Ceiling Height and Energy Performance in School Classrooms: A Simulation Study from Sulaimani, Iraq

Hendren Hamid Abdulrahman

doi:10.23918/eajse.v11i3p19

Authors

Hendren Hamid Abdulrahman Architecture Department, College of Engineering, University of Sulaimani https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8238-3193

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23918/eajse.v11i3p19

Keywords:

Ceiling Height, Environmental Performance Simulation, Energy Efficiency In Educational Buildings, Classroom Thermal Performance, Sustainable School Design

Abstract

The present study examines how classroom ceiling height can influence the energy use of school buildings in Sulaimani, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. For this purpose, DesignBuilder software was used to simulate fourteen classroom cases. In these cases, the ceiling height was gradually increased from 2.70 m to 4.00 m, while all other conditions in the model were kept the same.

The simulation showed that higher ceilings required more annual energy. The main reason was the increase in indoor air volume, which needed more heating during the cold season. From the lowest to the highest tested height, the yearly electricity use increased by 19.3%, and the heating demand rose by almost 40%. In contrast, the lighting energy stayed almost the same in all cases.

From the analysed results, it was found that heights between 2.70 m and 3.00 m provide a better balance between energy use and indoor comfort under local climate conditions. These findings can be useful for future school design and planning in the region.

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