Residential Building Sector Research Articles

Control-Oriented Thermal Modeling of Multizone Buildings: Methods and Issues: Intelligent Control of a Building System

The residential and commercial building sector is known to use around 40% of the total end-use energy and, hence, is considered to be the largest energy consumer sector in the world [1]. Approximately half of this energy is used for heating/cooling, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), and this usage is increasing 0.5?5% per year in developed countries [2]. The distribution of energy use percentages within the building for the United States is shown in Figure 1. This trend is similar for the rest of the world.

Sustainability evaluation framework for building cooling systems: a comparative study of snow storage and conventional chiller systems

In Canada, the residential building sector consumes 17 % of the total energy and 15 % of the total greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the energy demand for cooling in the residential sector is increasing due to the large occupancy floor area and high usage of air conditioning. Minimizing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions is one of the highest priority goals set for national energy management strategies in developed countries including Canada. In this study, a framework based on the life cycle assessment approach is developed to assess the environmental impacts of different building cooling systems, namely conventional snow storage system, watertight snow storage system, high-density snow storage system, and the conventional chiller cooling system. Moreover, all these systems have varying energy requirements and associated environmental impacts during different phases (extraction and construction, utilization, and end of life) of the life cycle of a building. A low-rise residential building in Kelowna (BC, Canada) has been selected for the pragmatic application of the proposed framework. The annual cooling energy demand for the building is estimated for different phases. Subsequently, the life cycle impact assessment has been carried out using SimaPro 8.1 software and TRACI 2.1 method. For sustainability evaluation of different cooling systems over their life cycle, multi-criteria decision analysis has been employed using the ‘Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE II).’ The results showed that the snow storage systems tend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and associated environmental impacts more than the conventional system.

An attempt to achieve efficient energy design for High-Income Houses in Egypt

Abstract Taking into consideration the economic status in Egypt in recent years, especially the investment sector will demonstrate the enormous increase in the residential buildings sector, which created massive energy consumption that never was in proportion with the growth in generated power in Egypt. As the residential sector consumes around 42.3% of the total energy used in Egypt, one of the main factors that waste that energy is artificial lighting and electric ventilation. Meanwhile, the architects who design those building never pay the enough attention to the energy in the design process. This paper tackles many strategies for the environmental control of building designs besides showing that now, it is essential to take into consideration energy performance efficiency and the compatibility of the building with the environment by optimizing the design of the building envelope elements such as a window to wall ratio (WWR), the glazing type. This paper will not cover the details of construction and structure, but it sheds light on many guidelines to help to raise the thermal and environmental quality of the envelope of the building. A computer-based simulation tool (Autodesk Ecotect) was used to measure current building energy and lighting performance in one of the modern cities like Madenaty city. By the end of this study, some of the characteristics of the building envelope will be concluded like the window wall ratio in the aim to reduce the energy waste in the case study, as well as the different criteria of designing process for residential buildings in Egypt in the near future.

Modeling methodology of the heating energy consumption and the potential reductions due to thermal improvements of staggered block buildings

Understanding of the buildings energy performance at the city level is necessary in order to form a city energy planning policy and make a strategic decision on which buildings should be thermally improved. Energy modeling of the building sector is methodology that estimates energy consumption in buildings and simulates the effects of energy efficiency improvements of building envelopes and systems. In this paper engineering bottom-up method was used for modeling the heating energy consumption of a multi-family residential building sector built before 2012 in the city of Kragujevac in Serbia. The first part of methodology presents the criteria based on which a multi-family residential building sector of the city was described and building types were defined. The second part of methodology investigates the selection of the real buildings, their modeling and heating energy consumption simulation. The modeling method was performed on staggered block buildings constructed between 1981 and 1990, and estimated heating energy consumption was compared to measured consumption. After the simulation of different thickness of polystyrene thermal insulation additions to external walls and simulation of the new windows installation, the reductions of the total annual heating energy consumption were obtained.

