scholarly journals A Multi-Facet Retrofit Approach to Improve Energy Efficiency of Existing Class of Single-Family Residential Buildings in Hot-Humid Climate Zones

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amoah B.O. Kwame ◽  
Nguyen V. Troy ◽  
Najafi Hamidreza
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Data Mining Technique ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Hot Humid Climate

Targeting existing residential buildings for retrofit improvement presents significant prospects for global reduction of energy-usage and carbon footprints. Energy consumption of the existing single-family building in the hot-humid climate zone needs to be targeted for improvement due to their potential energy-savings and sizeable market share. This paper proposes and evaluates energy savings and cost-effectiveness of a whole building retrofit package for single-family residential buildings built between 1950 and 1970. The study outlined a survey conducted using the clustering data mining technique on Florida Single-Family Residential (SFR) homes to determine the essence of the building envelope, patterns of construction, and Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems. The evaluation of the energy efficiency measures (EEMs) effectiveness is performed utilizing Autodesk Revit and a Six-Step modeled framework. This framework consists of baseline model development, validation of the model with an actual case study building, identification of potential EMMs, evaluation of EEMs individually and incorporating the selected EMMs into retrofit package and maximizing the energy-saving and cost-effectiveness of the proposed retrofit package. The study develops proposed retrofit improvement package detailing replacement & improvement EEMs, implementation cost, annual energy savings (kWh), cost-saving ($), and payback period (years) for each individual EEM as well as the combined/total energy improvement package. The paper further explored the usage of solar photovoltaics (PV) energy generation options to offset the remaining energy-use after the implementation of the proposed retrofit package.

scholarly journals The Strategy of Implementing Energy Efficiency Standards and Labels for Domestic Air Conditioners in Libya

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salah M Alabani ◽  
Ibrahim H Tawil
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Air Conditioners ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Energy Efficiency Standards

The residential sector in Libya has grown over the past decade in the construction of residential buildings due to the increase in the population. Moreover, the increase in the level of income has contributed to the increase in the purchase of household appliances, which leads to increased demand for energy. Energy consumption in the household sector accounted for 31% of total energy consumption during 2010, and the share of air conditioners in this sector consumed 18.35%. To reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency in this sector, policies should be considered to apply energy efficiency standards and markers to household electrical appliances, as they are considered one of the most successful programs used in the world. Countries are implementing such programs to reduce energy consumption in the domestic sector. This paper presents the possibility of implementing such programs to introduce the importance of energy efficiency standards and labeling programs for home appliances in Libya. The calculations required to design such programs show the energy savings that can be achieved during cooling loads in the summer period of 4 months July, August, September). A strategic plan has been developed during 10-year (2020-2030) to estimate the expected savings of energy consumed and to identify possible obstacles and difficulties by gradually increasing the energy efficiency ratio for comestic air conditioners in two stages, from EER10 to EER11 in the first stage is then raised to EER12 as the second stage.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Energy Efficiency in Thermally Improved Residential Buildings, with a Weather Controlled Central Heating System. A Case Study in Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 8430
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Cieśliński ◽  
Sylwester Tabor ◽  
Tomasz Szul
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
External Temperature ◽  
Central Heating ◽  
Made In

Optimization of energy consumption and related energy efficiency can be realized in various ways, both through measures to reduce heat losses through building partitions and the introduction of modern systems of regulation and management of heat distribution. In order to achieve the best possible results, these actions should be interlinked, especially in older buildings that have undergone thermomodernization. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate actions aimed at improving energy efficiency of buildings made in prefabricated technology. These buildings were thermomodernized and then the weather-controlled central heating system was installed. The study assessed whether the application of the change of the method of central heating regulation from the traditional one, taking into account only the change of external temperature to the weather-controlled one, will contribute to the increase of energy efficiency of buildings. The research was carried out in the existing residential buildings, for which data on the actual energy consumption was collected and elaborated and includes periods before modernization, after thermomodernization and the period after the introduction of the central heating system with weather control. The collected data cover an eighteen-year period of buildings’ use. The obtained results indicate that in Polish conditions the introduction of weather-controlled regulation system in buildings made in prefabricated technology (made of large slab) allows to achieve energy savings in the range of 16–23%, it may be related to their high thermal capacity resulting from the use of concrete elements in the building envelope.

scholarly journals Minimal Monitoring of Improvements in Energy Performance after Envelope Renovation in Subsidized Single Family Housing in Madrid

