scholarly journals A STUDY OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY RENOVATION ON PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Chen ◽  
Qian Ma
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
The Government ◽  
Financial Burdens ◽  
Whole Building Energy Simulation

While the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, schools, and private homes has received increasing attention, the energy performance of public housing has long been neglected. The high energy usage and resulting utility costs associated with such subsidized houses have added great financial burdens to the government and tenants. Therefore, improving public housing's energy performance becomes an important task. This paper presents a comparative study that mainly investigates the effectiveness of energy efficiency measures (EEMs) recently implemented in the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority's green renovation projects. Whole building energy simulation results show that due to budget constraints, the limited EEMs put into place would only result in a marginal (7.6%) improvement to the renovated building's energy performance prior to renovation. Another 38.5% reduction would be needed, using the performance requirement of the current building energy code as a reference. Based on these findings, this research offers some insights into more cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades that can help reduce public housing's energy consumption and green renovation costs.

scholarly journals Application of Urban Scale Energy Modelling and Multi-Objective Optimization Techniques for Building Energy Renovation at District Scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11554
Author(s):  
Fahad Haneef ◽  
Giovanni Pernigotto ◽  
Andrea Gasparella ◽  
Jérôme Henri Kämpf
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Multi Objective Optimization ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Nearly-zero energy buildings are now a standard for new constructions. However, the real challenge for a decarbonized society relies in the renovation of the existing building stock, selecting energy efficiency measures considering not only the energy performance but also the economic and sustainability ones. Even if the literature is full of examples coupling building energy simulation with multi-objective optimization for the identification of the best measures, the adoption of such approaches is still limited for district and urban scale simulation, often because of lack of complete data inputs and high computational requirements. In this research, a new methodology is proposed, combining the detailed geometric characterization of urban simulation tools with the simplification provided by “building archetype” modeling, in order to ensure the development of robust models for the multi-objective optimization of retrofit interventions at district scale. Using CitySim as an urban scale energy modeling tool, a residential district built in the 1990s in Bolzano, Italy, was studied. Different sets of renovation measures for the building envelope and three objectives —i.e., energy, economic and sustainability performances, were compared. Despite energy savings from 29 to 46%, energy efficiency measures applied just to the building envelope were found insufficient to meet the carbon neutrality goals without interventions to the system, in particular considering mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Furthermore, public subsidization has been revealed to be necessary, since none of the proposed measures is able to pay back the initial investment for this case study.

scholarly journals Decarbonizing Local Mobility and Greenhouse Agriculture through Residential Building Energy Upgrades: A Case Study for Québec

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 6820
Author(s):  
James Bambara ◽  
Andreas K. Athienitis ◽  
Ursula Eicker
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Resistance Heating ◽  
Electric Resistance ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Electric Resistance Heating

Electrification is an efficient way to decarbonize by replacing fossil fuels with low-emission power. In addition, energy efficiency measures can reduce consumption, making it easier to shift to a zero-carbon society. In Québec, upgrades to aging buildings that employ electric resistance heating offer a unique opportunity to free up large amounts of hydroelectricity that can serve to decarbonize heating in other buildings. However, another source of energy would be needed to electrify mobility because efficiency measures free up small amounts of electricity in summer compared to winter. This study reveals how building efficiency measures combined with solar electricity generation provide an energy profile that matches the requirements for decarbonizing both mobility and heating. The TRNSYS software was used to simulate the annual energy performance of an existing house and retrofitted/rebuilt low-energy houses equipped with a photovoltaic (PV) roof in Montreal, Québec, Canada (45.5° N). The electricity that is made available by upgrading the houses is mainly considered for powering battery and fuel cell electric vehicles (BEVs and FCEVs) and electrifying heating in greenhouses. The results indicate that retrofitting 16% or rebuilding 12% of single-detached homes in Québec can provide enough electricity to decarbonize heating energy use in existing greenhouses and to operate the new greenhouses required for growing all fresh vegetables locally. If all the single-detached houses that employ electric resistance heating are upgraded, 33.4 and 21.8 TWh year−1 of electricity would be available for decarbonization, equivalent to a 19% and 12% increase of the province’s electricity supply for the retrofitted or rebuilt houses, respectively. This is enough energy to convert 83–100% of personal vehicles to BEVs or 35–56% to FCEVs. Decarbonization using the electricity that is made available by upgrading to low-energy solar houses could reduce the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 32% (26.5 MtCO2eq). The time required for the initial embodied GHG emissions to surpass the emissions avoided by electrification ranges from 3.4 to 11.2 years. Building energy efficiency retrofits/rebuilds combined with photovoltaics is a promising approach for Québec to maximize the decarbonization potential of its existing energy resources while providing local energy and food security.

