scholarly journals Energy Efficiency and Economic Viability as Decision Factors in the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Galiano-Garrigós ◽  
Ángel González-Avilés ◽  
Carlos Rizo-Maestre ◽  
MªDolores Andújar-Montoya
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Historic Buildings ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Decision Factors ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
New Methodologies

The restoration of historical buildings often implies a change in the main use of the building so that it can once again become a part of people’s lives. Among the interventions needed to adapt the buildings to their new purpose, improving the energy performance is always a challenge due to their particular construction solutions and the influence that these improvements can have on their protected elements. The regulations in force in European Union (EU) member states leave a gap in how the energy performance evaluations in these types of buildings can be defined, and even exclude them from the process. However, rehabilitation of buildings is always seen as an opportunity, because it allows the building to once again be useful to society and play an important role in people’s lives. At the same time, it can also improve their performance and allow benefits to be gained from their use through a reduction in maintenance costs. In the rehabilitation process, the economic viability of the renovation plays a fundamental role which must be compared, in the case of protected buildings, to its impact on the architecture of the building. Since 2002, the EU has issued directives with the aim that countries should define objective methods to improve the energy performance of buildings and, in recent times, methods that demonstrate the amortization of such improvements. Within the process of implementing the new methodologies adapted to the EPBD, Spain was one of the last EU countries to define a process for the energy assessment of existing buildings, introducing an analysis of the economic viability of the construction improvements suggested in the process. The objective of this research was to describe the decision-making process during the evaluation of the feasibility of introducing construction improvements to the energy performance of two catalogued historic buildings located in a warm climate. The estimated energy consumption was evaluated, the net present value (NPV) and the payback period of the investment calculated, and the results obtained were compared with the real energy consumption. At the end of the process, it can be said that the methodologies adopted in Spain offer results that can lead designers to make wrong decisions that may affect the protected heritage values of these buildings.

scholarly journals Systematic Simplified Simulation Methodology for Deep Energy Retrofitting Towards Nze Targets Using Life Cycle Energy Assessment

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 3038 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Sánchez Ramos ◽  
MCarmen Guerrero Delgado ◽  
Servando Álvarez Domínguez ◽  
José Luis Molina Félix ◽  
Francisco José Sánchez de la Flor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Simulation Tools ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Energy Efficiency Improvement ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Reduction Of Energy Consumption

The reduction of energy consumption in the residential sector presents substantial potential through the implementation of energy efficiency improvement measures. Current trends involve the use of simulation tools which obtain the buildings’ energy performance to support the development of possible solutions to help reduce energy consumption. However, simulation tools demand considerable amounts of data regarding the buildings’ geometry, construction, and frequency of use. Additionally, the measured values tend to be different from the estimated values obtained with the use of energy simulation programs, an issue known as the ‘performance gap’. The proposed methodology provides a solution for both of the aforementioned problems, since the amount of data needed is considerably reduced and the results are calibrated using measured values. This new approach allows to find an optimal retrofitting project by life cycle energy assessment, in terms of cost and energy savings, for individual buildings as well as several blocks of buildings. Furthermore, the potential for implementation of the methodology is proven by obtaining a comprehensive energy rehabilitation plan for a residential building. The developed methodology provides highly accurate estimates of energy savings, directly linked to the buildings’ real energy needs, reducing the difference between the consumption measured and the predictions.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of Primary Energy Factor Values of Wind Turbines

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rokas Tamašauskas ◽  
Jolanta Šadauskienė ◽  
Patrikas Bruzgevičius ◽  
Dorota Anna Krawczyk
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Energy Factor ◽  
Eu Member States

In order to fulfil the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requirements regarding the reduction of energy consumption in buildings, much attention has been paid to primary energy consumption. Wind energy is one type of primary energy. The analysis of the literature has revealed that wind energy is evaluated by different methods. Therefore, the aim of this article was to calculate the effect of the parameters of wind sources on the primary energy factor of wind turbines. In order to achieve this aim, the primary energy factor of 100 investigated wind turbines and 11 wind farms operating in Lithuania was calculated. Investigation results showed that the difference of the non-renewable primary energy factor between wind turbines due to capacity is 35%. This paper provides a recommendation with regard to EU energy efficiency and renewable energy directives and regulations: All EU member states should use the same or very similar methodology for the calculation of the primary energy factor of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

scholarly journals Application of Life Cycle Energy Assessment in Residential Buildings: A Critical Review of Recent Trends

