Investigating the Thermal Efficiency of Thermo-foils as a Roof Insulation Material and Developing a New Roof Insulation Material Using Coir Fiber

Abstract

The thermo-foil is an insulation material which can be used to insulate roofs of residential buildings which causes less energy to accomplish a comfortable temperature inside the building. In this study, an investigation of the efficiency of the thermo-foils in building insulation is performed. The thermal insulation properties and structure of the thermo-foil were analyzed as well as how these properties affect the decrease of temperature inside the residential building. The thermo-foils were tested using miniature building models for a more general conclusion. A heat transfer mechanism for a residential building is also proposed. A new roof insulation material is designed using an efficient and low cost natural fiber, coconut fiber or coir. The insulation properties unique to the coir fiber are enhanced as an insulation material. The new foil which is called Coir-Foil is tested together with thermo-foil. The Coir-Foil could achieve considerable higher performance than the currently available thermo-foil. The performance analysis for new coir foil and existing thermo-foils was used to conclude how they affect the energy conservation of residential buildings, through reducing the cooling load.