Abstract

In Libya, the building sector is rapidly growing and consequently more energy is being expended in this field. Due to the nature of our climate, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) is the primary consumer of energy in buildings. A large portion of this energy may be saved through the use of insulation in order to increase the thermal efficiency. Energy saving techniques are just as important as the development of new energy sources. This paper investigates potential of energy consumption reduction, cost savings and pollutant emission prevention achieved by installing different insulation materials of optimum thickness in residential building wall in Libya. A degree day approach was used for these calculations. Cooling and heating degree day were first calculated for twenty locations across Libya. Then a systematic procedure for optimization of insulation material thickness, payback period and cost analysis was developed and applied for three different types of wall insulation materials. Finally, a correlation between the CDD/HDD and the optimum thickness of insulation materials is presented. The results show that, by introducing optimum insulation thickness of different insulation materials the energy consumption and emissions can be reduced by 70%-80% in comparison to a wall without insulation.

Keywords: Energy saving; Cooling and heating degree day; Insulation material; Optimum thickness; Payback period