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Omrany ◽  
Veronica Soebarto ◽  
Ehsan Sharifi ◽  
Ali Soltani
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
System Boundary ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Boundary Definition

Residential buildings are responsible for a considerable portion of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Correspondingly, many attempts have been made across the world to minimize energy consumption in this sector via regulations and building codes. The focus of these regulations has mainly been on reducing operational energy use, whereas the impacts of buildings’ embodied energy are frequently excluded. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the energy performance of buildings via a life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) approach. The increasing amount of research has however caused the issue of a variation in results presented by LCEA studies, in which apparently similar case studies exhibited different results. This paper aims to identify the main sources of variation in LCEA studies by critically analyzing 26 studies representing 86 cases in 12 countries. The findings indicate that the current trend of LCEA application in residential buildings suffers from significant inaccuracy accruing from incomplete definitions of the system boundary, in tandem with the lack of consensus on measurements of operational and embodied energies. The findings call for a comprehensive framework through which system boundary definition for calculations of embodied and operational energies can be standardized.

Towards Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)

2011 ◽  
pp. 93-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paris A. Fokaides
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Environmental Technologies ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

In 2009, European Union (EU) member states forged a long-awaited compromise on the recast buildings directive, agreeing that all new buildings would have to comply with high energy-performance standards by the end of 2020. The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which was finally announced in May 2010, requires the public sector to take the lead by owning buildings with “nearly zero” energy consumption standards by the end of 2018, which is two years in advance of the private sector. The objective of this chapter is to discuss both the range of potential consequences to European cities resulting from widespread implementation of zero energy buildings (ZEBs) and the relevant environmental technologies in accordance with the national goals set by the EU Member States. As EU member states are moving ahead with their targets and strategies for ZEBs, this chapter presents the most possible scenarios for the implementation of the EU recast buildings directive regarding ZEBs by 2020. A detailed review regarding the existing EU member states’ definitions and policies on low energy buildings and ZEBs, and the current status of RES technologies for ZEBs is also presented. Finally, some first thoughts are provided regarding the minimisation of energy consumption in the building sector and the green city goal, as energy is considered to be one of the most important chapters when evaluating a green community. The next step for the integration of green buildings would be the adoption of principles resulting from ZEB analyses and descriptions in existing green building models.

scholarly journals Occupant monitoring for facility management using Radio Frequency Identification

2010 ◽  
pp. 93-95
Author(s):  
Farhan Manzoor Ahmed Khan
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Radio Frequency Identification ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
United Nations Environment Programme ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Mankind’s rapidly increasing advancements in different industrial sectors demand a great price of environmental impact and climate change in return, specifically in the buildings and construction industry. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption worldwide are buildings, estimated to account for almost 48% of all such emissions. Energy-related Carbon Dioxide (CO2) counts for about 82% of all greenhouse gases emitted by human activities. This total energy consumption translates to approximately 3.5 Billion Euros per annum. According to a report from the United Nations Environment Programme, the right mix of appropriate government regulations, greater use of energy-saving technologies and user behavioural changes can substantially reduce CO2 emissions from buildings. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive places an onus on all EU member states to rate the energy performance of buildings in a Building Energy Rating certificate which is effectively an energy label required at the point of rental ...

scholarly journals HEAT GAINS IN BUILDINGS ‐ LIMIT CONDITIONS FOR CALCULATING ENERGY CONSUMPTION

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmundas Monstvilas ◽  
Karolis Banionis ◽  
Vytautas Stankevičius ◽  
Jūratė Karbauskaitė ◽  
Raimondas Bliūdžius
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Calculation Methods ◽  
Heat Flows ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Calculation Methodology ◽  
Time Parameters ◽  
Presence Of People ◽  
Gain Access

