Dynamic insulation for energy conservation and improved indoor air quality in hot humid climates

SUMMARY Conventional energy sources continue to diminish, but the voracious demand for energy by a growing global population continues to increase. The accompanying CO 2 and other green house gas emissions have been identified as primary causes of global warming. As a consequence, the demand for cooling in buildings is expected to rise sharply within two decades. New energy-efficient, environmentally friendly cooling systems are therefore urgently required to ensure a sustainable built environment and also to meet high indoor air quality standards. Dynamic insulation provides a means of supplying abundant quantities of fresh tempered air to a building that saves energy and at the same time improves the built environment.

In this paper a new modular dynamic insulation product, the Energy flo ™ cell is introduced and its performance in a building trial in the hot humid climate of the United Arab Emirates evaluated. Pursuant to this, a case study of a modern high rise residential block in Abu Dhabi has been carried out to allow comparisons of this new dynamic breathing building technology versus the conventional reference to be made. The results quantitatively illustrate the very significant reductions in capital and operating (energy-saving) costs that can be achieved, and the real, tangible benefits of superior ventilation. They also give important pointers to how the technology can be used in tandem with other energy-saving technologies in future