Comparative Analysis of Energy Performance for Residential Wall Systems with Conventional and Innovative Insulation Materials: A Case Study

Abstract

This study was focused on the simulation of energy performance for residential buildings incorporating different types of insulation materials. The energy consumption of residential buildings in the U.S. plays a significant role in the total annual energy consumption, and using insulation materials of higher performances is one of the most effective ways to reduce the building energy consumption. In this study, the building energy simulation was performed in BEopt for a typical residential house in the U.S. with several different types of insulation materials. The results show that adding insulation materials can significantly improve the building energy performance. The polyisocyanurate performed the best among the conventional insulation materials and had an annualized source energy saving of 37% in Pittsburgh. Vacuum-Insulated Panels had the best performance among all types of materials discussed in this study and showed annualized source energy of 41% in Pittsburgh. Phase Change Material was found to be the most effective way to particularly reduce the cooling energy use.