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14.7 Energy Efficiency: Insulation, Infiltration, and Thermal Walls

This document discusses energy efficiency in buildings through insulation, reducing air infiltration, and using thermal walls. It provides information on how heat is lost through a building's skin and cracks. Sustainable heating requires insulation, passive solar design, and renewable energy. Heat loss is calculated based on the area and resistance of building materials. Heat loss from air infiltration depends on the air volume and rate. Passive solar gain and thermal walls can provide heat from the sun by collecting, storing, and distributing solar energy in a building. Sample calculations are provided to compare the heat loss through insulated and uninsulated walls.

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22 views

14.7 Energy Efficiency: Insulation, Infiltration, and Thermal Walls

This document discusses energy efficiency in buildings through insulation, reducing air infiltration, and using thermal walls. It provides information on how heat is lost through a building's skin and cracks. Sustainable heating requires insulation, passive solar design, and renewable energy. Heat loss is calculated based on the area and resistance of building materials. Heat loss from air infiltration depends on the air volume and rate. Passive solar gain and thermal walls can provide heat from the sun by collecting, storing, and distributing solar energy in a building. Sample calculations are provided to compare the heat loss through insulated and uninsulated walls.

Uploaded by

Cla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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14.

7 ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
Insulation, Infiltration, and
Thermal Walls
HEAT LOSS IN A BUILDING

The heat loss from the building is related to losses through the building
skin (walls, ceilings, windows, doors) and through airflow that occurs through
any cracks or holes in the building (infiltration). The heat added into a
conventional building is typically from conversion of non-renewable fuels
such as natural gas, oil, or electricity. Sustainable heating requires the
building be oriented toward the sun, be insulated, and have a heating system
designed to take advantage of the input of the sun’s energy through passive
solar design or use of renewable energy.

change in internal heat loss


plus external energy heat into building from building
per unit time
HEAT LOSS FROM INFILTRATION

The heat loss through the skin of the building (Btu/°F-day) is determined
as follows:

1
Heat loss  xAxt
R
 R = value is a measure of resistance to heat flow
 (1/R) = defined as the flow of Btu through a 1 sq.ft. section of building skin
for 1 hr., during which the temperature difference between the inside and
outside of the building skin is 1°F
 A = the area of a particular section of the skin (wall, window, door, and
ceiling), and t is time (usually 24 hr.)
HEAT LOSS FROM INFILTRATION

The heat loss associated with infiltration is the amount of energy


required to heat the air lost from the room every day through cracks and
holes in the building envelope. For a particular volume of room r building,
this can be determined as follows:

air heat to raise


heat loss from
volume X infiltration X temperature
infiltration
rate of the air 1°F

Heat capacity is the term used to describe the heat required to raise the
temperature of air. At sea level, 0.018 Btu energy is needed to increase the
temperature of 1 cu.ft. air by 1°F.
PASSIVE SOLAR GAIN AND
THERMAL WALLS

The added heat into building can be derived from non-renewable or


renewable energy. Fortunately, all or part of this heat input can be derived by
taking advantage of the energy provided by the sun. This heat input is called
passive solar gain.

Thermal walls take advantage of passive solar energy and thermal


conduction to transfer heat from warmer to cooler areas. They typically
employ a large concrete or masonry wall to collect and store solar energy and
then distribute this energy as heat into a building space.
SAMPLE PROBLEM
Determine the heat loss through an insulated and uninsulated wall. The area
of each wall is 100 sq.ft. Each wall contains the following materials, which
have the R factors in the table:
Component of Wall R Factor

1 in. stucco on outside of wall 0.20

1/2 in. sheathing under stucco 1.32

1/2 in. drywall on inside of wall 0.45

Inside air film along inside of wall 0.68

Outside air film along outside of wall 0.17

The 3.5 in. air space in the uninsulated wall has an R factor of 1.01. If 3.5 in.
fiberglass insulation is placed in this space, it will have an R factor of 11.0.
SOLUTION

1
Heat loss  xAxt
R

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