Open AccessInvestigation of the envelope’s thermal transmittance influence on the energy efficiency of residential buildings under various Mediterranean region climates
Author(s) -
Aikaterina Karanafti,
Theodoros Theodosiou
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/899/1/012009
Subject(s) - building envelope , mediterranean climate , environmental science , thermal transmittance , cooling load , energy performance , transmittance , envelope (radar) , thermal insulation , thermal , passive cooling , mediterranean area , footprint , carbon footprint , efficient energy use , environmental protection , thermal resistance , meteorology , greenhouse gas , geography , materials science , air conditioning , engineering , geology , mechanical engineering , archaeology , oceanography , composite material , layer (electronics) , radar , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , telecommunications
Improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings is of outmost importance for reducing their environmental footprint. Recent studies demonstrate that a highly insulated building envelope may burden the building’s performance during the cooling period, especially in regions with hot summers. In this study, the energy performance of a residential building in different Mediterranean regions (Jordan, Greece, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Spain) is investigated. Two thermal transmittance values are applied to the building shell, a scenario with a very low one and a scenario with a higher one, to examine under which conditions the cooling performance is improved. A dynamic insulation configuration is also implemented, and its operation is studied for the cooling period of each city. It is concluded that in Southern European and Northern African regions building envelopes with lower thermal resistances perform better, while in even Southern regions an increased thermal resistance may prevent the heat from entering the building more effectively. With the switching insulation system, a great reduction in the cooling demands was reported, which reached up to 50% in Spain, and it was shown that in the southern regions the configuration’s operation should be customized to the ambient conditions to optimize its performance.