Modeling and Design of Net ZEBs as Integrated Energy Systems - Modeling, Design, and Optimization of Net-Zero Energy Buildings - page 12

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Modeling and Design of Net ZEBs as Integrated
Energy Systems
Andreas Athienitis, Maurizio Cellura, Yuxiang Chen, Véronique Delisle,
Paul Bourdoukan, and Konstantinos Kapsis
2.1 Introduction
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 we will focus on in this chapter with
emphasis on dynamic modeling and examples of technological approaches to
achieve net-zero energy. Net ZEBs, which minimize energy consumption and
optimallyuseincidentsolarradiation,bothpassivelyandactively,areusually
definedasthosethatexportasmuchenergyastheyimport,overthecourseof
a year (also known as net-zero site energy (Torcellini et al. , 2006)). A review
of international work on Net ZEBs was undertaken by the International
Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Program (IEA SHC) Task 40/
Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Annex 52 and its Subtask A
studied several alternative definitions and calculation methodologies.
Modeling, design, and optimization of such buildings have been studied by
Subtask B (STB), which identified key issues that need to be addressed as
follows:
- What is the appropriate model resolution for each stage of the design
of Net ZEBs?
- What is the role of simple spreadsheet-based tools (e.g., RETScreen
(NRCan, 2010) and PHPP (iPHA, 2013)) versus more advanced detailed
simulation (such as ESP-r (ESRU, 2013) and EnergyPlus (EERE, 2013))
and optimization tools?
- What other tool capabilities are needed to model new technologies,
such as building fabric-integrated phase-change materials (PCMs)?
A three-dimensional conceptual problem space has been developed ( Figure
2.1 ) to represent the framework being used by STB to define the role of
modeling in Net ZEB design. Different simulation tools include different