scholarly journals Using PCM in two proposed residential buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand

Author(s):  
Erik Schmerse ◽  
Charles Ikutegbe ◽  
Amar Auckaili ◽  
Mohammed Farid

A characteristic feature of lightweight constructions is their low thermal mass which causes high internal temperature fluctuations that require high heating and cooling demand throughout the year. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) is effective in providing thermal inertia to low thermal mass buildings. The aim of this paper is to analyse the thermal behaviour of two proposed lightweight buildings designed for homeless people and to investigate the potential benefit achievable through the use of different types of PCM in the temperate climatic conditions of Christchurch, New Zealand. For this purpose, over 300 numerical simulations have been conducted using the simulation software DesignBuilder®. The bulk of the simulations were carried out under the assumption that the whole opaque building envelope is equipped with PCM. The results showed significant energy saving and comfort enhancement through the application of PCMs. Thereby, annual energy saving of over 50 % was reached for some of the PCMs considered. Additionally, the effectiveness of single, PCM-equipped structure components was investigated and substantial benefits between 19 and 27 % annual energy saving were achieved. However, occupant behaviour in terms of ventilation habits, occupancy of zones etc. remains one of the biggest challenges in any simulation work due to insufficient data.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 6025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Schmerse ◽  
Charles A. Ikutegbe ◽  
Amar Auckaili ◽  
Mohammed M. Farid

A characteristic feature of lightweight constructions is their low thermal mass which causes high internal temperature fluctuations that require high heating and cooling demand throughout the year. Phase change materials (PCMs) are effective in providing thermal inertia to low-thermal-mass buildings. This paper aims to analyse the thermal behaviour of two proposed lightweight buildings designed for homeless people and to investigate the potential benefit achievable through the use of different types of PCM in the temperate climatic conditions of Christchurch, New Zealand. For this purpose, over 300 numerical simulations were conducted using DesignBuilder® simulation software. The bulk of the simulations were carried out under the assumption that the whole opaque building envelope is equipped with PCM. The results showed significant energy saving and comfort enhancement through the application of PCMs. The integration of PCM in single-structure components led to substantial energy savings between 19% and 27% annually. However, occupant behaviour in terms of ventilation habits, occupancy of zones, etc. remains one of the biggest challenges in any simulation work due to insufficient data.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qibo Liu ◽  
Wei Feng

In China, the transformation of existing buildings is confronted with various problems in aspects ranging from technology to policy and even to economic efficiency, which restrains the pace of existing building transformation. Aiming at these conditions, a building model is established with simulation software in the research herein to deeply analyze the energy-saving effect of building envelope transformation in different climatic regions and its economic efficiency based on regional and national policies. The research results show that any single technology is difficult to completely satisfy the requirements of current energy efficiency standards, and technical measures should be taken according to different climatic regions. For the northern heating area, the building envelope transformation must be carried out simultaneously with the transformation of heat metering. Policy formulation and fund determination for the energy-saving transformation of existing buildings in China should be more flexible based on transformation effect and rely more on social and commercial forces rather than solely on the promotion of government.


2012 ◽  
Vol 512-515 ◽  
pp. 2740-2743
Author(s):  
Xue Ping Li ◽  
Zeng Feng Yan

There are serious energy-saving problems in cold region of rural residential buildings. On one hand, it needs the higher levels energy because of the particular climatic conditions, on the other hand, people in cold regions lack of energy-saving consciousness and technology. Through analyzing the rural residential building status and existing energy-saving problems in cold region of China, the author discussed and summarized the energy-saving design methods of rural residential building in cold region from three aspects, including the energy-saving of residential building size design, the energy-saving of building envelope structure design, and use of renewable energy. The research provides a reference for promoting socialism new rural reconstruction in China.


Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 334
Author(s):  
Stephan H. Rupp ◽  
Stephen McNeil ◽  
Manfred Plagmann ◽  
Greg Overton

The New Zealand Building Code contains minimum durability requirements for components. For roof structures the requirement is 50 years if the component is structural or 15 years if it is not. Metal roof claddings are very common in New Zealand, and roof spaces are typically not deliberately ventilated. Recently, a number of roofs are failing to meet their durability requirement, and the lack of deliberate ventilation is a contributory factor in some cases. In this paper, we consider roof failures and analyse them using the hygrothermal simulation software WUFI® 2D (version 4.1). Using the National Research Council of Canada’s Guideline on Design for Durability of Building Envelopes, we evaluate to what extent the guideline can be used for such more complex models. Experimental data from a residential dwelling where excessive roof moisture issues were discovered shortly after occupancy are presented. A novel remedial solution using daytime-only ventilation to the roof cavity was trialled, and the data were used to benchmark a two-dimensional numerical simulation of the roof space using WUFI® 2D. A larger hygrothermal data set for 71 dwellings is presented together with relevant climatic conditions. The study works towards evidence-based building code changes for roof ventilation and is an example of using the guideline document for more complicated building envelope assemblies.


