The Impact of Applying Shading Elements on the Thermal Comfortability in the University of Mosul’s Buildings

Abstract

This paper addresses the significance of natural lighting and solar control in building design, mainly focusing on housing buildings at the University of Mosul. The effective utilization of natural lighting is crucial for achieving optimal thermal performance and environmentally successful buildings. Various design and natural factors influence the lighting levels within interior spaces, necessitating the critical process of controlling natural lighting aspects and providing appropriate shading based on space requirements. Among the factors that pose environmental and thermal challenges for buildings are the direction, area, and shape of windows. Utilizing solar control and shading methods becomes imperative to mitigate these challenges and enhance energy efficiency. Shading plays a vital role in building cooling systems, as it helps reduce direct solar heat gain and prevents excessive solar radiation from entering the building during different seasons. Additionally, it offers the potential for harnessing natural light to achieve self-heating benefits during colder seasons. Hence, this research focuses on developing a simple and effective solar control mechanism using solar shades for university buildings within the University of Mosul. By employing qualitative analysis and simulations, the study explores the optimal design and physical characteristics of solar shades to ensure suitable thermal comfort and address the facade treatment of university buildings. The research findings highlight that models 1 and 2 of louvre designs demonstrate the most effective performance, providing comfortable thermal conditions and optimal lighting and significantly reducing energy consumption by 65%. This study underscores the importance of natural lighting and solar control strategies in building design and offers practical solutions for improving thermal comfort and energy efficiency.