scholarly journals Airtightness and Heat Energy Loss of Mid-Size Terraced Houses Built of Different Construction Materials

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6367
Author(s):  
Valdas Paukštys ◽  
Gintaris Cinelis ◽  
Jūratė Mockienė ◽  
Mindaugas Daukšys
Keyword(s):  
Energy Loss ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Heat Energy ◽  
Energy Class ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Certification Procedure

The European Union has adopted legislation aimed to increase the use of renewable energy and improve the effectiveness of conventional-form energy use. Additional structure insulation helps to decrease heat energy loss. Airtightness of the building envelope (building airtightness) is an additional factor that determines comfortable and energy-saving living environment. The conformity of heat energy loss with the object’s design energy class is one of the mandatory indicators used in the obligatory building energy performance certification procedure. Optionally, the objects to be certified are the entire buildings or separate units (flats). There is an issue of concern whether a flat assessed as a separate housing unit would meet the requirements of design energy class depending on the location of the unit in the building. The study is aimed to determine the change in heat loss of end units in terraced houses (townhouses) as a result of various factors, leading to uneven airtightness of the building envelope. The non-destructive assessment of building airtightness was implemented through the combined use of methods, namely Blower Door Test (around 200 measurements) and Infrared Thermography. The hollow clay unit masonry showed ca. 7–11% less airtightness than the sand–lime block masonry structure. The end units were up to 20% less airtight compared to the inside units.

scholarly journals Redefining cost-optimal nZEB levels for new residential buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimo Simson ◽  
Endrik Arumägi ◽  
Kalle Kuusk ◽  
Jarek Kurnitski
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Apartment Building ◽  
Detached House

In the member states of the European Union (EU), nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) are becoming mandatory building practice in 2021. It is stated, that nZEB should be cost-optimal and the energy performance levels should be re-defined after every five years. We conducted cost-optimality analyses for two detached houses, one terraced house and one apartment building in Estonia. The analysis consisted on actual construction cost data collection based on bids of variable solutions for building envelope, air tightness, windows, heat supply systems and local renewable energy production options. For energy performance analysis we used dynamic simulation software IDA-ICE. To assess cost-effectiveness, we used Net Present Value (NPV) calculations with the assessment period of 30 years. The results for cost-optimal energy performance level for detached house with heated space of ~100 m2 was 79 kWh/(m2 a), for the larger house (~200 m2) 87 kWh/(m2 a), for terraced house with heated space of ~600 m2 71 kWh/(m2 a) and for the apartment building 103 kWh/(m2 a) of primary energy including all energy use with domestic appliances. Thus, the decrease in cost-optimal level in a five-year period was ~60% for the detached house and ~40% for the apartment building, corresponding to a shift in two EPC classes.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Impact of the Fireplace Heating on the Energy Performance of the Family House

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-149
Author(s):  
Rastislav Ingeli ◽  
Peter Buday
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Energy Class ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Technical Equipment ◽  
The Impact

Reduction of energy use in buildings is an important measure to achieve climate changes of mitigation. It is essential to minimize heat losses when designing energy efficient buildings. For energy efficient building in a cold climate, a large part of the space heating demand is caused by transmission losses through the building envelope. In compliance with the today's trend of designing sustainable and energy-saving architecture, it is necessary firstly to solve the factors influencing the energy balance. This year the subsidy for houses has been valued at € 8,000. The condition is that the building is classified in the energy class A0 according to the Energy Performance Act. Energy class A0 characterizes nearly zero energy buildings. The main concern is for the public to become interested in such buildings. The subsidy is designed to reward and promote those buildings that their heat and technical characteristics and modern technical equipment that meet energy class. In addition to a good plan to raise the profile of such buildings, there has been a lot of speculation to help make buildings in energy class A0. They are mainly owners of family houses where there is no gasification and are forced to have electricity as a source of heat and hot water. Electricity has a high primary energy factor, which means that buildings do not have to be approved.

scholarly journals Environmental Performance Enters Construction Materials

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 454-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bonfield
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Legal Term ◽  
Chain Of Custody ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Impact Cost

The environmental sustainability of materials used in construction applications is driving a requirement for the quanti-fcation of performance attributes of such materials. For example, the European Union (EU) Energy Performance in Buildings Directive will give commercial buildings an energy rating when rented or sold. The Code for Sustainable Homes launched by the U.K. Government's Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) in January 2007 sets out the requirement for all new homes to be carbonneutral by 2016. In addition, homes in the United Kingdom will need to signifcantly reduce water consumption from today's average 160 liters (1) per person per day to less than 801 per person per day. Similarly stringent targets are required for waste, materials, and other factors. Such environmental and energy standards are complementing characteristics such as strength, stiffness, durability, impact, cost, and expected life with factors such as “environmental profle,” “ecopoints” (a single unit measurement of environmental impact arising from a product throughout its lifecycle that is used in the United Kingdom), “carbon footprint” (amount of CO2 produced for the lifecycle of the item), “recycled content,” and “chain of custody” (a legal term that refers to the ability to guarantee the identity and integrity of a specimen from collection through to reporting of test results).

