scholarly journals Sustainable Construction, LEED as a Green Rating System and the Importance of Moving to NZEB

2021 ◽  
Vol 241 ◽  
pp. 02001
Author(s):  
Aydin Tabrizi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Sustainable Construction ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
History Of

In this study, in order to evaluate the possibility of achieving the Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) goal, the history of sustainable construction, and available green-rating systems with specific focus on Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system were explained. LEED rating system was selected as the most prevalent rating system in the industry to evaluate and analyze its efficiencies/drawbacks specifically in regards to the energy efficiency. The goal of this study is to answer an important question of the reasons to focus on NZEB concept when LEED rating has come up with a detailed certification process, which is somehow beneficial in regards to energy reduction. NZEB concept is defined as an evolution of very energy-efficient approach and it requires that the buildings have zero energy balance on an annual basis. This paper explains this questions in detail and it consists of three parts: in the first part sustainable building rating system including LEED certification is explained. The second part explains the deficiencies of LEED rating system in regards to the energy performance of buildings and the last part explains the NZEB concept and the movement towards the NZEB target.

scholarly journals Thermal performance analysis of net-zero energy building using evolutionary algorithms

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisele Goulart Tavares ◽  
Marcus Vinícius Ferraz ◽  
Eric Vargas Loureiro ◽  
Vitor De Castro Nobre ◽  
Leonardo Goliatt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geometric Model ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Block Type ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero

The zero-energy building, also known as Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), is based on the concept of an energy-efficient building that balances its total energy using solutions that aim to mitigate CO2 emissions and reduce energy use in the constructions.  Energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings increased between 20% and 40% in developed countries and exceeded the industry and transportation sectors. Due to climate change, by 2050 buildings can consume 20% more energy, with energy performance being the critical element in achieving climate goals and improving energy security. The objective of this paper is to maximize the thermal comfort in an NZEB through the evolutionary algorithm PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization), a technique inspired by the collective intelligence of the animals. For this, different constructive parameters were inserted in a geometric model to identify combinations that offer greater comfort. For the optimization problem of this work, the design parameters were: block type, concrete thickness used in the solid slab, mortar type, window size, door size, and cover type. From the geometric model, an IDF file was generated for the parameterization and subsequent energy simulation of the scenarios created by the PSO in the EnergyPlus software. The exchange of materials and parameter values of the model reached lower hours of discomfort per year in comparison to results obtained in the literature.

Evaluation of the energy performance of a net zero energy building in a hot and humid climate

2019 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 109531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjae Shin ◽  
Juan-Carlos Baltazar ◽  
Jeff S. Haberl ◽  
Edwin Frazier ◽  
Bobby Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Hot And Humid Climate

scholarly journals Potential Reconstruction Design of an Existing Townhouse in Washington DC for Approaching Net Zero Energy Building Goal

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 6631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakdirat Kaewunruen ◽  
Jessada Sresakoolchai ◽  
Lalida Kerinnonta
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero

The concept of the Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) has received more interest from researchers due to global warming concerns. This paper proposes to illustrate optional solutions to allow existing buildings to achieve NZEB goals. The aim of this study is to investigate factors that can improve existing building performance to be in line with the NZEB concept and be more sustainable. An existing townhouse in Washington, DC was chosen as the research target to study how to retrofit or reconstruct the design of a building according to the NZEB concept. The methodology of this research is modeling an existing townhouse to assess the current situation and creating optional models for improving energy efficiency of the townhouse in Revit and utilising renewable energy technology for energy supply. This residential building was modeled in three versions to compare changes in energy performance including improving thermal efficiency of building envelope, increasing thickness of the wall, and installing smart windows (switchable windows). These solutions can reduce energy and cost by approximately 8.16%, 10.16%, and 14.65%, respectively, compared to the original townhouse. Two renewable energy technologies that were considered in this research were photovoltaic and wind systems. The methods can be applied to reconstruct other existing buildings in the future.

scholarly journals Concept, Design and Energy Performance of a Net Zero-Energy Building in Mediterranean Climate

2016 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 26-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Ascione ◽  
Nicola Bianco ◽  
Filippo de Rossi ◽  
Rosa Francesca De Masi ◽  
Giuseppe Peter Vanoli
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Concept Design ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero

scholarly journals Modeling Energy Efficiency Performance and Cost-Benefit Analysis Achieving Net-Zero Energy Building Design: Case Studies of Three Representative Offices in Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5201
Author(s):  
Kittisak Lohwanitchai ◽  
Daranee Jareemit
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Energy Gap ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Investment Cost ◽  
High Investment

The concept of a zero energy building is a significant sustainable strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges of zero energy building (ZEB) achievement in Thailand are that the design approach to reach ZEB in office buildings is unclear and inconsistent. In addition, its implementation requires a relatively high investment cost. This study proposes a guideline for cost-optimal design to achieve the ZEB for three representative six-story office buildings in hot and humid Thailand. The energy simulations of envelope designs incorporating high-efficiency systems are carried out using eQuest and daylighting simulation using DIALux evo. The final energy consumptions meet the national ZEB target but are higher than the rooftop PV generation. To reduce such an energy gap, the ratios of building height to width are proposed. The cost-benefit of investment in ZEB projects provides IRRs ranging from 10.73 to 13.85%, with payback periods of 7.2 to 8.5 years. The energy savings from the proposed designs account for 79.2 to 81.6% of the on-site energy use. The investment of high-performance glazed-windows in the small office buildings is unprofitable (NPVs = −14.77–−46.01). These research results could help architects and engineers identify the influential parameters and significant considerations for the ZEB design. Strategies and technical support to improve energy performance in large and mid-rise buildings towards ZEB goals associated with the high investment cost need future investigations.

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