The potential of shading devices for temperature reduction in high-rise residential buildings in the tropics

The present study focuses on the effect of shading devices on the indoor temperature of high-rise residential buildings in the hot-humid climate of Malaysia. Several methods can be employed to improve indoor thermal environment, including using a reflective glazing system, using light colors for external surfaces, and using the appropriate thermal properties of external walls and roofs. However, before using any of these methods, it is important to have an optimum shading device to reduce the solar radiation absorption that leads to an overheated indoor environment and an increase in cooling energy loads. Therefore, the main objective of the current paper is to find the extent of a building's solar heat gain and, consequently, the indoor air temperature that is influenced by the external shading devices. A computerized simulation tool (IES < VE >) is used to carry out the investigation, taking Penang as the empirical background of the hot-humid climate. The results indicate that egg-crate shading has a significant impact on decreasing discomfort hours compared with other shading types. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of APAAS