Yu, J., Dong, Y. orcid.org/0000-0002-0647-2530, Wang, T.-H. et al. (2 more authors) (2024) U-values for building envelopes of different materials: a review. Buildings, 14 (8). 2434. ISSN 2075-5309
Abstract
In recent decades, the issue of building energy usage has become increasingly significant, and U-values for building envelopes have been key parameters in predicting building energy consumption. This study comprehensively reviews the U-values (thermal transmittances) of building envelopes made from conventional and bio-based materials. First, it introduces existing studies related to the theoretical and measured U-values for four types of building envelopes: concrete, brick, timber, and straw bale envelopes. Compared with concrete and brick envelopes, timber and straw bale envelopes have lower U-values. The differences between the measured and theoretical U-values of timber and straw bale envelopes are minor. The theoretical U-values of concrete and brick envelopes ranged from 0.12 to 2.09 W/m2K, and the measured U-values of concrete and brick envelopes ranged from 0.14 to 5.45 W/m2K. The theoretical U-values of timber and straw bale envelopes ranged from 0.092 to 1.10 W/m2K, and the measured U-values of timber and straw bale envelopes ranged from 0.04 to 1.30 W/m2K. Second, this paper analyses the environmental factors influencing U-values, including temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation. Third, the relationship between U-values and building energy consumption is also analysed. Finally, the theoretical and measured U-values of different envelopes are compared. Three research findings in U-values for building envelopes are summarised: (1) the relationship between environmental factors and U-values needs to be studied in detail; (2) the gaps between theoretical and measured U-values are significant, especially for concrete and brick envelopes; (3) the accuracy of both theoretical and the measured U-values needs to be verified.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | U-values; concrete envelopes; brick envelopes; timber envelopes; straw bale envelopes; building energy |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Architecture (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Architecture and Landscape |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 09 Sep 2024 14:34 |
Last Modified: | 09 Sep 2024 14:34 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | MDPI AG |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/buildings14082434 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:216998 |