Design Professional’s Guide to Zero Net Energy Buildings

verfasst von: Charles Eley

Verlag: Island Press/Center for Resource Economics

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

In this volume, the author draws from over 40 years of his own experience, and interviews with other industry experts, to lay out the principles for achieving ZNE buildings and the issues surrounding their development. Eley emphasizes the importance of building energy use in achieving a sustainable future; describes how building energy use can be minimized through smart design and energy efficiency technologies; and presents practical information on how to incorporate renewable energy technologies to meet the lowered energy needs. The book identifies the building types and climates where meeting the goal will be a challenge and offers solutions for these special cases. It shows the reader, through examples and explanations, that these solutions are viable and cost-effective.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction: We Have But One Earth

Abstract

Buckminster Fuller, the futurist and inventor, referred to Planet Earth as a spaceship, with the sun as its energy source.¹ Our spaceship is far more advanced than the NASA shuttles, yet it is finite and delicate. It’s our home and we need to take care of it. As Fuller said, “We are all astronauts.”

Charles Eley

Chapter 2. Smart Building Design: Contextual Design, Energy Efficiency, and Curtailment

Abstract

Our buildings use a lot more energy than they need to. Before making investments in renewable-energy systems, it is almost always more cost-effective to design our buildings to use as little energy as possible. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Through smart building design, we can harvest daylight, cool with outside air, heat with the sun, and take advantage of other natural processes that require very little additional energy. Better insulation reduces heat losses in the winter and gains in the summer. High-performance windows enable us to enjoy views and to harvest daylighting with minimal solar gain. By improving the energy efficiency of boilers, air conditioners, and fans, we can enjoy the same comfort conditions, but with less energy. We can also reduce energy use through curtailment, or what some call conservation. With curtailment, we find a way to get by with less. Maybe we don’t really have to continually air-condition parts of the building that are rarely used. Contextual design, efficiency, and curtailment are closely related, and sometimes the lines between them become quite muddled.

Charles Eley

Chapter 3. Here Comes the Sun: The Future of Renewable-Energy Systems

Abstract

It is not possible to completely eliminate energy demand in our buildings. Energy utilization indices (EUIs) will never go to zero through smart building design alone. We need to heat our buildings when it is cold and cool them when it is hot. We need to power our computers and other equipment. Lighting can be minimized through daylighting, but not eliminated altogether. We do need energy—just not as much as we are currently using. This chapter shows how we can produce what we need without using fossil fuels and without adding carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the atmosphere.

Charles Eley

Chapter 4. Energy Modeling: Evaluating ZNE before the Utility Bills Arrive

Abstract

Lighting, heating, cooling, and other building systems don’t operate independently of each other; they interact in complex ways. Consider the following examples:

Charles Eley

Chapter 5. Making It All Work: Integrated Project Delivery, Commissioning, Intelligent Controls, and Mobile Devices

Abstract

Zero net energy (ZNE) requires that the owner, design team, and builder all work together in a highly collaborative way; that critical building systems be systematically tested prior to occupancy; that controls and monitoring equipment be installed to verify that ZNE is being achieved after occupancy; and that procedures exist to manage and control the amount and type of equipment used by the occupants. In this chapter, methods and procedures are recommended to help achieve these goals.

Charles Eley

Chapter 6. Metrics and Boundaries: What Exactly Is a Zero Net Energy Building?

Abstract

Zero net energy is a powerful goal for buildings. The concept energizes just about everyone in the energy-efficiency community, from design professionals and policy wonks to environmentalists of every stripe. The Architecture 2030 Challenge calls for new commercial buildings to be zero net energy by 2030, and this challenge has been widely adopted as a policy goal. At first blush, the concept of zero net energy seems simple. The concept is strong and compelling, but there are lots of significant issues that surface as you dig deeper into the details.

Charles Eley

Chapter 7. ZNE for the Mainstream: Scaling Up the Concept

Abstract

The world is full of innovators who are bucking the norm and showing us that energy efficiency, renewable energy, and zero net energy buildings can be achieved. These individuals, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and governments are to be embraced and celebrated. They are having an impact. They are showing us tangible ways in which ZNE buildings can help us achieve a sustainable society. It’s difficult for skeptics to say it can’t be done when there are concrete examples we can point to that show that it can.

Charles Eley

Chapter 8. Beyond ZNE: The World of Our Grandchildren

Abstract

Zero net energy buildings are an important part of a strategy to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, but there are many more opportunities related to our buildings and the built environment that we can address as design and construction professionals.

Charles Eley

Backmatter

Titel: Design Professional’s Guide to Zero Net Energy Buildings
verfasst von: Charles Eley
Verlag: Island Press/Center for Resource Economics
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-61091-765-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-61091-823-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-765-0