Scholarlink

<p>India’s diverse climatic conditions pose unique challenges for Building Energy Simulation (BES), where the incorporation of inappropriate insulation material often leads to unsatisfactory energy and financial savings. Unlike previous studies that either evaluate insulation performance generically or focus on a single climate zone, the present study provides a comparative assessment of five widely used insulation materials – Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Straw Bale (SB), Polyurethane Foam (PUF), and Fibre Glass (FG) across five cities representative of the five climate zones of India. Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) was used to conduct BES using eQUEST to estimate annual energy consumption and cost implication under varying thicknesses of insulation material (0–100&#xa0;mm). A Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) framework explicitly integrating Present Worth Savings (PWS), Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback Period (PBP) was applied to identify climate-specific optimal thickness value. Results indicate that EPS and SB consistently demonstrate superior cost-effectiveness with PBP ranging between 1 and 4 years, making them suitable for large-scale application. In contrast, XPS and PUF offered higher thermal performance but require significantly greater initial investment, thereby reducing their economic viability in Temperate and Cold climate zones of India. The novelty of this study lies in its holistic evaluation that simultaneously accounts for climatic diversity, varied insulation types and thickness, and an integrated techno-economic optimization framework - providing climate-zone-specific recommendations that move beyond generalized global and prescriptive guidelines. Thus, this work contributes critical insights for policymakers, designers, and practitioners to promote sustainable and energy-efficient building design, tailored to India’s climatic diversity.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Climate-sensitive multi zonal assessment of building envelope insulation in India with TMY and LCCA

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月24日

查看全文
  • Ranjit Kaur,
  • Sneha Das

摘要

India’s diverse climatic conditions pose unique challenges for Building Energy Simulation (BES), where the incorporation of inappropriate insulation material often leads to unsatisfactory energy and financial savings. Unlike previous studies that either evaluate insulation performance generically or focus on a single climate zone, the present study provides a comparative assessment of five widely used insulation materials – Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Straw Bale (SB), Polyurethane Foam (PUF), and Fibre Glass (FG) across five cities representative of the five climate zones of India. Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) was used to conduct BES using eQUEST to estimate annual energy consumption and cost implication under varying thicknesses of insulation material (0–100 mm). A Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) framework explicitly integrating Present Worth Savings (PWS), Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback Period (PBP) was applied to identify climate-specific optimal thickness value. Results indicate that EPS and SB consistently demonstrate superior cost-effectiveness with PBP ranging between 1 and 4 years, making them suitable for large-scale application. In contrast, XPS and PUF offered higher thermal performance but require significantly greater initial investment, thereby reducing their economic viability in Temperate and Cold climate zones of India. The novelty of this study lies in its holistic evaluation that simultaneously accounts for climatic diversity, varied insulation types and thickness, and an integrated techno-economic optimization framework - providing climate-zone-specific recommendations that move beyond generalized global and prescriptive guidelines. Thus, this work contributes critical insights for policymakers, designers, and practitioners to promote sustainable and energy-efficient building design, tailored to India’s climatic diversity.