Evaluating the thermal performance index for future architectures in China’s hot summer and cool winter regions

Abstract

In the face of resource shortages and energy crises, green environmental protection has become a vital and central focus for human sustainable development, leading a booming area of architectural development of energy efficiency and comfort. As a result, a new method named Envelope Thermal Performance Index (ETPI) was proposed to evaluate overall thermal performance of residential building envelope. The energy consumption of building envelope by unit volume was taken into account in this method, including cooling, heating and annual period. The influences of heat transfer through external building envelope, heat gain from solar radiation and heat loss by infiltration were considered comprehensively in the ETPI. The energy consumption simulation software eQUEST was used to calculate the ETPI parameters. An ETPI calculation formula for four cities (Shanghai, Nanjing, Shaoguan, and Zunyi) was obtained by simulation results and influence factors. The correlations between ETPI and energy consumption were gained considering geographical factors. The influence of airtightness of building envelope was considered and the problem of different orientations in the parameter calculation were solved in the ETPI method to make ETPI better reflect the thermal insulation of building envelopes. Thus, the ETPI method can calculate the energy consumption of each part of building envelope and estimate energy consumption of air conditioning.