• Energy Research

The concept of net zero energy buildings (Net ZEB) has received increased attention throughout the last years. A well adapted and optimized design of the energy supply system is crucial for the performance of these buildings. To achieve this, a holistic approach is needed which accounts for the interdependencies between the different supply technologies as well as the construction energy of the installations, consumption profiles and on-site energy resource availability. This paper aims at developing such a model for the optimal sizing of renewable energy supply systems (RES) for residential Net ZEB's involving on-site production of heat and electricity in combination withelectricity exchanged with the public grid. The model is based on linear programming and determines the optimal capacities for each relevant supply technology in terms of the overall system costs. It has been successfully applied in a case study. The approach can easily be extended to all kind of RES technologies and also allows for implementing further constraints and requirements proprietary to residential Net ZEBs such as e.g. reliabilities, noise levels or space requirements of relevant technologies.

The concept of net zero energy buildings (NZEB) has received increased attention throughout the last years. A well adapted and optimized design of the energy supply system is crucial for the performance of such buildings. This paper aims at developing a method for the optimal sizing of renewable energy supply systems for residential NZEB involving on-site production of heat and electricity in combination with electricity exchanged with the public grid. The model is based on linear programming and determines the optimal capacities for each relevant supply technology in terms of the overall system costs. It has been successfully applied in a sample case study. The approach can easily be extended to all kind of RES technologies and also allows for implementing further constraints and requirements proprietary to residential NZEBs such as e.g. reliabilities, noise levels or space requirements of relevant technologies.

The ⁠UBA⁠ office building "Haus 2019" in Berlin, planned and built in 2009 to 2013, was the first zero-energy building of the German Federal Governnment. Get to know more about the monitoring results of the first few years of operation, about the key project data and the architectural and energy concept.

Zero-energy performance buildings have gained significant attention since the publication in 2010 of the recast of the EPBD recast which requires all new buildings to become nearly zero-energy by 2020. Buildings are requested to meet higher levels of energy performance and to explore more the alternative energy supply systems available locally on a cost-efficiency basis. Since the directive does not specify minimum or maximum harmonized requirements as well as details of energy performance calculation framework, it is up to the member states to define the exact meaning of “high energy performance” and “amount of energy from renewable sources” according to their own local conditions and strategic interests. Nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) performance derives from net zero-energy concept (Net ZEB) which in case of buildings is usually defined as a high energy performance building that over a year is energy neutral. The successful implementation of such an ambitious target, however, needs to be planned out diligently. The critical steps are a) a correct picture about the existing state and trends, b) clear definitions and targets, c) dynamic building codes and energy efficient technologies and d) rules for testing and verification. The nZEBs or NetZEBs built in the near future therefore may play a critical role in implementing any ambitious plan as its success on long-term relies on setting best practice examples, in addition of the supporting policies and initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to review existing definitions, terms and policies on strategic planning of nZEBs at national and international level.

This paper evaluates the technical feasibility of an existing domestic building in the UK to achieve zero carbon emission. Local weather condition and the initial building energy performance are analysed to provide the guide for building refurbishment and the available renewable energy sources. Various passive design strategies are adopted for building refurbishment, such as building envelope improvements, shading device and efficient appliances. Solar and wind energies are captured to provide heating and electricity for the building, these include solar collector, PV panel and wind turbine. EnergyPlus simulation software is employed to investigate energy performance of the building with different passive design strategies and renewable energy systems. The research results show that applying passive design components into the building reduces the annual heating energy consumption of 37.37 GJ, while increases the annual cooling energy requirement of 0.99 GJ. The renewable energy systems consist of 4.26 m2 solar collectors and a 2.5 kW wind turbine; they can produce enough heat and electricity to meet the building energy demands. It is possible to achieve the zero carbon domestic building in the UK with the passive design strategies and the renewable energy sources. In addition, the building is not only the zero carbon emission, but makes a contribution to CO2 reduction of 779.1 kg per year with surplus electricity output.

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The European Union introduced the concepts of Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) in 2010, leading to a shift in energy efficiency efforts in buildings, especially in response to increasing energy consumption. In this study, the current energy usage of an educational building with an approximate usable area of 20,000 m² and an energy consumption of 225 TOE (tons of oil equivalent) was thoroughly examined. Based on this analysis, efficiency recommendations were made. Beyond energy-efficient building applications, potential studies for Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) and Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) applications were analyzed in terms of emissions and costs. The benchmarking results showed that the initial investment cost for nZEB applications in existing buildings is twice as much, and for NZEB applications, three times as much, compared to energy-efficient building works. It was observed that energy-efficient building, nZEB, and NZEB applications provide efficiency rates of 35%, 69%, and 100%, respectively. When comparing the costs of emission reduction per ton, the highest cost was calculated for NZEB applications at 107,274 TL, while the lowest cost was for nZEB applications at 96,252 TL.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Rohit Kadam, for the Master of Science degree in MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, presented on DECEMBER 2, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. (Do not use abbreviations.) TITLE: NET ZERO BUILIND ENERGY CONSERVATION MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Emmanuel Nsofor This research deals with energy studies performed as part of a net-zero energy study for buildings. Measured data of actual energy utilization by a building for a continuous period of 33 months was collected and studied. The peak design day on which the building consumes maximum energy was found. The averages of the energy consumption for the peak month were determined. The DOE EnergyPlus software was used to simulate the energy requirements for the building and also obtain peak energy requirements for the peak month. Alternative energy sources such as ground source heat pump, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and day-lighting modifications were applied to redesign the energy consumption for the building towards meeting net-zero energy requirements. The present energy use by the building, DOE Energy software simulations for the building as well as the net-zero model for the building were studied. The extents of the contributions of the individual energy harvesting measures were studied. For meeting Net Zero Energy requirement, it was found that the total energy load for the building can be distributed between alternative energy methods as 5.4% to daylighting modifications, 58% to geothermal and 36.6% to solar photovoltaic panels for electricity supply and thermal energy. Thus the directions to proceed towards achieving complete net-zero energy status were identified.

ABSTRACT: LIFE ReNatural NZEB project and is part of action B3 of the project "Demonstration experiences of NZEB with low carbon footprint". The article intends to present the results obtained in the development of the model, for which two surveys were sent to several construction companies and material supplying companies. These surveys aimed at knowing the market's ability to comply with the sustainability criteria for low carbon footprint residential buildings. The model was defined based on the analysis of national and international good practices that were collected, the EU GPP criteria and the manual "Green Public Procurement Criteria under ENCPE 2020 for Design, Construction and Management of Office Buildings". The model is divided into five parts: selection of the design team and contractors; detailed design and performance requirements; dismantling, demolition, and site preparation works; construction of the building or major renovation works; and finalization and handover. Overall, it was found that companies in the construction sector can meet most of the selection criteria for the design team and contractors and for some of the technical specifications. It was also found that material suppliers can meet the various sustainability criteria for materials. N/A