Investigation of Thermal behaviour of Insulating Building Walls with Clay-Based Panels: A Case Study in Southeast Morocco

Abstract

In this study, the thermal behaviour of insulating building walls and energy savings were determined in Er-Rachidia, located in south-east Morocco. Specifically, the study evaluates the effectiveness of clay-based insulation materials reinforced with palm leaves pinnate (PLP) and clay and palm trunk (PT). The results indicate that a 4 cm thick clay insulation material reinforced with PLP increases the winter temperature by 1°C and decreases it by 0.9°C in summer compared to room temperature. Furthermore, it demonstrates a remarkable 33% reduction in heating consumption and a 44% reduction in air-conditioning consumption, leading to an overall 35% reduction in total energy consumption. In contrast, the clay and PT reinforced clay insulation materials exhibit a 16% and 21% reduction in energy consumption, respectively.