Energy, exergy analysis and optimization of insulation thickness on buildings in a low-temperature district heating system

In the study, energy and exergy analysis of the buildings on a campus in Turkey are conducted by using actual operating data and taking measurements in the district heating system as a case study. The energy and exergy demands, losses that stem from all buildings are calculated according to average daily outdoor temperature data. Due to the high heat losses in the buildings, determining the optimal insulation thickness for the exterior wall should be investigated. Therefore, optimal insulation thicknesses, energy savings, fuel consumptions and payback periods of the insulation material on the exterior wall of the building are examined by using Life Cycle Assessment and P1–P2 method for natural gas. Optimal insulation thicknesses are calculated for different insulation materials such as XPS, glass wool, rock wool and EPS for the climatic regions (HDD=800–4250°C days). According to average exergy losses from the building components per unit area, the average total exergy loss is calculated as 2.39×10-2 kW/m2.year and 1.42×10-3 kW/m2 (5.92%) of this loss stems from the exterior walls, 1.93×10-3 kW/m2 (8.07%) from the floors, 7.37×10-4 kW/m2 (3.08%) from the roofs, 1.58×10-2 kW/m2 (65.99%) from the windows and doors, 4.04×10-3 kW/m2 (16.92%) from the ventilation with infiltration. Energy requirement values of the building are found between 2.68–25.70 kWh/m3 towards from the warmest to the coldest climatic region for the uninsulated wall. In the un-insulated state, fuel consumption varies between 1.93-18.48 m3/m2 from the warmest to the coldest region. The optimal insulation thickness values of the building’s exterior wall are calculated as between 2.3–10.0 cm according to different climatic regions. In-state of exterior wall insulation of 3 cm, fuel consumption decreases by 46.63%–53.46% compared to different insulation materials and climatic regions compared to the un-insulated state