A Sensitivity Analysis for Thermal Performance of Building Envelope Design Parameters

Sara Elhadad,Zoltan Orban

doi:10.3390/su132414018

Abstract

Sensitivity analysis is crucial in building energy assessments. It is used to determine the major variables influencing building thermal performance, using both observational research and energy simulation models. This study investigates the most influential envelope design parameters on the thermal performance of a typical residential building in Budapest, Hungary. Sensitivity analysis is used in conjunction with the IDA-Indoor and Climate Energy (IDA-ICE 4.8) simulation tool to assess the effects of 33 envelope design parameters for energy consumption and carbon dioxide concentrations. The input parameters include thickness, materials, density, specific heat and thermal conductivity of the basement, exterior floor, interior floor, exterior wall, interior wall, roof, ground slab, glazing type, and infiltration rate. The results show that exterior floor materials have the biggest impact on annual delivered energy for heating and cooling, whereas the density of all structural elements and thickness of the basement, exterior floors, interior floors, and walls have minimal effects on energy consumption. It is also shown that the impact of all investigated parameters is not sensitive to the carbon dioxide concentration in the building. The authors consider that the findings of the paper assist designers to assess the performance of existing buildings and more efficiently generating alternative solutions in the energetic retrofitting of existing and energy design of new residential buildings.

Highlights

In building science, designers and researchers frequently use dynamic thermal simulation software to analyze the energy and thermal performance of buildings to achieve specific goals, such as lower energy consumption, improved indoor thermal comfort, or reduced environmental effects [1,2,3]
The sensitivity analysis results cannot be applied to all structures, the study demonstrates that different input factors have variable effects on the building’s thermal performance
Sensitivity analysis is typically performed in conjunction with energy simulations to better understand building performance and minimize consumption

Summary

Introduction

Designers and researchers frequently use dynamic thermal simulation software to analyze the energy and thermal performance of buildings to achieve specific goals, such as lower energy consumption, improved indoor thermal comfort, or reduced environmental effects [1,2,3]. Numerical simulations are frequently used to assess the energy performance of buildings. Despite many recent advancements in software to simulate building energy requirements, the discrepancy between predicted and actual energy consumption remains a constant issue. One reason behind this disparity in existing buildings may be due to uncertainties in the thermal and physical properties of building materials [4]. The properties vary as a result of (i) degradation over time, (ii) exposure to weather conditions, and (iii) traditional construction processes

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion