A comparative meta-analysis of residential green building policies and their impact on overall energy consumption patterns

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naim Jabbour
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Residential Energy Consumption ◽  
The Eu

Data shows residential energy consumption constituting a significant portion of the overall energy end use in the European Union (EU), ranging between 15% and 30%. Furthermore, the EU’s dependency on foreign fossil fuel-based energy imports has been steadily increasing since 1993, constituting approximately 60% of its primary energy. This paper provides an analytical re-view of diverse residential building/energy policies in targeted EU countries, to shed insight on the impact of such policies and measures on energy use and efficiency trends. Accordingly, the adoption of robust residential green and energy efficient building policies in the EU has increased in the past decade. Moreover, data from EU energy efficiency and consumption databases attributes 44% of total energy savings since 2000 to energy upgrades and improvements within the residential sector. Consequently, many EU countries and organizations are continuously evaluating residential building energy consumption patterns to increase the sec-tor’s overall energy performance. To that end, energy efficiency gains in EU households were measured at 1% in 2000 compared to 27.8% in 2016, a 2600% increase. Accordingly, 36 policies have been implemented successfully since 1991 across the EU targeting improvements in residential energy efficiency and reductions in energy use. Moreover, the adoption of National Energy Efficiency Actions Plans (NEEACP) across the EU have been a major driver of energy savings and energy efficiency. Most energy efficiency plans have followed a holistic multi-dimensional approach targeting the following areas, legislative actions, financial incentives, fiscal tax exemptions, and public education and awareness programs and campaigns. These measures and policy instruments have cumulatively generated significant energy savings and measurable improvements in energy performance across the EU since their inception. As a result, EU residential energy consumption trends show a consistent decrease over the past decade. The purpose of this analysis is to explore, examine, and compare the various green building and energy-related policies in the EU, highlighting some of the more robust and progressive aspects of such policies. The paper will also analyze the multiple policies and guidelines across targeted European nations. Lastly, the study will assess the status of green residential building policies in Lebanon, drawing from the comprehensive European measures, in order to recommend a comprehensive set of guidelines to advance energy policies and building practices in the country. Keywords: Building Policies; Residential Energy Patterns; Residential Energy Consumption; Energy Savings

scholarly journals Analysis of the EU Residential Energy Consumption: Trends and Determinants

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Tsemekidi Tzeiranaki ◽  
Paolo Bertoldi ◽  
Francesca Diluiso ◽  
Luca Castellazzi ◽  
Marina Economidou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Residential Energy Consumption ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This article analyses the status and trends of the European Union (EU) residential energy consumption in light of the energy consumption targets set by the EU 2020 and 2030 energy and climate strategies. It assesses the energy efficiency progress from 2000 to 2016, using the official Eurostat data. In 2016, the residential energy consumption amounted to 25.71% of the EU’s final energy consumption, representing the second largest consuming sector after transport. Consumption-related data are discussed together with data on some main energy efficiency policies and energy consumption determinants, such as economic and population growth, weather conditions, and household and building characteristics. Indicators are identified to show the impact of specific determinants on energy consumption and a new indicator is proposed, drawing a closer link between energy trends and policy and technological changes in the sector. The analysis of these determinants highlights the complex dynamics behind the demand of energy in the residential sector. Decomposition analysis is carried out using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index technique to provide a more complete picture of the impact of various determinants (population, wealth, intensity, and weather) on the latest EU-28 residential energy consumption trends. The article provides a better understanding of the EU residential energy consumption, its drivers, the impact of current policies, and recommendations on future policies.

scholarly journals Towards Sustainable Energy Retrofitting, a Simulation for Potential Energy Use Reduction in Residential Buildings in Palestine

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3876
Author(s):  
Sameh Monna ◽  
Adel Juaidi ◽  
Ramez Abdallah ◽  
Aiman Albatayneh ◽  
Patrick Dutournie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Water Heating ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Space Cooling ◽  
Cooling Loads

