Residential Building Sector Research Articles

Low carbon scenarios for higher thermal comfort in the residential building sector of South Eastern Europe

The paper presents the residential sector building typology, thermal energy balance, and scenarios prepared at several levels of sector segmentation to assist the design of low-carbon development policies for Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro. The research is breakthrough for developing Europe and could be replicated in its countries. The paper describes methodological steps and selected results. First, representative building types were identified; their energy performances by end-use, retrofit packages, as well as associated costs were assessed. Second, this information was inserted into a bottom-up simulation model prepared in the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) software. Using it, sector energy balances, the reference scenario, as well as moderate and advanced low-carbon high-thermal-comfort scenarios were prepared. The low-carbon scenarios assumed ambitious regulatory and financial policies. It was found that due to fuel poverty partial and intermittent heating is a typical situation; therefore, the thermal demand as predicted by the models applied to the different segments of the dwelling stock is much higher than its actual consumption. Also, actual consumption by energy source was found not fitting official energy balances because households use more wood and more heating systems than officially reported. In 2030, the moderate and ambitious scenarios lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 23–73% and 16–73% respectively versus the reference, offering however at the same time higher thermal comfort. The priority is to retrofit small buildings constructed after 1991 in Albania and those built in 1971–1990 in Montenegro and Serbia. Assuming the discount rate of 4% and counting saved energy costs as benefits, almost all scenarios are cost-effective as a whole on the country level, however not for many building categories. Therefore, not only saved energy costs but also other benefits should be monetized and compared to the scenario costs that present the next research opportunity.

Assessment of decarbonisation scenarios for the residential buildings of Serbia

Thermal energy demand in the residential building sector represents a big challenge for Serbia. In order to understand how to reduce this demand, and thereby avoiding GHG gas emissions, a bottom-up simulation model was developed. The model built the business-as-usual and two decarbonization scenarios up to 2030. For each scenario, such results as useful and final energy consumption, associated CO2 emissions, energy costs, investment costs and others were prepared at each level of the building stock segmentation. To develop such a detailed model, the topology of the residential building stock was developed and used as an input. For each individual building type, three retrofit packages of different stringency were analyzed. The paper delivers several important messages for the decarbonization of Serbia. First, it argues that the level of thermal energy services consumed by Serbian households is inadequate to address their needs. Second, the households of Serbia are likely to consume more wood than it was reported by national energy balances. Third, thermal energy efficiency retrofits can significantly reduce household energy demand at the same time as offering higher thermal comfort. However, the required investments are high and therefore benefits beyond energy cost savings should also be considered in order to make the transition to the low energy building stock economically feasible. <br><br><font color="red"><b> This article has been corrected. Link to the correction <u><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/TSCI181228017E">10.2298/TSCI181228017E</a><u></b></font>

Introduction

The focus of this study is to contribute towards both the above-mentioned directions of research. The first aim is to test the sensitivity of the parameters that affect energy consumption and comfort in the residential built environment in a theoretical basis. The second aim is to investigate if it would be possible, with the help of a sensor rich environment, to validate both prevailing models for indoor comfort, the PMV and adaptive model, and explore the dynamics between occupancy behavior, indoor comfort and energy consumption in the built environment. Sensor rich environments in the residential sector are not present yet in large scale; therefore, this study investigates a small, but still significant, sample of dwellings. The aim is not to achieve representativeness for the complete residential building sector but to research if the methodology of using sensors to gather quantitative and subjective data (related to thermal comfort, occupancy behavior, and energy consumption) is promising enough and could lead to potential energy savings without compromising the indoor comfort of occupants.

Nezaměstnanost a analýza nabídky nemovitostí v průběhu 20 a 30 let v Československu

The paper explains the relationship between the unemployment and structure of supply of the real estate market during the 20's and 30 's of 20th century in Czechoslovakia. There are four segments of the real estate market investigated, such as rental, home ownership, farmhouse and residential buildings. Correlations between the unemployment and rental sector and the farmhouse sector were found out. A certain correlation was discovered even between the farmhouse sector and the residential building sector. In the paper, the reasons of this relationship in conditions of the Czechoslovak real estate market are presented.

