A heuristic rule-based passive design decision model for reducing heating energy consumption of Korean apartment buildings

This research presents an evaluative energy model for estimating the energy efficiency of the design choices of architects and engineers in the early design phase. We analyze the effects of various parameters with different characteristics in various combinations for building energy consumption. With this analysis, we build a database that identifies a set of heuristic rules for energy-efficient building design to facilitate the design of sustainable apartment housing. Perturbation studies are based on a sensitivity analysis used to identify the thermal influence of the input design parameters on various simulation outputs and compare the results to a reference case. Energy sensitivity weight factors are obtained from an extensive sensitivity study using building energy simulations. The results of the energy sensitivity study summarized in a set of heuristic rules for evaluating architectural features are estimated through case studies of Korean apartment buildings. This study offers valuable guidelines for developing energy-efficient residential housing in Korea and will help architects in considering appropriate design schemes and provide a ready reference to generalized test cases for both architects and engineers so that they can zero in on a set of effective design solutions.