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Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2020) | Viewed by 24007

Special Issue Editors

1. nZEB Research Group, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
2. Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, PO Box 12100 FI-00076 Aalto, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Interests: energy performance and indoor climate analysis of buildings and systems; low energy and nearly zero energy buildings; microbial growth and moisture safety aspects in buildings; innovative HVAC and energy systems and building simulation; technical definitions for NZEB buildings and energy calculation frames for regulation; sustainability assessment criteria and methods for buildings and construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
1. Department of Civil Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
3. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: heat transfer; theoretical modeling; building simulation; energy performance; thermal comfort; indoor air quality; statistical analysis; energy benchmarking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to developments in low energy and zero energy buildings and in major renovations. Articles dealing with new low energy, nearly zero energy (NZEB), zero energy ready, zero energy, plus energy, and other high performing buildings, as well as with deeply integrated energy renovations are welcomed. The topics to be covered may include but are not limited to the following: energy performance predictions and measurements, performance of HVAC and other technical systems, calculation methodologies, cost optimality, national requirements, and ventilation and indoor climate analyses in buildings. In the background of this issue are NZEB requirements recently adopted in EU Member States, as well as similar developments in Japan, the US, and other countries. NZEB definitions, system boundaries, performance levels, and energy calculation input data show no consensus on a European level, indicating a need for benchmarking and future harmonization. This confusion calls for comparisons and analyses to find out which countries have set the most stringent requirements leading to the best possible energy performance. Evidence-based experience from deep renovation – which technical solutions and renovation schemes have worked and which ones have not – is highly important for EU Member States currently preparing long-term renovation strategies that are expected to substantially increase renovation volumes and are needed for the implementation of the revised EPBD directive. It is well known that energy performance goes hand in hand with indoor climate, and is stressed by the fact that the specification of adequate ventilation and comfort levels is the responsibility of Member States, this calls for comparative analyses on how well indoor environmental quality (IEQ) criteria is set nationally and how good IEQ is achieved in practice in new high performing and deeply renovated buildings. Benchmarking, assessment of technical solutions needed for NZEB, performance analyses, and energy flexibility measures are some examples of topics that are highly welcome in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jarek Kurnitski
Dr. Andrea Ferrantelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Energy performance
  • HVAC systems
  • Indoor climate
  • Ventilation
  • Nearly zero energy buildings
  • Energy
  • calculation methodologies
  • Energy requirements
  • Cost optimality
  • Deep renovation

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4592 KiB  
Article
PI Parameter Influence on Underfloor Heating Energy Consumption and Setpoint Tracking in nZEBs
by Tuule Mall Kull, Martin Thalfeldt and Jarek Kurnitski
Energies 2020, 13(8), 2068; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13082068 - 21 Apr 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2557
Abstract
In rooms with underfloor heating (UFH), local on–off controllers most often regulate the air temperature with poor accuracy and energy penalties. It is known that proportional–integral (PI) controllers can regulate most processes more precisely. However, hydronic UFH systems have long time constants, especially [...] Read more.
In rooms with underfloor heating (UFH), local on–off controllers most often regulate the air temperature with poor accuracy and energy penalties. It is known that proportional–integral (PI) controllers can regulate most processes more precisely. However, hydronic UFH systems have long time constants, especially in low-energy buildings, and PI parameters are not easy to set manually. In this work, several potential PI parameter estimation methods were applied, including optimizing the parameters in GenOpt, calculating the parameters based on simplified models, and tuning the parameters automatically in Matlab. For all found parameter combinations, the energy consumption and control precision were evaluated. Simpler methods were compared to the optimal solutions to find similar parameters. Compared with an on–off controller with a 0.5 K dead-band, the best PI parameter combination found was with a proportional gain of 18 and an integration time of 2300 s, which could decrease the energy consumption for heating by 9% and by 5% compared with default PI parameters. Moreover, while GenOpt was the best method to find the optimal parameters, it was also possible with a simple automatic test and calculation within a weekend. The test can be, for example, 6-h setbacks applied during the nights or weekend-long pseudo-random changes in the setpoint signal. The parameters can be calculated based on the simplified model from these tests using any well-known simple method. Results revealed that the UFH PI controller with the correct parameters started to work in a predictive fashion and the resulting room temperature curves were practically ideal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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18 pages, 4377 KiB  
Article
Effect of Bypass Control and Room Control Modes on Fan Energy Savings in a Heat Recovery Ventilation System
by Kyungjoo Cho, Dongwoo Cho and Taeyeon Kim
Energies 2020, 13(7), 1815; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071815 - 09 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3677
Abstract
This study makes a novel attempt to analyse the effect of the bypass control and room control modes on ventilation energy saving in an 84 m2 housing unit, which is the most frequently constructed unit-type among newly constructed apartment buildings in Korea. [...] Read more.
