The Effect of Roof Insulation Applied on Cooling Energy Costs in Buildings in Mediterranean Climate

ABSTRACT In Turkey, the largest share in total energy consumption by sectors is in the residential and services sectors and has been increasing in recent years.(URL-1) The amount of energy consumption in buildings, heating or cooling needs vary according to climate zones. In this study, it is aimed to reduce the cooling energy need of a building in Antalya, which is located in the Mediterranean region, with roof insulation and to make cost analysis. Within the scope of the study, flat and pitched roof prototypes were modeled and analyzed separately. The roofs of the building prototypes modeled using the Design Builder energy simulation program were insulated at different levels and the cooling energy requirement values were determined. The initial investment cost, profitability and payback periods for different insulation alternatives were calculated, results were evaluated. It was found that 47.39% of the annual cooling energy requirement can be saved with roof insulation in a single-storey building in Antalya and the payback period is between 1.64 years and 8.23 years depending on the insulation thickness used. With this study, it was seen that there is a great potential to reduce the cooling energy need with roof insulation in buildings located in the Mediterranean.