Passive Design Optimization and Economic Analysis of Traditional Dwellings in Northeastern Sichuan,
Introduction
This study explores effective and economic strategies for envelope retrofitting of traditional dwellings in the northeastern Sichuan hills, China. First, the energy consumption background, climatic characteristics, and economic conditions of the research region are introduced. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify suitable passive design approaches. Based on field investigations, a base model is established to simulate and evaluate various envelope retrofitting strategies, including optimization of insulation thickness, incorporation of phase change materials (PCM), and passive solar energy applications. Core methods involve dynamic simulations, orthogonal experiment design, sensitivity analysis, and dynamic payback period calculations. Results show that optimizing envelope insulation, integrating PCM, and adopting passive solar strategies can significantly improve building energy efficiency and economic performance. Finally, fifteen combined retrofitting strategies are proposed and assessed to determine the most cost-effective solutions. This study provides scientific and practical references for residents, engineers, and policymakers in selecting appropriate passive retrofitting strategies to lower energy consumption and economic burden in traditional dwellings.
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1. Research Background and Purpose of the Study
1.1 Research background
1.1.1 Energy consumption background
1.1.2 Climatic background
1.1.3 Research region background
1.2 Purpose and significance of this study
1.2.1 Purpose of this study
1.2.2 Significance of this study
1.3 Research structure
References
2. Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Heat transfer process through opaque envelopes of buildings
2.3 Application effect of insulation system for buildings
2.4 Application effect of phase change materials for buildings
2.5 Application effect of renewable energy source for buildings
2.6 Summary
References
3. Methodology
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Filed test experiment in this study region
3.2.1 Description of the survey location
3.2.2 Description of the experiment
3.3 Establishment of the base model
3.3.1 Architecture characteristic of traditional dwellings in the study region
3.3.2 Description of the base model
3.4 Numerical simulation
3.4.1 Description of simulation program
3.4.2 Mathematical description of heat balance process for traditional materials . 54
3.4.3 Mathematical description of conduction through the wall
3.4.4 Mathematical description of heat balance process for phase change materials
3.5 Orthogonal experiment design (OED) and analysis of variance (ANOVA)
3.6 Dynamic investment payback period model (DPP)
3.7 Global sensitivity analysis
3.8 Summary
Appendix A. Standard orthogonal array of L27 (313)
References
4. Thermal Performance of the Tested Building
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Measurement results of tested building
4.2.1 Measured air temperature analysis
4.2.2 Measured air relative humidity analysis
4.2.3 Surface temperature of exterior walls of tested building
4.2.4 Surface temperature of roof for the tested building
4.3 Theoretical analysis of current thermal performance of opaque exterior envelopes for tested building
4.3.1 Theoretical analysis of current thermal performance for opaque exterior envelopes in winter
4.3.2 Theoretical analysis of current thermal performance for opaque exterior envelopes in summer
4.4 Simulated results of indoor environment throughout the typical year
4.4.1 Simulation model
4.4.2 Model validation
4.4.3 Analysis of simulation results
4.5 Summary
References
5. Determine Insulation Thickness of Exterior Envelopes for the Traditional Dwellings in Northeast of Sichuan Hills
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The optimum insulation thickness of exterior walls
5.2.1 Calculation method of optimum insulation thickness of exterior walls
5.2.2 Selection of the preferred insulation material
5.2.3 The impact law of influencing factors on optimum insulation thickness
5.2.4 The impact degree of influencing factors on optimum insulation thickness
5.3 The optimum insulation thickness of roof
5.3.1 Simulation model
5.3.2 Correlation of optimal economic thickness between insulation for roof and insulation for exterior walls
5.4 Summary
Nomenclature
References
6. Influence and Sensitivity Evaluation of Window Thermal Parameters Variations on Economic Benefits of Insulation Materials for Building Exterior Walls
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Methodology
6.2.1 Case building description
6.2.2 Simulation tool
6.2.3 Climatic background
6.2.4 Model validation
6.2.5 Economic benefits (EB) model
6.2.6 Global sensitivity analysis
6.3 Results
6.3.1 Influence of window thermal parameters and insulation thicknesses variations on annual energy demand (ED)
6.3.2 Influence of window thermal parameters on economic benefits (EB) of the wall insulation
6.3.3 Sensitivity of ED and EB to window thermal parameters
6.3.4 Influence of the building orientation on ED and EB of wall insulation
6.4 Discussion
6.4.1 Analysis of the difference in results between the current and previous study
6.4.2 Calculation of the maximum acceptable cost prices of the window system150
6.4.3 Limitation of this study
6.5 Summary
Nomenclature
Abbreviations
References
7. Parametric and Economic Analysis of Incorporating Phase Change Material (PCM) into Exterior Walls to Reduce Energy Demand
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Methodology
7.2.1 Climatic background
7.2.2 Model description
7.2.3 Numerical simulation
7.2.4 Indicator for energy-saving evaluation
7.2.5 Economic analysis model
7.2.6 Sensitivity analysis
7.3 Results
7.3.1 Effect of PCM location and melting temperature on energy saving
7.3.2 Effect of PCM thickness on energy saving
7.3.3 Effect of PCM phase transition temperature radius on energy saving
7.3.4 Effect of PCM latent heat, specific heat, and density on energy saving
7.3.5 Effect of PCM thermal conductivity on energy saving
7.3.6 Comparison of energy-saving performance between recommended PCM and present PCM products
7.3.7 Sensitivity analysis of PCM parameters on energy demand
7.3.8 Economic analysis
7.4 Discussion
7.5 Summary
Appendix. A. Cost prices of PCM products stated by previously publications.
