Energy and cost analysis of composite-insulated rooftops for sustainable buildings in Indian climatic conditions

ABSTRACT

The largest influences on a building’s cooling and heating load come from heat absorption and loss through building surfaces. Most of the heat gain is absorbed by a structure’s roof. Applying insulation to building envelopes is an efficient approach to cut back on heating and cooling energy use as well as the damaging effects of the construction industry on the environment. As a result, it is extremely important to choose the right insulation material and determine the ideal insulation thickness. Eight diverse cities with a range of climatic variables that are spread over several Indian areas (geometric coordinates) are the starting point for this investigation. To overcome the constraints of the various climate typology representing the diverse climatic circumstances present in India, a generic method is proposed, considering the numerous climatic parameters for eight selected Indian locations. The subject of the project is the analysis of a composite insulation layer made from a combination of chosen seven insulating materials, each of which has a unique property. This building roof envelope is examined using ANSYS software and e-Quest building energy modeling. The results of simulations over the course of the whole year show a significant decrease in energy use and CO₂ emissions. By altering the thickness of the created envelope, the annual energy need is decreased for each of the seven trials in the range of 30–90%. A decrease in heat flow results in sustainable buildings and a low-carbon future by lowering temperatures by 19 degrees and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% to 96%.

KEYWORDS:

• Thermal performance
• insulation
• energy modeling
• optimum thickness
• cooling load
• payback period

Nomenclature

Table

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [RS], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.