Energy Consumption For Space Heating Research Articles

Model-based influencing factors analysis of residential heat consumption in district heating systems

A simplified and accurate hybrid model is proposed to analyze, evaluate, and predict space heating energy consumption and indoor temperature in residential buildings connected to district heating systems. With classical engineering equations of thermodynamic laws, this method uses physical and empirical modeling to describe heat exchangers in real-time. Furthermore, the model has optimized the cost of computation and enhanced the prediction accuracy. It is revealed this method can accurately predict the residential heat load and indoor temperature with the maximum error of ±10%. The architectural parameter, outdoor temperature, and wind velocity have decisive effects on the heat energy demand.

Preliminary study on heating energy consumption distribution of dwellings in hot summer and cold winter climate region of China

Investigating the total heating energy consumption over the entire heating season and its distribution data can help policymakers to adequately understand the current status and development trend of heating energy consumption, as well as to formulate effective policies to improve the indoor comfort and energy performance of residential buildings. This paper aims to explore a method for obtaining the space heating energy consumption demand of dwellings to guide energy conservation and energy supply with heating. A survey questionnaire was carried out to obtain detailed information on the occupant behaviour on space heating in a multi-unit high-rise residential community in Nantong. The statistical results of some factors were obtained from the questionnaire, such as occupants’ space heating behaviour, window-opening behaviour, and indoor temperature setting. Then, energy consumption by space heating was simulated and analysed based on the survey data, and the reliability of results was verified by comparing modelled results with measured energy consumption from 1625 households. The results reveal that the heating energy consumption simulation method based on occupant behaviour survey can be used to predict the distribution of the energy consumption over the entire heating season in this region and areas with similar climate.

Solar energy impact on space heating and cooling needs in moderate climate

The paper describes impact of solar energy on a standard new building of a low energy consumption for space heating, and shows a problem of overheating of such a building in summer, that occurs quite often nowadays in moderate climate. The paper presents how important is to analyse in details the solar energy availability for a building envelope, especially for glazing of different orientation and inclination. Impact of solar energy on the energy balance of a building is analysed. Results of numerical simulations of dynamics of a building and its surrounding are presented. The focus is put on monthly changes of the space heating and cooling energy needs for every month of the averaged year – with regard to the solar energy influence depending on the different orientation of the rooms of a building. It turns out that cooling demand previously very small, now can become very significant and can dominate the total energy demand of new buildings, especially for some location of rooms and apartments. The results of simulation studies presented in the paper indicate necessity of changes in existing regulations on determination of energy performance of buildings, especially for certification of thermal energy performance of residential buildings.

‘Sticky’ energy practices: The impact of childhood and early adulthood experience on later energy consumption practices

This article found that personal history, formed by the accumulated experience of practitioners, affected the present level of energy consumption for space heating and hot water. Moreover, the paper demonstrates how quantitative analyses may provide new insights into studies of energy consumption practices.By following a cohort in two periods of their life; childhood (ages 10–15 in 1981) and early adulthood (ages 29–34 in 2000), I investigated how embodied experience affects how the cohorts consume energy today (2010–2015). Personal history is measured by household characteristics (household income and education level of the household), and house characteristics (house construction year and main heating source).The results indicated that growing up in a household with more economic means correlated with higher energy consumption today regardless of the present economic situation. Moreover, the results indicated that having lived in recently built houses or houses with district heating, compared with for example a stove or a heater, leads to a tendency to consume more energy today.The article concludes by arguing that there is a need to turn attention towards social differences in the competences of individual practitioners, which will result in practices differently performed.

Estimating the Influence of Housing Energy Efficiency and Overheating Adaptations on Heat-Related Mortality in the West Midlands, UK

Mortality rates rise during hot weather in England, and projected future increases in heatwave frequency and intensity require the development of heat protection measures such as the adaptation of housing to reduce indoor overheating. We apply a combined building physics and health model to dwellings in the West Midlands, UK, using an English Housing Survey (EHS)-derived stock model. Regional temperature exposures, heat-related mortality risk, and space heating energy consumption were estimated for 2030s, 2050s, and 2080s medium emissions climates prior to and following heat mitigating, energy-efficiency, and occupant behaviour adaptations. Risk variation across adaptations, dwellings, and occupant types were assessed. Indoor temperatures were greatest in converted flats, while heat mortality rates were highest in bungalows due to the occupant age profiles. Full energy efficiency retrofit reduced regional domestic space heating energy use by 26% but increased summertime heat mortality 3–4%, while reduced façade absorptance decreased heat mortality 12–15% but increased energy consumption by 4%. External shutters provided the largest reduction in heat mortality (37–43%), while closed windows caused a large increase in risk (29–64%). Ensuring adequate post-retrofit ventilation, targeted installation of shutters, and ensuring operable windows in dwellings with heat-vulnerable occupants may save energy and significantly reduce heat-related mortality.

