Interior Insulation of Walls Exposed by Polystyrene in South Algeria

Objectives: This article presents a theoretical and experimental study aimed at demonstrating the valuable role of the indoor thermal insulation of a building located in arid climate region. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Mathematical model is proposed to evaluate the effect of thermal insulation on the energy performance of the building envelope. The different temperature values of the walls and indoor air provided by the simulations are compared to those measured. It was revealed that the proposed mathematical model able to apply the real temperatures, and it is possible to carry out a study that allows showing the role of the thermal insulation. Findings: According to this study, the exposed walls provided with insulation give better results compared to the case where one or two walls isolated. The thickness of the polystyrene significantly affects the efficiency of the insulation and allows a remarkable damping of the fluctuations of the indoor air temperatures of the building. The results also show that the wall layer of polystyrene plays the role of a thermal barrier. The results indicate that in arid climate zone, heat gains through the walls certainly the main cause of overheating of buildings. One of the most important solutions of a passive house is to give high priority with regard to the performance of the thermal envelope, such as high insulation of walls. Application/Improvements: Through this model, we have been able to review some phenomena already mentioned, such as thermal storage, and to prove the effect of interior insulation on the temperature profile of walls and indoor air.