Thermal Load Reduction with Green Building Envelope

Abstract

Various studies have confirmed that high thermal resistance in roof & wall can reduce the heat transfer load of the buildings. In this study, experimental investigation of the effects of some sustainable features (such as green roof, reflective coated roof & Fly ash brick (FAB) etc.) on the building has been conducted in the Indian context. For the purpose, two scaled building models i.e. Model I (conventional design) & Model II (green design) have been examined with different design configurations. The sensible heat transfer (SHT) load of the building is reduced by 21% - 29% through the use of FAB with cavity wall in place of Fired clay brick (FCB) wall. The load reduction increases to 26% - 44% by using FAB cavity wall with reflective coating on the roof. This reduction further increases to 64% - 68% with FAB cavity wall along with green roof. In this final scenario, the monthly electrical energy saving for air- conditioning is approximately 5.1 kWhe/m2 per unit envelope area, with associated reduction in GHG emissions up to 6.36 kg CO2eq/m2 per unit envelope area, assuming continuous operation of HVAC systems.