Design Optimization of Energy Efficient Office Buildings in Tunisia

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pyeongchan Ihm ◽  
Moncef Krarti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Optimization Approach ◽  
Heating And Cooling

Optimal and cost-effective energy efficiency design and operation options are evaluated for office buildings in Tunisia. In the analysis, several design and operation features are considered including orientation, window location and size, high performance glazing types, wall and roof insulation levels, energy efficient lighting systems, daylighting controls, temperature settings, and energy efficient heating and cooling systems. First, the results of the optimization results from a sequential search technique are compared against those obtained by a more time consuming brute-force optimization approach. Then, the optimal design features for a prototypical office building are determined for selected locations in Tunisia. The optimization results indicate that utilizing daylighting controls, energy efficient lighting fixtures, and low-e double glazing, and roof insulation are required energy efficiency measures to design high energy performance office buildings throughout climatic zones in Tunisia. In particular, it is found that implementing these measures can cost-effectively reduce the annual energy use by 50% compared to the current design practices of office buildings in Tunisia.

scholarly journals An Integrated Energy Simulation Model for Buildings

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Kampelis ◽  
Georgios I. Papayiannis ◽  
Dionysia Kolokotsa ◽  
Georgios N. Galanis ◽  
Daniela Isidori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Energy Modeling ◽  
Initial Model ◽  
Building Energy Modeling ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Simulation Results

The operation of buildings is linked to approximately 36% of the global energy consumption, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Assessing the energy consumption and efficiency of buildings is a complex task addressed by a variety of methods. Building energy modeling is among the dominant methodologies in evaluating the energy efficiency of buildings commonly applied for evaluating design and renovation energy efficiency measures. Although building energy modeling is a valuable tool, it is rarely the case that simulation results are assessed against the building’s actual energy performance. In this context, the simulation results of the HVAC energy consumption in the case of a smart industrial near-zero energy building are used to explore areas of uncertainty and deviation of the building energy model against measured data. Initial model results are improved based on a trial and error approach to minimize deviation based on key identified parameters. In addition, a novel approach based on functional shape modeling and Kalman filtering is developed and applied to further minimize systematic discrepancies. Results indicate a significant initial performance gap between the initial model and the actual energy consumption. The efficiency and the effectiveness of the developed integrated model is highlighted.

scholarly journals Comparison of nZEB indicators for hotel renovations under different European climatic conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipe O Cunha ◽  
Armando C Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Abstract Hotels hold an important role in the energy efficiency policies of the European Union (EU), as they are typically ranked among the top energy consumers in the non-residential sector. However, a significant amount of the energy used in hotels is wasted, leaving ample room for enhancing energy-efficiency and resource conservation. Indeed, energy refurbishment of the hotel building stock is crucial in order to reach the nearly zero energy building (nZEB) status imposed by EU Directives for energy efficiency, and also an important pillar to achieve the energy targets for 2030 and the transition towards climate-neutral levels by 2050. A typical 4-star hotel in operation in Faro (Portugal) was used as a case study in order to establish energy performance indicators for nZEB hotels in three European cities, taking into account the influence of the climatic context, the technical feasibility and cost effectiveness of the best energy retrofit packages. The study started after the calibration of the building energy model by means of an energy audit and measured data, in order to have a baseline model that represents well the actual energy use of the hotel in the reference location. The building energy model was developed by using DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus software. The validated model was then used to assess the effect of the best retrofit interventions (energy efficiency measures and active solar systems) in order to set minimum energy performance requirements and to reach cost-optimal levels and nZEB levels for refurbished hotels. A significant energy-saving potential was found for the cost-optimal benchmarks, and the obtained nZEB levels can be achieved under technically and economically conditions for the selected cities: Faro, London and Athens.

Semantic Data-Driven Models to Improve Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Cities

2021 ◽  
pp. 515-539
Author(s):  
Álvaro Sicilia ◽  
Gonçal Costa ◽  
Leandro Madrazo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Semantic Web Technologies ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Semantic Data ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
Efficiency Measures ◽  
Multiple Domains

The assessment of building energy performance requires data from multiple domains (energy, architecture, planning, economy) and scales (building, district, city) to be processed with a diversity of applications used by experts from various fields. In order to properly assess the performance of the building stock, and to develop and apply the most effective energy efficiency measures, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive, holistic approach. In this chapter, three research projects are presented which apply Semantic Web technologies to create energy data models from multiple data sources and domains in order to support decision making in energy efficient building renovation projects: SEMANCO, OptEEmAL, and OPTIMUS. A final reflection on the results achieved in these projects and their links to ongoing research on digital twins is presented.

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.

scholarly journals A Study on Energy and Cost Efficiency for Existing Hotel Buildings in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03037
Author(s):  
Merve Atmaca ◽  
Zerrin Yýlmaz
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Global Cost ◽  
Optimum Solution

In Turkey, according to TUİK Sectoral Energy Consumption Statistics (2006), the hotel buildings with the highest share, constitute 35% of the total building energy consumption. Energy needs and consumption behaviours differ according to the typology of the building. Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has been adapted to the conditions of Turkey to increase energy and cost efficiency, to reduce the environmental and economic negative effects. The energy consumption and the global cost were investigated under different conditions in an existing hotel building. The paper is unique in its ability to deliver optimum solution through comparison by evaluating energy and cost efficiency at the same time considering sectoral, climatic, technological and economic national conditions when the literature research detailed in the present works about the problem is evaluated in detail. All findings have been compared simultaneously under different climate regions of seasonal and yearly working conditions of selected test hotel to obtain the energy and cost efficiency. Among the proposed improvement scenarios, the optimum scenario is determined in terms of cost and energy efficiency in S18 which has the highest energy efficiency. In this case, both insulation material type and thickness as well as glass type can be bent and through multiple measures can be achieved by 25.7% improvement for energy efficiency.

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