Net Zero Energy in a Residential Building Using Heuristic Optimization Solution

Abstract

In recent times, improvement in building designs has been on a steady upward trend, precipitated by large greenhouse gas emissions of energy draining outmoded construction materials. Global energy crisis exacerbated by climate change has motivated the design and construction of energy-efficient Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB). This paper proposes an energy management strategy for grid-connected Net Zero Energy Buildings that help to achieve a net zero balance of energy in Electrical Grid Photovoltaic-connected NZEB homes. The significance of NZEB was evaluated by providing insights into cost-savings for the consumer’s net energy consumption and reduced carbon footprint. The proffered energy management strategy uses a single-objective Differential Evolution (DE) optimization algorithm that prunes the demand for electrical energy through an efficacious appliance scheduling routine. A novel mathematical energy index is introduced that enables consumers to monitor the net energy imported from the electrical grid and maintain a zero energy index. The proposed net zero energy concept is validated using DE and Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based optimization techniques.