Final design:

Summary:

Photovoltaic cells-

Convert sunlight directly into electricity, reduce carbon footprint

Transparent covering/shade-

Allows natural lighting to pass through for spiral stairway

Light pipe-

Reflects sunlight directly into an interior room, more energy efficient

High efficiency appliances (eg. air-conditioners)-

More energy efficient, lesser unnecessary energy wastage and energy consumption

Natural operable window/shade-

Offer fresh air flow without the need for energy input

Vegetative walls-

Best cooling efficiency by reducing average temperature reduction of the wall surface

Radiant ceiling panel-

Cools indoor temperatures by removing sensible heat, radiant cooling

Geothermal heat system-

Utilise unlimited geothermal energy (renewable heat source) to lower temperature inside building, reduce carbon footprint

Open-air concept-

Natural ventilation, increased air flow

Floor diffusers-

Providing ventilation and space conditioning in buildings, rely on the natural stratification that occurs when warm air rises due to thermal buoyancy

Triple glazing coated glass-

Keep heat out during summer

Roles and responsibility

Names	Roles and Responsibility
Kai Phylicia (06)	1.       Research on natural ventilation operable/shade and light pipes 2.       Do the roles and responsibility
Michelle Heng (14)	1.       Research on triple glazing coated glass
Christianne Mok (15)	2.       Edit and combine all the research into the blog 3.       Research on PV cells, geothermal heating system and radiant ceiling panel 4.       Create the draft and final design
Nicole Wong (16)	1.       Research on vegetative walls 2.       Create the blog
Natalie Ong (17)	1.       Research on natural lighting and floor diffusers

Natural ventilation operable windows/ shades

·         The feasibility of natural ventilation strategies depends on

1.      local air quality

2.      climate conditions

3.      building layout

4.      greatly influenced by floor plan depth

5.      other factors

·         Offer fresh air flow without the need for energy input.

·         Occupants value the psychological benefits of a connection to the outdoors, especially if they can control it by simply opening a window.

v  Casement and projecting windows can typically be fully opened, allowing for greater ventilation. An outward-projecting sash may help direct outdoor air into a room. Under harsher wind conditions, however, inward-projecting sashes may be more feasible.

v  Sliding windows have more limited openings of less than half of the overall window area.

v  Mechanically or manually operable skylights or roof windows allow rising warm air to exit and be replaced by cooler outdoor air entering through open windows at a lower level.

Window placement (location and size of opening) will affect occupant cooling if air is moving fast enough. The average interior air velocity is a function of:

• the exterior wind velocity;
• the angle at which the wind strikes the opening;
• and the size of the opening.

Benefits

·         cost and environmental impact of energy use

·         Not only does natural ventilation provide ventilation (outdoor air) to ensure safe healthy and comfortable conditions for building occupants without the use of fans, it also provides free cooling without the use of mechanical systems.

·         building construction costs and operation costs

·         reduce the energy consumption for air-conditioning and circulating fans

Disadvantages of Natural Ventilation

·         lack of precise control of air flow, which only fan ventilation can insure

·         dependant on the difference between inside and outside temperature but mostly on the wind, which can change in both speed and direction every few minutes

·         building  runs the risk of underventilation on calm, hot days and overventilation on cold days.

·         building location where wind would be deflected or blocked is unacceptable for a natural system

http://www.commercialwindows.org/ventilation.php

http://gbtech.emsd.gov.hk/english/utilize/natural.html

http://www.ides-edu.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Ventilation_lecture-2_PH-Alleen-lezen.pdf

Light pipes 

·         Used for transporting or distributing natural or artificial light for the purpose of illumination,

·         Example of optical waveguides

·         Also called tubular daylighting devices, sun pipes, sun scopes, or daylight pipes.

·         divided into two broad categories

1.      hollow structures that contain the light with a reflective lining

2.      transparent solids that contain the light by total internal reflection.

• A tube or pipe for transport of light to another location, minimizing the loss of light;
• A transparent tube or pipe for distribution of light over its length, either for equidistribution along the entire length or for controlled light leakage.

·         A pipe that sticks out of a building's roof and reflects sunlight directly into an interior room.

Advantages

·         Provide natural light and of saving energy.

·         Transmitted light varies over the day and can be used with artificial light to have a constant illuminating level

·         Also used for underground structures which have no access to light.

