ZERO ENERGY BUILDING

1.INTRODUCTION

Human-induced global warming or climate change is one of the greatest long-

term threats to human kind and most other species on the planet. It will
increasingly affect most aspects of our daily lives. Whilst climatic fluctuations
have always naturally occurred, the current levels of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere are unprecedented for the last 400,000 years.
Resource consumption and global warming are intimately interlinked. It is
possible to reduce the effects of global warming by changing behaviors, and
more fundamentally by de-linking cultural beliefs concerning prosperity, resource
consumption and economic growth that link growth with increased energy use.
If we change the way in which we act and consume, we can have an immediate
influence on the climate change through our basic everyday activities.
One of the key areas of debate in zero energy building is over the balance
between energy conservation and the use of renewable energy.
To the majority of zero energy designers, the aim of zero energy building is not
only to design a building that, on balance, uses zero energy, but one that also
minimises all energy use, irrespective of the fact that that the energy may come
from renewable resources..
However, while recognizing that energy conservation has a part to play, a
sizeable body of designers consider that it is of lower importance and instead rely
to a greater extent on 'active' techniques (solar power, wind turbines, etc.) to
make up the energy / heat shortfall.

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2.HISTORY

The ancient Greeks and Romans used solar design features in their housing, but
the first zero energy building of the modern era were built in Germany after the
first world war, when the Allies occupied the Ruhr area, including most of
Germany's coal mines. These designs were studied in the United States, but had
little influence on builders.

[1]
The first consciously zero energy building in the US was designed in 1940 by
George F. Keck for a Chicago area real estate developer named Howard Sloan.
Keck had designed an all-glass house for the 1933 Century of Progress
Exposition in Chicago and was surprised to find that it was warm inside on sunny
winter days, even though the furnace hadn't been installed yet. Keck was not
aware of the research being done elsewhere on solar architecture, but he
gradually started incorporating more south-facing windows into his designs for
other clients, and by 1940 he had learned enough to design a passive solar
house for Sloan.

Sloan built a number of zero energy building in the 1940s, and his publicity
efforts influenced a number of other builders during the postwar housing boom
(Sloan is also credited with popularizing the term "solar" to describe his houses).
But some builders of that era didn't realize that the houses were designed to face
south, and many were built facing other directions, which hurt their reputation.
Critics also pointed out that windows and doors weren't always properly sealed.
Public interest declined by 1950 due to cheap oil and general prosperity, until it
was revived after the 1973 oil crisis.

Edward Maria’s book 'The Passive Solar Energy Book' published in 1980, was an
important milestone from which interest in this field developed.

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3. Development of Zero Energy Building

The development of zero energy buildings has been made possible not only
through the progress made in new construction technologies and techniques, but
has also relied on academic research on traditional and experimental buildings in
order to generate the data for the computer models.

The zero energy building concept can be seen as a progression from other low-
energy building techniques. Amongst these, the Canadian R-2000 and the
German passive house standards have been influential. Government and
internationally sponsored demonstration projects such as the first super insulated
Saskatchewan House, and the International Energy Agency's Task 13 have also
played their part. And, in particular, the many enthusiastic private individuals who
commissioned houses using cutting edge low energy technologies has been
vital.

For zero energy building to wide acceptance is likely to require government

support or regulation, the development of recognized standards, or significant
increases in the cost of energy.

Fig 3.1

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4.Design and Construction

The design and construction methods which result in zero energy buildings
appear to depart significantly from conventional building practice. Conventional
designers and builders rarely do any energy analysis or lifecycle operating cost
calculations on smaller buildings and appear to over-emphasize minimizing first
costs . A competent ZEB designer is always interested in the lifecycle energy
consumption effects of system options and is usually willing to increase first costs
if they reduce energy demand and operating costs by an equal or greater
amount. The ZEB approach might be described as energy first building design. In
the ZEB approach every decision about major sub-system selection is evaluated
in terms of its life-cycle energy demand consequence.

