Hygrothermal assessment of a façade with ETICS using dynamic monitoring and numerical simulation in a real case study

The trend towards the application of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) on energy efficient façades under hot climatic conditions, is becoming increasingly important for energy saving in summer (summer heat protection). However, both the construction and the performance of the system should be investigated to ensure the functionality and the avoidance of damage. In this paper, the development and the functionality of ETICS as well as the analysis of measurement data for solving building-climatology challenging planning tasks in warm countries is presented. Related to the measurement data collected in a real case study, the results of a hydrothermal simulation tool are validated. Based on this, the use of thermal insulation under hot climatic conditions, for energy saving in summer, has been verified and the implementation into a simulation model is shown. For the verification of results, a case study in the campus of the American University in Ras al Khaimah (RAKRIC), in United Arab Emirates (UAE) was chosen, in which interior and exterior temperature and relative humidity values were measured. Even with the peculiarity of an irregular user behavior of the building, good accordance between measured and calculated values could be achieved. The optimized building design, facilitating a damage-free operation and a low building energy consumption, is presented in detail and essential optimization steps are discussed. Based on the analysis and evaluation of measurement data as well as the implementation of hygrothermal simulations, the presented study provides a guideline for planning of ETICS with respect to southern climate conditions.