AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DESIGN NET ZERO CARBON BUILDINGS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The limited perception of housing counterbalances carbon outflow within housing developers. The research discusses techniques that are used for cost cutting, simplify planning and renewable energy systems. It develops a blueprint to design an advanced net zero carbon building keeping an account of the balanced approach of technical and cost effective technique. The paper details a life cycle costing way to provide economic justification by limiting the unavoidable extra costs. The net zero carbon buildings are beneficial for both the consumer and developer. Denouements show, rather than ecological or technical quality , homes can be preferable advertised on monetary.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
Introduction 2
Conceptual Design Strategies 3
Methodology 3
Optimising a Carbon Neutral building 4
Results 5
Construction Strategies 6
Discussion 6
Net Costing Estimation 8
Total Carbon Emission: 9
Role of Design in Carbon Emission Reduction………………………………………………………………..
Zero Emission Energy Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………….
Cost benefits over the lifetime……………………………………………………………………………………….
Vital Challenges of Zero Carbon Building………………………………………………………………………
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
References 10
INTRODUCTION
Commercially feasible zero carbon buildings are more difficult to create than first anticipated by approach producers. The gap between understanding the net zero definition and achieving its targets is a commonly accepted problem. Problems encountered due to lack of forethought while delivering targets of zero carbon were analyzed to provide a base to design feasible net zero carbon buildings.The main aim is to create viable cost effective design (Schuetze, 2015).
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STRATEGIES
Sustainable material
The materials were chosen based on earlier reviews of carbon emissions figures with inclination given to low carbon construction materials like: concrete, cork, treated wood, vinyl and cedar siding, asphalt shingles, concrete tile, planed timber, hardwood, cellulose flakes, calcium silicate and sand lime bricks.
Advanced construction approach
To provide a basic delineation this research works on traced records of analysis and broad writing spectrum. To prepare a study of important writing and related suppositions for future examination keeping an account on precise points and inquiries.
This will employ better interdisciplinary work that maximizes the integration of new concepts and ideas into new building designs depending upon the similarities and variations between the recorded periods and ways to deal with flaws.
Energy saving and consumption management
The zero carbon buildings were designed to successfully attain carbon neutrality and to meet the energy requirements for consumption on an annual basis. To form an energy efficient approach based on consumption pattern of a net zero building a comprehensive analysis was performed.
The structures are designed with properly oriented windows, added insulation, high efficient ventilation to lower warming and cooling vitality, to maintain a micro environment and other techniques which utilize solar energy. As far as harvesting energy is concerned these buildings have advancements to warm water at high temperature and to reuse it for showers and dishwashers.
Renewable energy cascade
Most net carbon energy buildings use a combination of the two strategies termed energy conservation and energy harvesting. Renewable energy sources are not only reliable and economical but also play an important role to achieve low carbon and energy efficient facilities.
Common renewable energy generation sources such as thermal, wind and solar energy provide cost effective net zero carbon emission buildings. It is also cited that effective use of biomass such as wood pellets, agricultural waste in the form of biodiesel also proved to be an efficient energy source (Ng et al., 2013).
Recovery of composite materials
Technology has made it easier to recycle materials through modern applicable strategies and techniques. Albeit numerous composite materials have been proposed and among them, some are more economical than others. Although many reviews regarding the recovery of these materials are still missing, reusing them to be more conceivable through execution debasement have been reported.
METHODOLOGY
Optimizing a Carbon Neutral building
A blueprint was designed to check whether a feasible net zero carbon building could be established using the design criteria. The topology being affected by heat loss due to building pattern as compared to buildings with terrace and confined space so, a detached land was selected where it is difficult to maintain a net zero carbon emission. The alignment of the building with rooftop facing south was done to make maximum use of that space for renewable energy. The design was taken from a company who failed to establish an eco-village project with prior permission (Khodabuccus and Lee, 2016).
Heat loss due to building pattern, its ventilation, working appliances, etc. are the major causes of carbon emission from a building. Many resources were analyzed to prevent heat loss and to harvest energy to meet the needs of energy demands through carbon neutrality.
Parametric analysis proved to be the best tool which was used to design a method that optimize both technical and economic elements. Parametric analysis works on the principle of combining both the elements through spreadsheet software, i.e., any change in one element automatically regulate the other elements output. Parametric tools can be both variable and fixed.
Per person energy consumption calculated using formula:
Q = density (rho) * Specific Heat Capacity (cp) * Usage (L/day) * Frequency (days) * Temperature rise (dTw) * 0.001/3600 (Khodabuccus and Lee, 2016).
Results
Construction Strategies
The purpose of specialized timber frame is to provide lightweight, equal load bearing capacity and airtightness (reduction in heat loss) to the building.
Figure1. Wall and floor build-up under north roof. (Source: Khodabuccus and Lee, 2016)
The rooftop rafters are more cost feasible and an excellent load bearer compared to dividers. The construction size is mainly influenced by floor range and estimate of land, not by roofs.
DISCUSSION
- Net Costing estimation
To reduce the cost of net zero carbon buildings, more influence should be given for improving investment through FITs, feed in tariffs and grants. The whole scheme of FITs policy was made keeping renewables in mind as grants reduce their costing and tariffs make sure good returns on investment. The FIT Policy help to easily implement the extra costs of net zero carbon building construction to the consumer without any impact on the developer or consumer.
The blueprint followed up with its total costing framework provide a way to deal with expenses according to benefits and shortages. Monetary funds were calculated and converted to further financial benefits, for example, enhanced protection and insulation, advanced air levels.
