Application of renewable energy sources and new building technologies for the Philippine single family detached house

Abstract

The Philippine residential sector consumes a large percentage of the country's generated electricity, and the price of electricity there is one of the highest in Asia. With a government program in renewable energy utilization and energy efficiency, the development of energy efficient houses is important. This paper presents a numerical investigation on how to minimize the house's energy consumption, and the results show that a house's electricity consumption can be supported by the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on its rooftop. A solar thermal collector with an auxiliary biomass water heater could support the hot water requirement of the house. The desiccant dehumidification system combined with evaporative and ground cooling systems can keep the house's indoor temperature below 27°C with a humidity ratio of less than 11 g/kg year-round. Energy conservation measures such as additional insulation of a concrete house, unplugging of unused electrical appliances and application of light-emitting diode lighting are important to reduce electric energy consumption. The application of new building technologies is having a positive impact on a building's energy consumption and indoor environment conditions. The results of this study are important for the Philippine program in alternative energy utilization and energy efficiency.

CFD Evaluation on the Pre- and Post- Renovation, and Windows and Doors Opening, of a Typical, Walled, Detached Family House in the Philippines

“…The outdoor temperature of the country is hot and humid, typical of the tropical climate. The outdoor temperature and humidity are high, which results in a need for ventilation and air-conditioning, both natural and artificial, to maintain thermal comfort [2].…”

“…Space cooling and air-conditioning systems are the second largest consumers of household electricity after refrigeration [2]. In the Philippines, most of the houses of middle to upper class families are made of concrete with corrugated sheet steel roofing.…”

“…In the Philippines, most of the houses of middle to upper class families are made of concrete with corrugated sheet steel roofing. Normally, houses in the Philippines are not insulated, as is typical in tropical houses; thus, the indoor thermal environment is affected by the changing outdoor weather conditions [2]. Most family houses of middle to upper class families utilize an air-conditioning system to maintain indoor thermal comfort.…”

“…In hot and humid tropical climates, some studies and regulations are considering the usage of natural ventilation to minimize energy consumption [12][13][14][15][16]. In the Philippines, the detailed design and analysis of residential buildings and houses, taking into consideration natural ventilation, is not currently considered due to shortcomings in regulations and understanding in the field [2,17].…”

“…Hence, this study is a pioneering step to improve house design in the tropical Philippines to increase the natural ventilation and air circulation and to minimize the usage of mechanical air-circulators and air-conditioning systems. With this, household energy consumption for mechanical air-circulators and air-conditioning systems will be reduced by using passive methods, as around 23% of household energy consumption is for space cooling and air-conditioning [1,2].…”