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Sustainability
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Designing and Optimization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings and Communities
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Designing and Optimization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings and Communities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 6164

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hamidreza Najafi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, United States
Interests: energy sustainability; designing and optimization of thermal systems; computational heat transfer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings are known as one of the world’s largest energy end-user sectors. Moving towards a sustainable future requires the development of a path for transitioning to net zero energy buildings (NZEB). NZEBs are highly energy efficient buildings that can generate their own energy needs. From a building’s architecture, materials and envelope to energy end-users including lighting, HVAC, plug loads, water heating and others must be properly selected, designed and optimized to yield the minimum energy consumption for a given climate zone and type of building. The design and integration of onsite renewable energy generation and storage must also be carefully addressed. Additionally, with the development of emerging concepts such as net-zero energy communities (NZEC), further studies in these areas are underway. A net zero-energy community (ZEC) features a significantly reduced energy need which is being covered by renewable sources. The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect research articles with a focus on the design and optimization of net-zero energy buildings (NZEB) and communities (NZEC). A special (but not exclusive) focus will be put on the following topics:

  • Net zero energy design and optimization for new buildings and retrofit projects
  • Analysis of energy, environmental, economic and social aspects of NZEB and NZEC for different types of buildings and climate zones
  • Grid interactive NZEB and connected communities
  • Modelling and optimization methods for NZEB and NZEC
  • Practical challenges in development of NZEB and NZEC
  • Experience from construction, system integration, operation, maintenance and monitoring of NZEB and NZEC

Dr. Hamidreza Najafi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • net-zero energy building (NZEB)
  • net-zero energy community (NZEC)
  • design
  • optimization
  • efficiency
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6139 KiB  
Article
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Thermoelectric-Based Radiant Ceiling Panel with Phase Change Material for Building Cooling Applications
by Mohadeseh Seyednezhad, Hamidreza Najafi and Benjamin Kubwimana
Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11936; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111936 - 28 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2183
Abstract
The present paper investigates the performance of a thermoelectric (TE)-based radiant ceiling panel with an additional layer of phase change material (PCM) for building cooling application through numerical and experimental analyses. The design of the ceiling panel consisted of an aluminum sheet with [...] Read more.
The present paper investigates the performance of a thermoelectric (TE)-based radiant ceiling panel with an additional layer of phase change material (PCM) for building cooling application through numerical and experimental analyses. The design of the ceiling panel consisted of an aluminum sheet with TE modules installed on the back to maintain a relatively low ceiling temperature that provided cooling through radiation and convection. A three-dimensional model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics, and the system’s performance in several different configurations was assessed. The effect of the number of TE modules, as well as incorporating different amounts of PCM under transient conditions, was investigated for two modes of operation: startup and shutdown. It was shown that for a 609.6 mm × 609.6 mm ceiling panel, the use of four TE modules reduced the average surface temperature down to the comfort range in less than 5 min while producing a relatively uniform temperature distribution across the ceiling panel. It was also shown that the addition of a 2 mm thick PCM layer to the back of the ceiling panel enhanced the system’s performance by elongating the time that it took for the ceiling panel’s temperature to exceed the comfort range when the system shut down, which in turn reduced the number of on/off cycling of the system. The numerical results demonstrated a good agreement with the experimental data. The results from this study can be used for the optimal design of a TE-based radiant ceiling cooling system as a promising technology for smart buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing and Optimization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings and Communities)
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19 pages, 31021 KiB  
Article
Simulation Methodology Based on Wind and Thermal Performance for Early Building Optimization Design in Taiwan
by Chuan-Hsuan Lin, Min-Yang Chen and Yaw-Shyan Tsay
Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10033; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810033 - 7 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2495
Abstract
In a subtropical climate like that of Taiwan, the high temperature and humid environmental conditions often result in discomfort and health effects for building occupants. With regard to building geometry, the wind environment and thermal comfort assessment, which can enhance energy efficiency and [...] Read more.
In a subtropical climate like that of Taiwan, the high temperature and humid environmental conditions often result in discomfort and health effects for building occupants. With regard to building geometry, the wind environment and thermal comfort assessment, which can enhance energy efficiency and the comfort and health of occupants, both ought to be considered as soon as possible in the design process. In view of the limited comprehensive design evaluation methods and design workflows regarding wind and thermal performance currently available, this research aims to develop an early decision support workflow that includes suggested performance evaluation methods and design optimization processes. The results of our case study show that the building had clear performance results using the proposed evaluation methods, making it easier for architects to understand and compare alternatives. Appropriate analysis and visualization of the results also effectively assisted architects in determining design solutions and making relevant decisions. The methods and results in this article can facilitate performance-based buildings for healthy and energy-efficient built environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Designing and Optimization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings and Communities)
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