Analysis of Balcony Variables Aimed at Optimizing Energy Consumption and Daylight in Mid-Rise Residential Apartments in Tehran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Architecture, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Art, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

With the rapid population growth, increasing demand for housing, and rising land prices, vertical construction in major cities has become inevitable. In this process, traditional open and semi-open spaces such as courtyards and verandas, which once played a key role in improving the quality of life, have faded away and been replaced by small and underutilized balconies. Meanwhile, balconies—serving as a transitional space between indoor and outdoor environments—still hold significant potential for reducing building energy consumption while enhancing natural daylight access. This study aims to optimize balcony design in mid-rise residential apartments in Tehran’s climate. It simultaneously investigates the impact of five variables: balcony length, protrusion depth, recess depth, parapet type, and window-to-wall ratio. Energy simulations were performed using the Ladybug Tools plugin in Rhino software (version 8), and a genetic algorithm was applied through the Wallacei plugin. To analyze the results, the Pearson correlation test was used. The findings indicate that the optimal model 1—with a 1.2-meter protrusion, 0.4-meter recess, vertical railing parapet, and 80% window-to-wall ratio—reduced energy consumption by up to 3.9 kWh/m² compared to the base model. Moreover, this model achieved an increase of over 5.1% in daylight sufficiency and a reduction of approximately 4.9% in annual direct solar radiation received indoors. These results highlight the importance of selecting optimal balcony design parameters and provide practical guidance for improving balcony performance in mid-rise residential buildings.

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Main Subjects

Journal of sustainable Energy Systems

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 July 2025

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