Sing Thermal Performance of Building Envelope
Sing Thermal Performance of Building Envelope
Laukik Dhage
M. Arch. Studies – Advanced Architectural Studies
School of Architecture, University of Sheffield
September, 2007
.
. ABSTRACT .
Looking at the energy situation on the global level, it is been seen that we posses
twin threat of inadequate supply of energy and increase in environmental pollution
by too much use of it. Global energy demand is predicted to reach about 66% in
2030 as compared to demand in 2000, with 40 % of this growth accounted by
developing countries of Asian region [1]. Rapid increase in population and growing
Urbanisation has led to significant rise in energy demand of Asian economic giants
like India and China.
Taking the case of India, about 56% of total energy consumption in all the sectors
comes alone from residential sector [2], major part of this being used by
construction Industry; hence energy efficiency of the residential buildings is matter
of great importance in India. With more and more people migrating to the cities,
demand for houses shoot up and for the cities like Mumbai where the land is
scarce the only way to cope up this problem is to grow vertical. Today when the
city is on the verge of having the tallest residential apartment in India, it’s now time
to direct this high-rise growth in a more sustainable manner, making these towers
more energy efficient. Significant amount of total energy consumed in these
buildings is on the maintenance of comfort conditions inside it due to the hot-
humid tropical climate of Mumbai.
1
. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .
This dissertation wouldn’t have been possible without the support and guidance of
the people I mention here. It is a pleasant aspect that I have now the opportunity
to express my gratitude for all of them.
I sincerely want to acknowledge the sage guidance and encouragement I got from
my Supervisor Prof. Steve Sharples, I thank him for helping me to carve my ideas
and shape my thesis from inception to the final stage.
I would like to thank Mr. Ameet Shinde from Godrej and Boyence properties for
providing me with the material specification data needed for the analysis. I would
also like to thank Dr. Hasim Altan for his valuable feedback on the thermal
simulation studies.
Finally I would like to thank all the faculty members, office and library staff at the
University for their Cooperation and support throughout the year, and to all my
friends for their valuable inputs.
2
. CONTENTS .
LIST OF FIGURES 5
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
3
CHAPTER 5: Study of Insulation materials
CHAPTER 8: Conclusion
8.1 Summary 52
8.2 Limitations of Study 53
8.3 Future scope 53
REFERENCES 54
APPENDICES 58
4
. LIST OF FIGURES .
CHAPTER 1
Figure 1.1 Outlook for World Energy Supply / Demand (by Region) 7
Figure 1.2 Growth in Energy Demand in the Asian Region 2000-2030 8
CHAPTER 3
Figure 3.1 Map of India depicting different climate zones 14
Figure 3.3 Climate modification strategies and building tactics for
hot-humid climate type 15
CHAPTER 5
Figure 5.1 RSI & R values of different insulation materials 30
Figure 5.2 Comparison of building materials & relative insulation
values under 'still' air 30
Figure 5.2.1 Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) 31
Figure 5.2.2 Rigid Polyurethane Foam insulation materials (PUR) 32
CHAPTER 6
Figure 6.1.1 Triple Glazed Window 33
Figure 6.1.2 Gas filled glazing 34
Figure 6.1.3 Various tints of Glazing 34
Figure 6.1.4 Reflective glazing 35
Figure 6.1.5 Low-e coat on glass 35
Figure 6.2 Graph- Annual Energy Savings achieved by use of
four types of windows 36
CHAPTER 7
Figure 7.1.1 Typical floor plan of modelled building 37
Figure 7.1.2 Rear view of Building facing Railway lines 38
5
Figure 7.1.3 Front view of Building facing Express Highway 38
Figure 7.2 Map of Mumbai 39
Figure 7.3 Building Model in ECOTECT 40
Figure 7.4.1 External double wall combination applied to model
for Thermal analysis – I 41
Figure 7.4.2 Materials applied to External single wall of model
for Thermal analysis – I 41
Figure 7.4.3 Temperature Distribution graph for Thermal analysis – I 42
Figure 7.4.4 External double wall combination applied to model
for Thermal analysis – II 43
Figure 7.4.5 Materials applied to External single wall of model
for Thermal analysis – II 43
Figure 7.4.6 Temperature Distribution graph for Thermal analysis – II 44
Figure 7.4.7 Temperature Distribution graph for Thermal analysis – III 45
Figure 7.4.8 Temperature Distribution graph for Thermal analysis – IV 46
Figure 7.4.9 Temperature Distribution graph for Thermal analysis – V 47
Figure 7.5.1 Graph shows the comparison between comfort hours (In %)
for whole year achieved by applying each set of materials 48
Figure 7.5.2 Table displaying details about Thermal Insulation materials
and glazing types used for different Thermal analysis 48
Figure 7.5.3 Table displaying U-values of different wall types 49
Figure 7.5.4 U-values and cost comparison of Thermal Insulants used 50
Figure 7.5.5 Comparative capital cost and performance of thermal
insulation materials . 50
Figure 7.5.6 U-values and cost comparison of glazing materials used 51
6
CHAPTER 1: Introduction .
Rapid advancement in technology all around the world has hyped the demand for
energy. Global energy demand is projected to grow by 1.6% annually on an
average (from 2000 to 2030), resulting into 66% rise in demand in 30 years [3].
Rising world’s population which is expected to reach 8 billion by 2030 [3] is also a
major concern to cope the rising energy demand.
