Abstract
Windows are the most complex elements in residential design, and owners are often confused about how to decide the most efficient window for their residence. A model, namely “A High Performance Window Selection Model – HiPerWin”, was developed as a research project for selecting energy and cost efficient residential windows in different climatic regions of Turkey. The challenge was to attain a basic source which supports the user to provide the energy and cost data required for selecting the appropriate window. In this context, the alternatives of the insulated glazing units (IGU) with different properties were generated, and the performance values of the IGU’s were calculated. A comprehensive parametric study was conducted for providing the energy use of each case. The present value of both the operational energy consumption and capital costs of window systems was calculated for whole life cost evaluation. A dynamic tool, a relational database management system (RDBMS), was also developed to manage all energy and cost results associated with the building model. By means of the RDBMS the users are able to define their cases and select the most energy and cost efficient window system by using the energy and cost data stored in the database.