Green buildings for Egypt: a call for an integrated policy

ABSTRACTAs global warming is on the threshold of each country worldwide, Middle East and North African (MENA) region has already adopted energy efficiency (EE) policies on several consuming sectors. The present paper valuates the impact of temperature increase in the residential building sector of Egypt that is the most integrated example of the 7 out of the 20 MENA countries that have started their green efforts upon building environment. Furthermore, as it is based on a literature research upon socio-economic characteristics, existing building stock, existing legal and institutional framework, it elaborates a quantitative evaluation of Egypt's energy-saving potential, outlining basic constraints upon energy conservation, in order for Egypt to be able to handle the high energy needs due to its warm climate. Last but not least, the paper proposes a policy pathway for the implementation of green building codes and concludes with the best available technologies to promote EE in the Egyptian building sector.

Impact of subsidization on high energy performance designs for Kuwaiti residential buildings

In this paper, the impact of heavily subsidized energy prices is evaluated for the residential building sector in Kuwait. The analysis compares the impact on both the Kuwaiti government and households of the existing building Energy Conservation Code of Practice as well as of a more stringent energy efficiency code. The stringent code is developed using an optimized life cycle cost analysis approach based on a wide range of design and operating energy efficiency measures suitable for Kuwaiti residential buildings. Specific policies are suggested and discussed to improve the energy performance of residential buildings while reduce the financial burden associated with the high energy subsidies. The analysis indicates that both households and the government would benefit from a stringent energy efficiency codes even under the current highly subsidized energy prices. Moreover, it is found that by doubling the electricity prices relative to the current levels and establishing a rebate program to cover the implementation costs of the energy efficiency measures required by a more stringent building energy efficient code, both the Kuwaiti government and the households would benefit. The energy bills would be reduced by 21% for the households while the energy subsidies incurred by the Kuwaiti government would be lowered by 28% relative to the current policy. The expenses associated with financing the energy efficiency program can be recovered within 2 years due to the income from the increase in electricity prices.

Energy and Cost Analyses of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Microgeneration Systems for Different Climate Zones of Turkey

The environmental and energy problems that have arisen in Turkey because of the dramatically increase in energy consumption require the implementation of energy efficiency and microgeneration measures in the building sector which is the main sector of primary energy consumption. Since Turkey is highly dependent on exported energy resources, the basic energy policy approach is based on providing the supply security. In this regard, supporting for in situ energy production, encouraging the use of renewable energy sources and the systems such as microgeneration systems in order to meet the energy requirements of buildings would be considered as a key measure for resolving the energy related challenges of Turkey and dealing with the sustainability issues. Turkey’s geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of most of the renewable energy sources such as especially solar energy. However, this huge solar energy potential is not being used sufficiently in residential building sector which is responsible for the great energy consumption of Turkey. Therefore, this paper aims to introduce a study which investigates, on a life cycle basis, the environmental and the economic sustainability of solar Photovoltaic (PV) microgenerators to promote the implementation of this system as an option for the renovation of existing residential buildings in Turkey. In this study, main parameters which were related to the distribution of modules to be installed in flat roofs and facades and the evaluation of the PV systems were taken into account. The effect of these parameters on energy generation of PV systems was analyzed in a case study considering different climate zones of Turkey; and the decrease in the existing energy consumption of the reference building was calculated.

Reducing Ontario’s new single-family residential heating energy consumption by 80% by 2035: economic analysis of a tiered framework of performance targets

Growing environmental consciousness and rising energy prices have emphasized the need for substantial energy savings in the single-family residential building sector. To achieve this, more stringent performance requirements are needed. The intent of this work is to develop a framework and preliminary policy implementation strategy to achieve an 80% reduction in heating energy consumption by 2035 for newly constructed single-family dwellings across Ontario (Canada). A tiered framework of heating energy consumption targets was developed using current (2012) Ontario building code requirements as the baseline and building enclosure/HVAC requirements estimated as necessary to achieve the Passive House Standard in Ontario’s two climate zones. An Ontario based large track homebuilder estimated construction capital costs for each tier to examine potential cost barriers against implementation. A significant cost premium of over $65 000 (CAD) (54%) exists between the baseline consumption and the overall 80% heating energy reduction target; a result of unfamiliarity and lack of experience designing and constructing to the proposed levels. This research concludes a large gap exists between early adopters and the mainstream construction industry in terms of super-insulated house construction.