Figure 1.1 [Outlook for World Energy Supply / Demand (by Region)]
(Source: IEA/World Energy Outlook) [1]
One reason for the sudden rise in the global energy demand is its growing use in
the developing economies of Asian region which sole account for 40% of the
predicted growth (from 2000 to 2030), with China and India in particular showing
substantial growth.
To tackle the energy crisis to be faced by both developed and developing world it’s
now the time to develop and adopt efficient energy practices and technology in all
the economical sectors of the world were use of energy is immense, to conserve
the existing energy sources and to avoid adverse impact of development on the
environment.
7
1.2 Energy Insight - India:
and the predicted substantial 2000-2030] Source: IEA/World Energy Outlook 2002 [2]
growth in energy demand by 2030 is said to be 267 Mtoe [1]. Such high demand
for energy is mainly due to rise in technology and population, the country is a
home to over one billion people living in various climatic zones [4].
Figures mention above explains how residential building sector in India plays a
significant role in energy expansion. Increment in Energy efficiency of these
8
buildings and innovative ways to cut down energy demand are thus the issues of
priority.
High temperature and humidity are the main reasons for creating thermal
discomfort in tropical cities. In order to achieve comfort conditions use of air-
conditioning systems for cooling has gained popularity, not only commercial
buildings but also residential buildings are becoming centrally air-conditioned. In
addition to climatic conditions, population and congestion are also amongst the
main reasons for growing discomfort in tropical cities. To achieve more comfort
levels in buildings in tropical climates by opting energy efficient solutions one has
to carefully deal with the day lighting, natural ventilation and shading parameters
of the building. In modern buildings in tropical climate the present trend of building
materials and methodologies used for construction needs to be evaluated for
better thermal comfort with less consumption of energy.
With the population of about 18 million as on 2006 Mumbai is the India’s topmost
and world’s fifth most populous metropolitan area [7]. This commercial capital of
India with the annual population growth rate of 2.2% is one of the most densely
populated cities of the world with the density of about 27,220 people per square
kilometre [7]. The ever increasing migrant population in the city demands for more
housing on the limited land, hence in order to serve this housing need for the
growing population the only alternative was to grow vertical. Following the present
trend of having taller buildings in the city, which is the growing competition
amongst mega cities of both developed and developing countries, Mumbai is also
on the verge of having one of the tallest commercial as well as residential
buildings in Asia.
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1.6 Sustainable approach for High-rise Residential growth in Mumbai:
As we go higher the energy usage of the building increases not only to achieve
indoor comfort conditions but also for the vertical transport and building
maintenance. In the light of the strained energy supply scenario more efforts
should be made to minimise the energy use in the high-rise residential apartments
by application of solar passive design techniques in design of new high-rise
buildings and using renewable energy technology systems. In general, energy
efficiency in new high-rise buildings can be achieved through:
• Use of renewable energy systems to meet a part of the building load; and
• Use of low energy materials and energy efficient methods of construction. [6]
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CHAPTER 2: Concept of Dissertation .
Previous chapter describes the need for energy efficient approach for High-rise
residential construction in future. The following dissertation is focused on the
energy efficiency of high-rise residential blocks in the city having tropical hot and
humid climate. As discussed in paragraph 1.4 climatic conditions and growing
urban heat island effect are the main reasons for growing discomfort in tropical
cities. Thermal comfort is influenced by physical characteristics of the place. By
adapting correct climate modification in a building; better thermal comfort can be
achieved with less consumption of energy.
Tropical buildings face hot and sunny weather for most of the time round the year.
There two major thermal forces acting on the building envelope, radiation and
convectional impacts. The radiation component consists of solar radiation and
radiant heat exchange with the surroundings. The conventional component
includes the air moving around and through the building. Various studies has been
undertaken for optimizing natural ventilation in buildings to achieve better comfort
conditions in its interiors, some of those study are done on sustainable
technologies like use of wing walls, narrow plans, cross ventilation, these
methods are widely used in projects by Architect Ken Yang. Present research is
based on optimising the design of building envelope for better thermal
performance in tropical climate.
Referring to literature and research from the past, it is clear that most of the study
done in field of energy efficiency in high-rise buildings is done in context of
commercial buildings. In his book “The Skyscraper – bio-climatically considered
11
(1996)”, architect Ken Yang has also proposed set of sustainable design principles
for high-rise office buildings. There is only limited amount of research done on
energy-efficient residential building design in hot and humid tropical conditions and
to go further, a negligible amount of research literature was found done on Indian
buildings in tropical cities of India. The study undertaken here is thus focused on
energy efficiency of high-rise residential buildings in Indian tropical city; the case
taken is of Mumbai located on west banks of India.
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2.3 Simulation studies performed:
For the following research two types of building insulation materials and high
performance glasses are selected. Combination of these insulation and glazing
materials were applied in four sets to the building model of the selected building
made in ECOTECT. Then the detailed thermal analysis was run applying all the
four sets individually. Results are derived in form of data regarding total comfort
hours achieved for whole year, which is then compared to judge which of the four
sets is more effective to achieve maximum comfort hours in the interiors of the
Building model. The simulations were performed on the three floors at different
heights for faster process.