This study makes a novel attempt to analyse the effect of the bypass control and room control modes on ventilation energy saving in an 84 m2 housing unit, which is the most frequently constructed unit-type among newly constructed apartment buildings in Korea. A heat recovery ventilation system was installed. The fan power consumption was measured via field experiments and analyses were made for potential energy savings. Experiments to confirm the power-saving effect owing to the application of the room control mode were performed under the heat recovery and bypass modes, using three air flow rates (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 ACH). Additionally, the annual energy saving based on the application of the mixed mode (both bypass and room control modes) was calculated. The results obtained showed that when the mixed mode was employed, ventilation energy saving up to 10.76%–16.56%, which is greater than that obtained using only the heat recovery mode, was realized. Additionally, compared with all-room-ventilation, 26.69%–61.84% of ventilation energy could be saved if the mixed mode was applied only to the living room. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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19 pages, 3012 KiB  
Article
Building Thermo-Modernisation Solution Based on the Multi-Objective Optimisation Method
by Małgorzata Basińska, Dobrosława Kaczorek and Halina Koczyk
Energies 2020, 13(6), 1433; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13061433 - 19 Mar 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2203
Abstract
This study presents a multi-objective optimisation of building thermo-modernisation for multi-family buildings. The applied model has considered alternative solutions for insulation materials, with different thicknesses and different types of windows. The weighted sum method was applied to find a solution considering the minimisation [...] Read more.
This study presents a multi-objective optimisation of building thermo-modernisation for multi-family buildings. The applied model has considered alternative solutions for insulation materials, with different thicknesses and different types of windows. The weighted sum method was applied to find a solution considering the minimisation of global cost, primary energy ratio and CO2 emissions. The solutions were compared for a building equipped with natural ventilation, and with mechanical supply—exhaust ventilation. In reference to the two considered types of ventilation, we analysed how the modification of an insulation thickness, its type and the type of installed windows, can be converted into individual evaluation criteria. The weights of the considered criteria were changed; however, this had no influence on the optimal solution. If the aim is to achieve the standards of zero-energy buildings, natural ventilation cannot be applied, despite the high value of thermal insulation of the building envelopes. Alternative solutions exist for buildings with natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, where the primary energy ratio is the same for both, but the global costs are different. The additional energy and environmental input for the production of materials and elements to be replaced are insignificant in comparison to the savings brought about by thermo-modernisation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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27 pages, 7944 KiB  
Article
Solar Radiation Allocation and Spatial Distribution in Chinese Solar Greenhouses: Model Development and Application
by Xiaodan Zhang, Jian Lv, Jianming Xie, Jihua Yu, Jing Zhang, Chaonan Tang, Jing Li, Zhixue He and Cheng Wang
Energies 2020, 13(5), 1108; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13051108 - 02 Mar 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4602
Abstract
Solar radiation is the sole energy source for Chinese solar greenhouse agriculture. A favorable light environment is the foundation of a desirable crop growth environment, and it is key in solar greenhouse design. In this study, a mathematical model is established to quantitatively [...] Read more.
Solar radiation is the sole energy source for Chinese solar greenhouse agriculture. A favorable light environment is the foundation of a desirable crop growth environment, and it is key in solar greenhouse design. In this study, a mathematical model is established to quantitatively evaluate the solar greenhouse light environment. The model was developed considering the greenhouse shape parameters, materials’ optical properties, and interior solar radiation evolution, including the beam radiation, diffuse radiation, and multi-reflection. The model was validated under different weather conditions, and the results reveal a mean percentage error of 1.67 and 10.30% for clear sunny weather and cloudy weather, respectively, and a determination coefficient of 0.9756. By using this model, the solar radiation allocation in a solar greenhouse was calculated to determine the solar radiation availability for the heat-storage north wall and the entire greenhouse, and the dynamical spatial distribution of the solar radiation was obtained to describe the light environment quality. These allow the optimization of the greenhouse lighting regulation and planting pattern. Moreover, several optimizing measures are derived according to the model for improving the low-light environment near the north wall and maximizing the north wall’s heat storage/release capacity in a solar greenhouse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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31 pages, 5805 KiB  
Article
A Study on Energy-Saving Technologies Optimization towards Nearly Zero Energy Educational Buildings in Four Major Climatic Regions of China
by Jing Zhao and Yahui Du
Energies 2019, 12(24), 4734; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12244734 - 12 Dec 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3507
Abstract
An educational building is a kind of public building with a high density of occupants and high energy consumption. Energy-saving technology utilization is an effective measure to achieve high-performance buildings. However, numerous studies are greatly limited to practical application due to their strong [...] Read more.
