Abstract
The article contains the outcomes of the Life Cycle Cost analysis for alternative energy and water sources utilized in passive buildings. The solutions taken into account included: heat pumps, solar collectors, photovoltaic panels, Drain Water Heat Recovery units, Rain Water Harvesting Systems and Greywater Recycling Systems. In addition, air pollution emission reduction was also calculated for all the installation variants analyzed. The analysis have shown that the systems under consideration could serve as alternatives for traditional installations. Their use has resulted in reductions in the consumption of fossil fuels and natural water resources, thus contributing to environmental improvements.
Highlights
The observable economy growth in several countries over the last few years have resulted in improved life quality, reduced poverty as well as increased aspirations and expectations
The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) values obtained indicate that the variant is, from all the instances considered, the option in which air heat pump powered with electric energy from photovoltaic panels as well as rainwater harvesting system (Varant 5)
In course of analyzing pollutant emissions, that Variants 4,5 and 6 had the least environmental impact. This being due to the fact that the energy needs of such buildings are met without resorting to fossil fuels as the electricity needed to power the heat pumps and ancillary equipment is supplied by photovoltaic panels
Summary
The observable economy growth in several countries over the last few years have resulted in improved life quality, reduced poverty as well as increased aspirations and expectations. These factors have together with increased populations led to the over exploitation of natural resources and growing emissions [1]. Developments in energy-saving constructions in recent years such as the passive or zero energy have effected changes in the share of various components of energy consumption in buildings and contributed to significant increases in demand for energy for water heating purposes [9, 10]. Reductions in the amount of energy derivable from fossil fuels has become possible due to the application of solutions that make use of renewable sources of energy, especially solar and waste [11,12,13]
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