This study proposes a new optimisation method for envelope thermal design based on genetic algorithm and building simulation combined with envelope thermal performance. The new method aims to obtain combinations of envelope thermal parameters that can further reduce building energy consumption and can be used to analyse the direction of optimisation of the envelope thermal design. Firstly, based on the genetic algorithm and the envelope thermal resilience performance index, the envelope thermal performance optimisation method is established for design and analysis. Then, a residential building in Shanghai is selected as an example, and the boundary conditions of the envelope thermal parameters are obtained. The proposed method is applied to optimise the envelope design. Finally, the optimisation process of the envelope for different types of rooms with different orientations is analysed using numerical simulation. The results show that the proposed optimisation design method can effectively reduce the heating and air-conditioning loads of the building (up to 25%–65% for the selected buildings). In addition, it is recommended that residential buildings in the Shanghai area use heavy mass walls with high thermal insulation capability as the building interior walls and windows with a small window-to-wall ratio and high thermal conductivity. The proposed optimisation method and its results can provide a reference for building design and help to promote the development of design methods for building envelope.
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