The optimum design of sunspaces in apartment blocks in cold climate.

In order to improve the energy performance of apartment blocks in a cold region of Iran via passive heating, we propose a design modification to the sunspaces/balconies of these buildings. To find the optimum performance dimensions for this proposal, six sunspace configurations with different ratios of glazed to opaque surfaces are simulated. The impact of the main design criteria such as the orientation, the number of glazed surfaces, the orientation and inclination angle of the surfaces, the glazing material, the common wall material and the optimum form and dimensions of the sunspace is evaluated. The results reveal that an optimum designed sunspace is an efficient system for passive heating in cold periods of the year. There are overheating problems during the warmer seasons, which may be eliminated by appropriate shading and ventilation. Our proposed design reduces the heating load of the space under consideration by up to 46%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]