Investigating the Impact of Materials on the Heating and Cooling Energy Requirements of a Building

This study examines the influence of building material properties on the cooling and heating energy demands of a residential building situated in a hot and dry climate, Dunhuang, China. Employing DesignBuilder simulation software integrated with EnergyPlus, the thermal performance of three different wall types is analyzed under transient climatic conditions, excluding internal heat gains and natural ventilation to isolate the envelope behavior. The simulations reveal that the synergy of thermal mass and insulation is key: high thermal mass moderates temperature fluctuations by cyclically absorbing and releasing heat, reducing peak loads, while effective insulation minimizes steady-state heat transfer, collectively lowering overall energy consumption. The simulations reveal that wall types combining adequate insulation and thermal mass outperform those with only low thermal conductivity in terms of annual energy consumption. For example, the minimum annual energy consumption for cooling is ۱۴۳۹۰ W, which corresponds to Type A, while the maximum consumption of ۳۵۰۵۰ W corresponds to Type C.

کلیدواژه ها:

Energy consumption ، Building ، Cooling ، Heating ، Wall material