Analysis of Energy Sources on Energy Indicators Performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 861 ◽  
pp. 198-205
Author(s):  
Anton Pitonak ◽  
Martin Lopusniak
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Energy Class ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Total Consumption ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Global Indicator

In the members states of the European Union, portion of buildings in the total consumption of energy represents 40%, and their portion in CO2 emissions fluctuates around 35%. The European Union is trying to protect the environment by reducing energy demand and releasing CO2 emissions into the air. Energy performance is the quantity of energy, which is necessary for heating and domestic hot water production, for cooling and ventilation and for lighting. Based on results of energy performance, individual buildings are classified into energy classes A to G. A global indicator (primary energy) is the decisive factor for final evaluation of the building. The new building must meet minimum requirements for energy performance, i.e. it must be classified to energy class A1 since 2016, and to energy class A0 since 2020. The paper analyses effect of the use of different resources of heat in a family house designed according to requirements valid since 2020, and its subsequent classification into an energy class.

scholarly journals A Sustainable Solution for Energy Efficiency in Italian Climatic Contexts

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2817
Author(s):  
Valeria Annibaldi ◽  
Federica Cucchiella ◽  
Marianna Rotilio
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Reference Scenario ◽  
Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Optimal Thickness ◽  
Hemp Fiber ◽  
Sustainable Solutions

In the European Union, about 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions come from buildings; therefore, the improvement of their energy performance is a strongly focused issue. In particular, the energy efficiency of the building envelope is a very important element to pay attention to. Many studies have been conducted on this field of research, and the study illustrated in this paper also belongs to this topic. In particular, this article presents a multidisciplinary method to find sustainable solutions for energy efficiency in Italian climatic contexts using the Life Cycle Cost Analysis approach. In detail, this paper defines the reference scenario and then deepens the methodology used to determine the economically optimal thickness of a specific insulating material—hemp fiber—applied to a specific type of wall—uninsulated cavity walls made of hollow bricks, which are very widespread in Italy. The analysis is developed in relation to three different regions—Piedmont, Abruzzo, and Campania. The results show that the economically optimal thickness is different for each region analyzed and demonstrates how energy efficiency strategies must be carefully weighed according to the specific conditions of the site.

scholarly journals Building energy modelling for the energy performance analysis of a hospital building in various locations

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 06073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioan Silviu Dobosi ◽  
Cristina Tanasa ◽  
Nicoleta-Elena Kaba ◽  
Adrian Retezan ◽  
Dragos Mihaila
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Hospital Building

The building sector has been identified as having the greatest energy reduction potential and therefore represents a key factor for the European Union climate change combat objectives of achieving an 80-95% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2050. Hospitals buildings represent 7% of the nonresidential building stock in the European Union and are responsible for approximately 10% of the total energy consumption in this sector. The design and construction of hospital buildings is a complex and challenging activity for all the involved specialists, especially when energy performance is one of the objectives. This paper discusses the energy performance simulation on an hourly basis of a new hospital building that was constructed in the city of Mioveni, Romania. At this stage of the study, the building energy model solely investigates the performance of the building envelope, without modelling the HVAC system. The complexity of the building model derives from the multitude of thermal zones depending on interior temperature and ventilation air changes conditions. Several simulations are performed investigating the heating and cooling energy need depending on the building location.

scholarly journals Learning from Precedent

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranald Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Robert Venturi ◽  
Modern House

