Thermal, Economic and Environmental Analysis of a Low-Cost House in Alice, South Africa

Overen Kelvin,Meyer Edson,Makaka Golden

doi:10.3390/su9030425

Abstract

Indoor and outdoor temperature variation results in heat transfer between the inner and outer space of a house, subsequently drifting the indoor temperature out of the thermal comfort zone. This leads to occupants spending a significant amount of their income on space heating and cooling to achieve thermal comfort. The aim of this study is to analyze the thermal, economic and environmental impact of a low-cost house. A low-cost house located in Golf Course, Alice was used as a case study. The outdoor and indoor weather conditions of the house were monitored for periods covering summer and winter seasons. To maintain indoor thermal comfort, 3412.57 kWh of heating and 3214.75 kWh cooling energy were required in winter and summer seasons, respectively. At a rate of 1 ZAR equal to 13.34 USD and 29.39 c/kWh, the energy consumption results in $1003.02 worth of heating energy in winter and $944.88 of cooling energy in summer. In both seasons, to supply the equivalent amount of thermal energy used in the house from a coal-fired power plant, 9.65 ton of CO2, 81.71 kg of SO2 and 39.50 kg of NO2 gases will be emitted into the atmosphere. Promoting and enforcing energy efficient design in low-cost housing will not only bring about energy savings, but will also provide a year-round indoor thermal comfort.

Highlights

The rapid increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the building sector has led to the amendment of energy policies in many countries
The house was monitored for a period covering all seasons in South Africa, which are autumn, winter, spring and summer
The good intention of the South Africa government to provide decent homes for low-income earners and homeless people has been overshadowed by the poor thermal performance of the houses

Summary

Introduction

The rapid increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in the building sector has led to the amendment of energy policies in many countries. The building sector consumes over 30% of total final energy, having increased by more than 35% since 1990. According to the International Energy Outlook 2016, global final energy consumption is expected to increase by an average of 1.8% per annum from 2012 to 2040 [2]. This is as a result of the transition of many emerging economies from traditional sources of energy to modern marketable sources such as electricity. The final energy consumption includes energy consumed through space heating and cooling, domestic activities, lighting and household utilization [3]

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