Abstract

This study presents a multi-objective optimization environment in which passive energy conservations measures of a high performance house in Toronto are evaluated. The optimization environment was created using the jEPlus software suite where the case study house acted as the reference building. The study house simulation model was calibrated using a data-driven procedure, and acceptable CV(RSME) and NMBE tolerances were reached in accordance with ASHRAE calibration requirements. The optimization varied passive energy efficiency parameters in search of configurations yielding optimal building performance and life cycle cost. The optimization results showed that energy savings of 33% relative to building code minimum were justified at the point of minimal life cycle cost via passive energy saving measures alone before considering active systems. These results suggest that improved thermal envelopes are economically advantageous with good building practice. However, they suggest that the current Passive House standard does not coincide with the economic minimum for the local economic and environmental climate.

Highlights

  • Over the last two decades, the residential subsector has consumed approximately 17% of Canada’s total secondary energy use and created 14% of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on average (Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency, 2014)

  • Progress reports were required from each Member State in 2012, and the results showed that the feasible minimum energy requirements were generally much greater than those in North America of relative climates (Sutherland, Maldonado, Wouters, & Papaglastra, 2013)

  • It can been seen that the Manual J peak heating and cooling load results from the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) study are reasonably close to the results found in this study, where recommended peak heating load and peak cooling load are 23.2 W/m2 and 22.5 W/m2 respectively

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Summary

Introduction

Over the last two decades, the residential subsector has consumed approximately 17% of Canada’s total secondary energy use and created 14% of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on average (Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency, 2014). During this time period, energy efficiency improvements in thermal envelope, space and water conditioning systems, appliances, and lighting have decreased the energy use intensity (EUI) per building. Housing number increase, due to population growth, resident per household decrease, household appliance concentration increase, and household cooling increase have led to a 13.5% increase in total secondary energy use of the residential subsector since 1990 (Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency, 2013). To provide quality assurance and quantify housing energy efficiency, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has adopted the EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) or EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) which ranks housing performance on a scale from 0 to 100 (Table 1.1), where 100 is a NZE home (Natural Resources Canada, 2005)

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