Assessing the utilization of glazing types and alternatives in office buildings to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions

Abstract

According to Egypt's Vision 2030 and the recommendations of the Climate Conference, Cop 27, Egypt seeks to reduce energy consumption and emissions, especially carbon, by calculating the carbon footprint and moving towards issuing carbon certificates.The elements of the building envelope have a strong impact on energy consumption and carbon emissions. Glass is one of the most influential elements. Therefore, it is necessary to study the effect of glassing on energy consumption.The study aims to evaluate the use of glazing types and their alternatives to reduce energy and carbon consumption in administrative buildings by developing an estimation approach for assessing the energy performance and CO2 emissions of administrative buildings. This approach could help consumers and the government make decisions about converting to energy-efficient and zero-carbon products by selecting different types of glass. To achieve the goals, the study focuses on studying some types of glass and their alternatives, their properties, and the impact of using these alternatives on energy consumption and carbon emissions. Then determine the efficiency of glazing types and their alternatives and the percentage of their impact on reducing carbon emissions, carbon equivalents, and energy conservation by making simulations in the designbuilder program.The best alternatives for glass are silica aerogels (2 mm glass, 12 mm aerogel, and 2 mm glass), which reduce the percentage of embodied carbon (kgCO2) by 40%, the percentage of equivalent CO2 (kgCO2) by 43%, and the percentage of energy by 35% compared to the base case.