Cost-optimal energy performance measures in a new daycare building in cold climate

Abstract

New municipal service buildings must be energy effective, and cost-optimality is one of the criteria for selecting the suitable energy performance improvement measures. A daycare building in a cold climate was studied by means of simulation-based, multiobjective optimization. Using a genetic algorithm, both target energy use and life-cycle cost of the selected measures were minimized. It was found that extensive insulation of the building envelope is not a cost-optimal method to reduce the daycare building energy use. Improving energy efficiency of the ventilation system, utilizing solar energy on-site and employing a light control strategy are preferable ways of improving the building energy performance. Ground-source heat pump is a more cost-optimal heating system for the daycare building than district heating. The cost-optimal sizing of the heat pump is small, only 28% of the required maximum heating power.

Energy Performance, Indoor Air Quality and Comfort in New Nearly Zero Energy Day-care Centres in Northern Climatic Conditions

“…The designed delivered energy use in Finnish day care center 2 was 71 kWh/(m 2 •K). Sankelo et al (2018) showed that with the similar initial investment cost it would be possible to reach to much lower energy use and cost optimal levels for day-care centres lie on 35 -40 kWh/(m 2 •K) for buildings with GSHP and 70 -80 kWh/(m 2 •K) for buildings with district heating.…”

Cost and Energy Reduction of a New nZEB Wooden Building

“…Sankelo et al [16] showed that a highly insulated building envelope is not a cost-optimal energy performance measure; rather, improvement of the ventilation system, onsite use of solar energy, and employing a light control strategy are preferable ways of improving the building energy performance. Michelsson et al [17] analysed alternative energy-saving design concepts for a typical, new, detached house design in Finland and showed that the payback period is the shortest for air source heat pumps.…”

Energy Analysis and Energy Planning for Kindergartens Based on Data Analysis

“…In Finland, where has similar climatic condition with Norway, the energy use variation of both heating and electricity can be high up to 10-fold between the least and most energy-efficient daycare buildings [16]. It proves important and meaningful to develop average and representative energy profile for one building type for future energy planning.…”