This paper argues that precedent should play a fundamental role in the development of sustainable homes. It will describe how the design of two energy efficient family homes in Winchester, England, adopt a distinctive approach to environmental precedent. The modern house is substantially a product of numerical calculation, such as the modelling of performance data and cost-benefit analysis. Construction (materials, u-values) and processes (energy use, assembly, airtightness) are quantified and assessed to ensure they achieve design objectives based on recognised standards of performance (Energy Performance Certificate: A; Code for Sustainable Homes: level 4). However this technical analysis alone cannot inform the initial creative idea. The design of these houses was informed by intuitive reference to a range of diverse precedents, including the work of Alvar Aalto, Sverre Fehn, Robert Venturi and Roelof Uytenbogaardt. The asymmetric roofs of Aalto’s Housing for ex-service men in Tampere (1941) define thresholds to front and side doors, and a sheltered private space to the back overlooking the garden. Fehn’s Villa Norrköping (1964) was designed around circadian rhythms, with day and night-time spaces defined by glazed corners (’eyes’) and alcoves, animated by daylight and shadow. Venturi’s Mother’s House (1964) symbolises in its idiosyncratic form and modest material treatment the pragmatic and egalitarian promise of a home and identity of one’s own. House Uytenbogaardt (1993) exploits solar orientation and the topography of its location to the utmost, framing views of the horizon and sunsets over the ocean. The house is part fortified tower house, part bespoke wooden cabinet, responding to the unique atmosphere and light of the Western Cape coastline. This paper will describe how these two subtly different Winchester houses borrow from each of these examples to reconcile technical requirements with the poetic possibilities inherent in imagining other environments, informed by the specific climate and conditions of the site.

OPTIONS TO IMPROVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE BUILDING OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL IN SŁUBICE

2017 ◽  
Vol 166 (46) ◽  
pp. 36-47
Author(s):  
Marta Skiba ◽  
Natalia Rzeszowska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Energy Characteristics ◽  
Current Guidelines

Climate change and sustainable energy use is one of the five long-term objectives of the European Union. The first stage of the activities involving the implementation of this task is to reduce energy consumption of buildings to a minimum by 2020 and, in the case of public buildings by 2019. The purpose of this article is a search for the optimal way of bringing the energy performance of an existing school to a level that enables implementation of the objectives of the European Union energy policy. An analysis of the current condition of the existing school building has been carried out and options of its deep thermal upgrading has been proposed to adjust each parameter the energy performance to current guidelines specified in the technical conditions. One of the possible ways to improve the energy efficiency of the school is the use of renewable energy sources as a means of improving energy characteristics in terms of primary energy PE, the other one - optimization of renovation spending.

scholarly journals Modeling of Energy Efficiency for Residential Buildings Using Artificial Neuronal Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Antonio Álvarez ◽  
Juan Ramón Rabuñal ◽  
Dolores García-Vidaurrázaga ◽  
Alberto Alvarellos ◽  
Alejandro Pazos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Behavior ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Strategic Objective ◽  
Artificial Neuronal Networks ◽  
Ann Models ◽  
Artificial Neural Network Ann

Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is a strategic objective in the European Union, and it is the main reason why numerous studies have been carried out to evaluate and reduce energy consumption in the residential sector. The process of evaluation and qualification of the energy efficiency in existing buildings should contain an analysis of the thermal behavior of the building envelope. To determine this thermal behavior and its representative parameters, we usually have to use destructive auscultation techniques in order to determine the composition of the different layers of the envelope. In this work, we present a nondestructive, fast, and cheap technique based on artificial neural network (ANN) models that predict the energy performance of a house, given some of its characteristics. The models were created using a dataset of buildings of different typologies and uses, located in the northern area of Spain. In this dataset, the models are able to predict the U-opaque value of a building with a correlation coefficient of 0.967 with the real U-opaque measured value for the same building.

Zero Energy Houses and Embodied Energy: Regulatory and Design Considerations

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patxi Hernandez ◽  
Paul Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Life Cycle Approach ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Building energy performance regulations and standards around the world are evolving aiming to reduce the energy use in buildings. As we move towards zero energy buildings, the embodied energy of construction materials and energy systems becomes more important, as it represents a high percentage of the overall life cycle energy use of a building. However, this issue is still ignored by many regulations and certification methods, as happens with the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which focuses on the energy used in operation. This paper analyses a typical house designed to comply with Irish building regulations, calculating its energy use for heating and how water with the Irish national calculation tool, which uses a methodology in line with the EPBD. A range of measures to reduce the energy performance in use of this typical house are proposed, calculating the reduced energy demand and moving towards a zero energy demand building. A life-cycle approach is added to the analysis, taking into account the differential embodied energy of the implemented measures in relation to the typical house base-case, annualizing the differential embodied energy and re-calculating the overall energy use. The paper discusses how a simplified approach for accounting embodied energy of materials could be useful in a goal to achieve the lowest life-cycle energy use in buildings, and concludes with a note on how accounting for embodied energy is a key element when moving towards zero energy buildings.

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