Abstract
In order to fulfil the UK government’s ambitious goal of 80% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to the levels of 1990s, unprecedented measures for improving the energy efficiency of buildings are needed. This study investigates the impact of a specific type of Low-emissivity (Low-E) window film—Thinsulate Climate Control 75—on the holistic energy consumption of an existing United Kingdom (UK) hotel building. Building modelling and energy simulation software EDSL TAS is used to conduct the study. The result of the simulations demonstrates that by applying Thinsulate films, savings in heating, cooling, and total energy consumptions are achieved by 3%, 20%, and 2.7%, respectively. Also 4.1% and 5.1% savings are achieved in annual CO2 emissions and total energy costs, respectively, while the initial costs may be an issue. This study found that application of Low-E window films results in slightly better energy performance of the hotel regarding its heating-dominant climate. The study also recommends using average annual actual energy consumption data for a time range, instead of picking a single year’s data for validating purposes.
Highlights
In recent years, with professionals and public showing concerns about the potential impacts of global warming, the United Kingdom (UK) government has set the ambitious goal of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 compared to 1990s levels [1]
The current paper aims to investigate the impact of Low-E window films on the energy consumption of the same building—Hilton Reading in Berkshire, UK—and its subsequent impact on CO2 emissions
It does not impose any adverse effects on occupants’ thermal comfort. While these findings indicate a better performance of Thinsulate films over solar control films, it is important to consider the costs of purchase and installation of the window films
Summary
With professionals and public showing concerns about the potential impacts of global warming, the United Kingdom (UK) government has set the ambitious goal of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 compared to 1990s levels [1]. This needs unprecedented levels of effort and change in many sectors to make the necessary reductions, while keeping the energy sector secure and competitive. Where the U-values of a new building’s roof, floor, and external wall are expected to be in the range of 0.25 to 0.35 W/m2K, it can reach up to 2.2 W/m2K for a window [9]. Efforts have been made to improve the thermal performance of glazing systems through new technologies, among which, window films impose the least disturbance to occupants as a retrofitting measure [12]
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