scholarly journals Evaluation of the energy performance of Zero Energy residential Buildings: complexity of dynamic simulations and results variability

2021 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 06002
Author(s):  
Silvia Di Turi ◽  
Ilaria Falcone ◽  
Iole Nardi ◽  
Laura Ronchetti ◽  
Nicolandrea Calabrese
Keyword(s):  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Definition Of

Due to its energy and environmental impact, the building sector has become a challenging field in order to fulfil the need for energy renovation and obtain low-consumption buildings. The main issue, for those who approach the feasible design of a Zero Energy Building (ZEB), is to assess, in the most realistic way possible, the thermal and energy needs and the energy production of the building, properly considering all the possible variables. Through the analysis of a newly built residential building case study, this work aims at showing the complexity of the ZEB design, analysing the energy performance as the design choices vary. After characterizing envelope and systems components, potential variations in the model are highlighted by applying a set of updated climatic data, varying occupancy, shading systems and natural ventilation functioning, often neglected. It leads to a wide and differentiated range of results, consequently influenced by the design phase. The work aims at providing, in the definition of the energy performance of the building, an evaluation of the variations obtained from the variables analysed that in the modelling phase are normally considered as a boundary but which instead play a key role for achieving the ZEB objective.

Achieving the Net Zero Energy Target in Northern Italy: Lessons Learned from an Existing Passivhaus with Earth-to-Air Heat Exchanger

2013 ◽  
Vol 689 ◽  
pp. 184-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Carlucci ◽  
Paolo Zangheri ◽  
Lorenzo Pagliano
Keyword(s):  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Po Valley ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero

The recast of the European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings introduces the concept of nearly Zero Energy Building. To obtain a practical interpretation of this building concept, it is necessary to clarify two main issues: (i) how it is possible to select a reliable and agreed upon concept of “zero energy”; (ii) which technological features might be used to reach that target. In order to test the design of a nearly Zero Energy Building in the South of Europe, we present as case study an Italian Passivhaus located in the Po Valley that has been monitored for 18 months and analyzed through dynamic simulations of calibrated models. In this paper we present a selection of the result of the monitoring and simulation phases regarding the contribution (in terms of reduction of the indoor operative temperatures) of Earth-to-Air Heat Exchangers and natural ventilation strategies to meet different summer thermal comfort targets and consequently to avoid the installation of an active cooling system.

scholarly journals Thermal Performance of a High-Rise Residential Building with Internal Courtyard in Tropical Climate

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Lobna Hassan Ali Hassan Elgheriani ◽  
Parid Wardi ◽  
AbdulBasit Ali Ali Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Significant Feature ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Passive Design

Natural ventilation is an effectual passive design approach to create a better indoor thermal condition as well as energy efficiency. The primary goal of building design is providing a healthy and comfortable indoor environment titled as sustainable architecture. Literature suggests that the significant feature that alteration has to take place on for better energy performance is the envelope design. This paper aims to augment the Window to Wall Ratio (WWR), orientation and courtyard corridor size for improving the design of naturally ventilated courtyard high-rise residential buildings. Briefly, the findings indicate that contending with WWR, orientation and courtyard corridor size could increase the potential of improving its natural ventilation and thus, thermal performance.

scholarly journals Identification of Energy Efficiency Improvement Measures of an Existing Residential Building Using Audit-Assisted Energy Simulation and Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Farrukh Arif ◽  
Rabia Khalid ◽  
Nida Azhar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Cost ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Improvement Measures ◽  
Potential Improvement