Energy Demand Reduction in the Residential Building Sector: A Case Study of Korea

This study sought to examine ways of reducing energy demands in the residential building sector by measuring energy usage and associated factors in Bundang District. This District represents the first phase of new towns in the Seoul metropolitan region to implement current polices directed at climate change. The majority of residential buildings in this district were constructed between 1991 and 1995, prior to the announcement of the integrated building design criteria directed at saving energy and intensifying thermal transmittance. The proportion of small households was increased by almost 40% from 2000 to 2010. Further, a number of weather records have been broken in the last two decades. These changes are strongly related to energy consumption patterns and trends; however, current polices, acts, and regulations do not sufficiently address these issues. This study suggests building energy-saving strategies that: (i) improve energy performance in existing buildings; (ii) strengthen building design criteria to address climate change issues, especially in relation to design and construction; and (iii) offer a framework to revitalize Korea’s energy-savings policies.

Analysis of the transition effects of building codes and regulations on the emergence of a low carbon residential building sector

It is now established that energy use in buildings is a significant source of global greenhouse gas emissions and that abatement by the building sector can provide significant social, economic and environmental benefits. This paper examines the application of socio-technical transition theory to the building sector with Australian energy policy as a case study. The relatively high level of local building construction offers significant opportunities for market transition with appropriate policy settings so this national case has international implications. Evolution of building energy efficiency standards through the Australian National Construction Code is scrutinized by benchmarking the building energy code against international best practice. The benchmarking underscores the contribution high performance energy efficient buildings could make to a low carbon transition with appropriate policy settings. Specifically government intervention in the building sector through direct regulation was shown to have substantial potential to effect this transition. Nevertheless, such intervention has proven to be politically controversial in Australia. The paper provides a twofold contribution to research in the domain of building energy policy. Firstly, by making the connection between transition theory and the role of building energy codes; secondly, by demonstrating the practical application and utility of a structured building code benchmarking process.

Preliminary study of thermal comfort in buildings with PV-powered thermoelectric surfaces for radiative cooling

Abstract: In residential and office building sector – especially for space cooling applications – energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) are two main focuses of research and development. In line with both challenges, a novel thermoelectric cooling partition called Thecla is being developed and tested. This local device is part of a personalized environment and uses Peltier elements to provide a cool surface. It works as a heat sink for longwave radiation transmitted from the user’s skin and clothing for direct and individual cooling. As part of ongoing research, a prototype of Thecla is being developed, constructed and examined in a first field study. The concept of radiative cooling with Thecla is evaluated and the positive effect on the thermal sensation and thermal comfort of users is determined.

Experimental analysis of building airtightness in traditional residential Portuguese buildings

It is currently recognized that the residential building sector is one of the largest energy consumers in the world. The energy crisis of the 1970s was important for drawing attention to the subject of energy consumption and the necessity to save energy. The airtightness of buildings is an important factor affecting a building’s energy consumption and also energy-saving potential. On the other hand, the ventilation rate has also a significant effect on indoor air quality and is assumed to be an essential criterion of a building’s performance. However, most of the existing research in this area has been developed in cold climates and there is a research gap with regard to countries in warmer climates such as those close to the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, this research aimed to study the airtightness and ventilation rate of existing buildings by employing in-situ measurements.In-situ measurements were achieved using the fan pressurization test (Blower Door Test) method.According to the selected case studies, the results of the measurements indicate a correlation between building typology, airtightness, and ventilation rate.

Creating a Resource Cadaster—A Case Study of a District in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area

Today, both resource efficiency in general and the efficient use of natural resources specifically in the building sector are major political issues. Recent studies on resource efficiency have found the “anthropogenic stock” of the building sector to outweigh natural resource stocks. To make the anthropogenic stock accessible, material quantities with their individual composition need to be estimated and extrapolated to regional level. A geographical information system (GIS) is used as tool to handle the building specific data and combine them on regional level to calculate the anthropogenic stock. The resulting resource cadaster reflects the material quantities, divided into sixteen material fractions, of a specific residential district in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area—a typical urban area in Germany. The case study area was weighted in total between 103.5 kt and 93 kt, depending on the dataset. This paper offers a step-by-step description of this approach, whereby a consistent dataset was created throughout the process of data collection and validation. In order to demonstrate the broader application of the resource cadaster, the results were extrapolated to the residential building sector of the entire federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In highly concentrated areas, like the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan area, both area-wide classification of material quantities and their regional localization are necessary to make the anthropogenic stock accessible. Information about toxic substances, however, also needs to be included in the process of data collection. This method of mapping could thus provide the foundation for future (re)uses of this stock. This study offers some concrete steps in the direction of achieving a circular economy.

