Heat Transfer, Environmental Benefits, and Social Cost Analysis of Different Insulation Methods by Considering Insulation Disadvantages

Abstract

In this paper, the thermal performance of four common insulators in two internal and external insulation systems is investigated for the ASHRAE setpoint range by applying detailed numerical simulation and Anti-Insulation phenomenon. Anti-Insulation phenomenon and consequent extra load on the HVAC system can occur following the thermal insulation of a building if proper temperature setpoint is not selected. In the next step, the proper setpoint is analyzed under simulated building conditions, and all related criteria are studied for this temperature. Also, continuous and intermittent operations of the air conditioning system are investigated. Moreover, the assessment of the environmental benefit of wall insulation is performed by evaluating greenhouse gasses emission payback period and social cost saving. A residential building is simulated in the EnergyPlus software for the case study. Results show that Anti-Insulation occurs approximately at 22 oC. Both external and internal insulations lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption. Nevertheless, the external insulation shows a bit more reduction. Intermittent operation outperforms the continuous operation by 8 % on average. The insulator’s production phase is considered in the analysis of the insulation environmental benefits. Results show that, in this case, the prioritization of insulators would be different from that case in which this process is not considered. According to results, in terms of social costs, applying thermal insulation to residential buildings is necessary.