Study was carried out in different stages involving data collection from wide range
of materials, reviewing literature related to study, choosing prototype of high-rise
residential for analysis, performing computer simulations study on the prototype
and analysing the findings. The stages followed are explained in this dissertation
in eight main chapters. Chapter one mentioned earlier provides background to the
study undertaken, reviewing global energy situation and need for sustainable
approach towards growing high-rise culture in tropics. Chapter two introduces aim
and objectives of the research. Chapter three discusses features of tropical
climate and thermal comfort. Chapter four mentions reviews of the literature
collected from wide range of sources. Chapter five focuses on Insulation materials
by mentioning two of the materials in detail. Chapter six presents new range of
high performance window glazing. Chapter seven mentions simulation studies
performed on building model and comparison between different building thermal
insulants and glasses used for study. The results, limitations and recommendation
are concluded in final chapter eight.
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CHAPTER 3: Tropical climate and thermal comfort .
The zone between Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23.5°N) and the Tropic of Capricorn
(latitude 23°S) is defined as Tropical zone. This zone occupies about 40% of the
land surface of the earth
and holds half of the world’s
population. There are
variations in climate within
the tropics, the equatorial
zone of tropics; the area
within 10° of equator with
not much seasonal changes
of temperature has warm
and moist climatic
conditions [8]. Some of the
countries that lie in this
zone are Brazil, part of
Central African and South-
east Asian countries. In
India tropical warm and humid Figure 3.1: Map of India depicting different climate zones
climatic band covers eastern, Source: National Building Code 2005, Part 8, Fig. 2
western and southern parts of the country [figure 3.1]. Few of the important
characteristics of the tropical warm and humid climate are listed below [9]:
• Air Temperature i.e. DBT: Maximum between 27°C and 33°C and
minimum between 21° and 22°C.
• Humidity (RH): varies from 75% to almost 100%
• Precipitation: High throughout the year annual rainfall of 2000mm to 5000mm,
sometimes exceeds 500mm in a month.
• Wind speed: Typically low but strong winds occur during rain squalls. Gust
of 30 m/s has been reported, usually one or two dominant directions.
• Sky conditions: Fairly cloudy throughout the year, skies can be bright. [9]
14
3.2 Thermal comfort in tropics:
Optimum Orientation: The amount of daily solar radiation incident per unit area
on N and S facing walls is much less compared to that on the walls facing other
directions [10], so orienting longer axis of building in East – West direction will
minimise solar heat gain by the envelope. Rectangular planning of the building
with aspect ratio 2:1 reduces the fabric load by 30% compared to square planned
building with equally distributed glazed window area on all the four sides [10].
16
Window Design: Windows are the primary source of heat loss in the winter and
heat gain in the summer. In light of optimising energy efficiency of building by
increasing thermal comfort in interiors various factors should be considered during
window design. Window dimensions should be varied with varying orientation for
the optimised results. Windows on the East and West facades should be avoided
as they are worst orientations from heat gain point of view [10].
Roof and Wall Insulation: Application of the insulation material on the external
wall of the building increases the thermal resistance of the building envelope and
helps to reduce space conditioning loads. Location of insulation in building
envelope and roof and its optimum thickness are very important. In hot climate
placing insulation on the outer face of the building envelope is proved effective as
the thermal mass of the wall is weakly coupled with external source and strongly
coupled with interior. Introduction of air cavity in the wall also increases its thermal
resistance [10].
External Finishes: The external finish of a surface determines the amount of heat
absorbed or rejected by it. Smoot and light colours reflects more light and heat in
comparison to dark coloured surface. Lighter colour surfaces have higher
emissivity and are ideal for use in warm climate.
17
CHAPTER 4: Literature Review .
Literature selected for reference is informative providing suitable base for research
and is in broader context of research topic; mainly focusing on the ideas behind
different research, surveys done in the analysing thermal performance of the
building envelope, energy conservation and building sustainability issues in
Tropics. Literature is mainly extracted from research papers, books, articles from
magazines and websites related to the topic. Reviews of these literatures are
categorised broadly into three main topics as follow:
All the literatures reviewed in above mentioned sections are been organised in
ascending order of their dates of publication, putting the oldest publication at first,
followed by the most recent works.
18
selection of materials. Book provides background necessary to understand the
climatic factors. Author describes many practical applications and low energy
design techniques. Several case-studies done and thermal performance analysis
performed on various materials suggests us on use of different energy efficient
construction alternatives for best climatic performance.
In light of the major issue about Sustainable buildings in tropics, the present paper
focuses on the measures for energy conservation in Buildings in the Tropics. The
author defines thermal comfort in hot-humid climate referring to various findings
and standards approved by bodies like ASHARAE. Author also investigates the
potential of natural ventilation, optimisation and the impact of shading devices or
lowering the consumption of energy for air conditioning in Office buildings located
in tropical climate. Further in the paper the efficiency of day lighting control
systems to reduce use of artificial lighting in office buildings is being discussed. In
19
this paper the potential of different techniques discussed in the paper are
quantified by displaying results of simulation studies done on the office building in
Rio de Janeiro using different simulation tools. Author concludes the essay
suggesting the work to be done in various areas to achieve a major change in the
existing paradigm towards sustainability in the built environment.
This paper is one of the nine position papers commissioned, three each from Asia,
Africa and Latin America, by the International Council for Research and Innovation
(CIB) as part of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the CIB Agenda 21 on
Sustainable Construction and to further its proactive approach on the subject. The
paper mostly talks on social sustainability and sustainability through construction
in India. It gives evidences from the past were some initiatives were taken in vision
of sustainable construction development. Paper gives economic profile of Indian
construction Industry, energy costs of different building materials in India.
