Thermal Analysis and Building Energy Modeling with MATLAB

Designing energy-efficient homes is a critical step toward a sustainable future, but predicting how a building responds to environmental changes requires precise calculation. This text-only course introduces you to the core principles of building thermodynamics and shows you how to model these systems computationally. You will learn to translate physical heat transfer processes into structured code to evaluate energy performance. What you'll learn: - Understand foundational concepts of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and building energy balance. - Build computational thermal models of a residential house using structured MATLAB scripts. - Analyze how insulation materials, window placement, and structural mass affect energy consumption. - Simulate temperature variations and thermal loads under different environmental conditions. - Apply modern passive solar design principles to improve overall building efficiency. This course begins with essential definitions of thermal resistance and heat transfer before guiding you through the step-by-step logic of writing simulation code. You will read through clear explanations, conceptual breakdowns, and practical code snippets designed to help you construct your own environmental models. This course is ideal for beginners in engineering, architecture, or environmental science who want to learn computational modeling. No prior programming experience or advanced physics background is required. Start reading today to develop your skills in sustainable building analysis.