Search results for "Net Zero Energy Building"
showing 10 items of 21 documents
Life cycle energy performances and environmental impacts of a prefabricated building module
2018
Abstract The paper explores the energy performances and environmental impacts of a prefabricated building module located in Messina (Sicily, Italy) through an approach that combines both the non-steady state building simulation and the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The building uses renewable energy technologies and is usable in emergency situations or as simply temporary housing. Results show that the building module causes the emission of 1.5 t of CO2eq/m2 and consumes 29.2 GJ/m2 of primary energy during its life cycle. The building achieves the Net Zero Energy Building target even if it has relevant environmental impacts in the materials production stage (72% on average of the total…
An integrated energy simulation and life cycle assessment to measure the operational and embodied energy of a Mediterranean net zero energy building
2022
Abstract Net Zero Energy Buildings can play a key role in reducing the energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and the use of natural resources associated to the built environment. It is widely recognized that in low energy building a shift in relevance may occur from the operational to the embodied impacts. However, building performance assessment focus mostly on the operational phase and on primary energy consumption. This study aims to assess the energy and environmental impacts of a residential net zero energy building expanding the analysis to the full life cycle and to a wide range of environmental impact categories. The methodological approach integrates a non-steady state building ener…
Towards sustainable Net Zero Energy Buildings: life cycle energy performances and environmental impacts of a prefabricated building module
The impact of prefabrication in the building sector is currently undergoing significant growth. Although prefabricated buildings cannot in any situation replace conventional buildings, they have some characteristics, such as reduced construction time, higher safety during construction if compared to traditional buildings and modularity, that make them competitive in specific applications, that are undergoing substantial increase importance and market relevance. However, in a context where the transition towards a low-carbon energy system is quickly becoming an important target of scientific efforts and research, prefabricated buildings, as well as any other type of building, will have a key…
Modeling and design of Net ZEBs as integrated energy systems
2015
Net-zero energy buildings (Net ZEBs) are emerging as a quantifiable design concept and a promising solution to minimizing the environmental impact of buildings. This is the main concept that is focused on this chapter with emphasis on dynamic modeling and examples of technological approaches to achieve net-zero energy. Appropriate modeling of building-integrated solar energy systems is essential for the design of Net ZEBs and the study of optimal control strategies. The net-zero energy balance may be achieved through a combination of passive and active solar technologies, heat pumps, combined heat and power, and energy efficiency measures to reduce energy consumption for lighting and applia…
Reaching net zero energy at the neighbourhood scale: feasibility studies in the south of Italy
2020
Il concetto di “edificio a energia netta zero” è stato recentemente implementato in tutti i regolamenti dei paesi europei. Tuttavia, l’approccio dettato dall’Europa si concentra principalmente sulla scala dell’edificio singolo, tralasciando alcuni aspetti riguardanti ad esempio l’interazione di generazione e carico tra edifici e le interazioni energetiche tra edifici. L’obiettivo di questo studio consiste nell’applicazione della definizione di net zero energy building ad un gruppo di edifici ubicati nell’Italia meridionale e caratterizzati da una destinazione d’uso variegata. Lo status quo di una ventina di edifici è stato simulato in ambiente energy plus e sono state successivamente selezi…
Different energy balances for the redesign of nearly net zero energy buildings: An Italian case study
2015
Abstract The currently developing concept of a Net Zero Energy Building introduces new challenges and research problems. The calculation of a net zero energy balance is heavily influenced by the energy carrier weighting factors that are chosen, which can deeply influence the future energy market towards adopting specific energy technologies. The following paper proposes an analysis of different definitions and conventions for Net Zero Energy Buildings that employ different calculation methodologies and apply different weighting factors to an Italian case study. The case study, which is called “the Leaf House”, is one of the first examples of a nearly net zero energy building in Italy. A bui…
Redesign of a Rural Building in a Heritage Site in Italy: Towards the Net Zero Energy Target
2017
In order to achieve the ambitious objective of decarbonising the economy, it is mandatory, especially in Europe and in Italy, to include the retrofitting of existing buildings. In a country where a large share of existing buildings have heritage value, it is important to design effective retrofit solutions also in historical buildings. In this context, the paper describes the experience of re-design of an existing rural building located in Sicily, inside the ancient Greeks' “Valley of the Temples”. An energy audit was performed on the building, and its energy uses were thoroughly investigated. A building model was developed in the TRNSYS environment and its performances validated. The valid…
Overview and future challenges of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) design in Southern Europe
2017
In times of great transition of the European construction sector to energy efficient and nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB), a market observation containing qualitative and quantitative indications should help to fill out some of the current gaps concerning the EU 2020 carbon targets. Next to the economic challenges, there are equally important factors that hinder renovating the existing residential building stock and adding newly constructed high performance buildings. Under these circumstances this paper summarises the findings of a cross-comparative study of the societal and technical barriers of nZEB implementation in 7 Southern European countries. The study analyses the present situat…
Life cycle energy performances of a Net Zero Energy prefabricated building in Sicily
2017
The paper presents the energy performances in a life cycle perspective of a prefabricated building. The building was simulated in energy plus and validated on monitored data. To avoid the shifting of energy burdens from one life cycle stage to others, a Life Cycle Energy Assessment was performed. The primary energy use throughout the building's life cycle is 1,242 GJ. The materials production stage consumes the highest amount of primary energy (680 GJ) followed by the use stage (484 GJ), while the construction and end-of-life require respectively 1.7 % and the 4.6 % of total primary energy. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific c…
Design di edifici a energia netta zero alla luce della Direttiva Europea 2010/31/CE (EPBD recast) sulla prestazione energetica nell'edilizia [GU euro…
2012
Il presente lavoro descrive dettagliatamente gli studi e le attività svolte in seno al progetto di ricerca “Design di edifici a energia netta zero alla luce della direttiva europea 2010/31/CE (EPBD Recast) sulla prestazione energetica nell’edilizia GU Europea del 18 giugno 2010 (L153)”. L’attività di approfondimento sull’edificio oggetto di studio, la Leaf House, è stata svolta nell’ambito dei diversi filoni di ricerca di seguito elencati: 1. Analisi dei dati dell’edificio esistente, 2. Redesign dell’edificio esistente, 3. Embodied energy dell’edificio esistente. 4. Partecipazione a gruppi di lavoro internazionali in seno alla task 40 dell’IEA. Gli indicatori sviluppati nel corso dei lavori…