The thermal performance of a typical prefab container house

Abstract

Prefabricated container houses have been widely used in recent decades, particularly at construction sites. To improve their energy efficiency, the thermal deficiencies of a typical prefab container house were firstly analyzed using infrared thermography. Detailed measurements of the thermal behavior of its envelope were conducted, focusing on thermal bridges, air infiltration rates, and window solar heat gains. The energy consumption from various sources were then calculated based on the measured data. It showed that there were thermal bridges near the joint of the walls and the panels. The reserved space for rainwater pipes and cables, as well as the panel connecting seams, were inadequately insulated, resulting in higher surface temperatures and heat fluxes compared to the adjacent walls. The energy consumption from the windows, the thermal bridges and air infiltration accounted for around 50 % of the total energy consumption. The thermal bridge insulation structures could reduce more than 60 % and around 40 % energy consumptions of the corners and the seams. The external louvers could reduce around 40 % energy consumption of the windows. After the energy-saving retrofit, the total energy consumption of the prefab house was reduced by approximately 25.9 %.