Impact of Shading Devices for Faculty Office Buildings in Tropical Regions—A Case Study in Malaysia

Abstract

External shading devices play a crucial role in reducing solar radiation entering buildings and are an important strategy for lowering cooling loads in tropical regions with high temperatures, high humidity and intense solar radiation. This study used a combination of field measurements and software simulations to explore the appropriate ratio of overhang shading devices for a faculty office at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). By applying the appropriate ratio of shading device, the compliance rate of indoor air temperature (IAT) in the test room can be brought into compliance with the requirement. Building on this, the study simulated the data of IAT and daylight factor (DF) for four common types of external shading devices across 16 building orientations to identify the appropriate shading device for each orientation. This study found that the most suitable shading device for the -45° building orientation (North-west) is the egg crate shading device. Applying it at an appropriate ratio increased compliance rate of IAT of the test room by 20.7%. This study can provide data and theoretical support for the design and practice of shading devices for buildings in tropical regions such as Malaysia.