Determinants of high electricity use and high energy consumption for space and water heating in European social housing: Socio-demographic and building characteristics

This paper examines the extent to which different household socio-demographic and building characteristics contribute to high energy use in Social Housing. Using data from the sample created in the framework of the EU funded ICE-WISH project (social housing pilots in ten European countries, of around 25 dwellings each), an odds ratio analysis was performed to examine the effect of socio-demographic and building's structural determinants on high residential energy consumption. The analysis is performed separately for electricity use for lighting and appliances and for energy consumption for space and water heating. Results indicate that high electricity consumption in social housing is related to both socio-demographic characteristics of the occupants and characteristics of the buildings in which they live (OR = 5.6 for households with three occupants compared to single households and OR = 3 for households living in houses greater than 80 m2), whereas high energy consumption for space and water heating is only related to building characteristics (OR = 1.15 for households with three occupants compared to single households and OR = 4.77 for households living in houses greater than 80 m2). The outcomes of this paper call for future energy policy to intelligently incorporate traditional and behavior-based energy efficiency interventions for reducing residential energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Parameter estimation for grey-box models of building thermal behaviour

Good models for building thermal behaviour are an important part of developing building energy management systems that are capable of reducing energy consumption for space heating through model predictive control. A popular approach to modelling the temperature variations of buildings is grey-box models based on lumped parameter thermal networks. By creating simplified models and calibrating their parameters from measurement data, the resulting model is both accurate and shows good generalisation capabilities. Often, parameters of such models are assumed to be a combination of different physical attributes of the building, hence they have some physical interpretation. In this paper, we investigate the dispersion of parameter estimates by use of randomisation. We show that there is significant dispersion in the parameter estimates when using randomised initial conditions for a numerical optimisation algorithm. Further, we claim that in order to assign a physical interpretation to grey-box model parameters, we require the estimated parameters to converge independently of the initial conditions and different datasets. Despite the dispersion of estimated parameters, the prediction capability of calibrated grey-box models is demonstrated by validating the models on independent data. This shows that the models are usable in a model predictive control system.

Estimating the impact of heat accounting on Italian residential energy consumption in different scenarios

Directive 2012/27/EU has set the obligation for buildings supplied by central heating sources, or by district heating/cooling networks, to install individual heat metering and accounting systems. In Italy, almost 5 million dwellings are potentially subject to this obligation. To estimate the related potential benefit the knowledge of the energy saving achievable from the installation of such systems is needed. Unfortunately, in literature a wide range of variability of this benefit has been found and studies regarding Italian buildings are still lacking. The present study is aimed to estimate the impact of this EU policy in terms of potential energy saving in Italy. To this end, the authors first performed an experimental campaign on about 3000 dwellings located in major Italian cities, to assess the potential benefit obtainable. A model to estimate the energy consumption for space heating in the residential building stock has then been developed considering the building typologies and their main technical characteristics. An average benefit of about 11% has been found, leading to an estimated energy saving at national level ranging from 0.3% to 1.9% of whole energy consumption for space heating, depending on the effectiveness of applicable economic incentives and legal obligation scenarios.

An assessment of the potential of supply-side ventilation demand control to regulate natural ventilation flow patterns and reduce domestic space heating consumption

Uncontrolled natural ventilation systems tend, by their nature, to deliver varying flow rates that are not necessarily optimised for human comfort or energy efficiency. Moreover these ventilation flow rates may not be delivered along the intended flow paths through a building, possibly further reducing ventilation effectiveness and increasing ventilation heat losses. These characteristics make natural ventilation systems a suitable candidate for ventilation demand control where the levels of fresh air delivered respond to a sensed parameter that indicates the level of ventilation demand. This paper makes a preliminary, comparative assessment of the impact an active supply-side CO2 ventilation demand control system may have on the ventilation regime, flow levels and space heating consumption of a two-storey naturally ventilated domestic property. The dwelling is modelled in EnergyPlus and the performance of the ventilation demand control system simulated using EnergyPlus’ run-time Energy Management System. Simulations are conducted for a variety of temperate climate contexts and building fabric leakage levels. The simulations demonstrate that the ventilation demand control system could reinforce desired flow regimes and provide comparable indoor air quality compared to the uncontrolled base case whilst delivering significant reductions in space heating consumption.

