scholarly journals Development of Energy Benchmarks for Office Buildings Using the National Energy Consumption Database

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Gi Kim ◽  
Sun Sook Kim

In an effort to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, it is necessary to first evaluate the energy performance of those buildings. Since it is difficult to obtain detailed information on existing buildings, the challenge is how to conduct reliable energy performance assessments with this limited information. As a result, many countries have adopted evaluation systems based on measured energy consumption data for existing buildings. This study aims to analyze the building energy consumption and characteristics using Korea’s national building database and provide an energy performance benchmark for continuous management of the energy performance of existing buildings. We analyzed the relationship between the basic statistical characteristics of the information collected from the national integrated energy database and energy consumption. The total floor area was found to be closely related to energy consumption, and various regression analysis methods were applied and compared to develop a benchmark to explain the trends of energy consumption according to the increase in total floor area. Finally, the developed benchmarks were used to evaluate energy consumption and examine the feasibility of the benchmarks.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1353-1386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guglielmina Mutani ◽  
Valeria Todeschi

Abstract The urban climate and outdoor air quality of cities that have a positive thermal balance depending on the thermal consumptions of buildings cause an increase of the urban heat island and global warming effects. The aim of this work has been to develop an energy balance using the energy consumption data of the district heating network. The here presented engineering energy model is at a neighborhood scale, and the energy-use results have been obtained from a heat balance of residential buildings, by means of a quasi-steady state method, on a monthly basis. The modeling approach also considers the characteristics of the urban context that may have a significant effect on its energy performance. The model includes a number of urban variables, such as solar exposition and thermal radiation lost to the sky of the built environment. This methodology was applied to thirty-three 1 km × 1 km meshes in the city of Turin, using the monthly energy consumption data of three consecutive heating seasons. The results showed that the model is accurate for old built areas; the average error is 10% for buildings constructed before 1970, while the error reaches 20% for newer buildings. The importance and originality of this study are related to the fact that the energy balance is applied at neighborhood scale and urban parameters are introduced with the support of a GIS tool. The resulting engineering models can be applied as a decision support tool for citizens, public administrations, and policy makers to evaluate the distribution of energy consumptions and the relative GHG emissions to promote a more sustainable urban environment. Future researches will be carried out with the aim of introducing other urban variables into the model, such as the canyon effect and the presence of vegetation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Amjath ◽  
◽  
H. Chandanie ◽  
S.D.I.A. Amarasinghe ◽  
◽  
...  

It has been observed that inefficient buildings consume three to five times more energy than efficient buildings. Subsequently, improving the Energy Efficiency (EE) of existing buildings, which account for a significant portion of the energy consumption of the building sector, has become a top priority. Also, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems typically account for three-quarters of a building's energy consumption. Hence, focus on the energy efficiency improvements associated with these subsystems is entailed to optimise the energy use of buildings in comparison to other energy consumers. Energy Retrofit (ER) is defined as the main approach in improving the energy efficiency of buildings to achieve energy reduction goals. Nevertheless, there is a general lack of awareness regarding ER. Thus, the purpose of this article is to bridge this research gap by critically reviewing the applicable literature on ER. The paper first analysed the role of retrofits in buildings concerning optimising energy performance. The paper also discusses the implementation process of ER, which includes five steps viz. pre-retrofit survey, energy auditing, and performance assessment, identification of suitable and feasible retrofit options, site implementation and commissioning, and validation and verification. Further, different types of ER applicable to HVAC and lighting systems are discussed. In their endeavor to enhance the EE of existing buildings, practitioners could apply the findings of this study, as a basis to understand the available ER types and as a measure to gauge the efficiency of existing buildings, which will facilitate effective decision-making.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (Suppl. 5) ◽  
pp. 1695-1705
Author(s):  
Dimitrije Manic ◽  
Mirko Komatina ◽  
Biljana Vucicevic ◽  
Marina Jovanovic

Energy certification of buildings in Serbia was introduced in 2011 and energy label depends on energy need for heating per unit floor area of heated space, calculated by the fully prescribed monthly quasi-steady-state method defined by ISO 13790. In the Republic of Serbia, most of families live in single-family houses built before the energy certification of buildings was introduced. Therefore, the estimation of energy performance of the existing buildings is important for labeling, and evaluation of energy saving measures and energy strategies to be implemented. This paper examines the applicability of monthly method defined by National legislation on the existing buildings stock in Serbia, by comparing it to the more accurate dynamic simulation method. Typical single-family houses are taken as a test case, since they are responsible for about 76% of energy consumption for heating. The results show that the dynamic simulation method estimates 21% to 54% higher energy need for heating, compared to the monthly method. Also, the monthly method estimates up to 13% higher savings by typical building envelope energy saving measures, compared to the dynamic simulation. This paper recommends improvement in procedures for calculation of building energy performance index to better assess energy consumption, effects of energy saving measures, and create solid background for developing and implementing of energy saving strategies.


