Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Energy performance of earthen building walls in the equatorial and tropical climates: a case study of Cameroon

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Energy Efficiency Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Energy performance of earthen wall office buildings in equatorial and tropical climates is investigated using a Simulink model and EnergyPlus software. The main aim of this numerical simulation study is to quantify the magnitude of the effect of adding a fibrous material or a stabiliser in the compressed earth block on the energy requirement or thermal comfort of a building taking into account different operating modes of the cooling system (continuous, intermittent and no cooling) in some climatic conditions in Cameroon. For continuous air-conditioned space and intermittent air-conditioned space, the assessment parameters are cooling load and its peak, while it is thermal comfort index for no air-conditioned space. Thermophysical properties of the used earthen materials were previously measured. The results show that the mixing of sawdust or pozzolan with earth material improves its performances for continuously and intermittent cooling space case, and degrades it for non-air-conditioning space case. It can provide a reduction in peak sensible cooling rate by up to 6.3%, 7% and 10% in Yaoundé, Douala and Garoua, respectively. The thermal comfort index obtained with earth block wall can be smaller than that of earth block with 8% of sawdust wall by up to 10.41% and 13.03% (in August) in Yaoundé and Douala, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

c :

specific heat capacity (J kg−1 K−1)

h :

combined heat transfer coefficient (W m−2 K−1)

L :

wall thickness (m)

q i :

heat flux density at indoor surface of the wall (W m−2)

t :

time (s)

T :

temperature (°C)

x :

coordinate direction normal to wall (m)

α:

solar absorptivity of outside surface of wall

λ:

thermal conductivity (Wm−1 K−1)

ρ:

density of material (kg m−3)

i:

inside

o:

outside

sa:

solar-air

t:

total

References

  • Adam E. A., & Agib A. R. A. (2001). Compressed stabilised earth block manufacture in Sudan. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001282/128236e.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2015.

  • Azakine, S. S., Ntamack, G. E., Lemanle, R. P. S., Moubeke, C. A., Kelmamo Sallaboui, E. S., Bouabid, H., Mansouri, K., & D’Ouazzane, S. C. (2014). Thermophysical characterization of earth blocks stabilized by cement, sawdust and lime. Journal of Building Materials and Structure, 1, 58–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellia, L., De Falco, F., & Minichiello, F. (2013). Effects of solar shading devices on energy requirements of standalone office buildings for Italian climates. Applied Thermal Engineering, 54, 190–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binici, H., Aksogan, O., Bodur, M. N., Akc, E., & Kapur, S. (2007). Thermal isolation and mechanical properties of fibre reinforced mud bricks as wall materials. Construction and Building Materials, 21, 901–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brima, A., Serir, L., Mesmoudi, K., & Guettala, S. (2015). A study on the thermal comfort inside a flat under arid climate zone in Algeria. Revue des Energies Renouvelables, 18(N°2), 199–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Claessens J., Coulibaly Y., Kemajou A. Efficacité energétique de la climatisation en région tropicale. www.ifdd.francophonie.org/docs/prisme/eeTOME1.PDF. Accessed 20 Sept 2014.

  • Collet, F., Serres, L., Miriel, J., & Bart, M. (2006). Study of thermal behaviour of clay wall facing south. Building and Environment, 41, 307–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawley, D. B., Lawrie, L. K., Winkelmann, F. C., Buhl, W. F., Huang, Y. J., Pedersen, C. O., Strand, R. K., Liesen, R. J., Fisher, D. E., Witte, M. J., & Glazer, J. (2001). EnergyPlus: creating a new-generation building energy simulation program. Energy and Buildings, 33(4), 319–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daouas, N. (2011). A study on optimum insulation thickness in walls and energy savings in Tunisian buildings based on analytical calculation of cooling and heating transmission loads. Applied Energy, 88, 156–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Dear, R. J., & Brager, G. S. (2001). The adaptive model of thermal comfort and energy conservation in the built environment. International Journal of Biometeorology, 45(2), 100–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demanou, M., Pouillot, R., Grandadam, M., Boisier, P., Kamgang, B., Hervé, J. P., Rogier, C., Rousset, D., & Paupy, C. (2014). Evidence of dengue virus transmission and factors associated with the presence of anti-dengue virus antibodies in humans in three major towns in Cameroon. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 8(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002950.

  • EnergyPlus (2019). EnergyPlus Engineering Reference. Available at https://energyplus.net/documentation.

  • Goodhew, S., & Griffiths, R. (2005). Sustainable earth walls to meet the building regulations. Energy and Buildings, 37, 451–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goulart SVG. Thermal inertia and natural ventilation-optimisation of thermal storage as a cooling technique for residential buildings in southern Brazil, PhD thesis, Open University, Brasil (2004).

  • Hachem, C., Abdelouahed, K., & Abdessalam, M. (2015). Thermal study of earth bricks reinforced by date palm fibers. Energy Procedia, 74, 919–925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ibpt libraries, (n.d.). http://www.ibpt.org/libraries.html. Accessed 12 May 2014.

