Thermal performance analysis of net-zero energy building using evolutionary algorithms

Gisele Goulart Tavares,Vitor De Castro Nobre,Marcus Vinícius Ferraz,Eric Vargas Loureiro,Priscila Capriles,Leonardo Goliatt

doi:10.21575/25254782rmetg2020vol5n21157

Abstract

The zero-energy building, also known as Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), is based on the concept of an energy-efficient building that balances its total energy using solutions that aim to mitigate CO2 emissions and reduce energy use in the constructions. Energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings increased between 20% and 40% in developed countries and exceeded the industry and transportation sectors. Due to climate change, by 2050 buildings can consume 20% more energy, with energy performance being the critical element in achieving climate goals and improving energy security. The objective of this paper is to maximize the thermal comfort in an NZEB through the evolutionary algorithm PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization), a technique inspired by the collective intelligence of the animals. For this, different constructive parameters were inserted in a geometric model to identify combinations that offer greater comfort. For the optimization problem of this work, the design parameters were: block type, concrete thickness used in the solid slab, mortar type, window size, door size, and cover type. From the geometric model, an IDF file was generated for the parameterization and subsequent energy simulation of the scenarios created by the PSO in the EnergyPlus software. The exchange of materials and parameter values of the model reached lower hours of discomfort per year in comparison to results obtained in the literature.

Highlights

The Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) concept is no longer perceived as a concept of a remote future but as a realistic solution for the mitigation of CO2 emissions and/or the reduction of energy use in the building sector
The particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) could be used to optimize the model parameters described in Table A that is presented in Figure 2, acting on the generation of scenarios and analysis of the objective function
We present the results obtained for the minimization of uncomfortable hours in the NZEB model described in Section 2 We ran each computational experiment 30 times

Summary

Introduction

The Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) concept is no longer perceived as a concept of a remote future but as a realistic solution for the mitigation of CO2 emissions and/or the reduction of energy use in the building sector. Goals for the implementation of NZEB are internationally discussed and proposed, for example, in the USA within the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), and in Europe within the recast of the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) adopted in May 2010. In Brazil, the first time it was considered energy efficiency in buildings dates back to 2007 when the National Energy Plan (PNE) discussed subjects such as estimation of demand and supply of energy, as well as energy strategies and policies

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion