Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Department of Civil Engineering

7327BEPG Energy Management

Dr Mawada Abdellatif
m.e.abdellatif@ljmu.ac.uk
Room 3.05, Peter Jost
Week 2
Energy Performance
In this session…

• Importance of building fabric and impact on Energy

Performance.
• Energy Performance Gap
• Guides to help improve energy performance

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Learning outcomes

• At the end of this session you should be able to:

– Study and critically evaluate energy performance of buildings
during operation stage.

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Energy Performance of Buildings

Is defined as the amount of energy actually consumed (or

estimated) to meet the different needs associated with a
standard use of the building including heating/cooling,
lighting and provision of hot water.

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Energy Performance of Buildings (Fabric)
• Design and specification of building fabric has a large impact on
the energy use in any building.
2 1
• of the heat is lost in the buildings through the fabric & third is
3 3
lost through gaps and vents in the fabric.

• Industrial buildings could lose up to 75% of their heat through its

building fabric.

• 10-15% of total energy costs is wasted by heat losses through the

building fabric.
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Heat Loss
 The heat loss through building
fabric indicate how much energy
consumed on space heating.

 The required heating loads for

buildings are usually calculated
as “steady state”

An approximate breakdown of heat loss

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Risks associate with continuous heat loss:

Condensation Damp Mould

• Relative humidity above comfort level

• Health risk
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What do you think rate of heat loss is
dependent on??

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Rate of heat loss

• Internal and external temperature difference

• Amount of fresh (outside) air entering the building
• Fabric condition
• Building size

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A. Fabric Heat Loss:

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B. Infiltration Heat Loss

Where; Q = heat loss (Watts)

N= Number of air changes per hour

V = Room volume (𝑚3 )

Sp.ht. = Specific heat factor for air normally is 0.34

dt = temperature difference between inside and outside (oc)

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o Total heat loss(KW)= Fabric Heat Loss+ Infiltration Heat Loss

o Annual energy required for space heating(KWh)=

Total heat loss* operation hours of heating system

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 U-Value
• Is a measure of how much heat is lost through a given thickness of a
particular material.
• Wall, window, floor and roof
• Units w/m2K
• Lower u-values indicate better thermal insulating properties
• U-Value can be calculated:

1 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠(𝑚)
𝑈= 𝑅=
𝑅 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 W/m⋅K
R=Resistance (R-value in K.m²/W)

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𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚: a measure of the ability of a material to transfer
heat or conduct heat. Sometimes referred to as k-factor or lambda
value λ.

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Thermal resistance (R): refers to the ability of a system of
particular configuration to resist heat transfer.
• Composite materials:

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 Example for a composite wall:
Solution:

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𝑅𝑇 = 𝑅𝐴 + + 𝑅𝐷
1 1
+
𝑅𝐵 𝑅𝐶
𝐿𝐴 1 𝐿𝐷
𝑅𝑇 = + +
𝐾𝐴 𝐾𝐵 𝐾𝐶 𝐾𝐷
+
𝐿𝐵 𝐿𝐶
0.5 1 0.7
𝑅𝑇 = + 0.12 1.7 + =30.93 K.m²/W
0.038 + 0.04
0.5 0.5

1 1
𝑈= = =0.032 W/K.m²
𝑅𝑇 30.93
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Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
Identifying and implementing energy efficiency
measures will become very important as
properties with a F or G rating in 2018 will no
longer to permitted to rent them out*.

* 2011 Energy Act

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Energy Performance Gap
• Energy predictions to real energy use
• Could be due to poor predictions
• Could be due to poor end user
• More likely to be combination of both

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6 Simple Steps for Improving Energy Performance

• Step 1 – Understand your energy use

• Step 2 – Identify your opportunities
• Step 3– Prioritise your actions
• Step 4 – Seek Specialist help
• Step 5 – Make the changes and measure the savings
• Step 6 – Continue managing your building for energy
efficiency

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External Factors
• Climate factors – temperature, humidity, wind, light, solar gain

• Orientation and layout – direction affects shading from other

buildings, plants

• Form – buildings shape and proportion exposed to environment

• Airtightness – controlled ventilation, uncontrolled air infiltration

• Condensation - warm laden air makes contact with a cold surface
that is below the dew-point of the air

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Think of ideas of saving energy by mitigating against some
of the external factors previously discussed

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Some Solutions

Insulation
• Roof and lofts
• Walls
• Floors
• Windows
• Doors

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Floor Insulation

Heat loss through uninsulated Improved heat retention due to

stories inter floor insulation
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Roof Insulation
A warm pitched roof with An inverted flat roof
A cold pitched roof with
insulation at rafter level
insulation at ceiling level

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 Foam spray insulation on roof rafter

Rigid foam insulation boards on roof rafter Blanket of wool insulation on loft floor
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Wall Insulation

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 Foam spray insulation in
cavity wall

Wool insulation in cavity wall

Solid wall insulation

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Case study: Domestic Building

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Signs of condensation on the single glazing in bedroom 1 upstairs
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Solution: Positive Input Ventilation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEk362tNQHI
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Dehumidifier:

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Secondary glazing

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Sempatap Thermal Solid Wall Insulating Wallpaper
 10mm thick,
 Simple and easy as wallpaper to apply
 lowers heat loss, dramatically reduces
condensation
 Can be decorated with virtually
any finish - emulsion, wall- paper
 It has a life expectancy of 30 years
and can be redecorated time and time again
with no problem.
 Does not reduce the room size significantly,
 Can applied as well on flat roof ceilings
Others

• Loft Insulation
• Improving the operation of the heating
• Avoiding drying the clothes inside the rooms.

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 What is the available technology that could
be used to improve the energy consumption?
Low Carbon/clean technologies can be
applied
• Heating Systems:
ground and air source heat pumps, solar thermal, energy efficient heating system
eg. Radiant heating, condensing boiler.
• Electricity:
solar PV, wind turbine, combined heat power, LED
• Water Management:
rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling, combi save, water-saving shower
heads.

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Summary

• Design of buildings essential in terms of its energy

performance
• Walls, floors and roof design have a large impact in terms
of heat loss
• Various options available to reduce heat loss

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