The Methodology for Designing Residential Buildings with a Positive Energy Balance—General Approach

Bartosz Radomski,Tomasz Mróz

doi:10.3390/en14154715

Abstract

This a presents an original methodology for designing residential buildings with a positive energy balance. This process is an extremely complex undertaking. So far, no methodology with an open set of decision criteria has been developed that would include the modeling of the decisionmaker’s preferences using statistical surveys of a group of decisionmakers for this purpose. There is also no methodology relating to the interdependence of decision criteria. The present paper presents an original methodology consisting of five stages. The prepared algorithm indicates the need for changes in the classic design of residential buildings, taking into account the decision criteria that show interdependence. The proposed methodology consists in combining three methods of multi-criteria decision support: the DEMATEL method, used to determine the relations between decision criteria; the AHP/ANP method, used to build a model of the decisionmaker’s preferences, and the TOPSIS method, used to create a ranking of permissible and acceptable variants of solutions. The tool, i.e., the DEMATEL method, fulfills the expected function and enables the identification of the relations between the criteria and sub-criteria of evaluation. The AHP/ANP method fulfills the expected function and enables the ranking of evaluation criteria and sub-criteria.

Highlights

IntroductionAs a result of the depletion of natural resources, which are carriers of conventional energy, the increase in the wealth of society and the ease of obtaining energy, as well as the trend of limiting the consumption of primary energy in all its forms, which continued for some time, buildings are created in accordance with the idea of sustainable development
As a result of the depletion of natural resources, which are carriers of conventional energy, the increase in the wealth of society and the ease of obtaining energy, as well as the trend of limiting the consumption of primary energy in all its forms, which continued for some time, buildings are created in accordance with the idea of sustainable development.The built environment is responsible for around 30–40% of the world’s total primary energy consumption
The main goal of this paper is to present an innovative methodology for designing residential buildings with a positive energy balance in accordance with the principles of sustainable development

Summary

Introduction

As a result of the depletion of natural resources, which are carriers of conventional energy, the increase in the wealth of society and the ease of obtaining energy, as well as the trend of limiting the consumption of primary energy in all its forms, which continued for some time, buildings are created in accordance with the idea of sustainable development. The built environment is responsible for around 30–40% of the world’s total primary energy consumption. Establishing a policy implementing the sustainable development strategy in the world was the entry point for the introduction of normative provisions in the housing industry that clearly limit the demand for energy in this sector. The effects were achieved mainly by tightening the requirements for thermal insulation of building envelopes and defining limitations concerning the value of the annual primary energy (PE) demand index.

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Conclusion