To achieve minimal energy use, the design and construction of zero energy
buildings departs significantly from conventional building practice. In conventional
building design, the emphasis is normally on minimizing construction costs.
Designers rarely do any energy analysis or lifecycle operating cost calculations
beyond those necessary to comply with local building codes.
In the ZEB approach, every decision about major sub-system selection is
evaluated in terms of its future consequences on energy demand using life cycle
energy analysis. ZEB designers are usually prepared to increase construction
costs if doing so will reduce energy demand and operating costs by an equal or
greater amount. The ZEB approach might be described as "energy first" building
design.
In addition to using renewable sources, zero energy buildings are also designed
to make use of energy gained from other sources including white goods, lighting,
and even body heat. They are normally optimized to use passive solar heat gain,
use thermal mass to even out temperature variations throughout the day, and in
most climates are super insulated.

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All the technologies needed to create zero energy buildings are available off the
shelf today.
Designers typically use sophisticated computer simulation tools to take into
account a wide range of design variables such as building orientation (relative to
the sun), window type and placement, overhang depth, insulation values of the
building elements, air tightness, the efficiency of heating, lighting and other
equipment, as well as local climate. These simulations help the designers to
know how the building will perform before it is built, and enable them to model
the financial implications on building cost.

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5.Techniques of Collection

Zero energy building designs ordinarily use one or more of three techniques to
assure solar gain:

1. Direct Gain - where sunshine is allowed to pass directly through

windows and/or skylights into the living spaces themselves, and to
warm the air and surfaces there. A home with sun-facing windows and
a high-mass floor is a short-cycle example of this and John Hait's
"Passive Annual Heat Storage" (PAHS) method is an example of an
annualized solar approach primarily using this path.
2. Indirect Gain - Where sunlight strikes an intervening material (such as
water or a solid mass behind glass), and then arrives at the living
spaces indirectly, after being captured, stored and re-released by that
material. Examples of this are Trombe walls, water walls and roof
ponds. The Australian deep-cover earthed-roof, innovated by the
Baggs family of architects, is an annualized example of this path.
3. Isolated Gain - Here the solar heat is passively captured and stored in
isolated places or devices and then only allowed to move passively
into the actual living spaces when and if desired. Examples of this are
partitioned away sun-spaces, greenhouses, "solar closets" and
thermosyphon flat-plate collectors. Don Stephens' "Annualized Geo-
Solar" (AGS) heating is an annualized example of this option, which
offers the advantages of preventing over-heating when living spaces
are already deemed warm enough, and of extending time-delays until
such heat will be desired.

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Direct and Indirect gain systems suffer because we have no reasonably priced
transparent thermally insulating materials with R-values comparable to standard
wall insulation. Aerogel is a promising, though expensive technology that might
solve this. In practice the simplicity of isolated gain design, combined with the
good long term performance and low cost make this the most practical method.
To understand this design, consider a hypothetical house based on the work of
Barra.

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6.Energy Generation

In the case of individual houses, various Microgeneration technologies may be

used to provide heat and electricity to the building, perhaps using solar cells or
wind turbines for electricity, and bio fuels, or solar collectors linked to seasonal
thermal stores, for space heating. To cope with fluctuations in demand, zero
energy buildings are frequently connected to the electricity grid, and may export
electricity to it when there is a surplus. Others may be fully autonomous
buildings.

Arguments for Microgeneration are:

 A significant proportion of electrical power is lost in the national grid

(approximately 8% in the United Kingdom according to BBC Radio 4
Today Programme in March 2006). Microgeneration does not incur this
loss.
 Microgeneration reduces the transmission capacity requirement of the
national grid, avoiding the need for additional grid upgrades.
 By curbing the rising demand for grid electricity, Microgeneration can avert
the need for investment in large new power stations.
 Microgeneration can result in low or zero energy costs, particularly if
surplus electricity can be sold to the national grid.

Bringing energy generation closer to the consumer by means of

Microgeneration may have the further benefits of:

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 Allowing individuals concerned about climate change to directly lower their

carbon output.
 Helping to overcome the antagonism of a minority towards large-scale
renewable energy installations such as wind farms

Here are some example of Microgeneration with there work

Photovoltaic cell-:

Solar cells called photovoltaic

made from thin slices of
crystalline silicon, gallium
arsenide, or other
semiconductor materials
convert solar radiation
directly into electricity.
Fig 6.1
The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi
conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an
electric field across the layers, causing electricity to flow.
By connecting large numbers of these cells into modules, the cost of
photovoltaic electricity has been reduced to 20 to 30 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Americans currently pay 6 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour for conventionally
generated electricity.
The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. PV
systems generate no greenhouse gases, saving approximately 325kg of carbon
dioxide emissions per year - adding up to about 8 tones over a system's lifetime -
for each kilowatt peak (kWp - PV cells are referred to in terms of the amount of

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energy they generate in full sun light).