Author(s):  
Guanjing Lin ◽  
David E. Claridge

Commissioning services have proven successful in reducing building energy consumption, but the optimal energy performance obtained by commissioning may subsequently degrade. Automated Building Commissioning Analysis Tool (ABCAT), which combines a calibrated simulation with diagnostic techniques, is a simple and cost efficient tool that can help maintain the optimal building energy performance after building commissioning. It can continuously monitor whole building energy consumption, warn operation personnel when an HVAC system problem has increased energy consumption, and assist them in identifying the possible cause(s) of the problem. This paper presents the results of a retrospective implementation of ABCAT on five buildings, each of which has at least three years of post-commissioning daily energy consumption data, on the Texas A&M University campus. The methodology of ABCAT is reviewed and the implementation process of ABCAT on one building is specifically illustrated. Eighteen faults were detected in 15 building-years of consumption data with a defined fault detection standard. The causes of some of the detected faults are verified with historical documentation. The remaining fault diagnoses remain unconfirmed due to data quality issues and incomplete information on maintenance performed in the buildings.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
S. Pescari ◽  
V. Stoian ◽  
D. Tudor ◽  
Carmen Măduţa

Abstract One of the targets of EU Directives on the energy performance of buildings is to reduce the energy consumption of the existing buildings by finding efficient solutions for thermal rehabilitation. In order to find the adequate solutions, the first step is to establish the current state of the buildings and to determine their actual energy consumption. The current paper aims to present the energy demands of the existing buildings with bearing structure of large precast concrete panels in the city of Timisoara. Timisoara is one of the most important cities in the west side of Romania, being on the third place in terms of size and economic development. The Census of Population and Housing of 2011 states that Timisoara has about 127841 private dwellings and 60 percent of them are collective buildings. Energy demand values of the existing buildings with bearing structure of large precast concrete panels in Timisoara, in their current condition, are higher than the accepted values provided in the Romanian normative, C107. The difference between these two values can reach up to 300 percent.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengpeng Xu ◽  
Edwin H. W. Chan ◽  
Patrick T. I. Lam

Sustainable building has become a future development trend in the building sector. Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit (BEER) provides excellent opportunities to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings, and to promote environmental protection, the rational use of resources, occupants' health, all of which helps to improve the sustainability of existing buildings. Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) provided by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) is a market mechanism to provide financial and technological support for energy efficiency projects. This paper aims to develop a sustainability promotion framework for BEER projects under the EPC mechanism to link the sustainable performance of BEER with the success factors of this EPC mechanism. Different types of building have different energy consumption characteristics. This research focuses on hotel buildings in China. The paper develops a framework for sustainable BEER through an EPC mechanism in hotel buildings based on the EFQM Excellence Model for business quality management. Interviews were conducted with experts from the hotel industry, from energy service companies and with academics. Based on the developed framework, the study has identified 11 performance indicators for sustainable BEER and 28 success factors of an EPC mechanism. This provides significant groundwork for future study in developing an assessment model to evaluate the sustainability of BEER projects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2070
Author(s):  
Yanxue Li ◽  
Dawei Wang ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Weijun Gao

In this work, we focus on investigating the relationship between urban morphology parameters and residential building space heating energy performance, comparing microclimate conditions of existing residential blocks with central heating supply. Firstly, a dataset composed of district morphological parameters that measured heat energy consumption was established. Then, effects of morphological indicators including cover ratio, average building height, and floor area ratio on building space heating energy efficiency were assessed specifically. Analysis results show that a larger floor area ratio induced a reduction in heating energy consumption density, the observed effect is notable at an initial increase of floor area ratio. Thirdly, the case study shows that the heating load of residential districts with a high built density is more sensitive to solar radiation. To further assess how and to what extent urban forms alter microclimates, on-site measurement investigated detailed changes in the thermal environment of selected residential districts before and after the operational stage of central heating supply. Analysis results demonstrate that heat energy delivered by a central heating supply could dampen the variations of local outdoor air temperatures, more notable for residential districts with a higher floor area ratio during the night period. Findings from this work would be useful for urban planners considering energy-efficient design practices.


