Time lag characteristics of building envelop materials on peak energy demand in typical hot and humid climate of India

Abstract

Using a one-dimensional model for transient heat conduction through building enclosure walls, the present research examines the effects of thermo-physical building envelope parameters on transient heat exchange, peak cooling, and heating load for northern part of India. For space cooling and heating applications, the thermal performance of four distinct walling systems commonly employed in the climatic conditions of India was examined. Results demonstrate that when the thermal conductivity of the wall increases, the time lag reduces. As wall thickness rises from 230 mm to 310 mm, there is an increase in the time lag during cooling and heating modes. Additionally, the results show that the time lag between conduction and solar load increases as wall thickness increases. As wall thermal mass increased by 20% in cooling mode, the time of peak load was shifted by 2 hours. When operating in cooling mode in contrast to heating mode, high thermal mass is more effective in shifting the time of occurrence of peak energy consumption.