of windows glazing, natural ventilation, and shading devices. To evaluate the impact of these parameters; occupation, lighting, and appliances densities are constant in the different scenarios. Thermal simulations are performed using DesignBuilder. Results show that these measures have a positive impact on the energy performance of the building, by reducing its annual loads.By quantifying the effect of different passive approaches, it is concluded that the use of insulation materials has a significant effect on energy conservation, compared to other parameters. The environmental impact of the envelope composition is investigated too, the utilization of the insulation materials leads to greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. The optimal combination that permits energy consumption reduction is southern orientation, wall and roof insulation, windows of double glazing, low infiltration rate (0.3ACH is the adopted value), low window-to-wall ratio (the chosen WWR is 10%), and the use of blinds.