Multi-pronged strategies for enhancing building envelopes toward nearly-zero energy in hot climatic regions

Abstract

Abstract Growing concerns about climate change and rising energy demands necessitate advancements in building energy efficiency. This study investigates the effectiveness of radiative coatings and thermal insulation, both individually and combined, in reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint for buildings in hot and humid climates. This research contributes to a growing body of knowledge by comprehensively evaluating the combined effects of these strategies. A comparative analysis was conducted using data on energy usage and carbon emissions.
The research highlights the effectiveness of envelope-enhancing techniques in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. The application of radiative coating led to a significant 13.1% decrease in energy usage, totaling 681.95 MWh, and corresponding emissions of 482.14 tons of CO2. Radiative coating offers the most cost-effective solution with an LCOS of $0.045/kWh. When integrating thermal insulation with radiative coating, there was a substantial 12.0% reduction in energy consumption, amounting to 690.39 MWh, and emissions of 488.11 tons of CO2. The integrated model provides significant energy savings at a slightly higher LCOS of $0.052/kWh, making it a balanced choice between efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to using thermal insulation alone. Moreover, the study emphasizes that the combination of Glazing Integrated Photovoltaic (GIPV) with radiative coating can lead to the creation of nearly zero-energy buildings, resulting in a significant energy savings of 34.9%. These results underscore the efficacy of these technologies in achieving significant energy savings and environmental benefits.
This study demonstrates that radiative coatings significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints. The combined method with thermal insulation reduces energy, suggesting further optimization strategies in hot and humid conditions. The results of this investigation recommend utilizing Glazing Integrated Photovoltaic (GIPV) to achieve nearly zero-energy buildings. Such integrated solutions not only improve energy efficiency but also make a substantial contribution to environmental sustainability in the building sector.