Measurement of Thermal Performance of Building Envelope - A Comparison of Some International Legislation

Title: Measurement of Thermal Performance of Building Envelope - A Comparison of Some International Legislation
Author(s): Hongyu LI, Malcolm LAVERICK
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International Conference on Waste Engineering and Management - ICWEM 2010
Editor(s): J.Zh. Xiao, Y. Zhang, M.S. Cheung and Reuben P. K. Chu
Print-ISBN: 978-2-35158-102-5
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-103-2
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2010
Pages: 108 - 121
Total Pages: 14
Nb references: 18
Language: English

Abstract: The purpose of the sustainable building envelope is to create a comfortable thermal internal environment and enhance the overall building energy performance. This is accomplished by regulating air temperature, radiant heat loss or gain, solar heat gain, relative humidity and air movement with use of building energy standards or codes of practice.
In the current design standards worldwide there are two standards popularly used to measure thermal performance of a building envelope: one is thermal insulation standards in cold climates with the use of U-values, the other is methods of control of solar heat gain through the building envelope for buildings in hot climates with the use of Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV). Comparison of these two methods adopted in various countries has presented understanding of various thermal performance standards for building envelope.
Air-tightness was not taken into account in the measurement for thermal performance of building envelope before the 21st-century. In reality air permeability of a building envelope has a great influence on energy performance of a building. Air-tightness standards adopted in various countries’ legislation has been explored and discussed.
Performance based approach to analyse the building energy consumption in building envelope and other building service systems is the trend to achieve building energy efficiency goals.

Online publication: 2011-01-25
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00