How household thermal routines shape UK home heating demand patterns

In homes in the UK, it is very common to operate space heating intermittently; the heating is usually switched off when the occupants are asleep at night and when they are out during the day. The strong association between heating operation and household routines leads to a morning peak in demand which, if it persists following electrification of heating, will require significant reinforcement of electricity supply networks.This paper examines factors that underpin how heating is used in the UK. A unique dataset of heating controller settings from 337 UK allows investigation of how patterns of heating operation in individual homes contribute to daily patterns of space heating energy consumption at the group level. A mixed method approach is followed, combining quantitative analysis of data with interviews with householders.The concept of thermal routines is introduced, bringing a time dimension to the consideration of domestic thermal comfort and recognising that demand for space heating is linked to patterns of practices in the home, which are themselves linked to social routines, e.g. timing of work and school. The results from this study suggest that household thermal routines around 07:00 in the morning are a particularly important consideration for a transition to future energy systems with a high proportion of low carbon heat. Factors that currently limit flexibility of heating demand in the UK are identified, and the implications for a transition to low carbon heating sources are discussed.

Climate change mitigation potential of contaminated land redevelopment: A city-level assessment method

Under the Paris Agreement, nations and cities are under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Brownfield land redevelopment promises climate change mitigation benefits; however, no studies have attempted to quantify the mitigation potential on a city level. Here we propose a method for this purpose. The method is based on life cycle assessment of GHG emission as compared to greenfield land development, in three categories: (1) primary impact (associated with physical state of brownfield sites and greenfield sites), (2) secondary impact (associated with remediation activities at brownfield sites), and (3) tertiary impact (associated with post-remediation usage of the brownfield sites and avoided usage of greenfield land). A quantitative assessment was conducted for the city of San Francisco in the US, a growing city with ambitious carbon reduction plans. City wide contaminated land remediation activities were found to render a significant secondary impact, resulting in increased GHG emission of 3.54 Mt CO2 eq. However, by averting the development of greenfield land, this negative impact was partially off-set by a primary impact reduction of 1.22 Mt CO2 eq. Moreover, the redevelopment of brownfield land offers large tertiary impact reductions due to higher housing density, less utility and road construction needs, shorter commute distances, and smaller household energy consumption. Overall, the results show that brownfield land redevelopment led to a net GHG reduction of 51.9 Mt CO2 eq. over a 70-year period, or 0.74 Mt CO2 yr−1, the equivalent of 14% of San Francisco's 5.3 Mt CO2 eq. GHG emission in 2010. It was found that reduced household electricity and space heating energy consumption and shorter commute distances were the main contributors, accounting for 41.2% and 34.0% of the tertiary impact reduction, respectively. While it is not expected that all cities can fully capture these climate change mitigation benefits, the present study demonstrates a quantification method and emphasizes the large climate change mitigation potential associated with brownfield land redevelopment. Progression of this premise will require regulators and policy makers to better align cities' climate change mitigation strategies with urban planning and development actions.

COMPARISON OF COOLING AND HEATING REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN BRICK VENEER AND FIBRO CEMENT WALLING SYSTEM

Space cooling and heating in residential sector is significant contributor to energy consumption in Australia. Therefore, it is important to reduce the cooling and heating requirements. The selection of a good walling system helps to save energy by homes. This research compared the thermal efficiency of a modern house (constructed using brick veneer walls with concrete floor slab) with an old house (constructed using fibro cement walls raised timber floor) using the AccuRate simulation tool. A standard house with two living rooms, one kitchen, one laundry and four bedrooms are simulated in a Sydney Suburb in Australia. It was found that modern house showed lower inside temperature variation than the old house all year around. The results also showed that the modern house has a lower energy consumption for space heating and cooling than the old house. The annual energy use for space heating and cooling in both the modern house and old house were 5197 kWh and 15,712 kWh respectively. Moreover, the annual energy costs were found to be $1,403 and $4,242 respectively for modern and old houses. The modern brick veneer house saved about 33 % of energy compared to old old house. When the net present value of the energy cost for f both houses over 50 years is computed, the energy cost of modern house was found to be $25,629 while it of old house is was $77,488 for the old house.

