Effects of Roof and Wall Insulation on Thermal Performance of Piglet Building Using Dynamic Simulation and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Abstract

<abstract> The thermal environment of a piglet building is critical to the health and production of weaned piglets. Heating and cooling of animal buildings usually results in high energy consumption. In this article, roof and wall insulation of a piglet building in Zhejiang Province, China, was studied using a dynamic building energy simulation tool (EnergyPlus) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Four types of insulating materials, including polyurethane, extruded polystyrene (XPS), rock wool, and glass wool, were analyzed. The results show that roof and wall insulation can improve the building thermal performance slightly without heating or cooling of the indoor environment. From an energy saving and LCCA point of view, roof insulation performs better in energy savings and cost-effectiveness compared with wall insulation, XPS and rock wool are more cost-effective, and polyurethane provides a greater reduction in energy consumption. It was also found that the insulating materials tend to have better thermal and economic performance in colder locations.