Appendix. B. Thermal parameter values of some of commercial PCM products.
References
8. Passive Application of Solar Energy for Traditional Dwellings in Northeast of Sichuan Hills
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Energy-saving potential of Trombe wall (T-wall) strategy
8.2.1 Description of T-wall
8.2.2 Simulation results
8.3 Energy-saving potential of on-top sunspaces application
8.3.1 Description of on-top sunspaces (OS)
8.3.2 Simulation results
8.4 Summary
References
9. Tech-economic Analysis of Comprehensive Energy-saving Strategies
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Evaluation of energy-saving and economic potential of comprehensive energy-saving strategies
9.2.1 Description of energy-saving strategies
9.2.2 Description of simulation model
9.2.3 Energy-saving and economic potential of energy-saving strategies
9.3 Influence of building orientation on energy-saving and economic potential
9.4 Energy-saving and economic potential for the tested building
9.5 Summary
References
10. Conclusion
Author(s) Information
HOU Jiawen, Ph.D. in Engineering, is currently a lecturer at Xuzhou University of Technology. Her primary research interests include passive building technologies, phase change energy storage systems, and the optimization of urban thermal environments. In recent years, her work has increasingly focused on the application of passive building strategies to mitigate health risks associated with indoor thermal conditions, aiming to promote the integration of green, healthy buildings and climate-resilient urban development. She has published more than 20 SCI/EI-indexed papers, including 11 SCI articles as the first or corresponding author, 5 of which are in top-tier journals such as Renewable Energy and Applied Thermal Engineering. Her work has been cited 561 times according to Google Scholar, with an h-index of 12. Dr. Hou has served as a key researcher in several provincial-level research projects, including the Youth Program project funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Education. She serves as a peer reviewer for top journals such as Sustainable Cities and Society and Energy and Buildings. In 2023, she received the “2022 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad” from the China Scholarship Council (awarded to only 600 recipients globally), also chaired sessions at the 18th International Symposium and Conference of the Asian Institute of Urban Environment(AIUE) and the 3rd International Conference of Innovation Institute for Sustainable Maritime Architecture Research and Technology (iSMART), and was honored with the “Outstanding Contribution Award”. In October 2024, she received two Outstanding Academic Paper Awards in Natural Sciences from Xuzhou.
LIU Zu’an, Ph.D. in Engineering, is a member of the Sichuan Society of Power Engineering and holds an H-index of 13 (Google Scholar). He received his doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering (Architectural Design) from the University of Kitakyushu (Japan), in September 2023. In November 2023, he joined Xuzhou University of Technology as a faculty member through a high-level talent recruitment program, engaging in both teaching and research. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on green building technologies, optimization of the physical environment in buildings and urban areas, and the study and application of phase change energy storage technologies. His main research achievements have been published in top-tier international journals, including Renewable Energy, Building and Environment, Applied Thermal Engineering, Journal of Building Engineering, and Case Studies in Thermal Engineering. Since 2019, he has published more than 30 high-quality academic papers, among which 25 have been indexed by SCI/EI, of which, 14 SCI-indexed papers (nine top-tier journals) were published as the first or corresponding author. Several research findings have made notable contributions to the fields of phase change materials application and thermal management in buildings. He is the principal investigator of a Youth Program project funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province and has participated as a core member in four other provincial or ministerial-level projects and two industry-funded projects. He holds one authorized patent, has contributed to the compilation of a textbook titled Green Building Design, and has assisted his supervisors in mentoring four doctoral and master’s students. Meanwhile, he serves as a peer reviewer for several SCI-indexed international journals, including Building and Environment, Journal of Energy Storage, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, Heritage Science, Case Studies in Construction Materials, Scientific Reports, and Energy Efficiency. In July 2023, he received the “2022 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad” from the China Scholarship Council (CSC), an honor awarded to approximately 600 recipients worldwide. Moreover, he was invited to serve as a session chair at the 18th International Symposium and Conference of the Asian Institute of Urban Environment (AIUE) and the 3rd International Conference of Innovation Institute for Sustainable Maritime Architecture Research and Technology (iSMART), where he was presented with the “Outstanding Contribution Award.” In October 2024, he was awarded the Xuzhou Award for Excellent Academic Papers in Natural Sciences. Since April 2024, he has served as a “Think Tank Expert Advisor” in the Chinese PhD Scholars Association in the Consular District of Yekaterinburg, Russia.
