A parametric simulation study on kinetic envelopes

This simulation study reveals the nature of kinetic envelopes in terms of heating and cooling loads, and compares kinetic models and other three referenced models. This research first selected the small office prototype model created by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in accordance with the design and construction requirements of 90.1-2010. Second, we used jEPlus and Energyplus to conduct parametric simulation for the small office prototype model for the selected representative cities related to the different climatic zones in the U.S. Third, we compared the heating and cooling loads. The results showed: 1) Compared to other three referenced models, kinetic technologies significantly reduced heating and cooling loads and peak demands of buildings in the representative climates. 2) Kinetic windows played a more significant role of saving energy than the other elements in the four climates, and the savings were around two times as large as the savings of the highly-insulated glazing.