Simulation and analysis of the energy performance of an office building located in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

This paper aims to analyze an office building energy performance at Rio de Janeiro. Electrical power consumption profile of a building, resulting from a simulation using building energy-use simulation software, is obtained during a typical year and is shown on an hourly basis and pursuant to final uses. Thus, power consumption figures are obtained through the following final uses: lighting, office equipments, air conditioning and others. Analysis of this profile is accomplished by comparing existing technologies in the building, architectonical design solutions and building materials used, with the  resulting power consumption figures evidenced during simulation. The consumption portion relative to air conditioning facilities is emphasized in this paper, since it’s highly representative and offers a high potential of adequacy, from a viewpoint of equipment efficiency, and as a result of local thermal load factors. After simulations, comparing the present building model with incremental situations in thermal resistance, both on facades and top-level floor, it was noticed that energy performance of building undergoes a large influence from facade protection. Glass covered areas, even featuring glass with satisfactory thermal resistance, is quite encompassing and produces a large impact on building global power consumption figures. Based on this conclusion, an option was made to evaluate, in detail, impacts caused by different solutions to facade protection. Situations with varied hatching, change of glasses as well as glazed area were simulated and analyzed. Lastly, this paper evidences the need to evaluate, still in a project phase, of the impacts on power consumption figures, resulting from a building materials choice and architectonical design solutions, which can be applied in the building. Development of a culture which valuates energyefficiency and which involves agents of this area, is extremely important: creation of an adequate legislation and designer awareness in order to avoid applying architectonical enclosure typologies that are inadequate for our climate, are goals to be attained.