Investigating the role of insulated tiles as a prospective material for building envelope: thermal performance and energy efficiency

Abstract

The residential and commercial sectors account for nearly one-third of the total electricity consumption in India. During the period from 1971 to 2012, the highest increase in electricity consumption was seen in the residential sector with a 9.4% compound annual growth rate, followed by the commercial sector. This has been attributed mainly to the extensive use of air conditioning for thermal comfort in buildings in these two sectors. Building envelope design and construction play an important role in reducing energy consumption in such systems. With the incorporation of thermal insulation materials in combination with other construction materials in a building’s roof and walls, especially in those that are exposed to solar radiation, the energy intensiveness of buildings can be brought down significantly on a long-term basis. Despite the availability of several insulation products in the Indian market, the importance of thermal insulation for buildings for energy efficiency has not been well recognized by building engineers and developers at present. This paper looks into various important aspects related to building insulation materials, right from the principles of building science to the application of materials in buildings. This paper provides a qualitative analysis of insulation materials in the buildings and also provides practice-oriented background information for building designers, architects, site engineers and various other stakeholders in the building construction industry. The paper also evaluates the application of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) as an insulating material for walls and roofs.