Energy saving measures though building of external wall: A Chongqing case study

Energy saving in urban residential buildings is one of the essential means for implementing and promoting low carbon living environment and sustainable urban development. Therefore, adopting effective energy saving measures in operating building is very important. In line with the worldwide promotion for saving natural resources and protecting the environment, significance progress has been made in utilizing the energy effectively by adopting advanced technologies and management methods. Building external wall is an important element affecting energy use efficiency. In a typical place with hot summer and cold winner, the heat transfer of though retaining structure of a residential building is 20%-30% of the total building energy consumption, one which the external wall shares most part of that is 44%. It is an important channel to reduce the total energy consumption by improving the performance of external wall. Nevertheless, it appears that little has been investigated on the effectiveness of these technologies in the practice. It is therefore the aim of this study to understanding what types of energy saving technologies or measures are used in practice and the extent of their effectiveness. The study was undertaken by conducting a comprehensive questionnaire to professional experts within the context of Chongqing city. The experts approached for the survey come from Construction energy saving Association, design institutes, construction clients and construction companies. The findings from this study provide valuable references to the decision-making on further improving energy saving practice in urban residential buildings.