Periodic Thermal Transmittance Research Articles

Innovative Façades Lightweight and Thin Systems with High Inertia for the Thermal Comfort Application in Office Buildings in Southern Europe

Abstract This research demonstrates that lightweight, thin facade systems with innovative materials can combine a higher thermal inertia with a lower energy demand for heating and cooling as compared to massive facades. It is therefore very possible to use innovative light materials (originally developed in and for Central Europe) also in Southern Europe, where the main problem is the energy demand for cooling in summer (in contrast to the energy demand for heating in northern latitudes). Three of those systems were selected and investigated for three different climatic conditions in middle latitudes with respect not only to static energy performance parameters imposed by the Italian legislation (thermal transmittance U and superficial mass MS), but also checking two dynamic energy performance parameters defined particularly for non massive structures (phase delay fa and decrement factor Φ). Additionally a recently introduced by European standard UNI-EN-ISO-13786 parameter (periodic thermal transmittance ...