Building Renovation: Which Kind of Guidelines could be Proposed for Policy Makers and Professional Owners?

IEA IBC Annex 56 methodology provides the basis for the assessment and evaluation of energy related renovation options of residential building stock, first and foremost with respect to cost, energy use and carbon emissions. Furthermore, it allows also for a broader approach going beyond cost effective reduction of carbon emissions and energy use by taking into account co-benefits achieved in a renovation process. Besides impact indicators for primary energy use, carbon emissions and costs it also provides a methodological framework for integrating at least embodied energy use for renovation measures as part of a lifecycle impact assessment. The methodology and resulting fundamentals for renovation standards have to be applicable to different climatic and country specific situations. The Guideline for policy makers proposed by the Annex 56 gives useful information and suggestions to the drafting of legislative and administrative measures, at the national or local level, for reducing the amount of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in renovation of residential buildings.The reachable saving targets must be defined in agreement with the actors in the energy market, as the owners and / or the managers of buildings, but policy makers must be aware of their responsibility in defining cost effective levels for nearly zero energy or emissions building renovation, using a life cycle perspective, and the relevance of preparing adequate financial packages to support ambitious levels for building renovation. Furthermore, the Guideline for professional owners shall report outlines key drivers for building retrofit and use and the resulting impacts on energy consumption. This Guideline shall describe building and energy efficiency trends specific to the residential building sectors.

Embodied and operational energy in buildings on 20 Norwegian dairy farms – Introducing the building construction approach to agriculture

Embodied energy in barns is found to contribute to about 10–30% of total energy use on dairy farms. Nevertheless, research on sustainability of dairy farming has largely excluded consideration of embodied energy. The main objectives of this study were to apply an established model from the residential and commercial building sector and estimate the amount of embodied energy in the building envelopes on 20 dairy farms in Norway. Construction techniques varied across the buildings and our results showed that the variables which contributed most significantly to levels of embodied energy were the area per cow-place, use of concrete in walls and insulation in concrete walls. Our findings are in contrast to the assumption that buildings are similar and would show no significant differences. We conclude that the methodology is sufficiently flexible to accommodate different building design and use of materials, and allows for an efficient means of estimating embodied energy reducing the work compared to a mass material calculation. Choosing a design that requires less material or materials with a low amount of embodied energy, can significantly reduce the amount of embodied energy in buildings.

국가 통계에 기초한 주택부문의 에너지효율 지표 산정 연구

Energy is essential resource to modern society and is a key in determining whether or not sustainable development. In the energy consumption of buildings in Korea, the building sector accounts for 18.2% of a total energy consumption. The purpose of this study was to computed the energy efficiency indicator of residential building sector using national statistics as indicator factors for building energy policy. Energy efficiency indicator are composed of an energy consumption as numerator and an activity data from national statistics as denominator. National statistics data in this study were energy consumption statistic, GDP, population, number of household & house, number of residential building mass and floor area. This study proposed that house unit-based indicator (toe/house) and floor area unit-based indicator () were useful as the energy efficiency indicator for residential building sector. These indicators can be used as a time-series trend analysis and energy efficiency criteria. Energy intensity per house unit was 1.4toe/house in 2012 and it showed a high reduction rate of 35.1% during the analysis period. Energy intensity per floor area was in 2012 and was reduced by 55% for 1996. The graphs and charts show that the time-series trend of these energy efficiency indicator has been consistently low.

Formula omitted]-abatement cost of residential heat pumps with active demand response: demand- and supply-side effects

Heat pumps are widely recognized as a key technology to reduce CO2 emissions in the residential building sector, especially when the electricity-generation system is to decarbonize by means of large-scale introduction of renewable electric power generation sources. If heat pumps would be installed in large numbers in the future, the question arises whether all building types show equal benefits and thus should be given the same priority for deployment. This paper aims at answering this question by determining the CO2-abatement cost of installing a heat pump instead of a condensing gas boiler for residential space heating and domestic hot-water production. The electricity system, as well as the building types, are based on a possible future Belgian setting in 2030 with high RES penetration at the electricity-generation side. The added value of this work compared to the current scientific literature lies in the integrated approach, taking both the electricity-generation system and a bottom up building stock model into account. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the possible benefits of active demand response in this framework. The results show that the main drivers for determining the CO2-abatement cost are the renovation level of the building and the type of heat pump installed. For thoroughly insulated buildings, an air-coupled heat pump combined with floor heating is the most economic heating system in terms of CO2-abatement cost. Finally, performing active demand response shows clear benefits in reducing costs. Substantial peak shaving can be achieved, making peak capacity at the electricity generation side superfluous, hence lowering the overall CO2-abatement cost.

