scholarly journals Thermal Energy Performance Simulation of a Residential Building Retrofitted with Passive Design Strategies: A Case Study in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 8064
Author(s):  
Ana Paola Vargas ◽  
Leon Hamui
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Performance Simulation ◽  
Passive Design

High energy consumption as a result of an inefficient design has both economic and environmental repercussions throughout the life cycle of a building. In Mexico, the residential sector is the third-largest final energy consumer, therefore improving the performance of existing buildings is considered an effective method in achieving energy savings. Moreover, in Mexico warm climate regions predominate, which impacts energy consumption. This article examines a linked, single-family house located in the hot-humid climate city of Villahermosa, Tabasco (México). DesignBuilder software was used to conduct the thermal energy performance simulation of the existing building (base case) and to evaluate the energy-saving potentials by implementing different passive design strategies. As a result, the annual electricity consumption of the base case decreased a maximum of 2.0% with the passive design strategy in exterior windows, 4.9% in walls and, 13.7% reduction in roofs, the latter being the enclosure with the greatest reduction achieved. Nevertheless, a final adaptation proposal with the passive design strategies, whose results represented the highest energy savings, accomplished a total reduction of 23.5% with a payback period of 5.8 years.

scholarly journals A MODEL OF A NEAR-ZERO ENERGY HOME (nzeh) USING PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES AND PV TECHNOLOGY IN HOT CLIMATES

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf T. Syed ◽  
Adel A. Abdou
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Housing Design ◽  
Passive Design

INTRODUCTION Recent development has seen a drastic increase in energy use trends in Saudi Arabian buildings leading to a demand for an effective course of action for energy conservation and production. A case study-based research initiative exploring near-zero energy potential in Saudi Arabia was undertaken. A 4-bedroom detached single-family faculty residence at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) representing common regional housing design trends was utilized. A base case simulation model of the house was developed and validated using short-term and real-time energy consumption data. Three sets of strategies: passive design strategies, representative codes and standards, and renewable technology were employed in the new design of the house. Passive strategies comprised a green roof, a ventilated wall system, a sloped roof, and insulation for thermal bridges. These alternatives helped reduce the annual energy consumption of the house by 17.2%. The most recent version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2012) was also incorporated along with ASHRAE Standard 62.2 for ventilation. The code and standard together reduced the annual energy consumption by 31.1%. Solar PV was then utilized to reduce grid utilization for the remainder of the house energy loads. This strategy provided 24.7% of the total energy consumed annually. A combination of strategies showed a 70.7% energy consumption reduction, thereby decreasing the energy index of the house from 162.9 to 47.7 kWh/m2/yr. The Zero Energy Building (ZEB) concepts and strategies utilized in this study demonstrate a socially responsible approach to achieving near-zero energy performance for an existing house.

scholarly journals THERMAL COMFORT AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT IN MALAYSIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Aziah Mohd Ariffin
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Data Monitoring ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
Design Systems

In hot-humid Malaysia, there are around five million units of housing. Among these, the medium-density terraced are the most built. However, little emphasis was given to designing for thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Consequently, air-conditioning is ubiquitous with ever-rising residential energy consumption. This paper studied passive design systems to improve living conditions and conserve energy through orientation and insulation parameters for terraced housing. Utilizing a triangulation of methods to correlate between thermal comfort and energy performance, findings from the questionnaire survey, data monitoring and computer simulation contended that with the passive design strategies minimum thermal comfort is attainable and energy savings predicted.

scholarly journals Benchmarking of energy consumption in municipal wastewater treatment plants – a survey of over 200 plants in Italy