Assessment of Alternative Scenarios for CO2 Reduction Potential in the Residential Building Sector

The South Korean government announced its goals of reducing the country’s CO2 emissions by up to 30% below the business as usual (BAU) projections by 2020 in 2009 and 37% below BAU projections by 2030 in 2015. This paper explores the potential energy savings and reduction in CO2 emissions offered by residential building energy efficiency policies and plans in South Korea. The current and future energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the residential building were estimated using an energy–environment model from 2010 to 2030. The business as usual scenario is based on the energy consumption characteristic of residential buildings using the trends related to socio-economic prospects and the number of dwellings. The alternative scenarios took into account energy efficiency for new residential buildings (scenario I), refurbishment of existing residential buildings (scenario II), use of highly efficient boilers (scenario III), and use of a solar thermal energy system (scenario IV). The results show that energy consumption in the residential building sector will increase by 33% between 2007 and 2030 in the BAU scenario. Maximum reduction in CO2 emissions in the residential building sector of South Korea was observed by 2030 in scenario I. In each alternative scenario analysis, CO2 emissions were 12.9% lower than in the business as usual scenario by the year 2030.

Energy Consumption Attributes in Residential Buildings- A Case Study of Replacing Conventional Electrical Appliances with Energy Efficient Appliances

Increasing world energy demand is resulting in degradation of environment causing global warming, ozone layer depletion, climate change and exhaustion of our nonrenewable energy resources. This paper reviews different studies about energy consumption in residential buildings and different variables influencing the energy consumption. This paper also reviews the potential and challenges uprooting in the usage of renewable energy sources. The payback period in a residential building varied from 213 days to 502 days for 3BHK dwelling and 213 days to 556 days for 2BHK dwelling if various appliances are replaced with energy efficient ones in a case study of Pune (India). Replacing the lighting appliances came out to be most economical in respect of the consumer, while if TV, Fan and Light are replaced, the initial cost increases but reduction in energy consumption is considerable. This study shows retrofitting of old buildings, energy conservative behavior of occupants, motivating and educating people for the use of renewable energy sources and use of energy efficient appliances are found to be the most efficient steps to reduce overall energy consumption by residential building sector.

The trigger matters: The decision-making process for heating systems in the residential building sector

As heat demand of buildings accounts for a significant amount of final energy use and related carbon emissions, it’s important to gain insights into the homeowners’ decision-making processes and to identify factors determining the choice of heating systems. In this study, data was collected in an online survey carried out in 2015, from private homeowners of existing and newly built single and double-family houses in Austria who had invested in a new heating system within the last ten years (N=484). In contrast to previous studies, this study specifically investigates the triggers behind homeowner decisions to invest in a new heating system (e.g. problem, opportunity, or new building situation). Results of binary logistic regression analysis show that subsidies for heating system tabinvestments and infrastructural adjustments reveal to be most effective for homeowners in problem situations to foster alternative heating systems. For homeowners in opportunity situations (e.g. building refurbishment), in addition operational convenience appears to be important. For new buildings, the main barriers for alternative heating system adoption were found in the positive perception of fuel supply security and feasibility of fossil systems. Thus, the use of trigger-specific policy measures is proposed to foster alternative heating systems in the residential building sector.

