Advanced Energy Efficient Building Envelope Systems

This monograph presents the latest research developments of innovativebuilding envelope systems. These systems have the ability to allowbuilding structures to be responsive to changes in outdoor conditionsto ensure comfortable indoor environment and acceptable indoor airquality at higher energy efficiency compared to conventional systems.In particular, the monograph overviews the basic operation principlesand thermal performance of four technologies described in three chapters:(i) dynamic insulation materials that can change its thermal propertiesin order to better adapt the building envelope with its outdoorenvironment and reduce building heating and cooling thermal loads,(ii) variable reflectance coatings for application on roofs to lower andeven eliminate the energy penalties associated with reduced solar heatgains during heating operation of buildings, (iii) single layer breathingwalls to recover energy wasted from heat transmission inside thewalls and provide air ventilation to indoor spaces, and (iv) multi-layerliving walls to apply biomimetric principles and phase-change materialsto adapt building envelope properties with the changing outdoorconditions.