scholarly journals Small Changes Yield Large Results at NIST's Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hunter Fanney ◽  
William Healy ◽  
Vance Payne ◽  
Joshua Kneifel ◽  
Lisa Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
First Year ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Control Logic ◽  
Pump System ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Energy Surplus

The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) was designed to be approximately 60% more energy efficient than homes meeting the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code requirements. The thermal envelope minimizes heat loss/gain through the use of advanced framing and enhanced insulation. A continuous air/moisture barrier resulted in an air exchange rate of 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pa. The home incorporates a vast array of extensively monitored renewable and energy efficient technologies including an air-to-air heat pump system with a dedicated dehumidification cycle; a ducted heat-recovery ventilation (HRV) system; a whole house dehumidifier; a photovoltaic system; and a solar domestic hot water system. During its first year of operation, the NZERTF produced an energy surplus of 1023 kWh. Based on observations during the first year, changes were made to determine if further improvements in energy performance could be obtained. The changes consisted of installing a thermostat that incorporated control logic to minimize the use of auxiliary heat, using a whole house dehumidifier in lieu of the heat pump's dedicated dehumidification cycle, and reducing the ventilation rate to a value that met but did not exceed code requirements. During the second year of operation, the NZERTF produced an energy surplus of 2241 kWh. This paper describes the facility, compares the performance data for the 2 years, and quantifies the energy impact of the weather conditions and operational changes.

scholarly journals Performance Data from the NIST Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility

2017 ◽  
Vol 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M Healy ◽  
A Hunter Fanney ◽  
Brian P Dougherty ◽  
Lisa Ng ◽  
Vance Payne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Water ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Operational Strategies ◽  
Photovoltaic Array ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Second Year ◽  
One Year

Data were collected over two separate year-long test periods at the Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, alaboratory designed to evaluate a variety of technologies and operational strategies that lead to energy efficient houses with comfortable and healthful indoor environments. In a net-zero energy building, all energy consumption over the course of a year is offset by on-site renewable energy production; this facility attempts to meet that goal through use of a photovoltaic array installed on the roof. Data are presented for one-year test periods over which the research team examined whether the facility would reach net-zero status. In both years, the house was operated in an all-electric configuration, with slight modifications made in the second year related to control schemes and equipment selection. A virtual family of four was simulated to carry out the operations that would typically occur in a home (e.g., appliance usage, lighting usage, hot water usage). Data are being released for the second year of operation at the time of publication of this document, with an expectation that data from the first year will be released at a later date.

Air-source heat pump LabView-based model development for NZEB applications

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Cs. Szász
Keyword(s):  
Heat Pump ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Software Implementation ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Pump System ◽  
Heat Pump System ◽  
Air Source Heat Pump ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero

Abstract A net zero-energy building (NZEB) is considered as a resident or commercial building where the energy needs are covered by using locally available renewable energy sources and technologies. Various types of heat pumps are widely used energy conversion systems for NZEB strategies implementation. This paper is focused on the development of a novel LabView-based model for an air-source heat pump system that absorbs heat from outside air and releases it inside the building as domestic hot water supply or room's space heating by using hot water-filled fan-coils. In the first research steps the mathematical background of the considered heat pump system has been developed. Then the LabView-based software implementation of the air-source heat pump and entire heating circuit model is unfolded and presented. The result is a versatile and powerful graphical software toolkit, suitable to simulate the complex heating, ventilation and air-conditioning processes in net-zero energy buildings and to perform energy balance performance evaluations. Beside the elaborated mathematical models, a concrete software implementation example and measurement data is provided in the paper. Last but not least, the proposed original model offers a feasible solution for future developments and research in NZEB applications modeling and simulation purposes.

scholarly journals flEECe, an energy use and occupant behavior dataset for net-zero energy affordable senior residential buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Paige ◽  
Philip Agee ◽  
Farrokh Jazizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Occupant Behavior ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Building Energy Use

AbstractThe behaviors of building occupants have continued to perplex scholars for years in our attempts to develop models for energy efficient housing. Building simulations, project delivery approaches, policies, and more have fell short of their optimistic goals due to the complexity of human behavior. As a part of a multiphase longitudinal affordable housing study, this dataset represents energy and occupant behavior attributes for 6 affordable housing units over nine months in Virginia, USA which are not performing to the net-zero energy standard they were designed for. This dataset provides researchers the ability to analyze the following variables: energy performance, occupant behaviors, energy literacy, and ecological perceptions. Energy data is provided at a 1 Hz sampling rate for four circuits: main, hot water heater, dryer, and HVAC. Building specifications, occupancy, weather data, and neighboring building energy use data are provided to add depth to the dataset. This dataset can be used to update building energy use models, predictive maintenance, policy frameworks, construction risk models, economic models, and more.

scholarly journals Towards net zero energy modular housing: a case study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Hachem-vermette ◽  
Chinyere Dara ◽  
Rhys Kane
Keyword(s):  
Hot Water ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Energy Status ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
The South ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Modular Housing

