Modeling of the modern houses of Cyprus and energy consumption analysis

Abstract

This study uses the TRNSYS computer program for the modeling and simulation of the energy flows of the modern houses of Cyprus followed by an energy consumption analysis. For the calculations, a Typical Meteorological Year for the Nicosia area and a typical model house are used. Initially, the Cyprus energy scene and an analysis of the number of houses employing heating and cooling equipment is presented from which it is observed that the number of systems installed has increased tremendously during the last decade. The results of the simulation show that the inside house temperature, when no air-conditioning is used, varies between 10–20°C for winter and between 30–50°C for summer. The effect on the temperature and the heating and cooling loads that various wall and roof constructions present is determined. This investigation indicates the importance of the roof insulation, which results in a reduction up to 45.5% of the cooling load and up to 75% of the heating load. The effect of mechanical ventilation, window shading, as well as that of the inclined concrete roof used for aesthetic reasons, is also examined. The life cycle analysis is used for the economic analysis of the various constructions. The results indicate that the wall insulation pays back in a twenty year period with marginal savings, whereas the roof insulation has considerable economic benefit, with life cycle savings up to EUR 22374 depending on the type of construction.