·         More energy efficient than skylight since less energy escapes from the interior due to less surface area.

Disadvantages

·         less effective in cloudy weather as clouds obstruct incident sunlight from the rooftop collector

·         light pipes can still allow some heat transfer as well as condensation

·         increase the heating or cooling load for the space

Source: https://www.bca.gov.sg/zeb/daylightsystems.html

Vegetative walls

·         Vertical greenery systems can be broadly classified into 2 major categories:

1.      green façade

2.      living wall.

The 2 frequent green façade systems are the modular trellis panel as well as the cable and wire-rope net systems while the use of planter-cassettes or the modular system with substrate are commonly found in living wall systems

                                                  

THERMAL IMPACTS

·         have the best cooling efficiency throughout an entire day for the average temperature reduction of the wall surface

·         best capacity for substrate surface temperature reduction

·         potential thermal benefits of vertical greenery systems

·         reduce the surface temperature of buildings facades in the tropical climate

·         lead to a corresponding reduction in the energy cooling load and consequent saving in energy cost

ADOPTABILITY AND PLANT SUITABILITY

·         Plants species must be able to tolerate the high temperature and periodic temperature fluctuation of Singapore’s weather.

·         Substrate moisture requirements of plants, their tolerance to drought and periods of water stress as well as their ability to tolerate moisture on their surface must be taken into account.

·         Climbing habit and their degree of aggressiveness of growth should be reviewed to ensure its aesthetic performance.

Triple glazing coated glass

·         commonly known as double

·         are double or triple glass window panes separated by an air or other gas filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing

Benefits:

•     Wider cavities between the two glass panes 16mm is the optimum distance

•     Low-emissivity coatings being added to the glass to stop heat escaping

•     The cavity being filled with an inert gas, usually argon

•     Designing out cold bridges (aluminium spacers etc) surrounding the glazed units

•     improved overall thermal efficiency of a building envelope

•     Keep heat out during summer

•     Improved security over double glazed windows

•     Better sound insulation over double glazed windows

http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/key-choices/green/triple-glazing

Disadvantages:

•          reduces solar gain

•          reduces light transmission

•          increases the need for artificial lighting

•          produce more energy from solar gain than they lose through heat loss. They can be produced using current window types and styles at relatively small increased costs. Lowering U values beyond this level produces disproportionately large cost increases as the table shows.

http://www.secure-style.co.uk/index.php/products/triple-glaze-vs-double-glazing

Floor Diffusers

·         Vertical air supply

·         Installation within the riser of a step

·         an air distribution strategy for providing ventilation and space conditioning in buildings as part of the design of an HVAC system

·         use an underfloor supply plenum located between the structural concrete slab and a raised floor system to supply conditioned air through floor diffusers directly into the occupied zone of the building

·         rely on the natural stratification that occurs when warm air rises due to thermal buoyancy

Fields of application:
For floor installation in high thermal load capacity rooms

Function:
Floor swirl diffusers are pre-engineered for installation in double floors. The swirl disc produces a stable air jet and allows high induction. This reduces the jet speed and the temperature difference very well. Comfort criteria are complied with. An additional dirt-collecting cage facilitates the cleaning of the installation. Furthermore, the diffuser air flow can be set by means of the height-adjustable cage floor.

Models:
BDA-K - Plastic swirl plate
BDA-M - Brass swirl plate
BDA-A - Aluminium swirl plate.

Benefits (compared to traditional overhead systems):

·         layout flexibility

·         improved thermal comfort

·         improved ventilation efficiency

·         improved energy efficiency in suitable climates

·         reduced life cycle costs

	PWAA Diffuser for installation floors (telecommunication). PWAA Floor diffusers are suitable for premises used in telecommunication, computer centers etc., generally -in premises where good ventilation must cover lower zones. Vertical air supply, for use in auditoriums, theatres, concert halls, classrooms etc. Only very limited distance between diffuser and seat required.

Sources:

http://www.halton.com/halton/cms.nsf/www/floor-air-diffusers

http://www.schako.com/en/20_products/20_02.php?s=Floor%20diffusers

http://www.flaktwoods.com.sg/products-services/buildings/products/ventilation-solutions/air-terminal-devices/diffusers/floor-diffusers/