Cost-effective decarbonization in the EU: an overview of policy suitability

This article seeks to provide an overview of the potential ability of the current EU climate policy suite to deliver a cost-effective, low-carbon transition, based on the sectoral characteristics of such a transition projected by four modelling studies for 2030 and 2050. Assessments are made on a sectoral level, based on theoretical considerations and the empirical literature. In the power generation and industry sectors, reforms to the EU ETS (EU Emission Trading System) are unlikely to achieve their stated objectives; however they are likely to induce abatement commensurate with minimum requirements. A more pressing issue in the power sector is electricity market design, currently incompatible with increasing penetration of renewables. In the industry sector, the continuation of free permit allocation into Phase 4 of the EU ETS is likely to prevent substantial change in the short to medium term. In the residential building and passenger car sectors, practical underachievement despite reported compliance against the targets set by their primary instruments, along with a lack of instrument credibility, long-term clarity and requirements, may prove substantial barriers to achieving required milestones. The presence of non-climate policy instruments that act to dull the effect of the climate policy landscape, or induce perverse financial incentives, is also a significant obstacle.Policy relevanceThis article synthesizes the results of key modelling studies that seek to project pathways for a cost-effective, low-carbon transition, and highlights whether the existing suite of EU-level policy instruments are likely to be suitable for driving the changes required to achieve key milestones in 2030 and 2050, as projected by the modelling results. We summarize the key elements of the policy landscape on a sectoral basis (power generation, heavy industry, passenger car transport and residential buildings), and examine potential effectiveness based on a priori considerations and the empirical literature. As a result, priority elements for policy attention may be distilled.

An Empirical Study of Influencing Factors on Residential Building Energy Consumption in Qingdao City, China

Abstract Residential building sector is one of the major contributors to global electricity energy consumption. Current researches have demonstrated that the residential building energy consumption is determined by many factors, including climate conditions, household and building characteristics, and occupant behavior. However, the extent to which each factor contributes to the total energy consumption has remained unclear, especially in developing countries such as China. To partially answer this question, an empirical study was conducted in five residential real estates in Qingdao city. Questionnaires were distributed to around 500 families, whose electricity consumption from Feb to Aug, 2015 was then collected from local electricity bureaus. Based on the collected data, correlation analysis was performed to exploit the relative role of each factors. Results reveal that occupant behavior is the most important parameter on cooling energy use, compared with household characteristics and urban geometry.

Summer thermal comfort: compliance assessment and overheating prevention in new apartment buildings in Estonia

This study analyses which building parameters contribute the most to overheating in dwellings and which properties will make a room ‘critical’, to be chosen for compliance assessment procedure through temperature simulation, as required in Estonia for new residential buildings. Indoor temperature measurements, conducted in 18 apartments from 16 apartment buildings, show clear evidence of overheating. Compliance assessment of 25 new buildings were conducted using IDA-ICE software. The analysed sample consisted of typical multi-storeyed buildings with mainly massive concrete structures. From the simulated buildings, 68% did not meet the requirements, showing that this relatively new building code requirement was not fully established in practice. Results of the analysis indicate that the requirement in apartment buildings is achievable without cooling, if passive measures are properly applied. Recommendations are given to designers, as well as policy-makers, to improve the situation in the residential building sector.

A model-based assessment of climate and energy targets for the German residential heat system

The residential building sector has an important role to play in the energy transition due to a high share of final energy consumed and a considerable amount of CO2 emitted. Ambitious targets in Germany relate amongst other things to a primary energy reduction of 80% and an increased usage of renewable energy sources in heat supply to 60% in 2050. Existing research in this area both lacks detail in modelling decentralised heat supply in residential buildings and fails to adequately quantitatively analyse this target achievement for Germany. In order to overcome these limitations, a novel model-based approach is presented in which the developed TIMES-HEAT-POWER optimisation model is coupled with a decentralised energy system optimisation model to determine optimal and realistic technology configurations, and a building stock simulation model to adequately and consistently project the evolution of the building stock in Germany. This novel configuration of models is then used to investigate the evolution of the electricity system and the residential heat system in Germany in the context of key energy-political targets up to 2050. The national goals related to primary energy reduction and the share of renewable energy sources in final energy demand in the residential heat sector are missed in the Reference Scenario. On the other hand, target achievement requires deep insulation measures and a supply-side technology shift away from gas and oil boilers towards heat pumps and solar thermal. The scenario analysis reveals a significant sensitivity of the deployment of micro-Combined heat and power technologies (μCHP) and heat pumps to, amongst other things, the evolution of fuel prices, renewable electricity technologies, heat and electricity demand as well as technological progress. Further model extension can be identified inter alia in broadening the system boundaries to integrate further sectors (tertiary, industrial) or incorporating different user categories and decision rationales.

