{"id":42225,"date":"2026-09-15T10:30:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/?p=42225"},"modified":"2026-09-15T10:30:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:30:56","slug":"integrating-smart-materials-into-building-facade-design-to-achieve-thermal-sustainability-a-case-study-in-karbala-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/?p=42225","title":{"rendered":"Integrating Smart Materials into Building Facade Design to Achieve Thermal Sustainability: A Case Study in Karbala, Iraq"},"content":{"rendered":"

Integrating Smart Materials into Building Facade Design to Achieve Thermal Sustainability: A Case Study in Karbala, Iraq<\/p>\n

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by<\/p>\n

Saba Salih Shalal, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, The University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq<\/div>\n
Haider I. Alyasari, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, The University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq<\/div>\n
Zahraa Nasser Azzam, Reconstruction and Projects Department, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al Diwaniyah 58001, Iraq<\/div>\n
Ali Nadhim Shakir, Architectural Department, Al-Safwa University College, Karbala 56001, Iraq<\/div>\n
Zainab Mahmood Malik, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, The University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq<\/div>\n
Zainab Hamid Mohson, Electrical Engineering Technical College, Middle Technical University, Baghdad 10074, Iraq<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Abstract<\/h2>\n
This study addresses a critical methodological gap in evaluating building envelope performance in hot, arid climates, the overreliance on annual energy indicators, which fail to capture transient thermal behavior during peak-load periods. In such environments, instantaneous heat gains, their intensity, and temporal distribution are decisive factors for cooling demand, occupant comfort, and grid stability. To overcome this limitation, a dynamic evaluation framework\u2014the Thermal Adaptation Rating (TAC) system\u2014is proposed. TAC integrates three interrelated indices\u2014peak temperature reduction (\u0394T_peak), relative peak cooling load reduction (\u0394P_peak, %), and peak thermal delay (\u0394t_delay), representing thermal damping, load intensity mitigation, and temporal redistribution, respectively. A typical residential building in Karbala was modeled in DesignBuilder using the EnergyPlus engine, with inputs documented and calibration performed against real consumption data following ASHRAE standards (MBE and CV(RMSE)) to ensure reliability. The study examined advanced envelope systems, including thermochromic glass (TG), phase-change materials (PCMs), aerogel materials (AMs), and hybrid combinations. Results revealed that while AM achieved the greatest annual energy savings, its impact on instantaneous cooling load was limited. PCM, by contrast, effectively mitigated and delayed peak loads, enhancing thermal comfort (PMV\/PPD). Hybrid systems, particularly TG-PCM, delivered the most balanced performance, simultaneously reducing peak cooling load and shifting its occurrence to reshape the cooling demand curve during critical periods. These findings demonstrate that annual indices alone are insufficient for evaluating envelope performance in extreme climates. Peak-condition analysis, expressed in terms of instantaneous cooling load, as operationalized through TAC, provides a more accurate representation of thermal behavior and offers a practical tool to guide envelope design decisions in hot, dry regions.<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Keywords:<\/div>\n

thermal adaptability<\/a>;\u00a0smart building envelopes<\/a>;\u00a0peak cooling load<\/a>;\u00a0dry environment<\/a>;\u00a0thermal glass<\/a>;\u00a0phase change materials<\/a>;\u00a0aerogel materials<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Integrating Smart Materials into Building Facade Design to Achieve Thermal Sustainability: A Case Study in Karbala, Iraq by Saba Salih … <\/i>\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0621\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0632\u064a\u062f<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42225"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42227,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42225\/revisions\/42227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/repository.qu.edu.iq\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}