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Fernando Martín-Consuegra ◽  
Fernando de Frutos ◽  
Ignacio Oteiza ◽  
Carmen Alonso ◽  
Borja Frutos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Nineteen Fifties ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Urban Complex

This study quantified the improvement in energy efficiency following passive renovation of the thermal envelope in highly inefficient residential complexes on the outskirts of the city of Madrid. A case study was conducted of a single-family terrace housing, representative of the smallest size subsidized dwellings built in Spain for workers in the nineteen fifties and sixties. Two units of similar characteristics, one in its original state and the other renovated, were analyzed in detail against their urban setting with an experimental method proposed hereunder for simplified, minimal monitoring. The dwellings were compared on the grounds of indoor environment quality parameters recorded over a period covering both winter and summer months. That information was supplemented with an analysis of the energy consumption metered. The result was a low-cost, reasonably accurate measure of the improvements gained in the renovated unit. The monitoring output data were entered in a theoretical energy efficiency model for the entire neighborhood to obtain an estimate of the potential for energy savings if the entire urban complex were renovated.

scholarly journals Comfort within Budget: Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Envelope Improvements in Single-Family Affordable Housing

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3054
Author(s):  
Renata Tubelo ◽  
Lucelia Rodrigues ◽  
Mark Gillott ◽  
May Zune
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Housing Type ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

In Brazil, the delivery of homes for low-inc ome households is dictated by costs rather than performance. Issues such as the impact of climate change, affordability of operational energy use, and lack of energy security are not taken into account, even though they can severely impact the occupants. In this work, the authors evaluated the thermal performance of two affordable houses as-built and after the integration of envelope improvements. A new replicable method to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these improvements was proposed. The case study houses comprise the most common affordable housing type delivered widely across Brazil and a proposition of a better affordable housing solution, built in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, integrating passive design strategies to increase thermal comfort. The findings reveal a potential for improving indoor thermal conditions by up to 76% and 73%, respectively, if costs are not a concern, and 40% and 45% with a cost increase of 12% and 9% if a comfort criterion of 20–25 °C was considered. Equations to estimate costs of improvements in affordable housing were developed. The authors concluded that there is a great scope for building envelope optimisation, and that this is still possible without significant impact on budget.

scholarly journals Multi-Objective Techno-Economic Optimization of Design Parameters for Residential Buildings in Different Climate Zones

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Georg Frey
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Load ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Economic Optimization ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Climate Zones

The comprehensive approach for a building envelope design involves building performance simulations, which are time-consuming and require knowledge of complicated processes. In addition, climate variation makes the selection of these parameters more complex. The paper aims to establish guidelines for determining a single-family household’s unique optimal passive design in various climate zones worldwide. For this purpose, a bi-objective optimization is performed for twenty-four locations in twenty climates by coupling TRNSYS and a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) using the Python program. The optimization process generates Pareto fronts of thermal load and investment cost to identify the optimum design options for the insulation level of the envelope, window aperture for passive cooling, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), shading fraction, radiation-based shading control, and building orientation. The goal is to find a feasible trade-off between thermal energy demand and the cost of thermal insulation. This is achieved using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) through criteria importance using intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results demonstrate that an optimal envelope design remarkably improves the thermal load compared to the base case of previous envelope design practices. However, the weather conditions strongly influence the design parameters. The research findings set a benchmark for energy-efficient household envelopes in the investigated climates. The optimal solution sets also provide a criterion for selecting the ranges of envelope design parameters according to the space heating and cooling demands of the climate zone.

scholarly journals Determination of Optimum Envelope of Religious Buildings in Terms of Thermal Comfort and Energy Consumption: Mosque Cases

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6597
Author(s):  
Ahmet Bircan Atmaca ◽  
Gülay Zorer Gedik ◽  
Andreas Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Gain Factor ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Savings Rate

