Thermal behaviour of building wall elements

Abstract

Effective utilization of energy is required to conserve energy and reduce unwanted pollution. The energy used by the buildings is mainly determined by the thermophysical properties of building envelope. The time lag and decrement factor of a building envelope are the important characteristics that controls the energy required for maintaining the required conditions of interior living space. In this context, the objectives of this study are to investigate the thermal behaviour of opaque wall materials under the influence of solar energy and to analyse the influence of thermophysical properties of different wall types on the interior environment. The results of a finite difference mathematical model were compared with the experimental findings and suitable thermal performance properties were suggested for different applications. © 2006 Asian Network for Scientific Information.