Open AccessOptimization of insulation levels from an environmental perspective: impact of HVAC controls and Personal Comfort Systems
Author(s) -
Lieve Van Landuyt,
Stéphane Lauwerys,
Sven De Turck,
Marijke Steeman,
Nathan Van Den Bossche
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/2069/1/012076
Subject(s) - setpoint , hvac , modelica , thermal comfort , efficient energy use , energy conservation , energy balance , environmental impact assessment , modular design , life cycle assessment , architectural engineering , computer science , engineering , simulation , mechanical engineering , air conditioning , production (economics) , ecology , physics , electrical engineering , macroeconomics , artificial intelligence , biology , economics , thermodynamics , operating system
Today, strict insulation requirements apply. Nevertheless, the inverse correlation of thermal conductivity with insulation thickness leads to decreasing energy savings with increasing insulation packages. Therefore, a balance between potential energy savings and environmental impact due to additional materials using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) needs to be strived for. This balance is sought for a case study called ‘The Mobble’ i.e. a flexible, modular, and circular building system developed by a student team from Ghent University. Through an iterative design process supported by LCA, comfort and dynamic energy simulations efforts are made to design an energy-efficient and low impact module with an agreeable indoor environment. First, material choices are made based on LCA and the material impact of a 5-module home is calculated. Second, energy calculations are executed in Modelica/Dymola. For this, three possible energy reductions are explored: insulating the building, altering the working regime of the HVAC system and lowering the setpoint temperature while maintaining comfort by using personal comfort systems (PCS). The results support PCS as a possible energy conservation measure and indicate that reducing operational energy does not shift the environmental burden to the additional materials’ production. However, these environmental saving effects decrease as the operational share decreases.