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The Impact of Insulation Material Selection on Energy Efficiency Based on Regional Climate Conditions: An Analysis Using Energy3D Simulations
Abstract and Figures
In recent years, energy conservation and efficiency have gained significant importance globally. Within this scope, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and reducing the energy consumption of buildings, which account for a substantial share of energy use, are among the primary objectives. Insulation applications, in particular, offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to reduce heating energy demand. Optimal insulation thickness balances insulation and fuel costs, optimizing expenses while reducing the environmental impacts associated with fuel consumption. Consequently, numerous studies in recent years have focused on optimizing insulation thickness. Moreover, in the residential sector, the largest portion of energy consumption is generally attributed to air conditioning systems used for maintaining thermal comfort. In this context, proper insulation applications using energy-saving materials emerge as an effective method to reduce energy costs by minimizing heat loss or gain. This study analyzes the impact of insulation material selection on energy efficiency based on regional climate conditions using Energy3D simulations. The effects of insulation materials applied in different climatic zones and various cities on energy consumption, heating, and cooling loads were examined. The study compares the energy efficiency of insulated and non-insulated buildings under the climatic conditions of different regions in Turkey, including İzmir, Antalya, Istanbul, and Tokat. Simulation results revealed that the use of insulation materials significantly reduces energy consumption and overall costs. Notably, the use of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) (Dalmaçyalı® Double Carbon Thermal Insulation Board) and Stone Wool (Dalmaçyalı® Stonewool SW035) materials yielded significant improvements in energy efficiency. EPS material demonstrated the highest energy savings due to its low U-value, while Stone Wool provided additional benefits such as fire safety. Additionally, insulation thickness was found to have a considerable impact on energy efficiency. Insulation applications with a thickness of 10–12 cm emerged as the optimal solution for minimizing energy consumption and costs. The study highlights the critical importance of selecting insulation materials suitable for regional climatic conditions in terms of energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The findings provide valuable insights for developing sustainable and efficient building designs.
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This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission's science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication.
This report presents the work carried out by the JRC during
the second half of 2021, supporting the introduction of zero emission building (ZEB) definition in the revised EPBD. The study identifies the key methodological aspects that a ZEB definition should address (i.e., stages included in the greenhouse gas emissions calculation over building life-time, ambition of reaching zero emissions, calculation methods, metrics, and system boundaries), highlighting the key role of energy efficiency and renewable energy in reducing the operational emissions. Moving towards zero life-cycle emissions, it will be crucial to lower as much as possible the embodied emissions by prioritising low carbon materials, while the calculation and disclosure of global warming potential will guide decision-makers on carbon offset options.
This paper presents findings from an energy consumption analysis of the Core Science Facility (CSF) at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and estimates the cost of implementing an electric resistive heating system. The study aims to assess current energy usage based on twelve months of actual consumption data and evaluate the feasibility of transitioning to an energy-efficient heating system. The analysis indicates the current Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is around 2.15GJ/m2, compared to the National median reference of 1.04GJ/m2 for a university. The cost estimate includes upfront investment for procurement and installation, with consideration of operational costs. Findings will be used to develop an energy model using Energy Plus Open Studio software to explore the potential savings while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study highlights the importance of environmental sustainability and long-term benefits of energy-efficiency in alignment with sustainability goals.
