Abstract
This paper describes the methodology used for the life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle energy (LCE) analyses of the case study house in Quebec, Canada. The TRNSYS energy analysis program is coupled with GenOpt, a general purpose optimization program, for the purpose of this study. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used for the search for the optimum solution. Results show that the optimum levels of insulation should be higher than the reference values, even for the case of LCC analysis. The results are for the most part still valid if electricity costs are assumed to increase below the inflation rate for the duration of the study period.
Highlights
In the past few decades, several incentive programs have been introduced to improve the energy efficiency of new residential buildings in Canada
Life cycle analysis of building envelopes has been a subject of interest for many years amongst the scientific community, and previous work has proven its relevance in the design of sustainable buildings
life cycle cost (LCC) optimization leads to smaller insulation thickness (75–175 mm) and the use of fibreglass batts for cavity insulation, while life cycle energy (LCE) optimization requires a maximum thickness of cellulose considered in this study (250 mm) with double-stud walls
Summary
In the past few decades, several incentive programs have been introduced to improve the energy efficiency of new residential buildings in Canada. The program of Novoclimat houses [1] in Quebec is one well-known example that promoted improvements over the current practice Other advanced programs, such as the EQuilibrium housing demonstration project [2], have proven the feasibility of building houses with lower energy consumption in cold climates. Kneifel [14] applied the life cycle cost and environmental assessment to 12 commercial, institutional and apartment buildings in 16 cities in the United States to estimate the potential impact of energy efficiency measures. He used four different analysis period lengths: 1 year, 10 years, 25 years and 40 years. The closest study on this topic has described in [6] an evaluation tool, not an optimization tool, as is presented in this paper
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