The potential effects of window configuration and interior layout on natural ventilation buildings: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Natural ventilation is an eco-friendly and renewable energy source that enhances thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The window is the most traditional method of introducing natural ventilation into the built environment, but its full potential has been slow to be explored. The indoor arrangement of naturally ventilated buildings must be effectively managed to ensure indoor thermal comfort and ventilation efficiency. Although the windows offer a number of advantages for natural ventilation, they can be challenging to implement in real occupied conditions due to the integrated design between façade and interior arrangement. A comprehensive review aims to investigate the potential factors that influence the performance of natural window ventilation. The overall findings show that wind-driven cross-ventilation and single-sided ventilation are the most extensively studied natural window ventilation strategies. However, the topics of corner ventilation and buoyancy-driven ventilation do not receive much attention. The findings highlight that appropriate window designs, including factors such as window geometry, opening ratio, number of openings, location, type, orientation, and shading systems, can maintain thermal comfort, reduce cooling loads, extend ventilation period, and improve indoor air quality. In addition, it has been discovered that the geometric and thermal properties of indoor obstructions determine the advantages and limitations of local thermal comfort and airflow patterns in different scenarios. The necessity for further studies on the effects of interior conditions on natural window ventilation is argued, as it is a crucial issue for ensuring accurate results. The review of recent literature contributes to categorizing the influential factors and identifying the important aspects to be considered in natural window ventilation. Through this literature review, further research is encouraged to fully exploit the potential for integrating interior factors and window characteristics in the design of low-energy buildings.