Assessment of the energy efficiency of an externally-insulated rehabilitated building under semi-arid climate

Abstract

The current evolution of the world warrants the rethinking of the modes of construction. Improvements to insulation materials will have a large impact in the building and construction sector. The aim of this work is to conduct a modelling study using the TRNSYS 17 software to evaluate the impact of the use of different types of thermal insulators and their location on the energy consumption of buildings. The results of the simulation show that the use of a super-insulating 2-cm-aerogel, an 8-cm ecological sheep wool sheet, and an 8-cm polyurethane sheet combined with a 5-cm air layer on the outer façade of the wall, allow respectively energy savings of 18.46%, 2.32%, and 1.96% compared to the real-life case study. In order to optimize the thermal and energy performance of the building, this study presents several innovative alternative materials that are suitable for implementation as a skin for abuilding.