ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Phys.
Sec. Social Physics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphy.2025.1635301
Energy-saving retrofitting of traditional dwellings in the Hehuang region via multiobjective optimization
Provisionally accepted
- 1Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, China
- 2Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Energy consumption and indoor thermal comfort are critical issues in building design, especially in regions with harsh climates. In rural areas, traditional dwellings face challenges in managing heating demands and maintaining comfort during winter. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization strategy to improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort in these buildings. Using the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and EnergyPlus simulations, the study optimizes key design parameters such as roof insulation, wall insulation, and window thermal transmittance.The findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate insulation materials and thicknesses (4-6 cm for EPS, 6-8 cm for XPS) to balance energy savings and comfort. The results provide practical insights for energy-saving retrofits in cold, dry climates, offering a cost-effective and scientifically validated approach for enhancing building performance. As rural communities, including those in the Hehuang region, face increasing natural disasters, this research provides timely guidance for building designs that improve resilience and sustainability.
Keywords: Hehuang region, Traditional residences, Energy-saving renovation, NSGA-II；, Thermal comfort
Received: 26 May 2025; Accepted: 30 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Wu, Peizuo and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wenyu Zhao, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, China
Zhongtie Wu, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.