Multi-objective optimization-simulation model to improve the buildings' design specification in different climate zones of Iran

The building sector is responsible for approximately 40% of the total annual worldwide consumption of energy. In Iran, subsidy policies of energy supply have caused it to be more than 2.5 times of the global consumption. As a result, buildings' energy efficiency improvement must be considered important for Iranian designers and researchers. However, this issue has not received due attention yet. Thus, the present study aims to shed new light on the buildings' energy efficiency planning in Iran by adopting a multi-objective optimization-simulation model in order to provide a set of optimum possible solutions for improving the energy efficiency measures of buildings located in different climate zones of the country. The proposed model aims at determination of envelope materials, and types of active/passive cooling/heating systems to optimize the economic and environmental performance of the overall system. The model is applied to a building categorized as type-one according to the building occupancy typologies of national building regulations in Iran. Simulations are performed by BCS19 software in order to evaluate the quality of the Pareto optimal alternatives. Therefore, amendment of routines in designing buildings according to different climate conditions is proposed.