On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential
The use of second building skins is becoming a trademark in modern architecture, opening for innovative solutions, such as three-dimensional (3D) systems. This paper explores the potential of these systems to provide adequate solar protection to glazed façades by means of an advanced optical charact...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1103 |
| _version_ | 1797439083274829824 |
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| author | Andrea Giovanni Mainini Alberto Speroni Tiziana Poli Michele Zinzi |
| author_facet | Andrea Giovanni Mainini Alberto Speroni Tiziana Poli Michele Zinzi |
| author_sort | Andrea Giovanni Mainini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of second building skins is becoming a trademark in modern architecture, opening for innovative solutions, such as three-dimensional (3D) systems. This paper explores the potential of these systems to provide adequate solar protection to glazed façades by means of an advanced optical characterization. Spectral transmittance and reflectance of fourteen samples, belonging to several technological families, are measured with a built-in spectrophotometer, suitable to accurately characterize complex semi-transparent systems. Solar and lighting properties are then calculated. The normal optical properties strongly depend on the openness factor, thus the geometry primarily affects the performance. A total of 11 samples exhibit normal solar transmittance in the 40–53% range; the value decreases to 20% for the plissé metal grid and increases to 70% on average for metal meshes. The angular transmittance depends on the system texture geometry and its self-shading capabilities. It was found that such systems underperform as static conventional shading systems; however, one of the metal meshes, the plissé grid and the plastic grid exhibit relevant angular selectivity, with transmittance decay at 60° in the 58–72% range compared to the normal incidence value. The results show that some of the selected 3D systems provide adequate solar protection. The developed dataset can be used for early-stage design analyses, as well as for energy performance model input and validation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:47:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81bbc75712d54aa8ba7cc1e93c1886c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:47:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-81bbc75712d54aa8ba7cc1e93c1886c82023-11-30T23:19:20ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092022-07-01128110310.3390/buildings12081103On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control PotentialAndrea Giovanni Mainini0Alberto Speroni1Tiziana Poli2Michele Zinzi3Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, ItalySmart Energy Division, Energy Technologies Department, ENEA—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, ItalyThe use of second building skins is becoming a trademark in modern architecture, opening for innovative solutions, such as three-dimensional (3D) systems. This paper explores the potential of these systems to provide adequate solar protection to glazed façades by means of an advanced optical characterization. Spectral transmittance and reflectance of fourteen samples, belonging to several technological families, are measured with a built-in spectrophotometer, suitable to accurately characterize complex semi-transparent systems. Solar and lighting properties are then calculated. The normal optical properties strongly depend on the openness factor, thus the geometry primarily affects the performance. A total of 11 samples exhibit normal solar transmittance in the 40–53% range; the value decreases to 20% for the plissé metal grid and increases to 70% on average for metal meshes. The angular transmittance depends on the system texture geometry and its self-shading capabilities. It was found that such systems underperform as static conventional shading systems; however, one of the metal meshes, the plissé grid and the plastic grid exhibit relevant angular selectivity, with transmittance decay at 60° in the 58–72% range compared to the normal incidence value. The results show that some of the selected 3D systems provide adequate solar protection. The developed dataset can be used for early-stage design analyses, as well as for energy performance model input and validation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1103building envelopeoptical properties of building envelope componentsshading devicesbuilding energy performance designtechnology transfer |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Giovanni Mainini Alberto Speroni Tiziana Poli Michele Zinzi On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential Buildings building envelope optical properties of building envelope components shading devices building energy performance design technology transfer |
| title | On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential |
| title_full | On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential |
| title_fullStr | On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential |
| title_short | On the Optical Characterization of Architectural Three-Dimensional Skins and Their Solar Control Potential |
| title_sort | on the optical characterization of architectural three dimensional skins and their solar control potential |
| topic | building envelope optical properties of building envelope components shading devices building energy performance design technology transfer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/12/8/1103 |
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