Since buildings are one of the major contributors to global warming, efforts should be intensified to make them more energy-efficient, particularly existing buildings. This research intends to analyze the energy savings from a suggested retrofitting program using energy simulation for typical existing residential buildings. For the assessment of the energy retrofitting program using computer simulation, the most commonly utilized residential building types were selected. The energy consumption of those selected residential buildings was assessed, and a baseline for evaluating energy retrofitting was established. Three levels of retrofitting programs were implemented. These levels were ordered by cost, with the first level being the least costly and the third level is the most expensive. The simulation models were created for two different types of buildings in three different climatic zones in Palestine. The findings suggest that water heating, space heating, space cooling, and electric lighting are the highest energy consumers in ordinary houses. Level one measures resulted in a 19–24 percent decrease in energy consumption due to reduced heating and cooling loads. The use of a combination of levels one and two resulted in a decrease of energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting by 50–57%. The use of the three levels resulted in a decrease of 71–80% in total energy usage for heating, cooling, lighting, water heating, and air conditioning.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Patterns and Influencing Mechanism of Urban Residential Energy Consumption in China

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3864
Author(s):  
Qiucheng Li ◽  
Jiang Hu ◽  
Bolin Yu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Theil Index ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Residential Energy Consumption ◽  
Index Method ◽  
Inequality Measures ◽  
Influencing Mechanism ◽  
Per Capita

The residential sector has become the second largest energy consumer in China. Urban residential energy consumption (URE) in China is growing rapidly in the process of urbanization. This paper aims to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution and influencing mechanism of URE in China. The spatiotemporal heterogeneity of URE during 2007–2018 is explored through Kernel density estimation and inequality measures (i.e., Gini coefficient, Theil index, and mean logarithmic deviation). Then, with several advantages over traditional index decomposition analysis approaches, the Generalized Divisia Index Method (GDIM) decomposition is employed to investigate the impacts of eight driving factors on URE. Furthermore, the national and provincial decoupling relationships between URE and residential income increase are studied. It is found that different provinces’ URE present a significant agglomeration effect; the interprovincial inequality in URE increases and then decreases during the study period. The GDIM decomposition results indicate the income effect is the main positive factor driving URE. Besides, urban population, residential area, per capita energy use, and per unit area energy consumption positively influence URE. By contrast, per capita income, energy intensity, and residential density have negative effects on URE. There is evidence that only three decoupling states, i.e., weak decoupling, strong decoupling, and expansive negative decoupling, appear in China during 2007–2018. Specifically, weak decoupling is the dominant state among different regions. Finally, some suggestions are given to speed up the construction of energy-saving cities and promote the decoupling process of residential energy consumption in China. This paper fills some research gaps in urban residential energy research and is important for China’s policymakers.

scholarly journals Humidity-Sensitive Demand-Controlled Ventilation Applied to Multi-Unit Residential Building – Performance and Energy Consumption in Dfb Continental Climate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Sowa ◽  
Maciej Mijakowski
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Controlled Ventilation ◽  
Demand Controlled Ventilation ◽  
Continental Climate

A humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation system is known for many years. It has been developed and commonly applied in regions with an oceanic climate. Some attempts were made to introduce this solution in Poland in a much severe continental climate. The article evaluates this system's performance and energy consumption applied in an 8-floor multi-unit residential building, virtual reference building described by the National Energy Conservation Agency NAPE, Poland. The simulations using the computer program CONTAM were performed for the whole hating season for Warsaw's climate. Besides passive stack ventilation that worked as a reference, two versions of humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation were checked. The difference between them lies in applying the additional roof fans that convert the system to hybrid. The study confirmed that the application of demand-controlled ventilation in multi-unit residential buildings in a continental climate with warm summer (Dfb) leads to significant energy savings. However, the efforts to ensure acceptable indoor air quality require hybrid ventilation, which reduces the energy benefits. It is especially visible when primary energy use is analyzed.

Simulation of Residential Energy Consumption Based on Software of DeST

2013 ◽  
Vol 448-453 ◽  
pp. 1269-1272
Author(s):  
Zhao Chen ◽  
Li Bai ◽  
Feng Li
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
System Design ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Residential Energy ◽  
Residential Energy Consumption ◽  
Heating Energy Consumption ◽  
Uneven Heating ◽  
The City

In this paper, the software of DeST was used to simulate the heating energy consumption by the year of a typical energy-saving residential building in the city of Changchun. Comparing the energy consumption of the top and bottom,the middle room and the edges rooms ,we get the reasons for the uneven heating and put forward the corresponding solutions, which provide the reference for heating system design.

