Evaluation of energy performance in positive energy building: X HOUSE at Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021

Abstract

Internationally known as the “Olympics of Sustainable Building”, Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021 is the first competition linked to a world EXPO. The competition requests teams to design, build and operate a zero-energy house to drive the buildings and cities in the Middle East to transform into sustainable and intelligent ones.X HOUSE took first place in the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2021 and won eight contests. This article analyzes how the simulation optimization guides the design of X HOUSE to achieve higher energy efficiency and comfort conditions in terms of passive and active design strategies and solar energy utilization. It verifies the effectiveness of the simulation by a detailed analysis based on the monitored data at the competition site in Dubai. It also studies how house management strategies can improve the actual energy performance of X HOUSE. The analysis results show that the X HOUSE is a Positive Energy Building with highly efficient comfort and energy performance, it has strong power accommodation ability for peak shaving without relying on the grid, and it provides satisfactory thermal, ventilation, luminous, acoustics and healthy environment as well as a fully functional and flexible space. It provides a reference and methodology for the design of PEBs and sustainable development in the Middle East.