Influence of climate change on the energy efficiency of light-weight steel residential buildings

Santos, Paulo; Gervásio, Helena; Silva, L. Simões da; Lopes, António Gameiro

doi:10.1080/10286608.2011.637624

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Santos et al [210] Kendrick et al [211] suggested that lightweight construction may lead to higher internal temperatures during the summer, particularly in the warmer future scenarios, due to the lack of thermal mass. The problem of summer overheating in a low-energy steel frame house was also evaluated by Rodrigues et al [212].…”

Section: Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort Of Lsf Buildingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy efficiency and thermal performance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction: A review

Soares

Santos

Gervásio

et al. 2017

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Self Cite

106

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The improvement of the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar thermal energy, and the reduction of energy demand during the several stages of buildings' life cycle is crucial towards a more sustainable built environment. This paper presents an overview of the main features of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction with cold-formed elements from the point of view of life cycle energy consumption. The main LSF systems are described and some strategies for reducing thermal bridges and for improving the thermal resistance of LSF envelope elements are presented. Several passive strategies for increasing the thermal storage capacity of LSF solutions are discussed and particular attention is devoted to the incorporation of phase change materials (PCMs). These materials can be used to improve indoor thermal comfort, to reduce the energy demand for air-conditioning and to take advantage of solar thermal energy. The importance of reliable dynamic and holistic simulation methodologies to assess the energy demand for heating and cooling during the operational phase of LSF buildings is also discussed. Finally, the life cycle assessment (LCA) and the environmental performance of LSF construction are reviewed to discuss the main contribution of this kind of construction towards more sustainable buildings.

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Section: Energy Consumption and Thermal Comfort Of Lsf Buildingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy efficiency and thermal performance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction: A review

Soares

Santos

Gervásio

et al. 2017

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Self Cite

106

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…LSF has become increasingly popular in small and medium-sized residential buildings, offering some distinct advantages over traditional construction in such fields as sustainability, cost-effectiveness, constructive process, and safety at work. As a consequence of this popularity increase, the number of companies specialized in this type of construction has been increasing, leading to more competitive prices [3].…”

Section: Lsf System Advantagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For this large percentage, the main contributions come from cooling and heating, 55% to 74%, depending on the climatic region [3] and hot water production. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and/or optimize constructive solutions and methods that offer clear advantages in reducing the energy costs of buildings during this stage of their life cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effectiveness of Thermal Insulation in Lightweight Steel-Framed Walls with Respect to Its Position

Roque

Santos

2017

Buildings

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Lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction, given its advantages, has the potential to reach high standards in energy and environmental performance of buildings, such as nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB). When compared with traditional construction, LSF system offers distinct benefits in such fields as sustainability, cost-effectiveness, constructive process, and safety at work. Despite the benefits of this constructive system, the effect of thermal bridges in LSF elements, caused by the high thermal conductivity of the steel structure, can be a disadvantage. The excessive heat losses or gains through these thermal bridges are more relevant in buildings' exterior envelope, such as facade walls. These building components' thermal performance is crucial in the buildings' overall energetic behaviour, with a direct impact on energy consumption and resulting monetary costs during their operational stage. In this work the influence of the thermal insulation position on its effectiveness is evaluated in LSF facade walls. For this purpose, several LSF wall types are assessed, namely cold, warm, and hybrid construction. The influence of thermal bridges instigated by the steel studs in the LSF walls' overall thermal performance is evaluated as well. The computations are performed using specialized finite element software (THERM).

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“…Furthermore, some additional case studies related to LSF buildings thermal behaviour and energy eiciency will be described, namely the "Afordable Houses" research project [5,6], a parametric study regarding the thermal performance of LSF houses in Csb climatic regions [28], the impact of climate change on the energy eiciency of a LSF residential building [9] and the optimization of incorporation of PCMs in LSF houses in diferent climates [25].…”

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The parameters with inluence on thermal performance and energy eiciency of LSF buildings could be grouped into four key factors [1]: climate [8,9]; building envelope; occupants behaviour; and buildings systems. In Section 4 of this chapter, each one of these key factors will be further analysed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Efficiency of Lightweight Steel-Framed Buildings

Santos¹

2017

Energy Efficient Buildings

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The market share of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction system has grown over the last decades, mainly in low-rise residential buildings, due to its advantages such as having small weight with high mechanical strength; reduced disruption on-site and speed of construction; great potential for recycling and reuse; high architectural lexibility for retroiting purposes; easy prefabrication, allowing modular construction; economy in transportation and handling; superior quality given of-site manufacture control; and excellent stability of shape in case of humidity and resistance to insect damage. However, given the high thermal conductivity of steel and the lightness of this type of construction, it may also have some drawbacks if not well designed and executed. Therefore, special atention should be given to the LSF building envelope in order to minimize thermal bridges. Moreover, given the usual reduced thermal mass, several strategies could be implemented to increase thermal inertia, consequently reduce indoor temperature luctuations, enhance the occupants comfort and increase energy eiciency. In this chapter an overview of the main features related to the thermal behaviour and energy eiciency of LSF buildings is provided alongside some related case studies.

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Influence of climate change on the energy efficiency of light-weight steel residential buildings

Cited by 19 publications

References 10 publications

Energy efficiency and thermal performance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction: A review

Energy efficiency and thermal performance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) construction: A review

The Effectiveness of Thermal Insulation in Lightweight Steel-Framed Walls with Respect to Its Position

Energy Efficiency of Lightweight Steel-Framed Buildings

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