Fenestration studies on building energy using the facade evaluation facility

The project was developed to assess several types of facades and their influence on building energy, mainly focused on windows and other building fenestrations. Requirements for the facility are stated in this paper alongside corresponding solutions. The facility is designed to represent a section of a building facade. Experimenting on a wide range of fenestrations including windows with integrated PV elements was the primary prerequisite. The option of removable facade configurations was used and allowed testing specimens to be changed effortlessly. Instrumentation and data acquisition are discussed including calibration and uncertainty analysis. Investigation of the air conditioning unit was concluded during the calibration stage. Fenestration property measurements such as the thermal and optical performance have been evaluated for several windows. Theoretically calculated values and experimental data are compared. Data acquired demonstrate the influence the facade has on the building energy loads. Additional research into these characteristics assists in improving building energy efficiency. Moreover, outcomes of the results are analyzed for residential or commercial purposes, giving practical information for wide-ranging conditions. Further testing of different types of facades will continue and comparisons can be inferred between specimens. Development of the data will help provide valuable information for energy efficient building design.