Cool Marble Building Envelopes: The Effect of Aging on Energy Performance and Aesthetics

Federica Rosso, Anna Laura Pisello, Weihua Jin, Masoud Ghandehari, Franco Cotana and Marco Ferrero
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Federica Rosso: Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, Rome 00184, Italy
Anna Laura Pisello: Department of Engineering, Università di Perugia, Via G. Duranti 93, Perugia 06125, Italy
Weihua Jin: Department of Civil and Urban Engineering & Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, 6 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Masoud Ghandehari: Department of Civil and Urban Engineering & Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, 6 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Franco Cotana: Department of Engineering, Università di Perugia, Via G. Duranti 93, Perugia 06125, Italy
Marco Ferrero: Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, Rome 00184, Italy

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: Marble envelopes represent a relatively common architectural solution used in variety of historic, modern and contemporary building facades. White marble envelopes have been shown to reduce solar heat gains, while improving indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency in summer time. While marble is useful in this context, the urban atmosphere accelerates the degradation of marble elements. This leads to changes in optical characteristics, hence the aesthetics, and affects the energy efficiency benefits offered by white marble facades. These issues are investigated in order to predict the impact of degradation on energy performance and to the aesthetic value, such as change of color and luminosity. In this study, surface degradation of white marble is analyzed by means of accelerated weathering in the laboratory while examining changes to the optical characteristics of the materials. A dynamic simulation is carried out to assess the energy performance of a building as a case study.

Keywords: building envelope; cool material; solar reflectance; optical characterization; acid rain degradation; pollution; color change; energy efficiency in buildings; urban heat island (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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