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 2242-2252 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vaccari ◽  
P. Foladori ◽  
S. Nembrini ◽  
F. Vitali
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Specific Energy Consumption ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Abstract One of the largest surveys in Europe about energy consumption in Italian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is presented, based on 241 WWTPs and a total population equivalent (PE) of more than 9,000,000 PE. The study contributes towards standardised resilient data and benchmarking and to identify potentials for energy savings. In the energy benchmark, three indicators were used: specific energy consumption expressed per population equivalents (kWh PE−1 year−1), per cubic meter (kWh/m3), and per unit of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removed (kWh/kgCOD). The indicator kWh/m3, even though widely applied, resulted in a biased benchmark, because highly influenced by stormwater and infiltrations. Plants with combined networks (often used in Europe) showed an apparent better energy performance. Conversely, the indicator kWh PE−1 year−1 resulted in a more meaningful definition of a benchmark. High energy efficiency was associated with: (i) large capacity of the plant, (ii) higher COD concentration in wastewater, (iii) separate sewer systems, (iv) capacity utilisation over 80%, and (v) high organic loads, but without overloading. The 25th percentile was proposed as a benchmark for four size classes: 23 kWh PE−1 y−1 for large plants > 100,000 PE; 42 kWh PE−1 y−1 for capacity 10,000 < PE < 100,000, 48 kWh PE−1 y−1 for capacity 2,000 < PE < 10,000 and 76 kWh PE−1 y−1 for small plants < 2,000 PE.

Investigating the climate-adaptive design strategies of residential earth-sheltered buildings in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elahe Mirabi ◽  
Fatemeh Akrami Abarghuie
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Design ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Orientation Factor ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Numeric Data

PurposeThe earth-sheltered building is an adaptive strategy reducing energy consumption as well as increasing thermal comfort of the residents. Although this idea historically implemented in the city of Yazd, Iran, its effects on thermal comfort have not been studied thoroughly. This paper aims to discuss and analyze energy performance, in terms of parameters such as orientation, underground depth, nocturnal ventilation and its subsequent effects on thermal comfort in earth-sheltered buildings in Yazd.Design/methodology/approachUsing EnergyPlus software, the obtained numeric data are precisely modeled, simulated and analyzed.FindingsResults show that there is a direct relationship between depth of construction and energy consumption savings. The more construction depth of earth-sheltered buildings, the more percentage of energy consumption savings, that is of a higher rate in comparison to the aboveground ones. However, in south orientation, energy saving significantly reduces from depth of 2 m downwards and the annual indoor temperature fluctuation decreases by 50%. This subsequently yields to experiencing indoor thermal comfort for a significant number of days throughout the year. Considering the effects of orientation factor, the south orientation regardless of the depth provides the most desired outcome regarding energy savings.Originality/valueSimulating the model generalized to the sunken courtyard can approve that the results of this research can be applied to the other models.

scholarly journals THERMAL COMFORT AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT IN MALAYSIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Aziah Mohd Ariffin
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Data Monitoring ◽  
Medium Density ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
Design Systems

In hot-humid Malaysia, there are around five million units of housing. Among these, the medium-density terraced are the most built. However, little emphasis was given to designing for thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Consequently, air-conditioning is ubiquitous with ever-rising residential energy consumption. This paper studied passive design systems to improve living conditions and conserve energy through orientation and insulation parameters for terraced housing. Utilizing a triangulation of methods to correlate between thermal comfort and energy performance, findings from the questionnaire survey, data monitoring and computer simulation contended that with the passive design strategies minimum thermal comfort is attainable and energy savings predicted.

scholarly journals Passive Design Strategies for Energy Efficient Buildings in the Arabian Desert

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nedhal Al-Tamimi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Passive Design ◽  
Shading Devices

This study aims to assess passive design features through the extensive modifications of building envelopes to affect the energy efficiency of residential buildings in hot arid climates. In support of the aim of this research, the annual electric energy bill of a typical residential building in Sharurah was collected and analyzed. Then, the DesignBuilder simulation program was used to investigate how different modifications of building envelopes could affect the energy consumption of the residential buildings under common scenarios. Varied thermal insulation, different types of glass, shading devices, and green roof were investigated with this perspective. The simulation results show that thermal insulation can significantly reduce annual energy consumption by as high as 23.6%, followed by green roofs. In contrast, shading devices and glazing system types were fewer superiors. The results also indicate that the effective combination of certain strategies can reduce total energy consumption by 35.4% relative to the base case (BC) of this research.

