A Comparative Thermal-Performance Study of Cladding Systems in Commercial Buildings in Palestine

Abstract

The cladding system is an important and effective part of the building. As it is known the main goal of cladding is to protect the quality of interior spaces from extreme climatic conditions and natural forces. High performance cladding systems provide designers and engineers with more functional solutions to improve the quality of the indoor environment. High performance cladding systems can be used to create interior spaces with high thermal comfort conditions. Recently, new cladding materials such as different types of composite panels have been used in the design of cladding systems for commercial buildings in Hebron-Palestine. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the modern cladding systems of commercial buildings in Hebron-Palestine and compare the systems to utilize these different new materials and layers. It also aims to improve the design of the exterior wall using these materials in order to obtain the appropriate thermal performance for the system in summer and winter. In addition, the research aims to provide some recommendations for the design of façade systems that can be followed and considered by architects and designers in the early design phases or in the retrofit phase in the development of façade systems for commercial projects in Hebron-Palestine. The methodology of this study is based on analyzing the cases and then evaluating the proposed materials and layers for each case using the Hourly Analysis Program (HAP) and comparing between the systems to find the most effective façade design to improve the thermal performance of the building. The study simulates some possibilities of façade system models by changing the wall layers, layout, thickness, air cavity, insulation thickness, and glass types. The study obtained useful results with energy savings of 10 to 40% in the assumed modified scenarios, depending on the different circumstances and if the designers define and test the envelope-related parameters at an early stage of the modification of the exterior wall design of the building.