  • Meukam, P., Jannot, Y., Noumowe, A., & Kofane, T. C. (2004). Thermophysical characteristics of economical building materials. Construction and Building Materials, 18, 437–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (n.d.). http://www.soda-pro.com/web-services/meteo-data/merra. Accessed 17 Aug 2014.

  • Mohamed, B., Lakhdar, A., Mohamed, R., & Bouzidi, M. (2015). Characterization of a stabilized earth concrete and the effect of incorporation of aggregates of cork on its thermo-mechanical properties: experimental study and modeling. Construction and Building Materials, 74, 259–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen TR, Peuhkuri R, Weitzman P, Gudum C. (2002). Modeling building physics in Simulink. Report SR-02-03, BYG DTU, .

  • Ozel, M. (2013). Determination of optimum insulation thickness based on cooling transmission load for building walls in a hot climate. Energy Conversion and Management, 66, 106–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozel, M. (2011). Effect of wall orientation on the optimum insulation thickness by using a dynamic method. Applied Energy, 88(7), 2429–2435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, X., Yang, S., Lu, C., Jiachen, M., Eric, C., & Ying, J. (2016). Assessment of energy-saving technologies retrofitted to existing public buildings in China. Energy Efficiency, 9(1), 67–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sareh, N., Shahaboddin, S., Hamed, B., Johnson, A., Mohd, Z. J., & Mohsen, A. (2016). Soft computing methodologies for estimation of energy consumption in buildings with different envelope parameters. Energy Efficiency, 9(2), 67–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sourbron, M., & Helsen, L. (2011). Evaluation of adaptive thermal comfort models in moderate climates and their impact on energy use in office buildings. Energy and Buildings, 43, 423–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suehrcke, H., Peterson, E. L., & Selby, N. (2008). Effect of roof solar reflectance on the building heat gain in a hot climate. Energy and Buildings, 40, 2224–2235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taha, A., Azra, K., Sinan, K., & Wei, W. (2015). Thermal conductivity of unfired earth bricks reinforced by agricultural wastes with cement and gypsum. Energy and Buildings, 104, 139–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taleb, H. M., & Sharples, S. (2011). Developing sustainable residential buildings in Saudi Arabia: a case study. Applied Energy, 88, 383–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P., Fuller, R. J., & Luther, M. B. (2008). Energy use and thermal comfort in a rammed earth office building. Energy and Buildings, 40, 793–800.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Encyclopedic Reference to EnergyPlus Input and Output (n.d.). http://nrel.github.io/EnergyPlus/InputOutputReference/01aInputOutputRefe rence/. Accessed 13 Jul 2014.

  • Touogam, T. B., Tchangnwa, N. F., Ngale, H. E., Yanne, E., & Ndjaka, J. M. (2015). Compressed bricks made of Makabaye and Pitoaré clay: implementation and production. Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry, 5, 191–204. https://doi.org/10.4236/ampc.2015.56020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Environment Programme, Sustainable buildings and climate change initiative, building and climate change, summary for decision makers, 2009, http://www.unep.org/sbci/pdfs/SBCI-BCCSummary.pdf. Accessed 02 Feb 2017.

  • US Energy Information Administration, International energy outlook 2016. http://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/pdf/0484(2016).pdf. Accessed 22 Feb 2017.

  • Wati, E., Meukam, P., & Damfeu, J. C. (2017). Modeling thermal performance of exterior walls retrofitted from insulation and modified laterite based bricks materials. Heat Mass Transfer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2059-7.

  • Wati, E., Meukam, P., & Nematchoua, K. M. (2015). Influence of external shading on optimum insulation thickness of building walls in a tropical region. Applied Thermal Engineering, 90, 754–762.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witte M. J., Henninger, R. H., Glazer J., Crawley D. B. (2001). Testing and validation of a new building energy simulation program. Proceedings of Building Simulation , IBPSA, 2001.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of National Meteorology of Cameroon for providing the long-term dry bulk air temperature data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

    Elvis Wati

  2. Laboratory (L3E) Energy, Water and Environment, National Advanced School of Engineering, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Jean Calvin Bidoung, Jean Claude Damfeu & Pierre Meukam

  3. Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Pierre Meukam

Authors
  1. Elvis Wati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jean Calvin Bidoung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jean Claude Damfeu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pierre Meukam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pierre Meukam.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Highlights

• Thermal performance of earthen walls incorporating fibrous material or a stabiliser was studied.

• The study was carried out using H-Tools (the library of Simulink models) and EnergyPlus simulation programmes.

• The addition of sawdust or pozzolan in the compressed stabilised earth block showed better performance.

• An earthen wall configuration presented better performance than conventional wall.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wati, E., Bidoung, J.C., Damfeu, J.C. et al. Energy performance of earthen building walls in the equatorial and tropical climates: a case study of Cameroon. Energy Efficiency 13, 735–750 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-020-09856-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-020-09856-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation