THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH HIGH INSULATION AND AIRTIGHTNESS IN SEASONAL HOT AND HUMID REGION

Abstract

Residential buildings with high insulation and airtightness have been successfully diffused in cold regions to reduce energy consumption. More recently highly insulated, airtight houses have also been built in hot, humid regions in order to reduce air-conditioning and heating energy. However, concerns have been raised that highly insulated, airtight construction may cause moisture problems such as condensation, mold and decay inside of the walls and crawlspace in these regions. This paper reports the results of the measurement on a highly insulated, airtight house in a hot, humid region. The measurement data was used to verify the accuracy of the computer model. The simulation results confirmed the performance and advantages of highly insulated, airtight buildings.