Contributions of energy-saving technologies to building energy saving in different climatic regions of China

Abstract

In China, the commonly used energy-saving technologies (ESTs) include the external insulation for roof and external wall, shading technology and natural ventilation. It is well known that the same EST demonstrates different effects in different climatic regions. In this study, the contribution rates of building envelopes in annual load and that of ESTs in energy saving are quantitatively investigated with the Finite Volume Method under unsteady-state conditions. A representative individual building is selected as the case model. Four typical cities of Shenyang, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou are selected to represent different climatic regions of China. Results show that the critical parts where the energy-saving measures should be taken are roof and exterior wall. The contribution of external insulation dominates in the energy saving of the building models in all of the four climatic regions. In addition, shading device should be applied based on the climatic conditions. Natural ventilation is worth using in building design as it requires no capital investment except in severe cold zones in China.