A MULTIPLE CRITERIA DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE THICKNESS OF A THERMO-INSULATION LAYER AND ITS PAYBACK PERIOD OF THE EXTERNAL WALL

A case study provides the correlation analysis of the thickness of the thermo-insulation layer (expanded polystyrene – EPS70) of the typical details of the external wall and energy performance class in a modern newly constructed residential low-energy building (one and two-room apartment). The conducted analysis focused on what impact different geographical areas of building construction and different energy performance classes of the building may had on the thickness of the thermo-insulation layer. Lithuania was chosen as the object of this study. Calculations were carried out in seven towns, including Vilnius, Klaipeda, Kaunas, Siauliai, Panevezys, Utena and Dukstas. According to requirements for legal acts passed in the Republic of Lithuania and to Directive 2010/31/EU (2010), as a result, the necessary thickness of thermo-insulation layers (EPS70) and a payback period were calculated. A multiple criteria decision support system for analyzing the correlation between the thickness of the thermo-insulation layer and its payback period of the external wall (DSS-ACTILPW) consisting of a database, a database management system, a model-base, a model-base management system and a user interface was developed. Information on the performed analysis is important to building designers, energy consumption auditors and investment experts who make the final decisions on energy efficiency of buildings in the residential building sector.

Global sensitivity analysis of an energy–economy model of the residential building sector

In this paper, we discuss the results of a sensitivity analysis of Res-IRF, an energy–economy model of the demand for space heating in French dwellings. Res-IRF has been developed for the purpose of increasing behavioral detail in the modeling of energy demand. The different drivers of energy demand, namely the extensive margin of energy efficiency investment, the intensive one and building occupants, behavior are disaggregated and determined endogenously. The model also represents the established barriers to the diffusion of energy efficiency: heterogeneity of consumer preferences, landlord–tenant split incentives and slow diffusion of information. The relevance of these modeling assumptions is assessed through the Morris method of sensitivity analysis, which allows for the exploration of uncertainty over the whole input space. We find that the Res-IRF model is most sensitive to energy prices. It is also found to be quite sensitive to the factors parameterizing the different drivers of energy demand. In contrast, inputs mimicking barriers to energy efficiency have been found to have little influence. These conclusions build confidence in the accuracy of the model and highlight occupants' behavior as a priority area for future empirical research.

Customer-side electricity load management for sustainable manufacturing systems utilizing combined heat and power generation system

Customer-side electricity load management can effectively improve the reliability of electricity grid and reduce the cost of electricity for customers. Combined heat and power (CHP) generation systems have been considered a promising method to implement electricity load management and have been widely applied in commercial and residential building sectors. Recently, the benefit of CHP application in electricity load management in industrial sector has also been gradually recognized. On-site generated electricity by a CHP system can be utilized to support the operation of industrial equipment and thus the cost of electricity purchased from the grid can be reduced. In this paper, we focus on the utilization of CHP in electricity load management for industrial manufacturing systems to examine the benefits regarding cost savings for the manufacturers. The optimal schedule for both the manufacturing and the CHP systems under a Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity tariff can be identified by minimizing the electricity billing cost and CHP operation cost under the constraint of production throughput. Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) formulation is developed to model this scheduling problem mathematically. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used to find a near optimal solution for the problem with a reasonable computational cost. A numerical case study is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Pro-environmental Households and Energy Efficiency in Spain

The residential building sector is a major driver of current and future energy consumption and associated emissions, which can be potentially mitigated through significant energy-efficiency (EE) improvements in both emerging and developed countries. Yet, there are several persistent barriers that hinder the attainment of EE improvements in this area. Using data from a 2008 national representative survey of Spanish households, this paper is interested in the determinants of EE-related decisions. In particular, a discrete-choice model empirically analyzes whether pro-environmental households are more likely to invest in EE and to adopt daily energy-saving habits. We show that households with eco-friendly behaviors are more likely to investment in well-differentiated EE measures as well as to steer daily habits towards energy savings. However, no effects are found for households with environmental attitudes based on stated willingness to pay to protect the environment. In addition to this, households belonging to higher income groups and education levels are more likely to invest in EE but not to adopt energy-saving habits; while households with older members are less likely to invest in EE and show fewer eco-friendly habits.