Mentioning the rural sustainability it also highlights the reinvention of mud as the
sustainable building material. Author uses current examples that to in Indian
context to back her comments which makes the paper more contemporary.
20
Energy used in building sector of India especially of residential sector and different
climatic zones in India. Paper also assesses the potential to improve building
energy efficiency and how measures in the building sector could be framed as
projects under the Clean Development Mechanism. CDM case studies for large
buildings in the Indian public and private sector are presented. Paper exhibits vital
information about energy use in Indian building Industry both in Residential and
commercial sector backed by the case studies. Chapter on Energy efficient glazing
systems in Indian housing industry and suggestions on optimization of glazing
area and building insulation is quite informative.
This book, developed from the first conference of the International Network for
Tropical Architecture, supplies articles from experts worldwide covering the
cultural, environmental and technical aspects of thinking, researching and
designing for the tropics.
21
Thermal Control in Buildings –
John Straube (2006), Building Science Digest 011 (November, 2006) [15]
This paper was extracted from the series of papers displayed on the Building
Science website focusing on awareness of sustainability to promote the design
and construction of buildings that are more durable, sustainable and economical
than most buildings built today. The paper forms an introduction to large topic of
thermal insulation in buildings. Author focuses on basic mechanism of heat
transfer, definitions of Thermal insulation, thermal bridging, air leakage in building
envelopes, solar radiation through windows and Interior heat gains. Brief and basic
information provided in the paper helps to understand need of thermal control in
building. The chapter of thermal insulation materials discusses thermal properties
of different insulation materials and their thicknesses required to achieve standard
thermal resistance. Information mentioned in the paper provides understanding for
thermal control in buildings. Paper serves as a basic reading material for any
research done in the light of thermal and energy efficiency of building envelope.
This paper investigates into the influence of thermal insulation layer (positioning it
in the external walls of the building) on the yearly cooling load and maximum
cooling demand in two typical residential flats of high-rise residential building in
Hong Kong by employing HTB2, detailed heat transfer simulation software.
Performance of thermal Insulation of different thickness is being tested by varying
their position in building envelope. Paper explains the parameters of modelled flats
in details along with diagrams. Occupancy patterns and use of energy in flats are
taken into consideration to derive more logical results. Step by step summary of
22
each case is presented and recommendations made through simulations are
catering changing seasonal patterns. The results from the simulation study
performed indicates reduction in maximum yearly cooling load which is 6.8% for
air-conditioned residential flat in hot climate when thermal insulation faces inside
the flat and reduction in maximum cooling demand is 7.3% when the thermal
simulation faces either inside or outside the flats. Results also indicate that yearly
cooling load in mildly sensitive to increase in thermal insulation thickness used i.e.
5cm. The paper is summarised by author highlighting on the need to perform
energy simulations, for finding yearly cooling load demand during design stage of
the high-rise residential buildings in hot climate.
The study investigates effect of three types of window glazing on yearly peak
cooling loads of flats in high-rise residential tower located in hot and humid climate
of Hong Kong. Calculations are performed using detailed building heat-transfer
simulation programme HTB2. The two flats selected were of different sizes, facing
different orientations. Results obtained indicate that optimised performance of
different types of glass used for windows of flats depends on the orientation of
flats. Values obtained also indicate that drops in values of yearly cooling load and
yearly maximum cooling demand were higher for the larger flats then smaller ones
and had slight difference depending on flat orientation. There is a detail mention of
U-values of glazing, flat areas and occupancy assumptions. Calculation process is
self explanatory and results are presented in form of tables and graphs. Author
makes a note of limitations of study, concluding with suggestion on use of
simulation studies to be performed while designing buildings in hot climates.
Author further suggests that study should extend further calculating actual energy
consumption, economic appraisal and environmental assessment of the buildings
to be designed.
23
Embodied energy of common and alternative building materials
&Technologies-
B.V. Venkatarama Reddy, K.S. Jagadish (November, 2001), [21]
24
terms of their angle, orientations, adaptability to changing seasons and ability to
illuminate interiors avoiding excessive glare and heat gains. There is a brief
mention of simulation of these devices in Radiance software.
This paper is about designing of self shading envelope for the buildings,
implementing Solar Collection Envelope (SCE) concept which uses computer
model Sust Arc for its application. This model can be used to understand the
relationship between sun movement, building geometry and performance. Paper
includes sections on solar collection Envelope method, case study of Bank of
Israel as example of self shading envelope design and simulation of the office
block model considered under different scenarios. Paper is informative and uses
hypothetical models as well as live examples for its explanation. The author makes
a point to mention limitations of SCE method.
The paper is a case study presenting the methodology used to compare the
thermal performance of bedrooms in multi-storey residential building located in
Florianopolis, southern Brazil which comes under warm-humid climatic zone.. The
assessment involved the measurement of absorptance of the colour of external
surfaces, calculation of thermal properties of walls and windows, drawing of
shading on the windows, correlation between external and internal temperatures
and correlation between temperature differences and thermal properties.
