Determining the effect of external shading strategies on energy and daylight of fully glazed office buildings in Toronto

With regard to overheating and heat lost potential, transparent parts of the building envelope have a significant impact on building energy consumption. The project investigates the impact of fully glazed façades on energy intensity and daylight quality of office buildings in Toronto. Also it explores the potential of various external shading strategies in minimizing energy consumption and enhancing daylight quality. Different types of external shadings including overhangs, vertical fins and diagrid screen were investigated in terms of heating, cooling and lighting energy use and daylight performance. The diagrid screen, in comparison to conventional shading strategies, demonstrates significantly better impact on cooling load reduction and improving daylight quality in interior spaces. This study helped to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each shading system and provides guidelines for architects in the process of designing façades of glazed office buildings to widen the options for aesthetically pleasing, high performance façades.