Buildings Thermal Insulation Performance Analysis

The paper reports an overview on the physical basis of the building thermal energy balance finalized to highlight the principal energy flows which can be influenced by the envelope insulation characteristics. With the goal of minimizing the energy need, the building thermal load is clearly defined and its minimization is identified as the driving issue to be pursued in order to reduce the required yearly energy demand. An extensive although simplified analysis on the thermal load components is carried out to identify how they react to an envelope insulation change. The results show in some components different and opposite trends with increasing insulation between heating and cooling seasons, which show that is impossible to assume a generalized response for every building in every context and climatic conditions even on national basis. The general conclusion is that a real building energy optimization requires a yearly energy performance parametric study for this specific building in order to tailor, in the specific context and climate, the full set of governing parameters other than insulation.