Thermal insulation has become essential, firstly to ensure the thermal comfort of the occupants and secondly to save energy and that’s why we find more and more varieties of insulators (organic, inorganic and synthetic) in the Moroccan market, depending on the need when to make the right choice. This paper presents the theoretical part of a thermal and an energetic study of the envelop of a house located in the city of Marrakesh (Morocco), by using four types of insulators, that are mostly used in Moroccan markets, for different thicknesses to determine the most suitable insulator for Marrakech climate and its optimal thickness. The insulators studied are: Expanded Polystyrene, glass wool, rock wool and wood fiber. The numerical simulations were realized using the software of thermal dynamic simulation TRNSYS. The results show that for a thickness of 8 cm of the wood fiber insulator saves about 7% for heating and 14% for cooling loads. For temperatures, in January temperatures are higher by 0.26 °C, and in July are lower by 0.49 °C. Keywords: Thermal comfort, Energy consumption, Thermal insulation, Thermal dynamic simulation, TRNSYS
Due to the growing population and unsustainable development, global energy consumption is rising, contributing to more environmental issues such as global warming. On the other hand, this ever-increasing population leads to an increase in demand for housing. Nevertheless, the conventional construction industry is low-speed and energy-consuming. The emerging technology of 3D printing has been used in this industry recently, and it has brought some benefits such as less material waste, higher construction speed, and building complex geometries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy performance of a 3D printed building that has used two types of cement, namely reactive magnesium oxide cement (RMC) and calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement, in their concrete along with thermal insulation and phase change materials (PCMs). Afterward, a life cycle assessment is performed on these two types of concrete, and the result is compared with the conventional Portland concrete. The results show that the use of RMC is very effective in terms of energy savings and waste than CSA cement. Also, according to the life cycle evaluation, it is concluded that the construction of a building using RMC and CSA cement instead of Portland cement reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 400 times.
The paper analyzes the energy consumption of an energy-independent house in two different situations, namely when the exterior insulation is installed and, respectively, in its absence. The result of the analysis was used to assess the reduction of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of the auxiliary heating system, namely a biomass boiler. The home’s heating system consists of a Stirling cogeneration system with biogas, which produces 3 kW of electricity and 9 kW of heat, and a 50 kW biomass boiler. The biomass boiler must provide the additional heat necessary to cover the consumption of the house when the Stirling engine is running and respectively ensure the coverage of the complete heat consumption of the building when the Stirling engine is in standby mode. The analysis showed that the installation of external insulation on the building walls will reduce energy consumption by 13%–16%, depending on the variation of the outside air temperature.
Control and management of energy consumption are becoming more and more important due to the rapid depletion of fossil energy resources and the increased environmental problems caused by them. A large amount of energy is consumed in the buildings. Therefore, priority is given to applications that reduce the amount of energy consumed during the utilization phase of buildings. Decisions regarding building shape and insulation thickness have a considerable effect on building energy costs. Therefore, this study will analyze the effect of insulation thickness on the energy consumption of residential buildings that have different shapes. The building shape is evaluated with an external envelope area to the building’s gross volume (A/V) ratio and external wall area/floor area (EWA/FA) ratio. 4 building shapes with different external wall area are selected for this study. The maximum and minimum energy costs of each building shapes are calculated based on 14 different envelopes and 8 different orientation alternatives taking into consideration the solar gain. The effects of insulation thicknesses on energy costs for different shaped buildings are determined by comparing energy costs. It will provide pre-design information for future reference for residential buildings with less energy consumption and less environmental pollution.
Green building rating systems define a set of standards that seek to mitigate the negative environmental impact of buildings by promoting sustainability in the construction industry. Although these systems successfully answer the “Why” and “What” in regard to green building design (i.e., the environmental effects and the proposed sustainable design principles), the “How” has yet to be addressed. This paper aims to advance existing green building practices by introducing a systematic criteria-based ranking of green building design factors (GBDFs) that help construction practitioners reach sustainability goals (i.e., answer the “How”) by identifying the most influential factors to consider during the design process. The proposed research process begins with identifying a set of criteria and sub-criteria through an extensive review of leading green building rating systems. GBDFs are then cross-referenced with the governing sub-criteria in order to define distinct research areas for a pair-wise (sub-criterion, GBDF) evaluation process performed in accordance with the frequency of relevant publications. As a result, a criteria-based ranking of GBDFs is established, which, in addition to presenting an important step toward achieving a systematic framework for the implementation of green building principles, further improves existing rating systems by capturing the full impact of GBDFs in reference to their respective ranking scores.