Prospects for the Use of Renewable Energy Sources while Increasing the Energy Efficiency Level of Office Buildings to the Level of nZEB

Abstract

According to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), all new buildings must be constructed using technologies that will ensure almost zero energy consumption by the building through renewable energy sources and an energy-efficient thermal envelope. To assess the possibilities of reconstructing an existing building following the requirements of the EPBD in Ukraine, we have presented possible ways to modernise an office in Kyiv using renewable energy sources (biomass, heat pump) at different levels of thermal protection. Based on dynamic modelling results in the DesignBuilder software environment, the technical, environmental and economic aspects of building modernisation using near-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) technologies have been investigated. In particular, the authors have analysed the possibilities of using different modes of heat pump operation to provide heat to a building of different levels of thermal protection in the GeoTSOL software environment. The results obtained can be used to assess the benefits of improving the energy efficiency of a building using different types of renewable energy sources.