Optimizing the dimensional ratio and orientation of residential buildings in the humid temperate climate to reduce energy consumption (Case: Rasht Iran)

Today, the number of cities and the increase in greenhouse gases have led to the intensification of global warming. The construction industry has had a significant impact on this crisis. Therefore, using passive solutions such as optimizing building proportions and proper orientation in any climate can significantly help reduce building energy consumption and greenhouse gases. The research aims to optimize the proportions of residential buildings and their orientation to minimize the building's energy consumption in the city of Rasht with a moderate climate. For this purpose, a three-story building with dimensions of 1:1 was selected, and the energy consumption of the building, including the load of cooling, heating, and lighting, was calculated in the north-south and east-west dimensions up to 1:10 ratios. The desired parametric simulation and optimization were done using the Design Builder software. Then, the most optimal mode was selected in terms of proportionality by using parametric optimization; the energy consumption of the building with a different orientation compared to the geographical north was calculated for each degree up to 364 degrees. The results showed that the energy consumption of the building with a ratio of 1:4 with east-west elongation was 155.29 kWh/m, which has the lowest energy consumption compared to other modes and is also compatible with the construction and building industry. Also, the building with zero-degree orientation to the geographical north and east-west extension has the lowest carbon dioxide production and annual energy consumption, which is 2107 kg/m and 146.28 kWh/m, respectively.