Evolutive Housing System: Refurbishment with new technologies and unsteady simulations of energy performance

• The study investigates the energy performance of a prototype of an Evolutive House.
• Two simulation models were calibrated with experimental data.
• Ideal thermal energy demand was simulated both with Energy Plus and TRSNSYS software.
• Innovative glazing systems with silica aerogel in interspace were investigated.
• Innovative glazing systems allows one to reduce the energy consumptions of the building.

The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the energy performance in unsteady-state conditions of an Evolutive House. The original design was presented by two important architects, Renzo Piano and Peter Rice, in 1978. The house has two large glass walls in the east and west façades. Experimental investigation and numerical analysis were carried out in a prototype of the house realized in Perugia. The air temperature, the surface temperature of floors, the global solar radiation, the relative humidity were measured. Simulations were performed using both Energy Plus and TRNSYS software. Simulation models were tested and validated with experimental data considering a new weather database compiled for Perugia. The analysis compares different scenarios in terms of energy demand, such as the substitution of the glazing and the use of innovative packaged solutions. Innovative glazing systems filled with silica aerogel were investigated as a solution for energy saving in buildings. Results show that an important energy saving was obtained for all the proposed glazings (about 60–70%). The simulation codes’ results are in good agreement, but some differences are due to the different approach in the evaluation of the solar irradiance on tilted surfaces and to the transient heat conduction model.