The study was done mainly using physical instruments like data logger and results
are mentioned for a specified time period. The primary conclusion derived from the
experiment indicates that the thermal performance of bedrooms in multi-storey
residential building located in warm-humid climate over summer would optimise if
the façade areas and U-values are minimised, while in winter season maximisation
of thermal performance and thermal time lag period really works. As mentioned in
the conclusion the readings were measured in flat with no occupancy there lies the
drawback of the study as the consideration of closing and opening of windows,
internal thermal load produced by people and equipment is not taken into
consideration, also readings were taken in winter months so affect of summer
conditions are unconsidered.
This article is a part of the technical bulletin from the website owned by Indian
Green Building Council and it mainly speaks about the booming construction
Industry in India and significant increase in use of glass in buildings which initiates
need to choose right type of energy efficient glazing for significant low cost
26
building energy consumption. Article also explains different factors to be
considered in glass selection, defines high performance glazing and mentions
different types of energy efficient glazing. The Article is concluded with a section
on integrated approach for selection of glazing and list of buildings in India using
High Performance Glass. Article is informative giving general knowledge about
need, selection and examples of High Performance glazing.
In the following sub topic reviews of the books and articles mentioning case
studies of Energy efficient buildings in India and other tropical climatic locations
are mentioned. No specific case study was done on energy efficient buildings in
Tropics, hence following literature was reviewed which was referred for studying
energy efficient techniques used in buildings located in warm-humid tropical
climate.
27
Green Buildings – (Paper prepared for WEEA) –
Debajit Palit (June, 2004), TERI, India, [6]
28
CHAPTER 5: Study of Insulation materials .
Heat flow occurs through the building enclosure via external wall. All the materials
used in building construction are in some sense resistant to heat flow. In order to
retard the heat flow through the building enclosure some of the products having
lower U-values are deliberately used in building assemblies, which are termed as
Thermal Insulation materials.
Most of the building materials like concrete, wood, plastic have relatively high
density, hence to minimise the total density of the building enclosure, thermal
insulants having low-density, low conductivity materials are being used. Previously
low density bricks were used for the building construction as they had moderate
insulating and load bearing characters. In some of the constructions air gap is
introduced between two brick walls in order to optimise its thermal insulation
characteristics, but today Foamed plastics and Fibreglass bats having density of
about 16 kg/m³ and thermal conductivity of 0.043 W/ m. K [15] are widely being
used as the insulation material in most of the modern building enclosures.
At low densities the effective conductivity is generally high; density of glass fibre
batt used is more commonly less than 1 pcf (pounds per cubic foot) (15kg/m³)
hence if we have to achieve higher strength high density fibrous products of 3 to 8
pcf are used which will increase the cost as more material is used, but instead if
we use Foam plastic insulants like extruded polystyrene which provide better R-
value for higher strengths we can resist pressures of 10 psi with density of only 2
pcf [15], hence plastic cellular insulations ranging from expanded polystyrene to
phenolic foam boards are preferred over mineral fibre based insulation products to
increase the thermal comfort in energy efficient buildings reducing space
conditioning loads. The table displayed in figure 5.1 shows R & RSI (thermal
resistance index) values of some of different thermal insulating materials. R-value
is the measure of thermal resistance of the building insulation material, higher the
R-value better is the thermal resistance of the material. R-value is inversely
proportional to the U-value.
29
Figure 5.1: RSI & R values of different insulation materials
Source: Thermal Insulation of Energy efficient Buildings [28]
Plastics products are mainly categorised into 3 forms viz. foam, rigid sheet and
loose fill, as mentioned earlier thermal conductivity of these products are really low
hence we can achieve great impact with small thicknesses. Plastic products are
water resistant and do not rot or get affected by termites. Initially these products
used HCFCs for their production which are ozone –depletion agents but they are
been replaced by other agents which have no impact on ozone layer. Two types
of Plastic insulation materials
widely used in building industry
today are been described in this
Chapter. The diagram below
compares the degree of
insulation of some of common
insulating materials used in
construction, these figures are
calculated under assumption of
still’ air. [35]
Figure 5.2:Comparison of building materials
& relative insulation values under 'still' air conditions, source:www.foam-insulation.co.uk [35]
30
5.2.1 Expanded Polystyrene (EPS):
Density: Available in varying densities usually from 0.90 pcf (pounds per cubic
foot) to 1.8 pcf.
Fire resistance: EPS softens at 180°F and melts at the temperature of 240°F.
Other characteristics: Nowadays we get these insulants free of HCFC and can
also be recycled, this is an environmental benefit. These are rot free and
resistance to mould and termite attack.
31
5.2.2 Rigid Polyurethane foam (PUR):
Density: Density of PUR used for thermal insulation in buildings normally ranges
between 1.87 pcf (pounds per cubic foot) and 2.8 pcf, for some of the applications
it can reach up to 6.2 pcf.
Moisture resistance: PUR has lowest moisture permeability ratings then any of
the products used by building industry. Permeance rating on PUR is 1.2
Fire resistance: resists fire (not ignite) until temperature reaches at about 1000°F.
The glass which reduces the intake of heat, allowing higher penetration of daylight
through it is termed as High Performance Glass. These types of glazing have low
U-value ranging from 1.7 – 3.0 W/m².K, low Shading Coefficient from 0.1 – 0.4 and
VLT (Visual Light Transmittance) of 40-60% [26] and are the most energy efficient
solutions for vertical fenestrations in building. High performance glass can provide
30-40% more energy savings compared to conventional glass enhancing occupant
comfort. Some of the High Performance Glazing types are described below:
effective insulation. A 16mm air gap is considered the optimum thickness and is
usually recommended for most users [7]. The spacers introduced between the
panes accommodate expansion and contraction of glass due to heat and provide
moisture barrier and insulating barrier.