Individual Choice in a Residential Building & Heating Model An Application Case for Germany

In Germany and other Central and Northern European countries, energy demand for space heating dominates the energy demand of households. In line with European and national energy efficiency and emission reduction objectives, policy makers have identified the residential building sector potentials for the achieving of reduction targets. This paper presents an extended logit model approach for the residential heating market with special regard to the development of the built environment and the heating system choice. A policy as usual scenario for Germany is calculated as an application example to evaluate the likeliness of target achievement for the heating market, its energy demand and associated emissions.

Energy development in Nigeria and the need for strategic energy efficiency practice scheme for the residential building sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek ways to improve energy efficiency in the residential building sector of Nigeria. This is necessary so as to promote a wider scope of energy efficiency practice in order to reduce energy demand on the central power supply of the nation and as well-attain reasonable level of energy security. Design/methodology/approach – However, the objective of the study is to propose a strategic plan (scheme) of energy efficiency practice for the housing sector of the Nigerian economy. To accomplish this task, a review of the main issues of energy efficiency; the current energy situation in Nigeria; and the challenges to implementing energy efficiency in the country was undertaken. Findings – Finally, remedial measures to achieving energy efficiency in the Nigerian households were proffered by the provision of a “strategic scheme” to be accomplished by the government and the housing stakeholders. Research limitations/implications – It is evident that a strategic plan or framework must be put in place in order to overcome the challenges of energy efficiency in the residential building sector. And this framework is to adequately address the issues of design practice, the efficiency of appliances in use and the housing occupant behaviour. Practical implications – The main goal is the attainment of energy-efficient households in Nigeria through the application of EE practice strategies. Originality/value – The study highlights on the energy development level of the country. It has also identified the numerous barriers as well as the principal actors to achieving energy-efficient households in Nigeria. After all, the suggested “plan of action” as provided in the scheme is to serve as a benchmark and reference point to the government, the housing stakeholders as well as the housing occupant for the attainment of energy efficiency.

Evaluating the level of stakeholder involvement during the project planning processes of building projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the current level of stakeholder involvement during the project's planning process. Stakeholders often provide the needed resources and have the ability to control the interaction and resource flows in the network. They also ultimately have strong impact on an organisation's survival, and therefore appropriate management and involvement of key stakeholders should be an important part of any project management plan.A series of literature reviews was conducted to identify and categorise significant phases involved in the planning. For data collection, a questionnaire survey was designed and distributed amongst nearly 200 companies who were involved in the residential building sector in Australia. Results of the analysis demonstrate the engagement levels of the four stakeholder groups involved in the planning process and establish a basis for further stakeholder involvement improvement.

Pro-Environmental Households and Energy Efficiency in Spain

The residential building sector is a major driver of current and future energy consumption and associated emissions, which can be potentially mitigated through significant energy-efficiency (EE) improvements in both emerging and developed countries. Yet, there are several persistent barriers that hinder the attainment of EE improvements in this area. Using data from a 2008 national representative survey of Spanish households, this paper is interested in the determinants of EE-related decisions. In particular, a discrete-choice model empirically analyzes whether pro-environmental households are more likely to invest in EE and to adopt daily energy-saving habits. We show that households with eco-friendly behaviors are more likely to investment in well-differentiated EE measures as well as to steer daily habits towards energy savings. However, no effects are found for households with environmental attitudes based on stated willingness to pay to protect the environment. In addition to this, households belonging to higher income groups and education levels are more likely to invest in EE but not to adopt energy-saving habits; while households with older members are less likely to invest in EE and show fewer eco-friendly habits.