The results of analysis presented in the paper are related to the certification of energy performance in buildings using calculation methods, when the real energy consumption of the building is not analyzed. Energy consumption for cooling is not examined. Heat transmission losses could be less than the sum of the heat gains of a building if building thermal insulation is sufficient. Currently, the whole amount of heat gains is included into calculation without the evaluation of time parameters. No limit conditions are specified in order to define surplus heat flows and the amount of heat flows so that energy performance of building is calculated. Thus, difference between heat gains and heat flows of a building could be negative. In the paper the basic formation schemes of heat gain access and accumulation are presented due to the presence of people and the bright period of the day. The most adverse circumstances are analyzed for the composition of the proposed schemes. The composition of estimating heat gains is the same for all categories of buildings. Calculation equations have been composed for the estimation of heat gains according to the basic formation schemes. The average monthly parameters of the heating season are used for calculation. The analysis of calculation has been done for the different categories of buildings in order to compare the results of building energy consumption when limit conditions for heat gains are estimated and vice versa. The analysis of different calculation methods of energy consumption has showed that limit conditions for heat gains are important to evaluate the calculation methodology of energy performance for building certification needs. It is important that the calculation methodology of energy performance for building certification would be universal for all EU member states. The presented limit conditions of the heat gains of a building could be used for improving calculation methods of energy consumption in the building certification process. Santrauka Straipsnyje pateiktu tyrimu rezultatai susieti su tais atvejais, kai pastatu energinis naudingumas ivertinamas skaičiavimo būdu, neatsižvelgiant i realius pastato energijos suvartojimo rodiklius. Energijos sanaudos pastato vesinimui neivertintos. Jei pastatas gerai apšiltintas, jo šilumos nuostoliai gali būti mažesni už suminius pritekančios šilumos kiekius. Dabartiniu metu skaičiuojant pastato energijos sanaudas ivertinami visi pritekančios šilumos kiekiai, išsiskiriantys pastate ar i ji patenkantys iš išores. Kol kas neaptarti laikiniai pritekančios šilumos i pastata parametrai, neaptartos ribines salygos, pagal kurias turi būti nustatyti pertekline pritekanti šiluma ir pritekančios šilumos kiekiai, kuriuos būtina vertinti skaičiuojant pastato energijos sanaudas. Todel skirtumas tarp pastato šilumos nuostoliu ir pritekančios šilumos kiekiu gali būti minusinis, t. y. pastatas pradeda gaminti energija. Darbe pateiktos autoriu sudarytos principines pritekančios šilumos kiekiu i pastata schemos per para, priklausomai nuo žmoniu buvimo pastate ta para, ir šviesaus paros laikotarpio trukmes. Sudarant šias schemas, pasirinktas pats nepalankiausias pritekančios šilumos atvejis, bendras visu naudojimo paskirčiu pastatams. Pagal šias schemas sudarytos formules, apibūdinančios ribines šilumos pritekejimo salygas, ir pagal jas buvo atlikti ivairios paskirties pastatu kontroliniai energijos sanaudu skaičiavimai pagal šildymo sezono vidutinius menesio rodiklius. Šiu skaičiavimu rezultatai rodo, kad šilumos pritekejimo i pastata ribiniu salygu ivertinimas daro didele itaka pastato energijos sanaudu skaičiavimu rezultatams. Svarbu, kad pastatu energinio naudingumo sertifikavimo skaičiavimo metodikos būtu paremtos tais pačiais pastatu energijos suvartojimo vertinimo principais. Straipsnyje autoriu pateiktos šilumos pritekejimo ribines salygos galetu būti panaudotos tikslinant skaičiavimo metodikos principus pastatu energiniam naudingumui ivertinti.

scholarly journals Influence of Materials in Life Cycle Energy Assessment of a Six Storey Building

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1S3) ◽  
pp. 475-478
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Energy Assessment ◽  
Building Component ◽  
Operational Phase ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Storey Building

Life Cycle Energy Assessment (LCEA) is one of the evaluating tools for assessing environmental impact of various types of materials used in the buildings components. The LCEA is based on reduction of total amount of energy consumed during the life cycle of building. Operational phase has been taken and the energy consumed for the phase has been evaluated in this study for three cases with respect to change in materials. This mainly focuses on the change in the energy consumption due to the usage of RCC and Wood materials in various building component such as roofs and infill walls etc. under Indian conditions. A six storey building with a plan dimension of 48m x 24m is considered. The ‘eQuest’ is the quick energy simulation tool which is widely used to calculate the whole building’s energy performance. This tool is used to estimate the energy consumption in month wise on various aspects.

