scholarly journals Thermal and Vibration Comfort Analysis of a Nearly Zero-Energy Building in Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Fedorczak-Cisak ◽  
Marcin Furtak ◽  
Jolanta Gintowt ◽  
Alicja Kowalska-Koczwara ◽  
Filip Pachla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Low Energy Buildings ◽  
Passive Houses ◽  
Construction Law ◽  
The Impact

Placing emphasis exclusively on minimizing energy consumption in low-energy buildings can adversely impact thermal comfort and vibrational comfort. Vibrational comfort is extremely important in building design, especially within mining or seismically active territories, and due to car transportation in city centers. In this article, a new approach to designing passive buildings and nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) in Poland is proposed, which has a strong emphasis on the necessity of providing comfort of use in passive houses and NZEBs. Additionally, vibration comfort provisions in the design process are examined. The research gap that will be addressed by the research presented in this article is to extend the comfort conditions of passive buildings and NZEBs into the area of vibratory comfort. The second goal of the project is to determine the impact of solar control systems on the conditions of thermal comfort. The conclusions from the research will allow for the optimization of design assumptions for passive houses and NZEBs. The conclusions from the tests can serve as the basis for introducing appropriate construction law requirements in Poland. The results of the research, which are presented in the article, indicate that the technical requirements that are applicable in Poland ought to include requirements regarding the use of sun blinds in NZEBs and passive buildings (not only as recommendations). In particular, the use of apertures on the south side ought to be mandated. The article can also be the basis for introducing the requirements of vibration comfort to the PN–EN 15251:2012 “Indoor environmental input parameters for design and assessment of energy performance of buildings addressing indoor air quality, thermal environment, lighting and acoustics” standard, which is the basis for designing the parameters of the internal environment for buildings.

A Review of the Impact of Vegetation in Solar Control towards Enhanced Thermal Comfort and Energy Performance in Buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 887 ◽  
pp. 428-434
Author(s):  
Dorcas A. Ayeni ◽  
Olaniyi O. Aluko ◽  
Morisade O. Adegbie
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Solar Control ◽  
The Impact

Man requires a thermal environment that is within the range of his adaptive capacity and if this fluctuates outside the normal, a reaction is required beyond its adaptive capacity which results to health challenges. Therefore, the aim of building design in the tropical region is to minimize the heat gain indoors and enhance evaporative cooling of the occupants of the space so as to achieve thermal comfort. In most cases, the passive technologies are not adequate in moderating indoor climate for human comfort thereby relying on active energy technique to provide the needed comfort for the building users. The need for the use of vegetation as a panacea for achieving comfortable indoor thermal conditions in housing is recognised by architects globally. However, the practice by architects in Nigeria is still at the lower ebb. The thrust of this paper therefore is to examine the impact of vegetation in solar control reducing thermal discomfort in housing thereby enhancing the energy performance of the buildings. Using secondary data, the paper identifies the benefits of vegetation in and around buildings to include improvement of indoor air quality through the aesthetics quality of the environment and concludes that vegetation in and around building will in no small measure contributes to saving energy consumption.

scholarly journals Modeling Nearly Zero Energy Buildings for Sustainable Development in Rural Areas

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Khakian ◽  
Mehrdad Karimimoshaver ◽  
Farshid Aram ◽  
Soghra Zoroufchi Benis ◽  
Amir Mosavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Shading Devices ◽  
The Impact

The energy performance of buildings and energy-saving measures have been widely investigated in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to buildings located in rural areas. The aim of this study is to assess the energy performance of two-story residential buildings located in the mountainous village of Palangan in Iran and to evaluate the impact of multiple parameters, namely building orientation, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), glazing type, shading devices, and insulation, on its energy performance. To attain a nearly zero energy building design in rural areas, the building is equipped with photovoltaic modules. The proposed building design is then economically evaluated to ensure its viability. The findings indicate that an energy saving of 29% can be achieved compared to conventional buildings, and over 22 MWh of electricity can be produced on an annual basis. The payback period is assessed at 21.7 years. However, energy subsidies are projected to be eliminated in the near future, which in turn may reduce the payback period.

scholarly journals Modeling Energy Efficiency Performance and Cost-Benefit Analysis Achieving Net-Zero Energy Building Design: Case Studies of Three Representative Offices in Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5201
Author(s):  
Kittisak Lohwanitchai ◽  
Daranee Jareemit
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Energy Gap ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Investment Cost ◽  
High Investment

