Study of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for buildings in a wet and hot tropical climate: Case of Cameroon

Kameni Nematchoua, Modeste; Raminosoa, Chrysostôme R.R.; Ramaroson, Mamiharijaona; Tchinda, René; Orosa, José A.; Watis, Elvis

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.05.066

Article (Scientific journals)

Study of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for buildings in a wet and hot tropical climate: Case of Cameroon

Kameni Nematchoua, Modeste; Raminosoa, Chrysostôme R.R.; Ramaroson, Mamiharijaona et al.

2015 • In Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 50, p. 1192-1202

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/233431

DOI
10.1016/j.rser.2015.05.066

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Keywords :

Energy savings; Economical and optimum; Thermal insulation thickness; Building; Tropical climate

Abstract :

[en] In Cameroon, these last centuries, an increase in energy demand for cooling and heating in buildings has been witnessed all over the world. Solutions must be proposed by researchers and specialists of buildings to remedy this situation. In this study, a literature review on the thermal insulation applications to external walls of buildings was presented, and a case was investigated in a tropical wet and hot climate. The economic model including the cost of insulation material and the present value of energy consumption and the cost over a lifetime of 22 years of the building, were used to find the optimum insulation thickness, energy saving, and payback period, for buildings in Cameroon. Materials that extruded polystyrene were chosen and used for two typical wall structures (Concrete block (HCB) and compressed stabilized earth block wall (CSEB)). The yearly cooling transmission loads, according to wall orientations and percentage of radiation blocked were calculated using the explicit finite-difference method under steady periodic conditions. As a result, it was found that the lowest value of optimum insulation thickness (0.09 m) and energy savings (79.80%) were obtained for the south-oriented wall, while the payback period (4.73years) was the highest on the same face compared to all wall orientations. Insulation optimum thickness was higher in the HCB wall (0.0983 m) than in CSEB wall (0.0958 m), however, the payback period was the weakest for the HCB wall compared to the other wall type.

Disciplines :

Energy

Author, co-author :

Kameni Nematchoua, Modeste ; University of Yaounde I, Cameroon b > Environmental Energy Technologies Laboratory

Raminosoa, Chrysostôme R.R.; University of Antsiranana, Madagascar > Fluid and Energy Laboratory

Ramaroson, Mamiharijaona; University of Antsiranana, Madagascar > Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials

Tchinda, René; University of Dschang, Cameroon > LISIE, University Institute of Technology

Orosa, José A.; University of A Coruña, Paseo de Ronda 51, 15011 A Coruña, Spain > Department of Energy and M. P. Escuela Técnica Superior de N. y M,

Watis, Elvis; University of Yaounde I, Cameroon > Environmental Energy Technologies Laboratory

Language :

English

Title :

Study of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for buildings in a wet and hot tropical climate: Case of Cameroon

Alternative titles :

[en] Etude de l'épaisseur d'isolation thermique économique et optimale pour les bâtiments sous climat tropical humide et chaud: cas du Cameroun

Publication date :

01 October 2015

Journal title :

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

ISSN :

1364-0321

eISSN :

1879-0690

Publisher :

Elsevier, Netherlands

Volume :

Pages :

1192-1202

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 03 March 2019

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