Another advantage of using multiple glazed windows is that along with heat it also
retards sound, for effective sound retardance the air gap between the panes
should be minimum 25 mm.
33
Gas filled Insulated Glazing:
Another way of further improving the thermal
performance of multiple panes Insulated Glazing Gas
Fill
is to fill the air space between the glass panes
with inert gases like Argon or Krypton. Both these
glasses are non- toxic, odourless, clear and more
resistance to heat flow than air. Care should be
taken to avoid gas loss through window edges.
Use of gas between window panes can bring
down the U-values to 0.2-0.3 W/m²°C [26]. Use of Figure 6.1.2: Gas filled glazing
this kind of technology does not add much of the Source: www.efficientwindows.org
cost compared to air filled insulated glazing and do not reduce the VLT of window.
Tinted Glazing:
34
warm climates where reduction of solar heat gain is a major concern. Tints like
bronze retards light and heat while blue and green allows more of light to
penetrate, retarding heat transfer.
Reflective Glazing:
Reflective glazing have better shading
coefficients than tinted glazing as they reflect
most of the heat radiations than absorb it but at
the same time reflective coats reduces visible
light transmittance of window. These glazing are
made by applying reflective coats made up of
thin layers of metal or metallic oxides on the
outer surface of the glass. These type of glazing
are more recommended in hot climate to control
solar heat gain, more preferred for commercial Figure 6.1.4: Reflective glazing
35
heat to interiors in winter season and avoid heat loss while in summer season it
reflects back the heat in the exterior reducing heat gains of interiors thereby
increasing internal comforts. Figure 6.1.5 shows the position of low-e coating
preferred in cold climate to avoid heat loss, when same coat applied on exterior
surface heat radiations are reflected back keeping interiors cool in hot climate.
For many years the use of insulated glazing for buildings was restricted in cold
climatic zones, that too in the regions of North American and European countries.
In the cold climate insulated glazing (double or triple glazed) are widely used for
their ability to reduce infiltration and heat loss in turn reducing heating costs in
winter seasons, while in summers they act as heat reflectors in turn reducing air-
conditioning costs. Heating systems are more efficient compared to cooling
systems like air-conditioning, both environmental and energy cost point of view. In
the buildings situated in warm –humid climate were thermal comfort is the prime
issue use of air-conditioning is in excess, hence use of insulated glazing in hot and
warm-humid climates seems to be an
important energy efficient solution. In
order to optimise thermal efficiency of
insulated glazing, filling of inert gas within
the glass panes and application of low-e
coat is recommended. Graph mentioned
in Figure 6.2 indicates savings on cooling
energy for residential place in cooling
climates for four types of windows. Graph
clearly suggest that the double glazed
window with application of high
performance ext. tint, a low-e coating, Figure 6.2: Graph- Annual Energy Savings
an argon gas fill and an aluminium frame achieved by use of four types of windows
can achieve cooling energy savings Source: Technical Manual Glazing- Hot
The study deals with the high-rise residential apartment in specific climatic zone
i.e. warm and humid hence a residential tower located in suburbs of Mumbai
(comes under warm-humid tropical belt passing through India) was chosen for
analysis. The residential tower is already built and is a part of Godrej Garden
Enclave residential complex in Vikroli (area located in suburbs of Mumbai).
Building specifications are as follows:
• Building site - Building site is adjacent to Railway lines
(on one side) and Express Highway (on other side) - (Refer Appendix A)
• Building shape - In order to achieve economic loading of
of four flats on each floor, less ground coverage and to avoid view of the
Railway tracks a sort of triangular shape was chosen for building design.
• Building orientation - Two of the corners of triangle are facing
N-S direction, third corner facing East, with major windows facing S-E & N-E
directions. (Refer Appendix A for Elevations of building)
Figure 7.1.1: Typical floor plan of modelled building Source: Architect T. Khareghat
37
• Number of storeys - 20
• Number of flats on typical flrs. - 4
• Number of flats on 20th floor
and two Refuge floors - 2
• Building envelope material - R.C.C (Reinforced Cement Concrete)
• External wall type - 600mm thick external wall boxing which
shades windows and air space between wall acts as the heat insulator.
• External wall finish - Exterior acrylic putty
• External wall colour - White (acts as heat reflective surface)
• Roof Insulation Used - The Roof i.e. the terrace slab + brickbat-
coba layer + EPS 16Kg Density + reflective clay tiles.
Elevation wall raised 6m above the terrace slab which hides the services on
the terrace as well as cuts off sunrays directly falling on terrace slab reducing
heat gain by the roof.
• Windows type - Aluminium framed, single glazed
• Type of glass used for windows - 6 mm, float glass
Figure 7.1.2: Rear view of Building Figure 7.1.3: Front view of Building facing
Facing railway lines Express Highway
Source: Architect T, Khareghat Source: RADIANCE.
