Investigation of optimum external wall insulation thickness of a house two different climate regions

Abstract

In this study, a residential single-family house with an area of 100 m2 was modeled utilizing the Design Builder program in order to calculate the optimum insulation thickness of the external wall including 20% window-to-wall ratio (WWR) for two different climate zones Kirkuk, Iraq city as drying hot which showed heating degree day (HDD) and cooling degree day (CDD) rate between (730) and (1700) degrees. Between (2507) and (178) degrees of the year, the heating degree day (HDD) and cooling degree day (CDD) rate were indicated espectively for the Konya, Turkey city as cold climate zone. The results obtained in the cost analysis of the (XPS , EPS, rock wool and glass wool) insulation materials, furthermore, electric was chosen for Kirkuk hot seasons as a energy source as well as selecting natural gas as energy source for Konya cooling seasons and commercially available materials of the two countries were taken into account. The results showed that, the best exterior wall insulation thickness was determined to be Xopt = 7 cm and Xopt = 19 cm, respectively. At Xopt = 9 cm, the greatest rate of XPS for Kirkuk city was roughly 6.7 percent. Xopt = 7 cm and Xopt = 15 cm findings were achieved as a result of the insulation applied to the building components for Konya. Following that, the energy savings were calculated, and an XPS of 8.3 percent was obtained at Xopt = 11 cm. As a consequence, XPS material was determined to be appropriate for two climatic zones. To sum up, XPS material was determined to be ideal for Kirkuk, which has a hot climate, and Konya, which has a cool environment.

Keywords

• Optimal insulation thickness
• Payback period
• Insulation materal
• Energy saving
• Design Builder program

References

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