The effect of transparent surface features on daylight multiplier and cooling load in hot climate regions

Since architecture was established as a profession, designers have worked in this field without ignoring light. Artificial light, especially natural light, is considered as a design element with the development of shadow and technology; It was effective in shaping the building envelope during the design process. Building shells that separate natural and artificial environments and act as a separator between interior and exterior spaces; It allows the sunlight reaching the surface to be taken into the space through openings. The openings on the surface are devices for the internal environment. For this reason, daylight must be included in the space with the right designs in order to achieve daylight performance at optimum values to ensure visual comfort in the interior environment. Ensuring the creation of a qualified visual space in the interior environment and creating environments that meet visual expectations are important within the scope of user health, activity and comfort. In this context; The effective use of daylight in the space is an element that must be given importance in designs in order to provide optimum visual expectations for the user and to create visual comfort conditions in the interior. In this way, the energy and costs spent on lighting requirements can be reduced. The use of transparent surfaces is increasing in today's shell designs. The increasing ratio of transparent surface areas to opaque surface areas on facades brings about energy losses. Because transparent surfaces are weaker components in terms of energy loss than opaque surfaces. However, in addition to this, transparent surfaces also have positive effects on the use of daylight. Nowadays, it is seen that the transparent surface area ratios in the building envelope are increasing, especially in office buildings. In this case, the effect of transparent surface features increases. Within the scope of this study, a sample building in a hot climate region was selected and the effect of transparent surface features on daylight multiplier and cooling load was evaluated. In the study, three different scenarios consisting of different transparent surface features were created using the Design Builder simulation program, keeping the transparency rate of the existing structure constant (65%). The findings were analyzed with tables and graphs. As a result of the study, the importance of choosing a transparent surface suitable for the hot climate region is emphasized. As a result of the study, a general evaluation of the outputs obtained was made and, according to the results obtained, an attempt was made to determine the types of glass that form the building envelope features that should be used in designs to benefit from optimum daylight and provide visual comfort conditions in offices. Among the glass types used in the study, the most suitable for hot climate region is reflective coated glass.