38
7.2 Climate of Mumbai:
Dew point temperature - max. of 28° C and it goes min. to 2.9° C in winters
39
7.3 Use of ECOTECT for Thermal Simulation Analysis:
40
7.4 Thermal Simulation Analysis:
Thermal analysis was performed on the building model applying five different
options of materials. First analysis performed was with application of the materials
which are actually used in the existing building construction and other four
simulations were performed by applying combinations of two types of thermal
insulation materials viz. EPS and PUR (on the external wall) with two types of High
Performance glasses which replaces the original glazing used for windows.
Thermal analysis of the building model applying four different combinations of
thermal insulants and high performance glazing and a thermal analysis with
application of original materials (as used in existing building) are been discussed
below
Flooring and ceiling: Concrete slabs covered with screed and ceramic tiles.
External wall material: 150mm Concrete Stone (1-2-4 Mix) material finished with
cement plaster on outer and gypsum plaster on inner side was applied to external
wall representing R.C.C materials of actual building.
.Figure 7.4.1: External double wall combination applied to model for Thermal analysis - I
.Figure 7.4.2: Materials applied to External single wall of model for Thermal analysis - I
41
The actual double wall (wall boxing) consists of two 150mm thick concrete walls
separated by air gap of 450mm, finished by cement plaster on the outer surface of
exterior wall and gypsum plaster on inner surface of inner wall.
Window materials: Single glazed aluminium frame window element was selected
from the ECOTECT library of building materials which was applied to all the
windows in the model. The glazing material used was single glazed 6mm float
standard glass.
The graph compares the Internal and external temperatures of building model
predicting the comfort temperatures we achieve in whole year. Total we get 5005
hours (i.e. 57.1%) in comfort for the entire year by application of above materials
to the building model. (comfort band considered 18.0 -27.0 °C) - (Refer Appendix B for details)
42
Thermal analysis – II: Applying EPS and SUNERGY single glass
Flooring and ceiling: Concrete slabs covered with screed and ceramic tiles.
External wall material: 150mm Concrete Stone (1-2-4 Mix) material with
additional 75mm Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) layer on external side finished with
cement plaster on outer and gypsum plaster on inner side was applied to external
wall, The double wall (wall boxing) consists of two 150mm thick concrete walls
with additional layer of 75mm Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) on outer surface of
inner walls reducing air gap to 375mm. Walls are finished by cement plaster on
the outer surface of exterior wall and gypsum plaster on inner surface of inner wall.
.Figure 7.4.4: External double wall combination applied to model for Thermal analysis – II
.Figure 7.4.5: Materials applied to External single wall of model for Thermal analysis - II
Window materials: Single glazed aluminium frame window element was selected
from the EOTECT library of building materials changing the glazing material from
single glazed 6mm float standard glass to 6mm thick SUNERGY single glass
(clear) which has low –e coating on it which reduces the heat gains through
windows.
43
Thermal Simulation Results: Results obtained by carrying out simulation with
above sets of materials are as follows:
The graph compares the Internal and external temperatures of building model
predicting the comfort temperatures we achieve in whole year. In total we get 5287
hours (i.e. 60.40%) in comfort for the entire year by application of above materials
to the building model. (comfort band considered 18.0 -27.0 °C) - (Refer Appendix
B for details)
44
Thermal analysis – III: Applying EPS and SUNERGY double glass
with low-e coating.
Flooring and ceiling: Same materials as applied in case of Thermal Analysis - II
The graph compares the Internal and external temperatures of building model
predicting the comfort temperatures we achieve in the whole year. In total we get
5345 hours (i.e. 61%) in comfort for the entire year by application above materials
to the building model. - (Refer Appendix B for details)
45
Thermal analysis – IV: Applying PUR and SUNERGY single glass
Window materials: Applying same window element and same glazing applied as
in case of Thermal Analysis – II.
In total we get 5309 hours (i.e. 60.6%) in comfort for the entire year by application
of above materials to the building model. (comfort band considered 18.0 -27.0 °C) - (Refer
Appendix B for details)
46
Thermal analysis – V: Applying PUR and SUNERGY double glass
with low-e coating.
Flooring and ceiling: Same materials as applied in case of Thermal Analysis - II
Window materials: Applying same window element and same glazing applied as
in case of Thermal Analysis – III.
In total we get 5391 hours (i.e. 61.50%) in comfort for the entire year by
application of above materials to the building model. (comfort band considered 18.0 -
27.0 °C) - (Refer Appendix B for details)
47
7.5 Summary of Results:
The results of the Thermal analysis performed on building model by altering the
materials are summarised in form of graph.
62 61.5
61
60.4 60.6
61
60
59
58 57.1
57
56
55
54
I II III IV V
Comfort hours in %
.Figure 7.5.1: Graph shows the comparison between comfort hours (in %) for whole year by
applying each set of materials.
Thermal Thermal
Analysis Insulation material Glazing type
By analysing the above comparisons and discussions made in present and last
two chapters (i.e. chapter 5 &6) following conclusions are been derived:
48
• The effective combination of PUR and High performance double glazing with
low-e value coat gives maximum comfort hours inside an apartment when
used in the building envelope.
• Double glazed insulated windows have more advantage over single glazed
and are recommended for their use in hot climates and addition of inert gases
into these glazing will further yield higher results.
• Results also suggest that Rigid Polyurethane Foam (PUR) has better thermal
insulation, moisture resistance and fire retardance properties over Expanded
Polystyrene (EPS) and hence recommended over EPS.
