A new house wall system for residential buildings

Abstract

The residential housing sector consumes a significant amount of fossil fuel energy and thereby produces a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change. At present, approximately 40% of the total household energy used is required for space heating/cooling and a substantial amount of that energy is lost through the house walls. Despite the importance of house walls for energy efficiency, most published literature focuses mainly on thermal comfort, environmental impact and economic costs of residential buildings. Little information is available on energy efficient house wall systems that can be used and adapted for varied climate conditions with minimal design change and associated cost. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper was to undertake a thermal performance study of two house wall systems with single and double glazed windows under variable climate conditions. The study was undertaken using thermal performance simulation software AccuRate®. The findings indicate that a significant energy saving can be achieved using the new house wall system compared to currently used brick veneer house wall system. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.