Monitoring and dynamic energy simulations of cattle barns with envelope-embedded agricultural by-products

This thesis investigates the thermal and environmental performance of a naturally ventilated dairy cattle barn, with the aim of evaluating the potential influence of envelope materials incorporating \acrlong{abps}. Cattle are particularly sensitive to heat stress; therefore, the study focuses on assessing indoor thermal conditions rather than directly quantifying animal welfare improvements. The research is structured in three main phases. The first phase consists of an experimental monitoring campaign, during which indoor environmental parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, and CO$_2$ concentration were continuously measured using multiple sensors installed within the barn. In the second phase, the collected data were analysed to characterize the indoor environment and to identify differences among the main thermal zones of the building. In the final phase, a dynamic model of the barn was developed using TRNSYS coupled with CONTAM, enabling the simulation of both thermal behaviour and airflow patterns. The model was calibrated and validated against measured data according to standard statistical indicators. Subsequently, different envelope configurations were analysed by introducing materials based on \acrfull{gp} with varying concentrations and insulation thicknesses. The results, evaluated through the \acrfull{thi}, show that the use of \acrshort{abps}-based materials leads to limited but consistent variations in indoor thermal conditions. Among the analysed configurations, the combination of P800 with a 7.5\% \acrshort{gp} layer provides the best overall performance, reducing heat stress exposure by up to 8 hours in the freestall area and 4 hours in the feeding alley over the analysed summer period. The analysis also highlights a trade-off related to insulation thickness: reducing thickness decreases mild heat stress events, while increasing thickness improves performance under moderate stress conditions. However, the overall behaviour is mainly driven by the mild heat stress range, leading to slightly better performance for thinner configurations. Despite these improvements, the impact on total heat stress events remains relatively limited, indicating that envelope modifications alone have a secondary role compared to other factors, such as ventilation and internal heat gains. Nevertheless, the use of bio-based materials represents a promising alternative to conventional solutions, particularly from a circular economy perspective, as it enables the valorisation of agricultural by-products and the reduction of waste. However, aspects related to durability, maintenance, and large-scale applicability should be further investigated. Finally, the results highlight the need for future studies to assess the performance of these materials under different climatic and operational conditions, as the analysed case study represents a specific configuration that may not be fully representative of other livestock buildings.