Abstract
We propose a method for developing an Energy Activated External Thermal Insulation Composite System (En-ActivETICS) for smart building envelopes that guarantees the required performance, durability, and service life of the building. The En-ActivETICS combines the traditional ETICS with phase change material (PCM) and flexible photovoltaics (FPV). These combined materials will become multifunctional, playing the roles of thermal insulator, heat accumulator, and energy generator with PCM lowering the temperature of FPV and therefore, increasing their efficiency. The En-ActivETICS is a new step in the development of building facade technology enabling to achieve a component that is classified as a functional material. The main result reported in the paper is the proposed method, which improves the existing technical approval guidelines for ETICS, entitled ETAG 004, when thermally activated components are added to the system. The method proposes research activities necessary to determine whether the novel wall system is in line with the essential requirements set to a building by the Construction Products Regulation. When tested according to the proposed method, a wall system should be comprehensively tested and technically documented active thermal insulation system that is aimed to give better building performance in terms of indoor environment, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.
Highlights
It is widely recognised that the building sector accounts for almost 40% of the global energy consumption, simultaneously playing the key role in achieving the energy efficiency improvement targets
The need for the Energy Activated External Thermal Insulation Composite System (En-ActivETICS) concept comes from the global aim to reduce CO2 emissions in the building sector as well as the need to improve buildings performance, mainly their indoor environment, energy performance, and aesthetics
The main result of the paper is a method proposed for the assessment and determination of the performance of a novel En-ActivETICS external wall concept
Summary
It is widely recognised that the building sector accounts for almost 40% of the global energy consumption, simultaneously playing the key role in achieving the energy efficiency improvement targets. Building design is strongly focused on the improvement of the thermal insulation of the building components, which will lead to a decrease of energy demand as well as onsite production of renewable energy. Such an approach leads to the possibility of improving the thermal performance of the building envelope by activating the opaque building surfaces to produce electricity. Development of new, cost effective technologies to integrate flexible photovoltaics (FPV) with ETICS is a research challenge for current and future applications in the case of new buildings as well as renovation leading to the reduction of primary energy use. The existing technical approval guidelines for ETICS, entitled ETAG 004 [16], need to be improved in order to take into account the influence of thermally activated components that are added to the system
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