The concept of a zero energy building is a significant sustainable strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges of zero energy building (ZEB) achievement in Thailand are that the design approach to reach ZEB in office buildings is unclear and inconsistent. In addition, its implementation requires a relatively high investment cost. This study proposes a guideline for cost-optimal design to achieve the ZEB for three representative six-story office buildings in hot and humid Thailand. The energy simulations of envelope designs incorporating high-efficiency systems are carried out using eQuest and daylighting simulation using DIALux evo. The final energy consumptions meet the national ZEB target but are higher than the rooftop PV generation. To reduce such an energy gap, the ratios of building height to width are proposed. The cost-benefit of investment in ZEB projects provides IRRs ranging from 10.73 to 13.85%, with payback periods of 7.2 to 8.5 years. The energy savings from the proposed designs account for 79.2 to 81.6% of the on-site energy use. The investment of high-performance glazed-windows in the small office buildings is unprofitable (NPVs = −14.77–−46.01). These research results could help architects and engineers identify the influential parameters and significant considerations for the ZEB design. Strategies and technical support to improve energy performance in large and mid-rise buildings towards ZEB goals associated with the high investment cost need future investigations.

Energy or carbon? Exploring the relative size of universal zero carbon and zero energy design spaces

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Parkin ◽  
Manuel Herrera ◽  
David A Coley
Keyword(s):  
Design Space ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Software Environment ◽  
Space Forms ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Regulatory Standards ◽  
Zero Carbon ◽  
The Impact

One aim of zero carbon, or zero energy, buildings is to help slow climate change. However, regulatory definitions frequently miss substantial emissions, for example ones associated with the materials the building is constructed from, thereby compromising this goal. Unfortunately, including such emissions might restrict the design space, reduce architectural freedom or greatly increase costs. This work presents a new framework for examining the problem. The zero carbon/energy design and regulatory space forms a sub-space of the hyper-volume enclosing all possible designs and regulatory frameworks. A new mathematical/software environment was developed which allows the size and shape of this sub-space to be investigated for the first time. Twenty-four million building design/regulatory standard combinations were modelled and assessed using a tree classification approach. It was found that a worldwide zero standard that includes embodied emissions is possible and is easier to achieve if a carbon rather than an energy metric is adopted, with the design space twice the size for a carbon metric. This result is important for the development of more encompassing regulations, and the novel methods developed applicable to other aspects of construction controlled by regulation where there is the desire to examine the impact of new regulations prior to legislation. Practical application: As energy standards become more strict, and given the growth in non-regulatory standards (such as Passivhaus), there is the need to study the potential impact of any element of a standard on the range of designs that can be built or the materials that can be used. This work sets out a general framework and method for doing this. The approach and results will be of interest to policy makers, but also to engineers and architects wondering what the key constraints to design the adoption of various philosophies to low energy/carbon standards might have within their work. For example, the implications of the building standard (or client) requiring embodied emissions to be included or the energy balance period for renewable generation to be monthly, not annual.

scholarly journals Application of thermal comfort assessment models to indoor areas near glazed walls – experimental evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-127
Author(s):  
António Manuel Figueiredo Freitas Oliveira ◽  
◽  
Helena Corvacho ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Indoor Space ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Indoor Spaces

In this paper, some of the results of an experimental study are presented. Its purpose was to better understand the impact of glazing on thermal comfort of users of indoor spaces (living and working), especially in the areas near glazed walls. Glazed elements, such as windows and glazed doors, allow visual access to the outdoor environment and the entrance of natural light and solar heat gains but they are often the cause of unwanted heat losses and gains and are disturbing elements in obtaining thermal comfort, both in global terms and in what concerns local discomfort due to radiant asymmetries and/or air draughts. Furthermore, solar radiation directly affecting users in the vicinity of glazing can also cause discomfort. These disturbances are recognized by users, both on cold winter days and on hot summer days. To assess thermal comfort or thermal neutrality of a person in a particular indoor space, it is important to know their location within that space. Thus, in order to adequately assess thermal comfort in the areas near the glazing, the indoor thermal environment must be characterized for this specific location. In this study, two indoor spaces (a classroom and an office-room) of a school building were monitored at different periods of the year. The measurements of the environmental parameters were performed both in the center of the rooms and in the areas near the glazing. Five models of thermal comfort assessment were then applied to the results, in order to compare the comfort conditions between the two studied locations and to evaluate the applicability of these models to the areas close to glazed walls. It was observed there was clearly a greater variability of comfort conditions in the vicinity of the glazed walls when compared to the center of the rooms. The application of thermal comfort assessment models to the two studied rooms was able to reveal the differences between the two compared locations within each space. It was also possible to show the effect of incoming solar radiation and the influence of the geometry of the spaces and of the ratio between glazed area and floor area by comparing the results for both spaces. The assessment model proposed by LNEC (Portuguese National Laboratory of Civil Engineering) proved to be the most adapted to Portuguese users’ habits.