Depleting energy sources are forcing humans to preserve energy and utilize it wisely. Globally, researchers are working to find ways to manage the energy crisis. Residential buildings are considered to be in the most energy demanding sector. Therefore, efforts are being made to reduce the increasing energy consumption and make the buildings energy efficient. The paper focuses on finding ways to retrofit the existing residential buildings into energy efficient buildings. This study evaluated the energy performance of a G+2 residential building with a total of 3 floors covering an area of 991.68 sq. meters, to identify relevant potential improvement measures. An energy analysis of the building was performed using information modeling assisted with energy audit data for accurate and realistic analysis. It was found that there is potential for the reduction of the annual energy usage and annual energy cost up to 2.33% and 4.54% respectively, by making improvements in the window to wall ratio. Another potential energy cost saving of 14.8% can be achieved by changing Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) type, and 7.62% of a reduction in cost can be achieved through modification in lighting fixtures. Moreover, installing solar photovoltaic panels can save up to PKR 1 million, and natural ventilation could result in saving more than PKR 0.2 million annually.

scholarly journals Modern Concepts of Energy-Efficient Civil and Residential Buildings. Case Study: Analysis of a Residential Building According to Nzeb Criteria

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
A. Vasiliu ◽  
Otilia Nedelcu ◽  
I. C. Sălişteanu ◽  
O. Magdun
Keyword(s):  
Housing Stock ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Passive Construction ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Oil Crisis

Abstract The oil crisis, the measures taken because of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, the ecological actions carried out globally and the technical progress in the fields of electronics, energy, IT and telecommunications have led to the emergence Passive House concepts in the construction sector, of Passive Solar Building (passive construction based on solar energy), of Net Zero-Energy Building NZEB, of Plus Energy Building, of nearly Zero Energy Building nZEB, of Low-Energy Building, of Green House, of Zero Carbon House, of Smart House, of Healthy buildings and other equivalents or derivatives. In this paper, these concepts will be cross-debated and the measures adopted at EU level and the influences exerted on the Romanian legislation on the field of civil and residential constructions will be presented. Based on a case study, a residential construction will be characterized, representative of the current housing stock, in order to assess the degree of compliance with the minimum requirements of a house with low energy consumption, imposed by Romanian legislation in the field.

Energy performance of buildings in Poland on the basis of different climatic data

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Grudzińska ◽  
Ewa Jakusik
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Climatic Data ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Source Data ◽  
The Mean

Typical Meteorological Years (TMY) were prepared in Poland due to the introduction of obligatory energy certification for buildings. They are based on source data collected by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management from 1971 to 2000. Predictions indicate that until the end of the 21st century, the air temperature will increase. Therefore, the characteristics obtained with the use of TMY may differ from the energy demand of buildings used nowadays. This article compares energy demand calculated with the use of TMY and subsequent climatic data from 2001 to 2012, for three different locations in Poland. The analyses were performed with the use of the dynamic simulation computer program, for typical living quarters in a multifamily residential building with different construction and window orientation. Results obtained with the use of TMY and subsequent climatic data show that the typical years can be used for the evaluation of heating demand. However, cooling demand calculated with the use of TMY was significantly lower in comparison with the mean cooling demand for the years 2001–2012. This may distort the energy needs and indoor environment conditions in summer, and cause discomfort or unnecessary energy use in presently occupied dwellings.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Impact of Occupants’ Behavior and Climate Change on Heating and Cooling Energy Needs of Buildings

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 6468
Author(s):  
Gianmarco Fajilla ◽  
Marilena De Simone ◽  
Luisa F. Cabeza ◽  
Luís Bragança
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
Occupant Behavior ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Energy Simulations ◽  
The Impact

Energy performance of buildings is a worldwide increasing investigated field, due to ever more stringent energy standards aimed at reducing the buildings’ impact on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact that occupant behavior and climate change have on the heating and cooling needs of residential buildings. With this aim, data of a questionnaire survey delivered in Southern Italy were used to obtain daily use profiles of natural ventilation, heating, and cooling, both in winter and in summer. Three climatic scenarios were investigated: The current scenario (2020), and two future scenarios (2050 and 2080). The CCWorldWeatherGen tool was used to create the weather files of future climate scenarios, and DesignBuilder was applied to conduct dynamic energy simulations. Firstly, the results obtained for 2020 demonstrated how the occupants’ preferences related to the use of natural ventilation, heating, and cooling systems (daily schedules and temperature setpoints) impact on energy needs. Heating energy needs appeared more affected by the heating schedules, while cooling energy needs were mostly influenced by both natural ventilation and usage schedules. Secondly, due to the temperature rise, substantial decrements of the energy needs for heating and increments of cooling energy needs were observed in all the future scenarios where in addition, the impact of occupant behavior appeared amplified.

