Abstract
This paper compares the potential for building energy saving of various passive and active strategies and on-site power generation through a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system (SPVS). The case study is a student welfare unit from a university campus located in the tropical climate (Aw) of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The proposed approach aims to identify the most effective energy saving strategy for building retrofit in this climate. For this purpose, we modeled the base line of the building and proposed energy saving scenarios that were evaluated independently. All building simulations were done in OpenStudio-EnergyPlus, while the on-site power generation was carried out using the Homer PRO software. Results indicated that the incorporation of daylighting controls accounted for the highest energy savings of around 20% and 14% in total building energy consumption, and cooling loads, respectively. Also, this strategy provided a reduction of about 35% and 43% in total building energy consumption, and cooling loads, respectively, when combined with triple low-e coating glazing and active measures. On the other hand, the total annual electric energy delivered by the SPVS (output power converter) was 66,590 kWh, from where 48,497 kWh was supplied to the building while the remaining electricity was injected into the grid.
Highlights
We proposed a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system (SPVS) to reduce the purchase of electricity from the grid
We considered the replacement of air-conditioners with others of higher coefficient of performance (COP)
This paper analyzed the potential for the implementation of some energy saving strategies in building retrofits from the tropics
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Energy consumption in buildings is a field of extensive research worldwide. Buildings are one of the fastest growing sectors in energy consumption in the last decades [1,2,3], which is due to population growth, industry development, expansion of cities, and improvement of living standards [4]. The aforementioned implies a growth in the demand for thermal comfort and indoor air quality [5]. This sector has a contribution between 20–40% of the global final energy consumption [6,7], where these percentages vary according to region
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