Quansah Essie and Koranteng Christian
The high energy use of curtain wall buildings around the globe is well-known. In Ghana, the situation is not different as new buildings are being constructed with inefficient materials. In this context, the study outlined here sought to analyse the existing glazing types in Adum, the Commercial Business District of Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti Region, and to come out with recommendations on efficient strategies to be used in conserving energy. The process required knowledge on the thermal properties of the glazing used in constructing buildings (curtain wall) and a mathematical approach was used to generate data for the evaluation exercise. The results showed that there are inefficient glazing types (high shading and solar heat gain coefficient values) currently being used in the construction industry. Highly reflective glazing types could have a positive influence on the reduction of cooling loads, the use of sustainable design principles (shading and orientation) will be a benefit for mankind (climate change) and educating professionals and the public will help to contribute to a better built environment.
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