OPTIMIZATION OF THERMAL INSULATION FOR ENERGY SAVINGS

Abstract

Due to the current environmental situation, saving energy and reducing CO2 emission have become the leading drive in modern science research. For buildings that require heating and cooling, one of the solutions is to optimize their thermal insulation and thus improve energy efficiency and reduce energy needs. In this paper, for a residential house in Serbia, an optimization of thermal insulation is investigated by using EnergyPlus software and Hooke-Jeeves direct search method. The investigated house is two-storey high with four thermal zones. The house is heated by electrical energy and cooled by the unitary air conditioners to achieve the thermal comfort in rooms. The embodied energy of thermal insulation is also taken into account. The simulation is done during the entire life of the house. The results show optimal thickness of thermal insulation that yield the minimum energy consumption and maximum reduction of CO emissions