Evaluating the Impact of Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency Using BIM-Based Simulation for Existing Building Retrofits: Case Study of an Apartment Building in Kanazawa, Japan
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Utilization of Building Information Modeling to Enhance Building Energy Efficiency
2.2. Building Insulation Material for Energy Efficiency
3. Methodology
4. Case Study in Japan
4.1. Overview of the Case Study Building
4.2. Scenario Setting for Simulation
5. BIM Energy Simulation
5.1. BIM-Based Building Energy Simulation Steps
5.2. Energy Performance Evaluation and Simulation Results
6. Comparative Analysis of Insulation Materials: Energy Efficiency, Cost, and Carbon Emissions
6.1. Simulation Results and Performance Overview
6.2. Energy Efficiency Factor
6.3. Cost Efficiency Consideration
6.4. Carbon Emission Factor
6.5. Material Selection Considering Energy Efficiency, Cost, and CO2 Emission
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Category | Details | Materials |
---|---|---|
By Material |
| Glass Wool, Rock Wool |
| Rigid Urethane Foam, extruded polystyrene foam | |
By Form and Application |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
By Permeability |
|
|
|
| |
| Rigid Urethane Foam under JIS A 9526 |
Scenario | Material | Properties | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) | Density (kg/m3) | Heat Capacity (J/kgK) | Embodied Energy (MJ/kg) | Embodied Carbon (kgCO2/kg) | ||
Scenario 1 | Cellulose Fiber | 0.04 | 50,000 | 2500 | 14.7 | 1.12 |
Scenario 2 | Glass Wool | 0.045 | 13,000 | 1500 | 40.1 | 1.6 |
Scenario 3 | Urethane Foam | 0.021 | 32,000 | 1450 | 102.1 | 4.84 |
Scenario 4 | Phenolic Board | 0.028 | 24,000 | 1450 | 102.1 | 4.84 |
Scenario 5 | Rock Wool | 0.04 | 60,000 | 840 | 16.8 | 0.84 |
Scenario | Net Heating Energy (kWh/m2a) | Net Cooling Energy (kWh/m2a) | Total Energy Consumption (kWh/m2a) | Primary Energy (kWh/m2a) | Fuel Cost (JPY/m2a) | CO2 Emissions (kg/m2a) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cellulose Fiber | 64.92 | 14.78 | 103.13 | 119.6 | 1134.16 | 7.93 |
Glass Wool | 65.27 | 14.8 | 103.5 | 119.77 | 1135.79 | 7.94 |
Urethane Foam | 62.8 | 14.68 | 100.9 | 118.58 | 1124.19 | 7.86 |
Phenolic Board | 63.78 | 14.73 | 101.94 | 119.06 | 1128.81 | 7.89 |
Rock Wool | 64.92 | 14.78 | 103.13 | 119.6 | 1134.16 | 7.93 |
Web Data | Building Type | Insulation Type | Primary Energy Reduction Rate | Simulation Result Performance Ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|
Case Study 1 | 2-story building | Glass Wool | 21% | 4 |
Case Study 2 | 2-story building | Glass Wool | 26% | 4 |
Case Study 3 | 2-story building | Phenolic foam | 27% | 2 |
Case Study 4 | 2-story building | Phenolic foam | 32% | 2 |
Case Study 5 | 2-story building | Phenolic foam | 38% | 2 |
Case Study 6 | 2-story building | Rockwool | 26% | 3 |
Case Study 7 | 2-story building | Sprayed Rigid Urethane foam | 26% | 1 |
Case Study 8 | 2-story building | Sprayed Rigid Urethane foam | 37% | 1 |
Case Study 9 | 2-story building | Sprayed Rigid Urethane foam | 40% | 1 |
Type | Material | Feature |
---|---|---|
Low Cost | Glass Wool, Rock Wool, Cellulose Fiber | Basic performance, affordable initial cost, requires maintenance for moisture control for installment, and considered as a shorter lifespan. |
Moderate Cost | Combination of Fiber-based material and Foam Based material | Moderate performance and cost: the use of mixed materials should incorporate the existing building conditions to determine which materials are best suited for specific parts of the building. |
High Cost | Urethane foam and Phenolic board | High performance with high initial cost, ideal for prioritizing long-term efficiency with high durability and seamless installation. |
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Teng, X.; Shen, Z.; Tutuko, D.C.S. Evaluating the Impact of Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency Using BIM-Based Simulation for Existing Building Retrofits: Case Study of an Apartment Building in Kanazawa, Japan. Buildings 2025, 15, 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040570
Teng X, Shen Z, Tutuko DCS. Evaluating the Impact of Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency Using BIM-Based Simulation for Existing Building Retrofits: Case Study of an Apartment Building in Kanazawa, Japan. Buildings. 2025; 15(4):570. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040570
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeng, Xiao, Zhenjiang Shen, and Dara Citra Saraswati Tutuko. 2025. "Evaluating the Impact of Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency Using BIM-Based Simulation for Existing Building Retrofits: Case Study of an Apartment Building in Kanazawa, Japan" Buildings 15, no. 4: 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040570
APA StyleTeng, X., Shen, Z., & Tutuko, D. C. S. (2025). Evaluating the Impact of Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency Using BIM-Based Simulation for Existing Building Retrofits: Case Study of an Apartment Building in Kanazawa, Japan. Buildings, 15(4), 570. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040570