44. Experimental and Theoretical Study for the Performance of New Local Thermal Insulation in Iraqi Building

Iraq is located in a hot-arid region, where the hot summer season is very long and the ambient temperature is about 50 °C, while in the winter the temperature is about 10 °C. Therefore, cooling of buildings needs A/C system, which consumes 60 % of the total electricity supplied to residential building. So, there is really a need to minimize the energy consumption by enhancing the performance of Iraqi buildings. To minimize the effect of the environment upon the building, one must look for methods to increase the thermal resistance of walls and roof. This chapter deals with the experimental and theoretical study using new local thermal insulation on walls and roof with an air gap. This study takes into consideration several parameters like ambient temperature, solar radiation, orientation, and duration. The results of the work give good indication that using this insulating system in residential building has great effect on the energy consumed. Also, the results reveal that a system with sufficient insulation can save the annual cooling load for the room by 6 MW and that the indoor temperature can reach 35 °C, while the ambient temperature is about 45 °C.