Research on Technology System Adaptability of Nearly Zero-Energy Office Buildings in the Hot Summer and Cold Winter Zone of China

Abstract

In the current context of huge global energy consumption and harsh climatic conditions, the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings have received much attention. The nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) is a feasible solution for solving the energy crisis in the building sector in recent years, and it is important to study the adaptability of its technology system. However, existing studies have not addressed well the issue of the impact of complex and diverse climates on the technology systems of nZEBs. Secondly, in contrast to residential buildings, nearly zero-energy technology systems for office buildings need to be further developed. This study takes the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) zone of China as an example and uses numerical simulations and orthogonal experiments to investigate the adaptability of nearly zero-energy office building technology systems under complex and diverse climate conditions. The results show the following: (1) Passive technologies are greatly affected by the complexity and diversity of climates. Optimal envelope thermal parameters tailored to specific zones are identified. Specifically, the optimal level of KWALL in the CT and HSCWC zones is 0.2 W/(m2·K), and the optimal level of KWALL in the HSWWT zone is 0.3 W/(m2·K); the optimal level of KROOF in the CT zone is 0.15 W/(m2·K), and the optimal level of KROOF in the HSCWC and HSWWT zones is 0.25 W/(m2·K); (2) Active technologies do not mainly receive the influence of the complexity and diversity of climates, and ED, HR, and TS measures should be adopted for office buildings; (3) The rational utilization of renewable energy is influenced by local resource conditions. This study evaluates the adaptability of GSHP, ASHP, and BIPV technologies. To better meet the requirements of nearly zero-energy office buildings, it is recommended to adopt GSHP for the CT zone and ASHP for the HCWWT zone. This study will be helpful for the development of nearly zero-energy office building technology systems in other complex and diverse climatic zones.