Towards Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)

2013 ◽  
pp. 1742-1761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paris A. Fokaides
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Environmental Technologies ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

In 2009, European Union (EU) member states forged a long-awaited compromise on the recast buildings directive, agreeing that all new buildings would have to comply with high energy-performance standards by the end of 2020. The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which was finally announced in May 2010, requires the public sector to take the lead by owning buildings with “nearly zero” energy consumption standards by the end of 2018, which is two years in advance of the private sector. The objective of this chapter is to discuss both the range of potential consequences to European cities resulting from widespread implementation of zero energy buildings (ZEBs) and the relevant environmental technologies in accordance with the national goals set by the EU Member States. As EU member states are moving ahead with their targets and strategies for ZEBs, this chapter presents the most possible scenarios for the implementation of the EU recast buildings directive regarding ZEBs by 2020. A detailed review regarding the existing EU member states’ definitions and policies on low energy buildings and ZEBs, and the current status of RES technologies for ZEBs is also presented. Finally, some first thoughts are provided regarding the minimisation of energy consumption in the building sector and the green city goal, as energy is considered to be one of the most important chapters when evaluating a green community. The next step for the integration of green buildings would be the adoption of principles resulting from ZEB analyses and descriptions in existing green building models.

Solar Heating Systems as a Viable Solution Towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Martinopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Water Heating ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Currently the building sector accounts for almost 40% of total energy consumption in the European Union (EU) making, the reduction in energy consumption and the increased penetration of renewable energy resources important measures in the EU’s effort to reduce its energy dependency and GHG emissions. To that end, 2018 was set as the year that all new buildings occupied or owned by public authorities ought to be Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), while from the end of 2020 all buildings must be NZEB. In the present work, a feasibility analysis is performed concerning a typical (12 m2/ 0.65 m3) solar space and water heating system, utilized in a representative 100 m2 “reference house” designed according to the latest national Regulation on the Energy Performance which is in accordance with Directive 2010/31/EC and located in Thessaloniki in the northern part of Greece, as well as variations of the same building with different average Um values representing different options towards NZEB. For the energy calculations regarding the proposed solar systems and for the buildings heating loads, TRANSOL, a transient simulation software based on TRNSYS was used. Finally, for all cases a financial analysis was performed and the Net Present Value (NPV) and Discounted Pay Back Period (DPBP) were calculated. From the analysis it was apparent that a typical solar space and water heating system can provide a viable solution towards NZEB, with solar coverage and DPBP being influenced strongly by the type of construction of the building and the fuel substituted. In all cases the proposed system covers at least 50% of the total needs.

Impact of roof shading on building energy performance in warm & humid climatic places of India

2020 ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
Kuladeep Kumar Sadevi ◽  
Avlokita Agrawal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
General Assumption ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Passive Cooling ◽  
Base Case ◽  
U Value ◽  
The Impact

With the rise in awareness of energy efficient buildings and adoption of mandatory energy conservation codes across the globe, significant change is being observed in the way the buildings are designed. With the launch of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in India, climate responsive designs and passive cooling techniques are being explored increasingly in building designs. Of all the building envelope components, roof surface has been identified as the most significant with respect to the heat gain due to the incident solar radiation on buildings, especially in tropical climatic conditions. Since ECBC specifies stringent U-Values for roof assembly, use of insulating materials is becoming popular. Along with insulation, the shading of the roof is also observed to be an important strategy for improving thermal performance of the building, especially in Warm and humid climatic conditions. This study intends to assess the impact of roof shading on building’s energy performance in comparison to that of exposed roof with insulation. A typical office building with specific geometry and schedules has been identified as base case model for this study. This building is simulated using energy modelling software ‘Design Builder’ with base case parameters as prescribed in ECBC. Further, the same building has been simulated parametrically adjusting the amount of roof insulation and roof shading simultaneously. The overall energy consumption and the envelope performance of the top floor are extracted for analysis. The results indicate that the roof shading is an effective passive cooling strategy for both naturally ventilated and air conditioned buildings in Warm and humid climates of India. It is also observed that a fully shaded roof outperforms the insulated roof as per ECBC prescription. Provision of shading over roof reduces the annual energy consumption of building in case of both insulated and uninsulated roofs. However, the impact is higher for uninsulated roofs (U-Value of 3.933 W/m2K), being 4.18% as compared to 0.59% for insulated roofs (U-Value of 0.33 W/m2K).While the general assumption is that roof insulation helps in reducing the energy consumption in tropical buildings, it is observed to be the other way when insulation is provided with roof shading. It is due to restricted heat loss during night.

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