Impact of thermal insulation on energy consumption in buildings

Year 2024, Volume: 10 Issue: 4, 924 - 935, 29.07.2024

Lemya Bentoumi Touba Bouacida Rachid Bessaih Abdelouahab Bouttout

Abstract

This study examines the impact of thermal insulation on thermal comfort and energy consumption in an existing house that did not comply with building regulations. Thermal insula-tion included adding layers of polystyrene in the ceiling and floor, the areas with the highest heat gain and loss. After renovation, findings demonstrated a 55% reduction in heating energy required for winter. Reduction in air conditioning power was 18% during the summer. Simulations using the DesignBuilder software for the house revealed a 42% and a 17% reduction in the energy needed for heating and cooling. TRNSYS software simulation indicated a 500 kWh average annual energy consumption reduction. Experimental results measurements in two days of summer proved that the indoor temperatures of the house did not exceed 25.1°C and remained stable regardless of changes in external temperatures. Thermal insulation is a promising solution for reducing energy consumption and achieving thermal comfort in buildings.

Keywords

Buildings, Energy Consumption, Heat Loss, Thermal Comfort, Thermal Gain, Thermal Insulation, Renovation

References

• [1] Skovajsa J, Drabek P, Sehnalek S, Zalesak M. Design and experimental evaluation of phase change material based cooling ceiling system. Appl Therm Engineer 2022;205:118011. [CrossRef]
• [2] Lee J, Kim J, Song D, Kim J, Jang C. Impact of external insulation and internal thermal density upon energy consumption of buildings in a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2017;75:10811088. [CrossRef]
• [3] Paraschiv S, Paraschiv LS, Serban A. Increasing the energy efficiency of a building by thermal insulation to reduce the thermal load of the micro-combined cooling, heating and power system. Energy Rep 2021;7:286298. [CrossRef]
• [4] Huang H, Zhou Y, Huang R, Wu H, Sun Y, Huang G. Optimum insulation thicknesses and energy conservation of building thermal insulation materials in Chinese zone of humid subtropical climate. Sustain Cities Soc 2020;52:101840. [CrossRef]
• [5] Zilberberg E, Trapper P, Meir IA, Isaac S. The impact of thermal mass and insulation of building structure on energy efficiency. Energy Build 2021;241:110954. [CrossRef]
• [6] Simona PL, Spiru P, Ion IV. Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings by thermal insulation. Energy Procedia 2017;128:393399. [CrossRef]
• [7] Alhefnawi MA, Abdu-Allah Al-Qahtany M. Thermal insulation efficiency of unventilated air-gapped facades in hot climate. Arab J Sci Engineer 2017;42:11551160. [CrossRef]
• [8] Zhao K, Jiang Z, Huang Y, Sun Z, Wang L. The method of reducing heat loss from thermal bridges in residential buildings with internal insulation in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. J Build Engineer 2022;62:105421. [CrossRef]
• [9] Wang Y, Wang C, Gao S, Zheng X, Darkwa J. The impact of thermal insulation on cooling energy consumption and optimal insulation thickness for underground tunnel. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 2021;47:101495. [CrossRef]
• [10] Yuan L, Kang Y, Wang S, Zhong K. Effects of thermal insulation characteristics on energy consumption of buildings with intermittently operated air-conditioning systems under real time varying climate conditions. Energy Build 2017;155:559570. [CrossRef]
• [11] Lakrafli H, Tahiri S, Albizane A, el Houssaini S, Bouhria M. Effect of thermal insulation using leather and carpentry wastes on thermal comfort and energy consumption in a residential building. Energy Effic 2017;10:11891199. [CrossRef]
• [12] Dombaycı ÖA. The environmental impact of optimum insulation thickness for external walls of buildings. Build Environ 2007;42:38553859. [CrossRef]
• [13] Mishra S, Usmani JA, Varshney S. Energy saving analysis in building walls through thermal insulation system. Int J Eng Res Appl 2012;2:128135.
• [14] Khoukhi M, Tahat M. Effect of temperature and density variations on thermal conductivity of polystyrene insulation materials in Oman climate. J Eng Phys Thermophys 2015;88:994998. [CrossRef]
• [15] Yucel KT, Basyigit C, Ozel C. Thermal insulation properties of expanded polystyrene as construction and insulating materials. 15th Symposium in Thermophysical Properties; 2003. pp. 5466.
• [16] Fang Z, Li N, Li B, Luo G, Huang Y. The effect of building envelope insulation on cooling energy consumption in summer. Energy Build 2014;77:197205. [CrossRef]
• [17] Aliakbari K, Ebrahimi-Moghadam A, Ildarabadi P. Investigating the impact of a novel transparent nano-insulation in building windows on thermal comfort conditions and energy consumptions in different climates of Iran. Therm Sci Engineer Prog 2021;25:101009. [CrossRef]
• [18] Kalbasi R, Afrand M. Which one is more effective to add to building envelope: Phase change material, thermal insulation, or their combination to meet zero-carbon- ready buildings? J Clean Prod 2022;367:133032. [CrossRef]
