The aim of this article is to analyze the energy efficiency issues of eight office buildings built in Barcelona. Using computer simulations to compare energy demand and level of indoor natural lighting, it is demonstrated that there are considerable differences in demand – in some cases more than double – depending on the type of facade, and these differences are not directly related to the economic cost of the construction solutions used. In all cases, the cooling demand represents more than 80% of the total climate control demand, and solar radiation is the parameter with the greatest effect. The overall solar factor of the facade stands out as a key variable to control to both reduce the overall energy needs of a building and separate the cooling demand from the orientation of the building. The level of natural lighting is a differentiating element only in cases that had similar thermal energy performance.

Peer Reviewed