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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Energy performance guidelines. [City of Austin]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5247704

A study was undertaken to determine plausible energy consumption standards for the metabolic processes of buildings. Four papers by Francisco N. Arumi dealing with the effects that design decisions are presented as the first phase of the study. Major conclusions that are valid specifically in Austin, Texas are: the thermal characterization of an external wall must include both the static and dynamic properties; the annual consumption associated with a square foot of wall is highly dependent on the surface-to-volume ratio associated with the wall, and with the rate of internal heat generation associated with the activity with the space; the annual energy consumption associated with a square foot of wall does not always increase with increased glass area; for a given rate of internal heat generation there exists a finite building size that exhibits the lowest total annual energy consumption; the internal partitioning index that relates the shape of the internal spaces relative to the external skin appears to be one of the most energy-significant parameters; and as the building gets larger, the contribution to total energy consumption that can be affected by design decisions gets smaller in comparison to the total cost. Arumi's four papers are: A Study to Determine Plausible Energy Performance Guidelines for Commercial Buildings for the City of Austin; Thermal Performance of Walls: The Effects Due to Geometry and Glass Area; and Thermal Performance of Buildings; Procedure to Determine Guidelines. (MCW)

Research Organization:
City of Austin, Tex. (USA). Energy Conservation Commission
OSTI ID:
5247704
Report Number(s):
NP-22176
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English