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 ENERGY RETROFITS FOR IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS: A REVIEW OF HVAC AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Amjath ◽  
◽  
H. Chandanie ◽  
S.D.I.A. Amarasinghe ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Energy Auditing ◽  
Lighting Systems ◽  
Effective Decision Making ◽  
And Performance

It has been observed that inefficient buildings consume three to five times more energy than efficient buildings. Subsequently, improving the Energy Efficiency (EE) of existing buildings, which account for a significant portion of the energy consumption of the building sector, has become a top priority. Also, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting systems typically account for three-quarters of a building's energy consumption. Hence, focus on the energy efficiency improvements associated with these subsystems is entailed to optimise the energy use of buildings in comparison to other energy consumers. Energy Retrofit (ER) is defined as the main approach in improving the energy efficiency of buildings to achieve energy reduction goals. Nevertheless, there is a general lack of awareness regarding ER. Thus, the purpose of this article is to bridge this research gap by critically reviewing the applicable literature on ER. The paper first analysed the role of retrofits in buildings concerning optimising energy performance. The paper also discusses the implementation process of ER, which includes five steps viz. pre-retrofit survey, energy auditing, and performance assessment, identification of suitable and feasible retrofit options, site implementation and commissioning, and validation and verification. Further, different types of ER applicable to HVAC and lighting systems are discussed. In their endeavor to enhance the EE of existing buildings, practitioners could apply the findings of this study, as a basis to understand the available ER types and as a measure to gauge the efficiency of existing buildings, which will facilitate effective decision-making.

scholarly journals Bringing Energy Efficiency for Hospital Building through the Conservative and Preventive Measures

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 3056-3060
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Domestic Water

The energy consumption of hospital buildings, have increased due to embedment of sophisticated equipment pertaining to advent of technology. Factors affecting energy consumptions are air quality monitoring, high maintenance of sophisticated machineries, accurate sanitization of premises, high load of patients to doctor ratio in India which is 1596:1 as compared to regulation of 1000:1 prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO). Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) reported that nearly 60% of health care services and hospitals do not meet the minimum of Energy Performance Index (EPI) criteria. Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) of India shows that hospitals in India have a potential to achieve 42% energy saving by implementing energy efficient measures. Hence, there is a dire need to assess the parameters contributing to heavy energy consumption and the conservative and preventive measures need to be addressed. Literature indicates incorporation of efficient domestic water heating techniques, boilers, usage of renewable energies, thermal insulation improvement, optimal building design, improvement of air conditioning and heating systems, optimizing electric energy installations etc as possible techniques for achieving energy efficiency. A compile of best practices proposed from literature as compared to the regulations made by ECBC, CII, MEDA, and GBC (Green building council) is made in this paper. HVAC being the highest contributing system for energy consumption, IoT based working models are prepared and proposed for application; suitability of adoption of the system is discussed.

scholarly journals Achieving a More Sustainable and Fair Society: How Individual and Collective Action Shape the Energy Efficiency of Buildings / Conseguindo uma Sociedade Mais Sustentável e Justa: Como a Ação Individual e Coletiva Molda a Eficiência Energética dos Edifícios

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Parejo-Navajas
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
Use Behavior ◽  
Development Objective

AbstractThe behavior of occupants in buildings has an enormous impact on their energy consumption. Despite the efforts to improve the energy efficiency in buildings, there are still many barriers that need to be overcome. Behavior change measures -to improve the energy performance of buildings- are focused on both, the design and the use and operation of buildings. If we are really committed to achieving the sustainable development objective to improve our society’s well-being, special attention should be put into energy use behavior as it has been proven to be an effective way for improvement. ResumoO comportamento dos ocupantes em edifícios tem um enorme impacto no seu consumo de energia. Apesar dos esforços para melhorar a eficiência energética nos edifícios, ainda há muitas barreiras que precisam ser superadas. Medidas de mudança de condutas - para melhorar o desempenho energético dos edifícios - são focadas tanto no design como na utilização e operação de edifícios. Se estamos realmente empenhados em alcançar o objetivo de desenvolvimento sustentável para melhorar o bem-estar da nossa sociedade, uma atenção particular deve ser proporcionada em relação as condutas que influem no uso cotidiano de energia, uma vez que se provou ser um meio eficaz de progresso.

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