Refine
Document Type
- Part of a Book (2)
- Conference Proceeding (1)
Has Fulltext
- no (3)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (3)
Keywords
- Architekturdebatte (1)
- Bauform (1)
- Eigene Methodik (1)
- Energiebewusstes Bauen (1)
- Energieeffizienz (1)
- Gestaltoptimierung (1)
- Nachhaltigkeit (1)
- Niedrigenergiehaus (1)
- Nullenergiehaus (1)
- Passivhaus (1)
Department/institution
Net Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEBs) have received increased attention in recent years as a result of constant concerns for energy supply constraints, decreasing energy resources, increasing energy costs and rising impact of greenhouse gases on world climate. Promoting whole, building strategies that employ passive measures with energy efficient systems and technologies using renewable energy, became a European political strategy since the publication of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive recast in May 2010 by the European Parliament and Council. Designing successful NZEBs however, represents a challenge since the definitions are yet generic assessment method and monitoring approach are under development and the literature is relatively scarce about the best sets of solutions for different typologies and climates likely to deliver an actual and reliable performance in terms of energy balance (consumed vs generated) on a cost-effective basis. Beside this, the lessons learned from already built NZEBs examples are relatively scarce. The authors of this paper, who are participants in the IEA SHC Task 40-ECBCS Annex 52, “Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings”, are willing to share insights from on-going research work on some best practice leading NZEBs residential buildings. Although there is no standard approach for designing a Net Zero-Energy Building (there are many different possible combinations of passive and efficient active measures, utility equipment and on-site energy generation technologies able to achieve the net-zero energy performance), a close examination of the chosen strategies and the relative performance indicators of the selected case studies reveal that it is possible to achieve zero-energy performance using well known strategies adjusted accordingly to balance climate driven-demand for space heating/cooling, lighting, ventilation and others energy uses with climate-driven supply from renewable energy resources.
The energy topic has become increasingly important in architecture: since buildings are big consumers of energy and architects and the public are interested in energy as never before. [Scognamiglio 2008] The Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) [EU 2010] establishes that starting from 31st December 2020 all new buildings have to be Nearly Zero Energy. The main architectural implication for this condition is that if up until now the domain of design was the building itself, now it is the building and possibly other spaces, that have to be conceived for placing the energy generation devices. Photovoltaics (PV) is particularly suited for reaching the (Nearly) Net ZEB status, due to its technical features, the existing knowledge on how to use PV in buildings, and since it is the easiest and most reliable way to get the (Nearly) Net Zero Energy objectives. [Torcellini 2006] A relevant international effort on the subject of the Net Zero Energy Buildings (Net ZEBs) - Net ZEB meaning that the buildings are connected to an energy infrastructure - is ongoing in the International Energy Agency (IEA), joint Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Task 40 and Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems (ECBCS) Annex 52, titled “Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings” [IEA 2008a]. The authors of this paper, all participating in the IEA research group, investigate how the use of PV for Net ZEBs can influence the building’s design, taking into account different building typologies (e. g. new ones vs. existing ones, listed buildings, etc.). Similarities and differences between PV and Solar Thermal (ST) are discussed, too. The paper results in defining some architectural issues for using PV in NZEBs design, which implie to re-think the way buildings are designed.