Solar PV and your home

You can use PV systems for a building with a roof or wall that faces within 90
degrees of south, as long as no other buildings or large trees overshadow it. If
the roof surface is in shadow for parts of the day, the output of the system
decreases.
Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their
weight, especially if the panel is placed on top of existing tiles.
A trained and experienced installer should always carry out solar PV installations.

Cost and maintenance

Prices for PV systems vary, depending on the size of the system to be installed,
type of PV cell used and the nature of the actual building on which the PV is
mounted. The size of the system is dictated by the amount of electricity required.
For the average domestic system, costs can be around £4,000- £9,000 per kWp
installed, with most domestic systems usually between 1.5 and 2 kWp. Solar tiles
cost more than conventional panels, and panels that are integrated into a roof
are more expensive than those that sit on top.
Grid connected systems require very little maintenance, generally limited to
ensuring that the panels are kept relatively clean and that shade from trees has
not become a problem. The wiring and components of the system should
however be checked regularly by a qualified technician.
Stand-alone systems, i.e. those not connected to the grid, need maintenance on
other system components, such as batteries.

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Wind Energy

Modern wind turbines use the

wind's lift forces to turn
aerodynamic blades that turn a
rotor which creates electricity.

In the UK we have 40% of Europe's

total wind energy. But it's still largely
untapped and only 0.5% of our
electricity
Fig 6.2
requirements are currently generated by wind power.
wind power is proportional to the cube of the wind's speed, so relatively minor
increases in speed result in large changes in potential output. Individual turbines
vary in size and power output from a few hundred watts to two or three
megawatts (as a guide, a typical domestic system would be 2.5 - 6 kilowatts,
depending on the location and size of the home).
Uses range from very small turbines supplying energy for battery charging
systems (e.g. on boats or in homes), to turbines grouped on wind farms
supplying electricity to the grid.
Small scale wind and your home

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Wind speed increases with height so it's best to have the turbine high on a mast
or tower. Generally speaking the ideal setting is a smooth-top hill with a flat, clear
exposure, free from excessive turbulence and obstructions such as large trees,
houses or other buildings.
However, small-scale building-integrated wind turbines suitable for urban
locations are currently being developed and will be available to install in
homes and other buildings within the next few years.
Planning issues such as visual impact, noise and conservation issues also have
to be considered.

Stand-alone or grid-connected system

Small-scale wind power is particularly suitable for remote off-grid locations where
conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical. Most small wind
turbines generate direct current (DC) electricity. Off-grid systems require battery
storage and an inverter to convert DC electricity to AC (alternating current -
mains electricity).
You also need a controller to divert power to another useful source (e.g. space
and/or water heaters) when the battery is fully charged.
It's common to combine this system with a diesel generator for use during
periods of low wind speeds. A combined wind and diesel system gives greater
efficiency and flexibility than a diesel only system. It allows the generator to be
used at optimum load for short periods of time to charge batteries when there is
little wind, rather than by constant use at varying loads.
Wind systems can also be installed where there is a grid connection. A special
inverter and controller converts DC electricity to AC at a quality and standard
acceptable to the grid. No battery storage is required. Any unused or excess
electricity can be exported to the grid and sold to the local
electricity supply company.

Cost and maintenance

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Systems up to 1kW will cost around £3000 whereas larger systems in the region
of 1.5kW to 6kW would cost between £4,000 - £18,000 installed. These costs are
inclusive of the turbine, mast, inverters, battery storage (if required) and
installation, however it's important to remember that costs always vary depending
on location and the size and type of system.
Turbines can have a life of up to 20 years but require service checks every few
years to ensure they work efficiently. For battery storage systems, typical battery
life is around 6-10 years, depending on the type, so batteries may have to be
replaced at some point in the system's life.
Biomass, contraction for biological mass, the amount of living material provided
by a given area of the earth's surface. The term is most familiar

from discussions of biomass energy, that is, the fuel energy that can be derived
directly or indirectly from biological sources. Biomass energy from wood, crop
residues, and dung remains the primary source of energy in developing regions.
In a few instances it is also a major source of power, as in Brazil, where
sugarcane is converted to ethanol fuel, and in China's Sichuan province, where
fuel gas is obtained from dung. Various research projects aim at further
development of biomass energy, but economic competition with petroleum has
mainly kept such efforts at an early developmental stage.