U-value
Legend Wall Type (W/(M2.K)
49
7.5.1 Comparing U-values and costs of the thermal Insulation materials:
12 0.7
£11.00 0.62
10 0.6
£8.00 0.5
8 0.42
0.4
6
0.3
4
0.2
2 0.1
0 0
EPS PUR EPS PUR
Figure 7.5.4: U-values and cost comparison of Thermal Insulants used.(U-values from ECOTECT)
Source: capital costs from Sustainability – Thermal insulation, issue 41, 2006 – [29].
Rigid urethane
foam (PUR) Plastic cellular 75 11-13 0.022 - 0.028
Expanded
Polystyrene (EPS) Plastic cellular 75 8-10 0.032 - 0.040
Plant/animal
Cellulose fibre fibre 100 9-11 0.036 - 0.040
Plant/animal
Wool fibre 100 13-15 0.037 - 0.040
Figure 7.5.5: Comparative capital cost and performance of thermal insulation materials
Source: Building, Sustainability – Thermal insulation, issue 41, 2006 – [29]
50
7.5.2 Comparing U-values and costs of the glazing materials used:
6 35
5.38
30 £29.00
5
4.2
25
4
20
3
15 £11.70
2
1.4 10
£5.00
1 5
0 0
SG SSG SDG SG SSG SDG
U-value Cost
Legend Glazing Type [W/(m².K)] (£/m²)
There are many types of High performance glazing brands available in market, for
the analysis made here the glasses selected are from the range of High
performance glass from Glaverbel, which are supplied by AIS Glass Solutions in
India. The information about U-values and and capita costs of the glazing
materials used serves as a guide line to choose the right type of insulted glazing
(according to the buget) suitable for the project for higher energy conservation.
51
CHAPTER 8: Conclusion .
8.1 Summary:
To find out, which combination of High performance glazing and thermal insulant
can gain higher comfort hours in the building, four cases were analysed in the
research. The cases with the results for individual analysis are described in the
subtopic 7.5 in the Chapter 7. The results indicates that highest amount of comfort
hours rise to 61.5% is achieved by use of Rigid Polyurethane Foam (PUR) as
insulant in external wall and double glazing with low-e coating for windows, the
rise is 4.5% more than the comfort hours achieved by using normal glazing for
windows and no thermal insulation for external walls.
The study performed on the cost analysis and U-value comparison further
demonstrates the thermal performances of the materials used and gives the
general idea about the material selection for the best results considering the
budget of the project.
Conclusions drawn from the study clearly demonstrates and suggests need of
thermal insulation and High performance insulated glazing for High-rise
Residential structures in warm-humid and hot climates to achieve more comfort
hours throughout the year in turn reducing costs on energy need for air-
conditioning
52
8.2 Limitations of Study:
53
. REFERENCES .
54
10) Climate Design for Energy Efficiency in Buildings, V.K.Mathur, I Chand
(Octobe,2002), I E Journal-AR Vol. 84, pp. 34,35.
13) Energy efficiency and building construction in India, Piyush Tiwari (July,
2000), Building and Environment 36, pp. 1127-1135.
14) Indian Urban Building Sector: CDM Potential through Energy Efficiency
in Electricity Consumption, Inderjeet Singh, Axel Michaelowa (August,
2004)
55
19) Influence of thermal insulation position in building envelope on the
space cooling of high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong, M. Bojic,
F. Yik, P.Sat (September 2000), Energy and Building 33, pp. 569-581
22) Day lighting in the Tropics, R. Edmonds and P.J. Greenup (March, 2002),
Solar Energy Vol.73 (2002), No. 2, pp. 111–121
26) High Performance Glass, Indian Green Building Council technical bulletin,
CII- Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (October, 2005).
www.greenbusinesscentre.com – last visited August 2007
27) Energy- efficient buildings in India, Mili Majumdar (2002), published by TERI
and MNES, India.
56
28) Thermal Insulation of Energy efficient Buildings, Akash Singh, Mohd.
Alam Khan, Juhi Gaur, Grishma Gupta (December, 2006), Paper presented
for AER 2006 held by department of Energy Systems Engineering, IIT, Mumbai.
33) Location: Mumbai, India, Goggle Earth Version 4.2 -Virtual globe programme
57
APPENDIX A: SITE LAYOUT .
58
ARIAL VIEW OF THE SITE HIGHLIGHTING THE BUILDING USED FOR ECOTECT
MODELLING.
59
CLOSE ARIAL VIEW OF THE BUILDING
63
APPENDIX C: BRIEF NOTE ON ECB CODES, 2006, INDIA .
The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2006 has been developed by
the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) under contract with the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a part of the
Energy Conservation and Commercialization (ECO) Project providing support to
the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Action Plan [34]
The main aim behind developing these codes is to set minimum Energy
performance standards for buildings and initiate the energy conservation by use
of thermal efficient building materials, lighting systems and less energy
consuming building construction techniques.
There has been a recent launch of The Energy Conservation Building Code
(ECBC), 2007 specifying energy performance requirements for all commercial
buildings to be constructed in India.
For more details regarding The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC),
2006 and Energy Conservation Act in 2001 following sites can be referred:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Conservation_Building_Code
www.energymanagertraining.com/ECBC/DRAFTECBC27MARCH2006.pdf
64
APPENDIX D: SPECIFICATIONS OF GLASS USED FOR ANALYSIS
65