Energy Performance of a Light Wood-Timber Structured House in the Severely Cold Region of China

Meng Zhen,Bin Zhang

doi:10.3390/su10051501

Meng Zhen, Bin Zhang

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051501

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the energy performance of a timber structured house built in Harbin, a severely cold region of China. The research team conducted a field test on the house that lasted three months (15 January–15 April 2008). The test included the winter heating energy consumption, average indoor temperature and relative humidity, building heat storage capacity, heat transfer coefficient of the wall, total air volume of air-conditioning system, etc. The test results showed that the total heating was calculated to be 73,240.59 MJ in winter. Thermal imaging tests were carried out on the house and found no obvious thermal defects such as thermal bridges. In conclusion, the timber structured house has a good level of building energy conservation and would provide a good exemplary for green building design and construction in similar severely cold regions in the world.

Highlights

Lightweight wood timber structured houses have the advantages of environmental protection, energy saving, flexible design, comfort and convenience
In a 150 mm thick wooden wall, the heat insulation performance is equivalent to 610 mm thick brick wall [1]
During the test of the heat consumption of buildings with centralized heating, the following parameters were determined within the scope of the building: (1) the total heat supply of the building at the heating entrance; (2) the average indoor temperature of the building; and (3) the average outdoor temperature

Summary

Introduction

Lightweight wood timber structured houses have the advantages of environmental protection, energy saving, flexible design, comfort and convenience. Light wood house has a good durability, fire resistance and thermal insulation performance, whose advantages are reflected in two aspects: (1) The lightweight wood is a natural insulating material, and the honeycomb structure of the wood makes the insulation performance much better than heavy steel and concrete materials. (2) The lightweight wooden keel within the cavity (within the cavity wall, roof and floor) can be filled with glass fiber and mineral wool insulation materials to further improve the heat insulation performance. Lightweight wood-timber structural materials’ thermal properties are about 400 times better than steel and 16 times more than concrete. In a 150 mm thick wooden wall, the heat insulation performance is equivalent to 610 mm thick brick wall [1]

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Conclusion