A case study of energy performance for solar film coating in an air-conditioned commercial building

The advances in thin film coatings for window glass products provide a means of substantially reducing heat gain without proportionally reducing daylight transmittance. Solar film coatings together with photoelectric lighting control systems could minimize the building energy expenditures. In Hong Kong, many buildings are constructed close to each other and shading effects from nearby buildings can be significant. This paper studies the lighting and cooling energy performances for a fully air-conditioned open-plan office building when solar film coatings together with daylight-linked lighting controls are being used. The computer software, EnergyPlus, was used to simulate the annual building energy use and the peak loads. The exterrial environments (obstructions) were modelled based on a business district in Hong Kong. The findings showed that the solar film coatings coupled with lighting dimming controls could cut down certain amount of building energy use and peak electrical and cooling, demands.