Author(s):  
Racha Djedouani ◽  
Lazhar Gherzouli ◽  
Hakan Elçi

This paper aims to assess the effects of harsh climatic conditions’ interactions with natural stone on thermal inertia properties and the thermal performance of ancient residential buildings. As the type of stone differs, its thermo-physical components differ; therefore, its interactions with environmental factors vary. For this purpose, an experimental measurement was conducted on many buildings with different orientations in a semi-arid climate and validated by a simulation performed by the “EnergyPlus 9.3” software. Results showed that the important outdoor temperature gap between day and night influences the natural stone thermos-physical properties used in construction. The stone components affected by the thermal shock effect weathering are eroded over time, then saturated with water, and affect the thermal conductivity coefficient of stone; however, this directly changes the indoor thermal comfort and performance of buildings. Additionally, the high indoor relative humidity percentage and the absence of natural ventilation have an important influence on the ambient temperature values recorded. This paper discusses the experimental measurement results compared to the simulation results. KEYWORDS Thermal performance, building envelope, thermal inertia, limestone, Tébessa, Algeria


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4117
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Kuczyński ◽  
Anna Staszczuk ◽  
Piotr Ziembicki ◽  
Anna Paluszak

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of increasing the thermal capacity of a residential building by using traditional building materials to reduce the risk of its excessive overheating during intense heat waves in a temperate climate. An additional objective is to show that the use of this single passive measure significantly reduces the risk of overheating in daytime rooms, but also, though to a much lesser extent, in bedrooms. Increasing the thermal mass of the room from light to a medium heavy reduced the average maximum daily temperature by 2.2K during the first heat wave and by 2.6K during the other two heat waves. The use of very heavy construction further reduced the average maximum temperature for the heat waves analyzed by 1.4K, 1.2K and 1.7K, respectively, giving a total possible reduction in maximum daily temperatures in the range of 3.6 °C, 3.8 °C and 4.3 °C. A discussion of the influence of occupant behavior on the use of night ventilation and external blinds was carried out, finding a significant effect on the effectiveness of the use of both methods. The results of the study suggest that in temperate European countries, preserving residential construction methods with heavy envelopes and partitions could significantly reduce the risk of overheating in residential buildings over the next few decades, without the need for night ventilation or external blinds, whose effectiveness is highly dependent on individual occupant behavior.


2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimo Simson ◽  
Endrik Arumägi ◽  
Kalle Kuusk ◽  
Jarek Kurnitski

In the member states of the European Union (EU), nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) are becoming mandatory building practice in 2021. It is stated, that nZEB should be cost-optimal and the energy performance levels should be re-defined after every five years. We conducted cost-optimality analyses for two detached houses, one terraced house and one apartment building in Estonia. The analysis consisted on actual construction cost data collection based on bids of variable solutions for building envelope, air tightness, windows, heat supply systems and local renewable energy production options. For energy performance analysis we used dynamic simulation software IDA-ICE. To assess cost-effectiveness, we used Net Present Value (NPV) calculations with the assessment period of 30 years. The results for cost-optimal energy performance level for detached house with heated space of ~100 m2 was 79 kWh/(m2 a), for the larger house (~200 m2) 87 kWh/(m2 a), for terraced house with heated space of ~600 m2 71 kWh/(m2 a) and for the apartment building 103 kWh/(m2 a) of primary energy including all energy use with domestic appliances. Thus, the decrease in cost-optimal level in a five-year period was ~60% for the detached house and ~40% for the apartment building, corresponding to a shift in two EPC classes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariangela De Vita ◽  
Paolo Beccarelli ◽  
Eleonora Laurini ◽  
Pierluigi De Berardinis

The aim of this research, carried out in collaboration with Maco Technology Inc., was to analyse the energy performance of temporary textile structures that are often used to host itinerant events. This paper illustrates the dynamic simulations carried on the Ducati Pavilion, designed by Maco Technology, which hosted Ducati staff during the different stages of the Superbike World Championship. Specific aspects relating to the structural/constructive system of the project were also analysed. The theme of energy saving and carbon reduction is of great importance in temporary and itinerant structures and environmental sustainability in relation to the materials used, storage, re-use, mode of transport and ability to respond efficiently to the climatic conditions of the installation sites is an important aspect. The Ducati Pavilion was modelled and analysed from an energy point of view using Design Builder software. Ways of improving performance were analysed under summer conditions. The paper focuses on the importance of optimizing the performance of textile envelopes: the methodology proposed allows visible savings in terms of energy consumption and achieves good levels of environmental comfort in temporary buildings with low thermal mass structure.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Qudama M. Q. Al-Yasiri ◽  
Márta Szabó

Phase change materials (PCMs) are increasingly investigated in the last years as successful in many thermal energy storage applications. In the building sector, PCMs are utilised to improve building efficiency by reducing cooling/heating loads and promoting renewable energy sources, such as solar energy. This paper shows the recent research works on integrating PCMs with building envelope for heating purposes. The main PCM categories and their main characteristics are presented, focusing on PCM types applied for building heating applications. The main methods adopted to incorporate PCMs with building elements and materials are mentioned, and the popular passive and active incorporation techniques are discussed. Lastly, the main contribution to building energy saving is discussed in terms of heating applications. The analysed studies indicated that all PCMs could improve the building energy saving in the cold climates by up to 44.16% regardless of their types and techniques. Several conclusions and recommendations are derived from the analysed studies that are believed to be a guideline for further research.


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