An educational building is a kind of public building with a high density of occupants and high energy consumption. Energy-saving technology utilization is an effective measure to achieve high-performance buildings. However, numerous studies are greatly limited to practical application due to their strong regional pertinence and technical simplicity. This paper aims to further optimize various commonly used technologies on the basis of the current national standards, and to individually establish four recommended technology selection systems corresponding to four major climatic regions for realizing nearly zero energy educational buildings (nZEEBs) in China. An educational building was selected as the case study. An evaluation index of energy-saving contribution rate (ECR) was proposed for measuring the energy efficiency of each technology. Thereafter, high energy efficiency technologies were selected and implemented together in the four basic cases representing different climatic regions. The results showed that the total energy-saving rate in severe cold regions increased by 70.74% compared with current national standards, and about 60% of the total energy-saving rate can be improved in cold regions. However, to realize nZEEBs in hot summer and cold winter regions as well as in hot summer and warm winter regions, photovoltaic (PV) technology needs to be further supplemented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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20 pages, 1804 KiB  
Article
Cost-Optimal Plus Energy Building in a Cold Climate
by Szymon Firląg
Energies 2019, 12(20), 3841; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12203841 - 11 Oct 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2626
Abstract
The main objective of this article is to propose possible requirements for cost-optimal plus energy building in a cold, heating dominated climate. The open question is what is more cost-effective: reduction of energy demand or increase of production from renewable energy sources. The [...] Read more.
The main objective of this article is to propose possible requirements for cost-optimal plus energy building in a cold, heating dominated climate. The open question is what is more cost-effective: reduction of energy demand or increase of production from renewable energy sources. The target of the research was to check which solution has the lowest investment and maintenance costs. The analysis was made for a single-family house located in central Poland, including three different energy standards: WT2021 with energy need for heating ≤100 kWh/(m² year), NF40 with energy need for heating ≤40 kWh/(m² year) and NF15 with energy need for heating ≤15 kWh/(m² year)). Air and ground source heat pumps were used as a heat source and a photovoltaic system for the production of the electrical energy. For each case the investment and running costs were calculated very precisely, taking into account heating, ventilation, domestic hot water and auxiliary systems. Global cost for a 30-year period showed that house variants with air source heat pumps are more cost effective. The investment, replacement and maintenance cost related with energy systems have the biggest share in the global cost. Reaching the plus energy standard was possible only in the case of low-energy standard NF40 and NF15. Based on this research the proposed requirements for plus energy single-family residential buildings in central Poland are the following: the final (delivered) electrical energy demand (including heating, ventilation, domestic hot water and auxiliary systems) <45 kWh/(m² year) and the on-site electrical energy production >45 kWh/(m² year). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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Review

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24 pages, 2795 KiB  
Review
The Challenge for Building Integration of Highly Transparent Photovoltaics and Photoelectrochromic Devices
by Alessandro Cannavale, Francesco Martellotta, Francesco Fiorito and Ubaldo Ayr
Energies 2020, 13(8), 1929; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13081929 - 14 Apr 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3312
Abstract
This paper holds a critical review of current research activities dealing with smart architectural glazing worldwide. Hereafter, the main trends are analyzed and critically reported, with open issues, challenges, and opportunities, providing an accurate description of technological evolution of devices in time. This [...] Read more.
This paper holds a critical review of current research activities dealing with smart architectural glazing worldwide. Hereafter, the main trends are analyzed and critically reported, with open issues, challenges, and opportunities, providing an accurate description of technological evolution of devices in time. This manuscript deals with some well-known, highly performing technologies, such as semitransparent photovoltaics and novel photoelectrochromic devices, the readiest, probably, to reach the final stage of development, to disclose the manifold advantages of multifunctional, smart glazing. The complex, overall effects of their building integration are also reported, especially regarding energy balance and indoor visual comfort in buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Low and Zero Energy Highly Performing Buildings)
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