Effect of External Wall Insulation on Building Energy Consumption

The building energy consumption associated with the external wall insulation for different orientations and different exterior finishes has been evaluated using the simulation software EnergyPlus. The results suggest that in certain condition the thermal resistance of the external wall and the absorptance of the exterior finish should be high for heating dominated climate or room, while both of them should be low for cooling dominated climate or room for saving energy. Besides, it has different annual electricity savings for different external wall orientations at the same thickness of thermal insulation, so the insulation should be priority used for the external wall which has the largest saving potential.