Paper Title
ENHANCING MICROCLIMATE AND REDUCING BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION: UTILIZING EXTERIOR REDIRECTING TRANSPARENT LOUVERS FOR THERMAL AND VISUAL COMFORT IN IRAN'S DIVERSE SCHOOL BUILDINGS

Abstract
Abstract - A great share of buildings’ energy consumption in Iran is consumed in school buildings where the students’ efficiency is highly dependent on thermal and visual comfort conditions. By considering the local microclimate and its influence on building performance, this study proposes an innovative methodology utilizing external redirecting transparent louvers applied to the external part of windows, to enhance the indoor visual and thermal comfort of school buildings in different climatic regions of Iran. Daylight Autonomy and Radiation are optimized as key factors for visual and thermal comfort, respectively, while simultaneously reducing energy consumption. The study focuses on simulated case studies of south-facing and north-facing classrooms located in four distinct climatic regions in Iran. The installation of louvers involves a constant parameter (number of louvers) and variable parameters (angle and width). The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach across all four climatic conditions in Iran, emphasizing its potential to significantly enhance thermal and visual comfort. Specifically, the results indicate a substantial increase in visual comfort (up to 45%) in Sari, along with a notable improvement in thermal demand (40%) in Yazd. Keywords - Energy Consumption, Visual and Thermal Comfort, School Buildings, Optimization, Louvers.