Simulation of the impact of thermal inertia on the energy consumption of a residential building in a Mediterranean climate
Keywords:
Sustainable development, Energy efficiency, Thermal inertia, Architectural envelope, TRNSYS simulation software, Residential building, Mediterranean climateAbstract
Currently, the global warming has become a planetary problematic and an incontestable urgency that we should imperatively face.
Indeed, this phenomenon proves to be a major stake of sustainable development. Because its impacts are not limited to environmental
issues but it could lead to serious socio-economic consequences. Therefore, a reflection has become essential on the actions to be
undertaken in order to reduce energy consumption and thus limit the Greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. This
reminds us of the necessary change in the building sector, especially in terms of housing since it is been considered as the first energy
consumer. It would be therefore time to change our look towards for housing that advocate energy efficiency. Thus, the aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of the thermal inertia of the architectural envelope on energy consumption of the building; in order to contribute to the development of passive solutions allowing design buildings that are less energy intensive and more sustainable. Thereby, we adopt an in vitro analytical approach through a numerical simulation of the energy balance of a prototype of residential building of collective type in a Mediterranean climate in the city of Constantine using TRNSYS software. The results of this study showed that the reinforcement of the thermal inertia, in particular by the use of terracotta brick and cork, has allowed a notable reduction in energy requirements; allowing to consume 84 % less energy than conventional housing against an additional investment cost of only 2 %, offset by a consequent reduction in operating expenses.
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