Abstract
This paper presents work undertaken as part of the European H2020 project OptEEmAL (Optimized Energy Efficient Design Platform for Refurbishment at District Level), toward development of a decision-support platform for building and district refurbishment interventions. We describe a methodology for generation and evaluation of refurbishment scenarios for building and districts with particular emphasis on “active” energy conservation measures (i.e., installation or replacement of heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems) and related controls. The impact of HVAC and controls on energy and economic key performance indicators are usually neglected or very simplified in existing energy simulation tools. We apply a model-based approach to evaluate key-performance indicators related to energy consumption and energy costs in buildings and districts, such that possible refurbishment alternatives can be easily evaluated, thereby showing how a smart decision support tool will allow stakeholders to compare multiple alternatives quickly. By considering relevant case studies at building and district level, including refurbishment of heating and cooling plants, we highlight, in a simulation-based study, how the deployment of efficiency-based controls enable significant energy savings thanks to the exploitation of the model-based approach. This way, additional motivations for energy savings and ultimately for new investments in energy-related technologies are provided.
Highlights
Buildings account for 40% of the European Union’s (EU) energy consumption, 36% of its CO2 emissions, and 55% of its electricity consumption
We propose a methodology and tool to generate multiple HVAC configurations out of a catalogue of commercial products, which can supply a given district or building load and simulate them to determine key performance indicators [8,9,10]
In terms of district size, six case studies and three demonstration sites of mixed use across Europe, with sizes ranging from 18,000–21,000 m2 are considered in OptEEmAL
Summary
Buildings account for 40% of the European Union’s (EU) energy consumption, 36% of its CO2 emissions, and 55% of its electricity consumption. The EU building stock is relatively old, with more than 40% of it comprising buildings built before 1960 and 90% before 1990; because of different regulatory requirements and performance degradation over time, older buildings typically use more energy than newer buildings. Renovation of the existing building stock for upgrading energy performance is key to achieving EU’s climate and energy targets. It remains challenging to estimate using existing methodologies the potential energy savings and concomitant return on investment. Despite EU’s policy efforts to increase the renovation rate, the actual rates are below target, and this is attributed to both technical and non-technical barriers.
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