1. Measuring and modelling retrofit fabric performance in solid wall conjoined dwellings.
- Author
-
Parker, James, Farmer, David, Johnston, David, Fletcher, Martin, Thomas, Felix, Gorse, Christopher, and Stenlund, Steven
- Subjects
- *
RETROFITTING of buildings , *HOME energy use , *THERMAL insulation , *THERMAL comfort , *HEATING & ventilation industry - Abstract
Highlights • Calibrated models used to improve accuracy of predicted absolute savings from deep retrofit solutions. • Calibration method using in situ test results validated against pre- and post-retrofit measurements. • In situ test results presented for fabric performance of solid wall no-fines concrete dwellings and for traditional and innovative external wall insulation systems. • Co-pressurisation test results shown to have a significant impact on modelled energy performance. Abstract There remains a significant number of occupied and uninsulated solid wall dwellings in the UK. Deep retrofit is often required for these buildings to become energy efficient but it is difficult to determine how these buildings will respond to retrofit without a detailed understanding of their fabric thermal performance Greater certainty can however be achieved by combining theoretical models and practical field tests, prior to the design of retrofit programmes. This type of approach can then be used to inform and optimize the design of retrofit interventions. This paper presents results from a series of in situ fabric performance tests undertaken on two no-fines concrete, conjoined dwellings pre- and post-retrofit and demonstrates how empirical data can be used to inform and calibrate the thermal performance of dynamic simulation models (DSMs). This is a particularly pragmatic calibration method as it eliminates the need for actual weather data, which is expensive and prohibitive to collect and collate. The DSM inputs and outputs were compared with those obtained from Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations. The results illustrate how the fabric performance of no-fines concrete can vary between similar house types within the same development. This research also validates the effectiveness of the calibration methodology that uses the whole house Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) as the qualifying metric. Furthermore, results also emphasize the importance of appropriately characterizing the physical properties of existing buildings before designing retrofit strategies. This paper contributes to the growing knowledge base concerned with the energy performance gap. In this instance, SAP predicts higher absolute savings then measured in situ which is problematic when assessing the financial viability of retrofits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF