In March 2020, researchers from the ETH (Mario Frei, Chirag Deb, Ruben Standler and Arno Schlueter) and the University of Texas at Austin (Zoltan Nagy) published a paper called “Wireless sensor network for estimating building performance”, available in the journal Automation in Construction.

The study assesses the feasibility of using a wireless sensor network to measure an array of values, including heat flux, to accurately model a building energy efficiency. The data is streamed to an online database, allowing monitoring in near real-time. The system uses greenTEG’ s gSKIN XO sensor to measure the heat flux through walls and windows. The study describes the hardware and software architecture, the cost of the sensor network and the obtained results during the deployment at a building site.

The proposed network is modular, expandable and easy to deploy. At greenTEG, we congratulate the researchers for this achievement. We would also like to stress the fact that measuring the performance of buildings shouldn’t be complicated, and it’s a far superior method for assessing the thermal performance of building envelopes. Measuring is always better than calculating!

Finally, if you want more information about the topic of U-Value measurements for buildings elements, don’t forget to download for free our latest guide. We explain the different methods available for that purpose, as well as its advantages. Thanks a lot for your attention!

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