- Total carbon emission
Every appliance contributes to carbon emission, so they should be examined carefully for their energy contributions regarding electrical loads and warming efficiencies. A management profile of power rating, loads and usage on a daily or monthly basis were made. The temperature was kept common in a profile recorded daily. The loads and warming efficiencies was linked with high-temperature water necessities providing an upgrade to yearly profiles.
Other loads are required to be considered as controlled loads cannot bear high-temperature warming and lighting. When the policies lack strategies to execute warming and electrical loads, the requirements are met by sustainable energy design.
- Role of design in carbon emission reduction
Economy plays a vital role towards a developer approach in the market, such as reduction in economy restrict them to reconsider their approach. They utilize this time to develop their interests towards green buildings. The developers offer green homes based on their client’s vital requirements, productivity and cost benefits. There is no particular list of things to be kept in mind while looking for green homes still, many developers claim to offer a green home. Oversees projects testify green home so they can be trusted. Oversees check programs are reliable enough to build or buy a green structure with vital proficiency.
The five key elements of a green home are: size, insulation, vital proficiency, composite materials and quality (Thiel et al., 2013).
Green homes essentialness can be maintained by some essential measures. A green home benefit by using sustainable power sources like solar and thermal. By reusing composite materials that are considered waste, or using natural material like bamboo. Avoid toxic materials present in paints, wallpapers, glass.
- Zero emission energy analysis
The Resource Planning Model (RPM)
RPM is an energy system analysis model designed for utility service of territory or state. It applies National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) extensive experience with capacity expansion modeling, particularly the NREL Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model and production cost simulations to check the impact of increased renewable deployment on regional planning decisions for clean energy or carbon mitigation analysis.
Fig 2.National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Graphic (Source: Janke, 2010)
RPM consists of an advanced model to find minimal cost and dispatch framework. To represent a high “grid network”, the model has “high spatial resolution” and “multiple solar and wind spatial resource regions” (Nrel.gov, 2017).
- Cost benefits over the lifetime
Reduction in extra capital costs was made to create a net zero carbon building yet they were not abolished. The life cycle of savings is an important tool to bring up a detailed view of residual costs depending on the consumed form of energy and overall production. The income generated excluding the monthly expenses and extra costs is always higher than the mortgaged amount on a monthly basis.
The day to day costs is eliminated by increased mortgaged cost which is beneficial for the consumer as debt can easily be paid with these costs. In other ways, it benefits the mortgagee by generating investment interests. Use of FITs is the only possibility to avail this benefit. Every technology has a different role to contribute to net benefit concerning income, extra costs. The net benefit can be termed as an overall benefit without the extra costs. Moreover, the current policy does not guarantee long term use of FITs.
A well build green home provides cost effective benefits along with feasibility, investment advantages. With emerging growing trends of net zero carbon buildings, standard homes will become a part of history to talk about (Hernandez and Kenny, 2010).
- Vital challenges of zero carbon buildings
Change in temperature due to environmental changes is an important issue that should not be left unnoticed and require attention. In one such case, UK is willingly trying to cut its carbon emissions by 60% by 2050 to control the rise in temperature. The UK have different drivers for net zero carbon buildings that are grouped into different categories. House builders, one of the major organizations in the UK are reasons for emerging corporate environment in business.
During net zero carbon building development, a restricted outline is a major factor to examine the credibility of these buildings. At present advances are thought to provide shortcomings benefits and are unstable. Innovation and small scale advancement is an important issue with the building of zero carbon buildings. A majority of builders prefer standard designs compared to advanced ones to reduce their expenses and extreme arrangements (Lubick, 2010).
CONCLUSION
To assist the turn out zero carbon buildings, many important areas are covered. Market risks, costing and easy returns are some of the important issues confronted by developers. The not eliminated extra costs that still need to legitimized is a crucial issue for both the developer and consumer. The design revealed that extra cost when mortgaged counterbalances the income. It makes extra cost passed by developer neutral and effective for the consumer. It will assist developers and mortgagee on how these costs can be outlined under mortgaged value. For investigators, it also focuses on best financial benefits needs to be included in costing for net zero carbon buildings (Thiel et al., 2013).
REFERENCES
Ng, T., Yau, R., Lam, T. and Cheng, V. (2013). Design and commission a zero-carbon building for hot and humid climate. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 11(2), pp.222-234.
Khodabuccus, R. and Lee, J. (2016). A New Model for Designing Cost Effective Zero Carbon Homes: Minimizing Commercial Viability Issues and Improving the Economics for Both the Developer and Purchaser. Buildings, 6(1), p.6.
Janke, J. (2010). Multicriteria GIS modeling of wind and solar farms in Colorado. Renewable Energy, 35(10), pp.2228-2234.
Nrel.gov. (2017). NREL: Energy Analysis – The Resource Planning Model (RPM). [online] Available at: http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/models_rpm.html [Accessed 29 Jul. 2017].
Lubick, N. (2010). Researching Carbon-Neutral Buildings. Science.
Hernandez, P. and Kenny, P. (2010). From net energy to zero energy buildings: Defining life cycle zero energy buildings (LC-ZEB). Energy and Buildings, 42(6), pp.815-821.
Schuetze, T. (2015). Zero Emission Buildings in Korea—History, Status Quo, and Future Prospects. Sustainability, 7(3), pp.2745-2767.
Thiel, C., Campion, N., Landis, A., Jones, A., Schaefer, L. and Bilec, M. (2013). A Materials Life Cycle Assessment of a Net-Zero Energy Building. Energies, 6(2), pp.1125-1141.
Sartori, I., Napolitano, A. and Voss, K. (2012). Net zero energy buildings: A consistent definition framework. Energy and Buildings, 48, pp.220-232.