scholarly journals Industrial Decarbonization by a New Energy-Baseline Methodology. Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1960
Author(s):  
Rosaura Castrillón-Mendoza ◽  
Javier M. Rey-Hernández ◽  
Francisco J. Rey-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
The Impact

The main target of climate change policies in the majority of industrialized countries is to reduce energy consumption in their facilities, which would reduce the carbon emissions that are generated. Through this idea, energy management plans are developed, energy reduction targets are established, and energy-efficient technologies are applied to achieve high energy savings, which are environmentally compatible. In order to evaluate the impact of their operations and investments, companies promote measures of performance in their energy management plans. An integral part of measuring energy performance is the establishment of energy baselines applicable to the complete facility that provide a basis for evaluating energy efficiency improvements and incorporating energy performance indicators. The implementation of energy management systems in accordance with the requirements of ISO Standard 50001 is a contribution to the aim and strategies for improving cleaner production in industries. This involves an option for the industry to establish energy benchmarks to evaluate performance, predict energy consumption, and align production with the lowest possible consumption of primary and secondary forms of energy. Ultimately, this goal should lead to the manufacturing of cleaner products that are environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and are in accordance with the global environmental targets of cleaner manufacturing. This paper discusses an alternative for establishing energy baselines for the industrial sector in which several products are produced from a single raw material, and we determined the energy consumption of each product and its impact on the overall efficiency of the industry at the same time. The method is applied to the plastic injection process and the result is an energy baseline (EBL) in accordance with the requirements of ISO 50001, which serves as a reference for determining energy savings. The EBL facilitates a reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in sectors such as plastics, a sector which accounts for 15% of Colombia’s manufacturing GDP.

scholarly journals Survey on the Indoor Thermal Environment and Passive Design of Rural Residential Houses in the HSCW Zone of China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Shi ◽  
Pan ◽  
Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Indoor Thermal Environment ◽  
Passive Design

Despite their high energy consumption, rural residential houses in the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) zone still have a generally poor indoor thermal environment. The objective of this study was to understand the current status of the indoor thermal environment for rural residential houses in the HSCW zone and analyze its cause in order to develop some strategies for improvement through passive design of the building envelope. Face-to-face questionnaires and interviews, air-tightness testing, and temperature and humidity monitoring were conducted to understand the building envelope, energy consumption, and indoor thermal environment. Then, some passive design strategies were simulated, including the application of functional interior materials such as hygroscopic and phase change materials. An overall passive design for the building envelope can increase the room temperature by 3.6 °C, reduce the indoor relative humidity by 12% in the winter, and reduce the room temperature by 4.4 °C in the summer. In addition, the annual energy-saving rate can reach ~35%.

scholarly journals Parameters that influence the probability on lower-than-expected energy savings - a pre- and post renovation energy consumption analysis of 90,000 renovated houses in the Netherlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 04025
Author(s):  
Paula van den Brom ◽  
Arjen Meijer ◽  
Henk Visscher
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Energy Efficient Buildings ◽  
Actual Energy Consumption

Thermal renovations are considered to be an effective measure to reduce residential energy consumption. However, they often result in lower-than-expected energy savings. In this paper, we investigate some parameters that influence the probability on lower-than-expected energy savings. We do this by comparing actual pre- and post-renovation energy consumption of 90,000 houses in the Netherlands. The results of this study confirm that the effect of the parameters differ per renovation measure. For every renovation measure, the energy performance gap post renovation plays a significant role. This implies that the use of actual energy consumption data to determine the potential energy savings could therefore help to reduce the number of renovations resulting in lower-than-expected energy savings. Also, the energy efficiency state of the building pre-renovation plays an important role. One should take into account that renovations of energy inefficient buildings more frequently result in lower-than-expected energy savings than renovations of relatively energy efficient buildings. For the type of house we found that multifamily houses more often result in lower than expected savings when building installations are improved, while single-family houses renovations more frequently result in lower energy savings than expected when the building envelope insulation is improved. These insights can contribute to the decision making process whether or not to take a certain renovation measures, they can also help to manage expectations on housing stock level and individual building level.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document