A user-centric space heating energy management framework for multi-family residential facilities based on occupant pattern prediction modeling

Space heating is the highest energy consumer in the operation of residential facilities in cold regions. Energy saving measures for efficient space heating operation are thus of paramount importance in efforts to reduce energy consumption in buildings. For effective functioning of space heating systems, efficient facility management coupled with relevant occupant behaviour information is necessary. However, current practice in space heating control is event-driven rather than user-centric, and in most cases relevant occupant information is not incorporated into space heating energy management strategies. This causes system inefficiency during the occupancy phase. For multi-family residential facilities, integrating occupant information within space heating energy management strategies poses several challenges; unlike with commercial facilities, in multi-family facilities occupant behavior does not follow any fixed activity-schedule pattern. In this study, a framework is developed for extracting relevant information about the uncertainties pertaining to occupant patterns (i.e., demand load) in multi-family residential facilities by identifying the factors affecting space heating energy consumption. This is achieved using sensor-based data monitoring during the occupancy phase. Based on the analysis of the monitoring data, a structure is defined for developing an occupant pattern prediction model that can be integrated with energy management strategies to reduce energy usage in multi-family residential facilities. To demonstrate the developed framework, a multi-family residential building in Fort McMurray, Canada, is chosen as a case study. This paper shows that integrating the developed occupant pattern prediction model within space heating energy management strategies can assist facility managers to achieve space heating energy savings in multi-family residential facilities.

Energy Efficiency Analysis in Buildings using Dynamic Simulations

This paper proposes an analysis of factors that have a significant impact on energy efficiency in buildings. Thus, as a first objective proposes an analysis of the impact of rehabilitation and modernization of buildings in view of their energy performance improvement. A second followed objective consisted of the study of some production and use thermal energy systems in order to increase the thermal comfort. Based on a case study, this paper provides the opportunity for comparative analyses both among different insulation materials for buildings and among different heating systems. Determination of energy consumption for space heating and of the building comfort parameters was achieved using dynamic simulations by means of TRNSYS program; it was envisaged that the assessment of energy efficiency in buildings, the design stage or before their rehabilitation, is more economical than finding solutions in the use phase of buildings.

Energy Efficiency Analysis in Buildings using Dynamic Simulations

This paper proposes an analysis of factors that have a significant impact on energy efficiency in buildings. Thus, as a first objective proposes an analysis of the impact of rehabilitation and modernization of buildings in view of their energy performance improvement. A second followed objective consisted of the study of some production and use thermal energy systems in order to increase the thermal comfort. Based on a case study, this paper provides the opportunity for comparative analyses both among different insulation materials for buildings and among different heating systems. Determination of energy consumption for space heating and of the building comfort parameters was achieved using dynamic simulations by means of TRNSYS program; it was envisaged that the assessment of energy efficiency in buildings, the design stage or before their rehabilitation, is more economical than finding solutions in the use phase of buildings.

Pre-assessment Method for Historic Building Stock Renovation Evaluation

Energy retrofit of buildings in Europe is one of the main priorities in order to reach its sustainability goals. Every building retrofit project faces with a decision making process attributed to optimal alternative selection depending on the initial retrofit goals. For each building there may be numerous alternatives which have to be objectively evaluated to meet the needs of involved stakeholders. Therefore it is necessary to develop a set of evaluation criteria tailored to each specific building or group of buildings depending on the replicability of retrofit projects. In the case of historic buildings, the decision making process may become increasingly complex. Therefore there is a necessity to introduce scientifically justified criteria, which are most suitable for each specific building retrofit case. In this paper a historic building construction evaluation method is presented, which provides preliminary overview of the condition at which buildings structures are contained. Together with the building space heating energy consumption analysis, this method provides a pre-assessment methodology for prioritising which historic buildings should be selected for renovation.

