Overhang Design

For a final project in Green Building Design, I collaborated with five other Architectural and Civil Engineering students to design a sustainable exterior wall integrating passive energy-saving techniques. We designed an overhang for the wall and created a scaled 3 m × 3 m model, which was placed in a heliodon to simulate sunlight penetration through the window throughout the year.

Goal

The goal of this project was to design a façade that maximized energy efficiency. The overhang was required to block sunlight from 9 am–3 pm during May, June, and July, while allowing sunlight during the same hours in December. The wall also integrated solar PV panels to offset part of the room’s energy usage, and featured efficient windows and insulation to reduce heating and cooling loads.

Challenges

The main challenge was ensuring complete summer shading while allowing winter sunlight. Since the heliodon test contributed to our grade, it was critical to verify that the design would perform as intended before final testing. Using classroom principles, we designed an overhang with side fins that theoretically met the shading requirements and validated the design through online simulations. The final heliodon test confirmed that our façade performed as required.

My Role

My primary responsibilities included designing the solar PV integration, calculating the optimal overhang angle, sizing panels to generate sufficient electricity, and selecting panel types. I also developed performance metrics for the design, including energy savings, lifecycle impact, and overall façade performance.

Design solar PV to generate 500+ kWh/year meeting our performance metric goal
Determination of overhang angle and dimensions for shading and energy capture
Development of performance metrics for energy efficiency, lifecycle, and overall façade effectiveness