Mosques are quite different from other building types in terms of occupant type and usage schedule. For this reason, they should be evaluated differently from other building types in terms of thermal comfort and energy consumption. It is difficult and probably not even necessary to create homogeneous thermal comfort in mosques’ entire usage area, which has large volumes and various areas for different activities. Nevertheless, energy consumption should be at a minimum level. In order to ensure that mosques are minimally affected by outdoor climatic changes, the improvement of the properties of the building envelope should have the highest priority. These optimal properties of the building envelope have to be in line with thermal comfort in mosques. The proposed method will be a guide for designers and occupants in the design process of new mosques or the use of existing mosques. The effect of the thermal properties of the building envelope on energy consumption was investigated to ensure optimum energy consumption together with an acceptable thermal comfort level. For this purpose, a parametric simulation study of the mosques was conducted by varying optical and thermal properties of the building envelope for a temperature humid climate zone. The simulation results were analyzed and evaluated according to current standards, and an appropriate envelope was determined. The results show that thermal insulation improvements in the roof dome of buildings with a large volume contributed more to energy savings than in walls and foundations. The use of double or triple glazing in transparent areas is an issue that should be considered together with the solar energy gain factor. Additionally, an increasing thickness of thermal insulation in the building envelope contributed positively to energy savings. However, the energy savings rate decreased after a certain thickness. The proposed building envelope achieved a 33% energy savings compared to the base scenario.

Flex House

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Russell ◽  
Mark Weston ◽  
Yogi Goswami ◽  
Matthew Doll
Keyword(s):  
Closed System ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Passive Cooling ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Heat Gain ◽  
Hot Humid Climate

Flex House is a flexible, modular, pre-fabricated zero energy building that can be mass produced and adapted easily to a variety of site conditions and plan configurations. The key factor shaping the design is central Florida’s hot humid climate and intense solar radiation. Flex house combines the wisdom of vernacular Florida houses with state of the art Zero Energy House technologies (ZEH.) A combined system of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal concentrating panels take advantage of the region’s abundant insolation in providing clean renewable energy for the house. Conservation is achieved with state of the art mechanical systems and innovative liquid desiccant dehumidification technology along with highly efficient lighting and appliances. The hybrid nature of the Flex house allows for both an open and closed system to take advantage of the seasonal temperature variation. Central Florida buildings can conserve energy by allowing natural ventilation to take advantage of passive cooling in the mild months of the year and use a closed system to utilize mechanical cooling when temperatures are too high for passive cooling strategies. The building envelope works equally well throughout the year combining an optimum level of insulation, resistance to air infiltration, transparency for daylight, and flexibility that allows for opening and closing of the house. Flex House is designed with a strong connection between interior spaces and the outdoors with carefully placed fenestration and a movable wall system which enables the house to transform in response to the temperature variations throughout the year. The house also addresses the massive heat gain that occurs through the roof, which can generate temperatures in excess of 140 degrees. Flex House incorporates a parasol-like outer structure that shades the roof, walls and courtyard minimizing heat gain through the building envelope. To be implemented on a large scale, ZEH must be affordable for people earning a moderate income. Site built construction is time consuming and wasteful and results in higher costs. Building homes in a controlled environment can reduce material waste, and construction costs while increasing efficiency. Pre-fabricating Flex House minimizes preparation time, waste and safety concerns and maximizes economy, quality control, efficiency and safety during the construction process. This paper is an account of the design and construction of Flex House, a ZEH for central Florida’s hot humid climate.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITTING IN MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-136
Author(s):  
Chaitali Basu ◽  
Virendra Kumar Paul ◽  
M.G. Matt Syal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
A Priority

The energy performance of an existing building is the amount of energy consumed to meet various needs associated with the standardized use of a building and is reflected in one or more indicators known as Building Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs). These indicators are distributed amongst six main factors influencing energy consumption: climate, building envelope, building services and energy systems, building operation and maintenance, occupants' activities and behaviour, and indoor environmental quality. Any improvement made to either the existing structure or the physical and operational upgrade of a building system that enhances energy performance is considered an energy efficiency retrofit. The main goal of this research is to support the implementation of multifamily residential building energy retrofits through expert knowledge consensus on EnPIs for energy efficiency retrofit planning. The research methodology consists of a comprehensive literature review which has identified 35 EnPIs for assessing performance of existing residential buildings, followed by a ranking questionnaire survey of experts in the built-environment to arrive at a priority listing of indicators based on mean rank. This was followed by concordance analysis and measure of standard deviation. A total of 280 experts were contacted globally for the survey, and 106 completed responses were received resulting in a 37.85% response rate. The respondents were divided into two groups for analysis: academician/researchers and industry practitioners. The primary outcome of the research is a priority listing of EnPIs based on the quantitative data from the knowledge-base of experts from these two groups. It is the outcome of their perceptions of retrofitting factors and corresponding indicators. A retrofit strategy consists of five phases for retrofitting planning in which the second phase comprises an energy audit and performance assessment and diagnostics. This research substantiates the performance assessment process through the identification of EnPIs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document