IMPACT OF NANO INSULATING MATERIALS ON ENERGY RETROFIT OF BUILDINGS

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges currently. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global energy demand has become an important research topic. These challenges have increased interest in retrofitting the existing building stock. Energy retrofitting, i.e., energy savings and optimal energy use, is necessary to close the gap between limited resources and increasing energy demand. Applying an energy-efficient insulation system can significantly decrease the energy consumed via a building’s air-conditioning system during the summer. Hence, building insulation has become a promising research topic, especially insulation based on nanomaterials due to their low U-values. This research paper examines the energy retrofitting effectiveness of an old educational building in Egypt using Nanogel ® Aerogel insulating material by integrating it with the building envelope, while walls are insulated with vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). The energy simulation was performed by DesignBuilder software (version 6.1.0.006). The results indicate that integrating VIP and aerogel in the building envelope can increase the thermal performance of a building in a hot climate like Egypt, which especially needs cooling loads during the summer months. It also shows a significant reduction in annual energy consumption, saving up to 36.5% compared to the base case.