Low Energy Buildings
The studio focus on architectural design with particular attention to energy and environmental issues, nearly zero energy buildings, passive house (standard Passivhaus ).
From Low energy to Zero energy building
To qualify a building’s heating energy consumption using a performance indicator shows annual heating energy consumption per square meter per meter of living area [kWh/m 2annual].
The Low-energy buildings would generally correspond to an annual energy demand less than 70 kWh/m2 each year of heating [average annual consumption of a residential buildings is about 180 kWh/m2]. House with 30 KWh/m² annual heating energy consumption requires 3 litre of oil (or a three cubic metre of gas) per square metre each year.
High performance buildings are often called from low energy building over passive houses and 3-litre houses to zero emission or NZEB from the acronym nearly zero Energy Bulding to indicate an extremely low energy demand can be cover by energy renewables to radically reduces CO2 emission.
Several European countries, in the past years, have launched virtuous policies in terms of energy saving highlighting how this choice to pay in terms of environmental and economic. Among the most interesting experiences, the project CEPHEUS demonstrate technical feasibility, in terms of achieving the targetted energy performance indexes, at low extra cost for an array of different buildings. The target of the CEPHEUS project is to keep the total final energy demand for space heating, domestic hot water and household appliances below 42 kWh/m²a through the extra initial costs contained in the order of 10-15%. These buildings now represent an important opportunity in terms of environmental sustainability and economic feasibility
The cleanest energy … is the one not consumed ...
Design strategies for energy efficient building
The construction of low energy and zero energy buildings require an appropriate design strategie use:
- Orient building to maximise or protect from solar gains
- Orient the spaces in a building that can benefit from solar heat gains
- Design well-insulated building envelope
- Minimise unwanted heat gains with solar shading
- Provide natural ventilation and cooling
- Optimize S/V
- Mechanical Ventilation with high efficiency heat recovery
- Provide ample natural light and Mnimise electrical lighting needs
- Use energy-efficient lights and appliances
- Use energy renewables
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Features Low Energy Building
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Site, orientation, shape
The first step in low energy building design is to evaluate some location factors as weather data, orientation to optimize site potential and reduce heat losses by using passiv measures and compact building envelope...
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Thermal insulation
In new or refurbishment buildings design to minimising energy needs (winter/summer) is necessary to limit heat loss through the building envelope. Thermal insulation for buildings include wall and flat roof as well as the insulation of heating systems and hot/cold water services. Energy efficient buildings starts with insulation.
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High Performance Windows
Designing buildings to minimise energy needs means reduce heat loss through building envelope adopting energy efficient windows. However to ensure assuring pleasant indoor conditions is necessary to consider different factors as the amount of natural light (visual comfort), solar gains (energy balance), energy performance (indoor comfort and heat losses), protection from weather (indoor and acoustic comfort, air quality).
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Efficient HVAC systems
To minimise the environmental impact of energy use, new or renovate buildings, the sustainable solution is to change the source of energy from fossil fuel-based systems to renewable sources with low CO2 emissions. When is not possible active systems should be provide heating and cooling through energy-efficient mechanical appliances.
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Domotic
Home Automation or domotic is a technique includes requirements of private homes and application for the comfort and security of its occupant. The aim of domotic is to enable the occupants of a building to improve levels of comfort while reducing energy requirements .