Clean Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-432
Author(s):  
Rakesh Dalal ◽  
Kamal Bansal ◽  
Sapan Thapar

Abstract The residential-building sector in India consumes >25% of the total electricity and is the third-largest consumer of electricity; consumption increased by 26% between 2014 and 2017. India has introduced a star-labelling programme for residential buildings that is applicable for all single- and multiple-dwelling units in the country for residential purposes. The Energy Performance Index (EPI) of a building (annual energy consumption in kilowatt-hours per square metre of the building) is taken as an indicator for awarding the star label for residential buildings. For gauging the EPI status of existing buildings, the electricity consumption of residential buildings (in kWh/m2/year) is established through a case study of the residential society. Two years of electricity bills are collected for an Indian residential society located in Palam, Delhi, analysed and benchmarked with the Indian residential star-labelling programme. A wide EPI gap is observed for existing buildings for five-star energy labels. Based on existing electricity tariffs, the energy consumption of residential consumers and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)’s proposed building ENERGY STAR labelling, a grid-integrated rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system is considered for achieving a higher star label. This research study establishes the potential of grid-connected rooftop solar PV systems for residential buildings in Indian cities through a case study of Delhi. Techno-economic analysis of a grid-integrated 3-kWp rooftop solar PV plant is analysed by using RETScreen software. The study establishes that an additional two stars can be achieved by existing buildings by using a grid-integrated rooftop solar PV plant. Payback for retrofit of a 3-kWp rooftop solar PV plant for Indian cites varies from 3 to 7 years. A case study in Delhi, India establishes the potential of grid-connected rooftop solar PV systems for residential buildings. Techno-economic analysis of grid integrated, 3 kWp rooftop solar systems estimates a payback period from 3 to 7 years.


2019 ◽  
pp. 170-170
Author(s):  
Miklos Kassai

The object of this research study is to develop a thermal simulation model that can be used to investigate the thermal parameters of the refrigerant systems (with ON-OFF and PID control) used in cooling chambers. Moreover the model was further developed which takes into account also the types of compressors, feeder and control units used commonly in practice for energetic investigations. Using the measured energy consumption data obtained by experimental tests during the previous phase of this research work, the validation of the developed energy simulation model by MatLab R2016a could be also achieved with good agreement. MatLab software seemed to be the most appropriate tool for numerical investigations on the energy consumption of refrigeration systems used in commercial cold stores and transient behavior of the indoor air temperature of the cold store, cooling energy performance and consumed energy to the goods stored in cold store.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-181
Author(s):  
Halil BEYAZTAŞ

Turkey is undergoing a major transformation process. This process, also called urban renewal, takes place at neighborhood and building (on-site transformation) scales. The literature focuses on transformation problem of the neighborhood scale; however, the characteristics of the problems associated with building scale transformation differ. One of these is texture differentiation. With the on-site renewal process, the existing urban texture and its micro-climate characteristics change. An existing low-rise building in the street is transformed and built as a high-rise multi-storey building, which shades the neighboring buildings in the texture. In this case, it can be predicted that the energy consumption performance of existing buildings will be affected. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of reconstructed high-rise buildings on existing buildings in the texture in terms of energy performance. The study area is chosen as Suadiye (Kadıköy, Istanbul) because of the high urban renewal activity. Using computer simulation methodology, the energy performance of a reference building was calculated for three texture scenarios: base situation (rural texture), 1960 urban texture and 2019 texture (after renewal). In this study, in which the building envelope is kept constant, the effect of the urban texture on the building energy consumption is clearly observed. According to the results of the study, lighting and heating energy consumption of the reference building increased during the transition from rural to 1960 texture. With the urban transformation law numbered 6306 enacted in 2012, it would be possible to save energy by optimizing the urban texture. However, in practice, it is seen that energy consumption of the reference building is increased more in the transformation from the 1960 texture to the 2019 texture. In other words, texture change has increased energy consumption. One of the goals of this high-cost transformation process, which is necessarily experienced with earthquake risk in the first place, was stated as providing energy savings. For this purpose, envelope insulation is mandatory in reconstructed buildings. However, independent of the building envelope, the characteristics of the urban texture also play an important role in energy consumption. For this reason, the optimization of the urban texture should be evaluated as a part of the transformation process and legal regulations should be implemented to support this. Potential impact analysis should be done before intervening in the urban texture.


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