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.

scholarly journals Proposing Alternative Solutions to Enhance Natural Ventilation Rates in Residential Buildings in the Cfa Climate Zone of Rasht

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 679
Author(s):  
Roya Aeinehvand ◽  
Amiraslan Darvish ◽  
Abdollah Baghaei Daemei ◽  
Shima Barati ◽  
Asma Jamali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Passive Strategies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Ventilation Rates ◽  
Ventilation Systems

Today, renewable resources and the crucial role of passive strategies in energy efficiency in the building sector toward the sustainable development goals are more indispensable than ever. Natural ventilation has traditionally been considered as one of the most fundamental techniques to decrease energy usage by building dwellers and designers. The main purpose of the present study is to enhance the natural ventilation rates in an existing six-story residential building situated in the humid climate of Rasht during the summertime. On this basis, two types of ventilation systems, the Double-Skin Facade Twin Face System (DSF-TFS) and Single-Sided Wind Tower (SSWT), were simulated through DesignBuilder version 4.5. Then, two types of additional ventilation systems were proposed in order to accelerate the airflow, including four-sided as well as multi-opening wind towers. The wind foldable directions were at about 45 degrees (northwest to southeast). The simulation results show that SSWT could have a better performance than the aforementioned systems by about 38%. Therefore, the multi-opening system was able to enhance the ventilation rate by approximately 10% during the summertime.

scholarly journals How Climate Trends Impact on the Thermal Performance of a Typical Residential Building in Madrid

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 237 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Soutullo ◽  
E. Giancola ◽  
M. J. Jiménez ◽  
J. A. Ferrer ◽  
M. N. Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Climate Trends ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Minimum Energy Consumption ◽  
The Impact

Based on the European energy directives, the building sector has to provide comfortable levels for occupants with minimum energy consumption as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper aims to compare the impact of climate change on the energy performance of residential buildings in order to derive potential design strategies. Different climate file inputs of Madrid have been used to quantify comparatively the thermal needs of two reference residential buildings located in this city. One of them represents buildings older than 40 years built according to the applicable Spanish regulations prior to 1979. The other refers to buildings erected in the last decade under more energy-restrictive constructive regulations. Three different climate databases of Madrid have been used to assess the impact of the evolution of the climate in recent years on the thermal demands of these two reference buildings. Two of them are typical meteorological years (TMY) derived from weather data measured before 2000. On the contrary, the third one is an experimental file representing the average values of the meteorological variables registered in Madrid during the last decade. Annual and monthly comparisons are done between the three climate databases assessing the climate changes. Compared to the TMYs databases, the experimental one records an average air temperature of 1.8 °C higher and an average value of relative humidity that is 9% lower.

scholarly journals Modeling Nearly Zero Energy Buildings for Sustainable Development in Rural Areas

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Khakian ◽  
Mehrdad Karimimoshaver ◽  
Farshid Aram ◽  
Soghra Zoroufchi Benis ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Shading Devices ◽  
The Impact

The energy performance of buildings and energy-saving measures have been widely investigated in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to buildings located in rural areas. The aim of this study is to assess the energy performance of two-story residential buildings located in the mountainous village of Palangan in Iran and to evaluate the impact of multiple parameters, namely building orientation, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), glazing type, shading devices, and insulation, on its energy performance. To attain a nearly zero energy building design in rural areas, the building is equipped with photovoltaic modules. The proposed building design is then economically evaluated to ensure its viability. The findings indicate that an energy saving of 29% can be achieved compared to conventional buildings, and over 22 MWh of electricity can be produced on an annual basis. The payback period is assessed at 21.7 years. However, energy subsidies are projected to be eliminated in the near future, which in turn may reduce the payback period.

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