scholarly journals Transformation of an Office Building into a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB): Implications for Thermal and Visual Comfort and Energy Performance

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Ballarini ◽  
Giovanna De Luca ◽  
Argun Paragamyan ◽  
Anna Pellegrino ◽  
Vincenzo Corrado
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Directive 2010/31/EU promotes the refurbishment of existing buildings to change them into nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs). Within this framework, it is of crucial importance to guarantee the best trade-off between energy performance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The implications of a global refurbishment scenario on thermal and visual comfort are assessed in this paper pertaining to an existing office building. The retrofit actions applied to achieve the nZEB target consist of a combination of envelope and technical building systems refurbishment measures, involving both HVAC and lighting. Energy and comfort calculations were carried out through dynamic simulation using Energy Plus and DIVA, for the thermal and visual performance assessments, respectively. The results point out that energy retrofit actions on the building envelope would lead to significant improvements in the thermal performance, regarding both energy savings (−37% of the annual primary energy for heating) and thermal comfort. However, a daylighting reduction would occur with a consequent higher electricity demand for lighting (36%). The research presents a detailed approach applicable to further analyses aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency measures in order to reduce the imbalance between visual and thermal comfort and to ensure the best performance in both domains.

scholarly journals Investigating the impacts of a changing climate on the risk of overheating and energy performance for a UK retirement village adapted to the nZEB standards

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radwa Salem ◽  
Ali Bahadori-Jahromi ◽  
Anastasia Mylona
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Retirement Village

The death toll of the 2003 heat wave in Europe exceeded 35,000 heat-related deaths. The elderly population were the most affected. The current paradigm within the construction industry in cold-dominant countries is to design/retrofit buildings with high levels of insulation. Whilst thermal comfort may be reached during colder months with this approach, the risk of overheating can be increased during hotter months. This paper aims to examine the impacts of a changing climate on the risk of overheating and energy performance for a UK retirement village. For this study, the buildings within the retirement village will be designed to reach the nearly zero energy building standard. Consequently, the risk of overheating of the buildings within the retirement village as they currently stand and as zero energy buildings will be investigated under current and future climatic conditions. The analysis is carried out using thermal analysis simulation software (TAS, Edsl). Combined heat and power and combined cooling, heat and power will be investigated as mitigating strategies with regard to overheating. The results of this study do not undermine the importance of continuing to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings but rather highlight that the approach undertaken should be reconsidered. Practical application: Currently, there is emphasis placed on retrofitting and designing buildings, with high energy efficiency standards. Whilst this is in line with our vision as a society towards reaching a decarbonised, sustainable future, this work highlights that doing so, carries risks with regard to overheating. Nonetheless, the results demonstrate that with the incorporation of suitable mitigation strategies and adequate ventilation strategies, it is possible to achieve an energy efficient building that meets the heating and cooling demand (and thereby thermal comfort of occupants) during the heating and non-heating season.

Indoor Thermal Environment Test and Investigation Analysis—Based on Newly-Built Residential Houses in Daping Village, Sichuan Province

2011 ◽  
Vol 368-373 ◽  
pp. 3667-3671
Author(s):  
Hui Cheng ◽  
Jia Ping Liu ◽  
Da Long Liu ◽  
Fang Wei Tang ◽  
Yun Gang An
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Sichuan Province ◽  
Objective Test ◽  
Environment Design ◽  
Residential Housing ◽  
Indoor Thermal Environment ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Housing Environment

Based on the recognition of original defective residential housing environment in Daping village, constructional measures were improved and updated. Objective test and subjective investigation on indoor thermal comfort were carried out and analyzed in the typically new and old residential houses to propose measures for further improvements. This paper aims to summarize experience and deficiencies in aspects of indoor thermal environment design and to provide reference to building design after disasters in future.

Predicting Annual Heating Demand under Sensitivity Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 330 ◽  
pp. 911-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimír Geletka ◽  
Anna Sedláková
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Initial Phase ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Stochastic Approach ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Input Parameters ◽  
The Impact

The quality of most buildings may be affected during the initial phase of architectural design. It is therefore to optimize input parameters, which significantly influence energy efficiency. In principle it is possible to speak of a deterministic approach, which consider the input parameters to be fixed or a stochastic approach, which takes a wider set of input parameters into account. A single-storey house is evaluated in terms of energy performance in the initial phase of building design, where input parameters are changed in order to determine a correlation coefficient. The methodology is based on a sensitivity analysis (SA) and MonteCarlo simulation based on a stochastic random selection. Regression (RA) were written to express the impact architectural design has on energy performance. Feedback from the regression model estimates annual heating demand of single storey house.

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