scholarly journals Green and Transportable Modular Building: a prefabricated prototype of resilient and efficient house

2021 ◽  
Vol 2042 (1) ◽  
pp. 012163
Author(s):  
Simona Roggeri ◽  
Paolo Olivari ◽  
Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue
Keyword(s):  
Cost Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Timber Construction ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Different Climates ◽  
Modular Framework

Abstract Remote working proved to be an advantage in terms energy-saving as well as, for many, in terms of quality of life, while it was a necessity during the pandemic crisis of 2020/2021. This new habit is now promoted by many big enterprises due to associated cost savings. Some experiences of remote working in different locations have started to be supported by incentives in small municipalities to repopulate remote locations in Italy and people are now more inclined to move not just for vacation. These conditions could lead to a sort of “climatic nomadism” achievable, among other, through transportable homes. The net-zero energy Green and Transportable Modular Building (GTMB) project is able to cut its environmental impact. It can assume different configurations according to the user’s needs. The house is based on a timber construction system, easily adjustable and adaptable according to a modular framework. The energy performance has been simulated by means of BIM/BEM methodologies. The building has been tested in two different climates and configurations according to variable social interaction. The energy balance of the house in the life cycle showed the achievement of a carbon zero balance mainly due to timber technology, a heat pump, and PV integration.

Towards Net-Zero Energy Buildings: A Case Study in Humid Subtropical Climate

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen Betharte ◽  
Hamidreza Najafi ◽  
Troy Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Subtropical Climate ◽  
Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero

The growing world-wide energy demand and environmental considerations have attracted immense attention in building energy efficiency. Climate zone plays a major role in the process of decision making for energy efficiency projects. In the present paper, an office building located in Melbourne, FL is considered. The building is built in 1961 and the goal is to identify and prioritize the potential energy saving opportunities and retrofit the existing building into a Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB). An energy assessment is performed and a baseline model is developed using eQUEST to simulate the energy performance of the building. Several possible energy efficiency improvement scenarios are considered and assessed through simulation including improving insulation on the walls and roof, replacing HVAC units and upgrade their control strategies, use of high efficiency lighting, and more. Selected energy efficiency improvement recommendations are implemented on the building model to achieve the lowest energy consumption. It is considered that photovoltaic (PV) panels will be used to supply the energy demand of the building. Simulations are also performed to determine the number of required PV panels and associated cost of the system is estimated. The results from this paper can help with the decision making regarding retrofit projects for NZEB in humid subtropical climate.

scholarly journals Sustainable Housing: Understanding the Barriers to Adopting Net Zero Energy Homes in Ontario, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6236
Author(s):  
Ranjita Singh ◽  
Philip Walsh ◽  
Christina Mazza
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Home Owner ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero

Buildings in Canada account for a significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and net zero energy building technology has been identified as part of the solution. This study presents a conceptual model identifying barriers to the adoption of net zero energy housing and tests it by administering a survey to 271 participants in a net zero energy housing demonstration project in Toronto, Canada. Using multivariate correlation and multi-linear regression analyses this study finds that of all the innovation adoption variables it was the construction and design quality that was the most significant contributor to the adoption of a net zero energy home by a potential home owner. This study found that the (a) extra cost compared to a conventional home, b) lack of knowledge about the technology associated with a net zero energy home or (c) not knowing someone who owned a net zero energy home were not significant barriers to accepting net zero energy homes. Our results suggest that policy-makers should promote the diffusion of net zero energy home technology by encouraging housing developers to include net zero energy homes in their collection of model homes, with an emphasis on quality design and construction. Furthermore, engaging in trust building initiatives such as education and knowledge about the technology, its related energy cost savings, and the environmental benefits would contribute to a greater acceptance of net zero energy homes.

Investigating the probability of designing net-zero energy buildings with consideration of electric vehicles and renewable energy

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Sajad Rezaei Nasab ◽  
Abbasali Tayefi Nasrabadi ◽  
Somayeh Asadi ◽  
Seiyed Ali Haj Seiyed Taghia
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Energy Performance ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Net Zero Energy Buildings

PurposeDue to technological improvement and development of the vehicle-to-home (V2H) concept, electric vehicle (EV) can be considered as an active component of net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs). However, to achieve more dependable results, proper energy analysis is needed to take into consideration the stochastic behavior of renewable energy, energy consumption in the building and vehicle use pattern. This study aims to stochastically model a building integrating photovoltaic panels as a microgeneration technology and EVs to meet NZEB requirements.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a multiobjective nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was developed to optimize the building energy performance considering panels installed on the façade. Next, a dynamic solution is implemented in MATLAB to stochastically model electricity generation using solar panels as well as building and EV energy consumption. Besides, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used for quantifying the uncertainty of NZEB performance. To investigate the impact of weather on both energy consumption and generation, the model is tested in five different climatic zones in Iran.FindingsThe results show that the stochastic simulation provides building designers with a variety of convenient options to select the best design based on level of confidence and desired budget. Furthermore, economic evaluation signifies that investing in all studied cities is profitable.Originality/valueConsidering the uncertainty in building energy demand and PV power generation as well as EV mobility and the charging–discharging power profile for evaluating building energy performance is the main contribution of this study.

Intelligent homes’ technologies to optimize the energy performance for the net zero energy home

2017 ◽  
Vol 153 ◽  
pp. 262-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi AlFaris ◽  
Adel Juaidi ◽  
Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero

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.

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.

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