Optimization method for prefabricated restroom envelope energy saving characteristics in hot summer and cold winter zone

• Published in: Energy exploration & exploitation Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 944 - 961
• Main Authors: Zhang, Lirui, Zhang, Hong, Xu, Xu, Dong, Ling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2021; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Building envelopes; Cold; Design optimization; Energy conservation; Energy consumption; External walls; Heat transfer; Heat transfer coefficients; Prefabrication; Roofs; Summer; Temperature; Winter; building envelope; DeST; prefabricated restroom; Hot summer and cold winter zone; heat transfer coefficient
• ISSN: 0144-5987; 2048-4054
• DOI: 10.1177/0144598721993934

In order to reduce the restroom envelope energy consumption, one optimization method on basis of analyzing the influence of heat transfer coefficient on the performance of a prefabricated restroom envelope in a hot summer and cold winter zone was proposed. An energy-consuming model of prefabricated restroom in Nanjing is initially built based on Designer's Simulation Toolkit software. Subsequently, the effect of external walls, rooftops, external windows with various thermal characteristics on the building envelope is analyzed respectively. Simultaneously, a method that only changes the heat transfer coefficient of the prefabricated restroom envelope while keeping other parameters unchanged is adopted. Results show that, for a prefabricated restroom, the optimal range of heat transfer coefficient of the external wall, rooftop, and external window in hot summer and cold winter zone is 0.199∼0.22, 0.16∼0.19, and 3.0∼3.1 W/(m2·K), respectively. When the window-to-wall ratio is less than 0.2, the priority of the wall heat transfer coefficient on building energy consumption is higher than that of the rooftop heat transfer coefficient, simultaneously, the rooftop heat transfer coefficient has priority higher than window heat transfer coefficient. Thus, it is of great significance to optimize the design of the prefabricated restroom envelope in a hot summer and cold winter zone, which provides relative reference for thermal performance improvement of prefabricated restrooms.