Comparison of distributed and centralised integration of solar heat in a district heating system

Ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by EU pose a significant challenge for the member countries. District heating as an efficient solution for heat supply and distribution can play a major part in meeting these targets. One key issue concerning district heating is the integration of renewables. The current study focuses on solar assisted district heating systems.Centralised and distributed solar collectors in an existing district heating system are investigated. The effects of reducing supply temperature are studied in two scenarios. Outdoor dependent supply temperature level (115-80 °C) and low supply temperature level (65 °C) are considered. Both distributed and centralised systems are defined with same investment costs, but different capacities due to differences in unit costs (€/kW). The aim is to study cost-efficient solutions for integrating solar heating an existing district heating system.Heat demand consisting of space heating and domestic hot water consumption, solar collectors and district heating network itself are all modelled by dedicated models in order to provide realistic input for a techno-economic analysis.Investigation is based on a case study of a local district heating system in Finland with an annual heat consumption of 1.2 GWh and a heat demand density of 0.74 MWh/m.

Comparison of Space Heating Energy Consumption of Residential Buildings Based on Traditional and Model-Based Techniques

This paper presents a comparison of different scenarios in controlling the space heating systems in residential buildings. The space heating energy consumption of a three-storey residential building is estimated using traditional control methods (fixed-temperature schedule and fixed-time schedule) and a mathematical model-based control strategy. The model-based control technique takes the usage pattern of the building into account and operates the heaters based on the calculated heating time of the building. The results from the experiments confirm that the use of a model in heating control is the best option, which can save up to 1400 kWh and 320 kWh per year compared to a fixed-temperature schedule and fixed-time schedule, respectively.

Research on the Thermal Environment of Northeast China's Rural Residences

Rural residential energy consumption accounts for 46.6% of total building-related energy consumption of China. In Northeast China, energy consumption for space heating represents a significant proportion of total rural residential energy consumption and has reached 100 million tce (tons of standard coal equivalent), or more than 60% of total household energy consumption. In terms of energy consumption per square meter of gross floor area, rural residential energy consumption for heating is more than that of cities (20kgce/m2). However, the average indoor temperature of most rural residence is below 10°C, much less than that in cities (18°C). Hence, it is an important task for Chinese energy saving and emission reduction to reduce rural residential energy consumption, while enhancing indoor thermal comfort at the same time.Restricted by local technology and low economic level, rural residences currently have poor thermal insulation resulting in severe heat loss. This paper reports on research aimed at developing design strategies for improving thermal insulation properties of rural residences with appropriate technology. A field survey was conducted in six counties in severe cold areas of Northeast China, addressing the aspects of indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, internal and external surface temperature of building envelop enclosure, and so on.The survey data show the following:1. Modern (after 2000) brick-cement rural residences perform much better than the traditional adobe clay houses and Tatou houses (a regional type of rural residence in Northeast China – see figure A) in overall thermal performance and indoor thermal comfort;2. Among the traditional residential house types, adobe clay houses have better heat stability and thermal storage capacity than Tatou houses;3. Applying an internal or external thermal insulation layer can greatly improve rural residential thermal insulation properties, and is an economical and efficient solution in rural areas;4. In terms of roofing materials, tiled roofs show much better thermal insulation properties than thatch roofs;5. Adopting passive solar techniques can form a transition space (greenhouse) against frigid temperatures, resulting in interior temperatures 5.91°C higher than the outside surroundings. It is evident that local passive solar room design offers significant heat preservation effects and lower cost ($12/m2), embodies the ecological wisdom of rural residents, and is therefore important to popularize.The above experimental results can provide guidance in energy conservation design for both self-built residences and rural residences designed by architects. In addition, the results can also provide experimental data for energy-saving studies for rural residences in China.

The Global Warming Potential of Building Materials: An Application of Life Cycle Analysis in Nepal

This paper analyzes the global-warming potential of materials used to construct the walls of 3 building types—traditional, semimodern, and modern—in Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone in Nepal, using the life-cycle assessment approach. Traditional buildings use local materials, mainly wood and stone, while semimodern and modern buildings use different amounts of commercial materials, such as cement and glass wool. A comparison of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the 3 building types, using as the functional unit 1 m2 of wall, found that traditional buildings release about one-fourth of the greenhouse gas emissions released by semimodern buildings and less than one-fifth of the emissions of modern buildings. However, the use of thermal insulation in the modern building walls helps to reduce the energy consumption for space heating and consequently to reduce the global warming potential. In 25 years, the total global warming potential of a traditional building will be 20% higher than that ...