A Particular Case of Urban Sustainability: Comparison Study of the Efficiency of Multiple Thermal Insulations for Buildings

Achieving urban sustainability is a complex process that includes improving buildings’ resilience and energy efficiency by using the optimum thermal insulation solution. With the advent of new energy restrictions, it is very important to find the best compromise between the price of the thermal insulation material and energy savings because, sometimes, the initial cost of a thermal rehabilitation seems to be very high. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the variations in the amount of heat energy required by a multi-storey residential structure in Romania that uses 14 various kinds of thermal insulation materials. The energy demand is determined using the dynamic method using a building energy simulator that can evaluate the energy usage of lighting, warmth, ventilation, climate control, and water heating.