The paper summarizes an investigation of the performance of container based housing units developed by Ladacor Ltd, and compares this performance to traditional housing constructed according to existing standards and codes. The results indicate that the case study housing system can reduce thermal loads (heating and cooling) by about 57% as compared to the same house designed according to the code. Implementing additional efficiency measures and solar design strategies such as increased south window size, suitable shading devices, thermal mass, and more airtight construction, leads to improved performance. This enhanced scenario can reduce the thermal load by 72% as compared to the code scenario and by about 35% as compared to the original case study system. Achieving a net-zero energy status can be reached by integrating photovoltaics on the south roof of the single-family housing designed with Ladacor roof, assuming energy efficient appliances, lighting and domestic hot water. The optimal case can reach a net positive energy status, with a PV system integrated on the south facing roof surface. Results from this investigation can serve in developing innovative design concepts and guidelines for the design of low cost, self-sufficient modular housing.

scholarly journals Design Challenges of the NIST Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Healy ◽  
Cathy Gates ◽  
A. Hunter Fanney ◽  
Betsy Pettit
Keyword(s):  
Test Facility ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Design Challenges

scholarly journals Tracer gas test in Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Ng ◽  
Piljae Im ◽  
Yeonjin Bae
Keyword(s):  
Test Facility ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Tracer Gas ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero

Conceptual Design of Net Zero Energy Campus Residence

Solar Energy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Mertz ◽  
Gregory S. Raffio ◽  
Kelly Kissock ◽  
Kevin P. Hallinan
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Optimization ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Inside Out

In response to both global and local challenges, the University of Dayton is committed to building a net-zero energy student residence, called the Eco-house. A unique aspect of the Eco-house is the degree of student involvement; in accordance with UD’s mission, interdisciplinary student teams from mechanical engineering, civil engineering and the humanities are leading the design effort. This paper discusses the conceptual design of a net-zero energy use campus residence, and the analysis completed thus far. Energy use of current student houses is analyzed to provide a baseline and to identify energy saving opportunities. The use of the whole-system inside-out approach to guide the overall design is described. Using the inside-out method as a guide, the energy impacts of occupant behavior, appliances and lights, building envelope, energy distribution systems and primary energy conversion equipment are discussed. The design of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems to meet the hot water and electricity requirements of the house is described. Eco-house energy use is simulated and compared to the energy use of the existing houses. The analysis shows the total source energy requirements of the Eco-house could be reduced by about 340 mmBtu per year over older baseline houses, resulting in CO2 emission reductions of about 54,000 lb per year and utility cost savings of about $3,000 per year. Detailed cost analysis and cost optimization have not been performed but are critical aspects of the UD Eco-house project, which will be performed in the future.

ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVE ENERGY RETROFIT STRATEGIES AND RELATED IMPACT ON INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Hu
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
High Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Buildings ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Educational Buildings ◽  
K 12

1.0. INTRODUCTION In the United States, K–12 school buildings spend more than $8 billion each year on energy—more than they spend on computers and textbooks combined [1]. Most occupied older buildings demonstrate poor operational performance—for instance, more than 30 percent of schools were built before 1960, and 53 percent of public schools need to spend money on repairs, renovations, and modernization to ensure that the schools' onsite buildings are in good overall condition. And among public schools with permanent buildings, the environmental factors in the permanent buildings have been rated as unsatisfactory or very unsatisfactory in 5 to 17 percent of them [2]. Indoor environment quality (IEQ) is one of the core issues addressed in the majority of sustainable building certification and design guidelines. Children spend a significant amount of time indoors in a school environment. And poor IEA can lead to sickness and absenteeism from school and eventually cause a decrease in student performance [3]. Different building types and their IEQ characteristics can be partly attributed to building age and construction materials. [4] Improving the energy performance of school buildings could result in the direct benefit of reduced utility costs and improving the indoor quality could improve the students' learning environment. Research also suggests that aging school facilities and inefficient equipment have a detrimental effect on academic performance that can be reversed when schools are upgraded. [5] Several studies have linked better lighting, thermal comfort, and air quality to higher test scores. [6, 7, 8] Another benefit of improving the energy efficiency of education buildings is the potential increase in market value through recognition of green building practice and labeling, such as that of a LEED or net zero energy building. In addition, because of their educational function, high-performance or energy-efficient buildings are particularly valuable for institution clients and local government. More and more high-performance buildings, net zero energy buildings, and positive energy buildings serve as living laboratories for educational purposes. Currently, educational/institutional buildings represent the largest portion of NZE (net zero energy) projects. Educational buildings comprise 36 percent of net zero buildings according to a 2014 National New Building Institute report. Of the 58 net zero energy educational buildings, 32 are used for kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12), 21 for higher education, and 5 for general education. [9] Finally, because educational buildings account for the third largest amount of building floor space in the United States, super energy-efficient educational buildings could provide other societal and economic benefits beyond the direct energy cost savings for three reasons: 1) educational buildings offer high visibility that can influence community members and the next generation of citizens, 2) success stories of the use of public funds that returns lower operating costs and healthier student learning environments provide documentation that can be used by others, and 3) this sector offers national and regional forums and associations to facilitate the transfer of best design and operational practices.

scholarly journals Analysis of Net Zero-energy Building in Spain. Integration of PV, Solar Domestic Hot Water and Air-conditioning Systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 828-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Gallo ◽  
Bélen Téllez Molina ◽  
Milan Prodanovic ◽  
José González Aguilar ◽  
Manuel Romero
Keyword(s):  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Domestic Hot Water ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Air Conditioning Systems
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