Energy conservation in residential buildings by incorporating Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies and higher thermal mass

In this study, two types of a detached residential house with two floors and four bedrooms in Sydney were analysed using a building energy simulation program. Several scenarios were built based on various parameters, such as Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies (PSEEDS) and different external walls and floor systems, to determine their influence on the total energy required to achieve thermal comfort in the house. This study shows that the total energy required for heating during winter is reduced by 37% and 36% using Passive Solar and Energy Efficiency Design Strategies for constructing standard fibro and brick veneer houses, respectively. On the other hand, increasing the thermal mass (building materials with higher R values) through utilizing different walls and flooring system, by replacing fibro house with brick veneer house and applying the PSEEDS, total energy requirement could be reduced by up to 58%. Thus incorporating PSEEDS and higher thermal mass in the construction of residential buildings can yield significant savings in energy costs over the considered lifetime of 50 years period. Energy consumptions obtained through simulation were verified with the real data and found to be within the tolerance limit of 16%.