A review on Latvian Historical Building Stock with Heavy Walls

The conservation of historic buildings’ cultural values and the improvement of their energy performance can be perceived as rather contradictory. A thermal insulation cannot always be applied on the exterior surface of external walls. In that case, interior insulation measures should be investigated and currently represent the most difficult retrofit measure in historic buildings. The main objective of this study is to carry out literature review and to examine most commonly found historic building heavy wall types in Latvia, determine their physical properties, classify them by different types, observe and describe main historic building envelope deterioration symptoms and their possible causes. The study shows that historical buildings consume one third of total final heating energy consumed by both residential and non-residential building sector. The study also reveals that historical building external wall hygrothermal properties have not been widely studied in Latvia. This study will serve as basis for development of effective, comprehensive decision guidelines to improve the energy performance of historic buildings by investigating interior insulation measures.

Social acceptance of renewable energy technologies for buildings in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area of Finland

The application of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in the residential building sector requires acceptance of technical solutions by key stakeholders, such as building owners, real-estate developers, and energy providers. The objective of this study is to identify the current status of public perceptions of RETs that are available in the Finnish market and associated influencing factors, such as perceived reliability, investment cost, payback time, and national incentives. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated to the general public in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (n = 246). Social perceptions of building-integrated RETs were evaluated through integration of survey data and Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis (SMAA), which was applied to analyse the robustness of the survey results. The SMAA demonstrated that Finnish residents exhibit broad acceptance of multiple options, rather than preference for a single RET. Solar technologies and ground source heat pumps were the most preferred options and evaluated as very reliable, whereas wind-based technologies and combined heat and power were ranked as the least popular. In general, respondents indicated a strong willingness to financially invest in RETs as a means to reduce their carbon footprint and preferred tax deductions as an incentive to invest in RETs.

Techno-economic performance evaluation of building cooling systems: A study of snow storage and conventional chiller systems

The residential building sector in Canada consumes 17% of the total energy and contributes to 15% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Predominantly, the energy demand for cooling in the residential sector is increasing due to large occupancy floor area and high usage of air-conditioning. Minimizing energy use and associated emissions is one of the highest priority goals set for national energy management strategies in developed countries, including Canada. In this research, a probabilistic feasibility evaluation framework is developed to: i) evaluate the techno-economic performance of different snow storage systems, namely conventional snow storage, watertight snow storage, high-density snow storage, and ii) compare the performance of snow storage systems with the conventional chiller system. The technical and economic performances of all the building cooling system alternatives are evaluated in terms of the coefficient of performance and the total cooling cost per kilowatt-hour at the facility, respectively. Monte-Carlo simulations were performed to address the uncertainties involved in the techno-economic parameters. The framework has also been implemented on a low-rise residential building in Kelowna (British Columbia, Canada) to appraise its practicality. The study results verified that overall snow storage systems are more energy efficient and cost effective options for building cooling systems. This research will support decision-makers in future for selecting sustainable options for building cooling systems.

BIG Solar Graz: Solar District Heating in Graz – 500,000 m2 for 20% Solar Fraction

District heating (DH) became a central technology for providing heat and hot water in the residential and service building sector of the city of Graz over the years. It covers with approximately 1000 GWh/a (in 2013) 39% of the overall heat demand and is planned to be extended extensively in the coming years. Current heat generation for Graz is mainly from waste heat from fossil fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants in and nearby Graz. The operator of these plants announced their closure in 2020 due to low electricity prices in the European market (gas plants) and due to maturity (coal plants). Thus vanished 80% of heat production need to be replaced. Therefore, in 2014 the Graz city senate constituted a project team to find various options for providing heat for DH in Graz and its surrounding communities for 2020/30. One promising concept is a large scale solar thermal system including seasonal storages and heat pumps. The local energy provider agreed to carry out a feasibility of such a large-scale solar thermal power plant in order to analyze its potential in detail, whereas first results of this study are presented within the present paper. The purpose of the feasibility is to determine the optimum size of the solar system to be best integrated in the future district heating system. The feasibility study includes the investigation of appropriate areas for collectors and storages, the design of a technical concept using dynamic simulation, an economical evaluation and the investigation of legal issues. The price to be compared with is the heat production cost from gas boilers. First results show the best feasibility of the system between 150,000 m2 and 650,000 m2, providing 9 to 26% solar fraction of district heat demand. While the study is ongoing first results show a high potential for the large scale solar system being a feasible concept for the urban district heating of Graz. Further in depth simulations will be done after all relevant parameters have been clarified in detail. Thereby economical optimization and the definition of the final dimensions of the whole system will be done.