The Effect of Climate and Orientation on the Energy Performance of a Prefab House in Norway

Abstract

Norway has a wide range of climatic conditions throughout the country. The climate varies from coastal to inland areas. Geographic latitude and longitude, as well as the gulf stream oceanic flow, account for this phenomenon. Different climate types can certainly affect residential building heating energy demands and make overheating more likely. On the other hand, a building's orientation has an impact on its heating energy requirements. A building's orientation affects how much solar gain it receives and how much wind it receives over the course of the year. Employing DesignBuilder® software, This study examines how different orientations affect the energy performance of a pre-designed house with and without solar photovoltaic panels in typical Norwegian climates. The results confirm that in different locations, the optimal situation is South-East and the lowest energy consumption without and with photovoltaic panels belongs to Bergen with 83305 Wh/m2 and Oslo with 29442 Wh/m2 respectively. This comparative study will be helpful to stakeholders in the building ecosystem (municipalities, engineers, and designers, building companies, suppliers, and residents) in making more informed decisions.