• [19] Boobalakrishnan P, Kumar PM, Balaji G, Jenaris DS, Kaarthik S, Babu MJP, et al. Thermal management of metal roof building using phase change material (PCM). Mater Today Proc. 2021;47:50525058. [CrossRef]
• [20] Al-Yasiri Q, Szabó M. Experimental study of PCM-enhanced building envelope towards energy-saving and decarbonisation in a severe hot climate. Energy Build 2023;279:112680. [CrossRef]
• [21] Saffari M, Roe C, Finn DP. Improving the building energy flexibility using PCM-enhanced envelopes. Appl Therm Engineer 2022;217:119092. [CrossRef]
• [22] Alshuraiaan B. Efficient utilization of PCM in building envelope in a hot environment condition. Int J Thermofluids 2022;16:100205. [CrossRef]
• [23] Wu D, Rahim M, El M, Bennacer R, Djedjig R, Liu B. Dynamic hygrothermal behavior and energy performance analysis of a novel multilayer building envelope based on PCM and hemp concrete. Constr Build Mater 2022;341:127739. [CrossRef]
• [24] Ajour MN, Abduaal MJ, Hariri FA, Abu-Hamdeh NH, Karimipour A. Reducing electricity demand by integrating a sustainable pack into HVAC-adding PCM in sustainable pack as well as building envelopes. J Build Engineer 2022;57:104915. [CrossRef]
• [25] Balaji D, Sivalingam S, Bhuvaneswari V, Amarnath V, Adithya J, Balavignesh V, et al. Aerogels as alternatives for thermal insulation in buildings – A comparative teeny review. Mater Today Proc 2022;62:53715377. [CrossRef]
• [26] Bashir AW, Chaves B, Leite C. Performance of aerogel as a thermal insulation material towards a sustainable design of residential buildings for tropical climates in Nigeria. Energy Built Environ 2022;3:291315. [CrossRef]
• [27] Lucchi E, Becherini F, Di Tuccio MC, Troi A, Frick J, Roberti F, et al. Thermal performance evaluation and comfort assessment of advanced aerogel as blown-in insulation for historic buildings. Build Environ. 2017;122:258268. [CrossRef]
• [28] Niu Y, Wang S, Zhu Z, Su M, Wang Y, Yan L, et al. Robust composite aerogels with excellent flame retardant and thermal insulation properties based on modified hollow glass microspheres. Polym Degrad Stab. 2022;202:110030. [CrossRef]
• [29] Belloni E, Buratti C, Merli F, Moretti E, Ihara T. Thermal-energy and lighting performance of aerogel glazings with hollow silica: Field experimental study and dynamic simulations. Energy Build 2021;243:110999. [CrossRef]
• [30] Leung CK, Lu L, Liu Y, Cheng HS, Tse JH. Optical and thermal performance analysis of aerogel glazing technology in a commercial building of Hong Kong. Energy Built Environ 2020;1:215223. [CrossRef]
• [31] Jiang S, Zhang M, Jiang W, Xu Q, Yu J, Liu L, et al. Multiscale nanocelluloses hybrid aerogels for thermal insulation: The study on mechanical and thermal properties. Carbohydr Polym 2020;247:116701. [CrossRef]
• [32] Yang J, Wu H, Xu X, Huang G, Xu T, Guo S. Numerical and experimental study on the thermal performance of aerogel insulating panels for building energy efficiency. Renew Energy 2019;138:445457. [CrossRef]
• [33] Palumbo M, Lacasta AM, Giraldo MP, Haurie L, Correal E. Bio-based insulation materials and their hygrothermal performance in a building envelope system (ETICS). Energy Build 2018;174:147155. [CrossRef]
• [34] Torres-rivas A, Palumbo M, Haddad A, Cabeza LF, Jiménez L. Multi-objective optimisation of bio-based thermal insulation materials in building envelopes considering condensation risk. Appl Energy 2018;224:602614. [CrossRef]
• [35] Fedorik F, Zach J, Lehto M, Kymäläinen HR, Kuisma R, Jallinoja M, et al. Hygrothermal properties of advanced bio-based insulation materials. Energy Build. 2021;253:111528. [CrossRef]
• [36] Ismail B, Belayachi N, Hoxha D. Hygric properties of wheat straw biocomposite containing natural additives intended for thermal insulation of buildings. Constr Build Mater 2022;317:126049. [CrossRef]
• [37] Platt SL, Walker P, Maskell D, Shea A, Bacoup F, Mahieu A, et al. Sustainable bio & waste resources for thermal insulation of buildings. Constr Build Mater 2023;366:130030. [CrossRef]
• [38] Mathews JM, Vivek B, Charde M. Thermal insulation panels for buildings using recycled cardboard: Experimental characterization and optimum selection. Energy Build 2023;281:112747. [CrossRef]
• [39] CNERIB. Réglementation Thermique du Batiment (DTR C 3.2/4). Available at: https://www.normadoc.com/french/dtr-c-3-2-4.html. Accessed June 28, 2024.
• [40] Abdou N, El Mghouchi Y, Jraida K, Hamdaoui S, Hajou A, Mouqallid M. Prediction and optimization of heating and cooling loads for low energy buildings in Morocco: An application of hybrid machine learning methods. J Build Engineer 2022;61:105332. [CrossRef]
• [41] Azkorra-Larrinaga Z, Erkoreka-González A, Flores-Abascal I, Pérez-Iribarren E, Romero-Antón N. Defining the cooling and heating solar efficiency of a building component skin: application to a modular living wall. Appl Therm Engineer 2022;210:118403. [CrossRef]