A New Method for Contrasting Energy Performance and Near-Zero Energy Building Requirements in Different Climates and Countries

Abstract

In this study a robust method enabling one to compare the energy performance in different climates was developed. Derived normalization factors allow "to move" the building from one climate to another with corresponding changes in heating, cooling, and electric lighting energy. Degree days, solar-air temperature and economic insulation thickness were used to normalize space heating and cooling needs. Solar-air temperature based degree days resulted in 5% accuracy in space heating and dry-bulb air temperature based cooling degree days were trustworthy in cooling need normalization. To overcome the limitation of the same thermal insulation in all climates, an economic insulation thickness was applied. Existing and nearly zero energy requirements were contrasted in four countries with a reference office building to analyze the impacts of climate and national regulation on primary energy use. By applying standard energy calculation input data and primary energy factors from European standards to buildings with national technical solutions, nearly zero energy building requirements comparison with European Commission benchmarks was possible to conduct. Generally, in Central and North Europe comparison, national input data caused much more difference than the climate.

Design and integration of heat pumps for nZEB in IEA HPT Annex 49

“…Thus, a lower primary energy value is not necessarily an indicator of a higher ambition level on a normalised basis across different climate and calculation boundary conditions [7]. Within the Annex 49 the residential building described in the Reference framework [8] is simulated in order to develop and evaluate a methodology for residential buildings to determine and compare the ambition level in the participating countries. Thereby, different simulation programs are used, as TRNSYS, IDA-ICE and Matlab-Simulink.…”

Lighting Control Including Daylight and Energy Efficiency Improvements Analysis

“…As mentioned in the previous section, BACS are more and more often considered not only as a tool providing better control of a building's infrastructure devices, users' comfort and security, but as a platform for energy management, providing additional energy savings as well. Moreover, the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) 2010/31/EU [35,36], in line with the Directive 2012/27/EU [37] as well as the Energy Roadmap 2050 [38], promotes the implementation of smart home and building technologies to reduce energy consumption in both residential and non-residential buildings. Modern BACS offer a lot of control and monitoring functions dedicated to various kinds of devices, subsystems, and services in buildings.…”

How to compare energy performance requirements of Japanese and European office buildings

“…Aiming to transfigure the heating and cooling needs in buildings from one climate region to another are also surrounded by many uncertainties. Solar air temperature based heating degree-days (HDD) was used in order to determine the heating and cooling needs when a building moved from France to Estonia [6]. The accuracy of normalisation and the correction factors was increased by accounting the solar heat in addition to the dry bulb temperature [6].…”

“…Solar air temperature based heating degree-days (HDD) was used in order to determine the heating and cooling needs when a building moved from France to Estonia [6]. The accuracy of normalisation and the correction factors was increased by accounting the solar heat in addition to the dry bulb temperature [6]. The main drawback of this method was that it kept the same insulation level in both climates, which is usually not the case [6].…”