Solar Collector

Fig 6.3

A solar collector is a device

for extracting the energy of
the sun directly into a more
usable or storable form.
The energy in sunlight is in
the form of electromagnetic
radiation from the infrared

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(long) to the ultraviolet (short) wavelengths. The solar energy striking the earth's
surface at any one time depends on weather conditions, as well as location and
orientation of the surface, but overall, it averages about 1000 watts per square
meter on a clear day with the surface directly perpendicular to the sun's rays.

Fig 6.4

A solar thermal collector that stores heat energy is called a "batch" type system.
Other types of solar thermal collectors do not store energy but instead use fluid
circulation (usually water or an antifreeze solution) to transfer the heat for direct
use or storage in an insulated reservoir. Water/glycol has a high thermal capacity
and is convenient to handle. The direct radiation is captured using a dark colored
surface which absorbs the radiation as heat and conducts it to the transfer fluid.
Metal makes a good thermal conductor, especially copper and aluminum. In high
performance collectors, a "selective surface" is used in which the collector
surface is coated with a material having properties of high-absorption and low-
emissive. The selective surface reduces heat-loss caused by infrared radiant
emission from the collector to ambient. Another method of reducing radiant heat-
loss employs a transparent window such as clear UV stabilized plastic or Low-
emissivity glass plate. Again, Low-E materials are the most effective, particularly

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the type optimized for solar gain. Borosilicate glass or "Pyrex" (tm) has low-
emissivity properties, which may be useful, particularly for solar cooking
applications.

As it heats up, thermal losses from the collector itself will reduce its efficiency,
resulting in increased radiation, primarily infrared.

This is countered in two ways. First, a glass plate is placed above the collector
plate which will trap the radiated heat within the airspace below it. This exploits
the so-called greenhouse effect, which is in this case a property of the glass: it
readily transmits solar radiation in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum, but does
not transmit the lower frequency infrared re-radiation very well. The glass plate
also traps air in the space, thus reducing heat losses by convection. The collector
housing is also insulated below and laterally to reduce its heat loss. The second
way efficiency is improved is by cooling the absorber plate. This is done by
ensuring that the coldest available heat transfer fluid is circulated through the
absorber, and with a sufficient flow rate. The fluid carries away the absorbed
heat, thus cooling the absorber. The warmed fluid leaving the collector is either
directly stored, or else passes through a heat exchanger to warm another tank of
water, or is used to heat a building directly. The temperature differential across an
efficient solar collector is usually only 10 or 20°C. While a large differential may
seem impressive, it is in fact an indication of a less efficient design.

For solar heating of domestic hot water, two common system types are
thermosyphon and pumped. In the thermosyphon system, a storage tank is
placed above the collector. As the water in the collector is heated, it will rise and
naturally start to circulate around the tank. This draws in colder water from the
bottom of the tank. This system is self-regulating and requires no moving parts or
external energy, so is very attractive. Its main drawback is the need for the tank
to be placed at a level higher than the collector, which may prove to be physically
difficult. A pumped system uses a pump to circulate the water, so the tank can be
positioned independently of the collector location. This system requires external

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energy to run the pump (though this can be solar, since the water should only be
circulated when there is incident sunlight). It also requires control electronics to
measure the temperature gradient across the collector and modulate the pump
accordingly.

Systems using solar electric pumping and controls are known as Zero carbon
solar while those using mains electricity are known as low carbon, since they
typically have a 10-20% carbon claw back

Solar collectors can be mounted on a roof but need to face the sun, so a north-
facing roof in the southern hemisphere and a south-facing roof in the northern
hemisphere is ideal. Collectors are usually also angled to suit the latitude of the
location. Where sunshine is readily available, a 2 to 10 square meter array will
provide all the hot water heating required for a typical family house. Such
systems are a key feature of sustainable housing, since water and space heating
is usually the largest single consumer of energy in households.

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Geothermal Heat Exchange Pump

A geothermal exchange heat pump, also

known as a ground source heat pump, is a heat pump that uses the Earth as
either a heat source, when operating in heating mode, or a heat sink when
operating in cooling mode. All geothermal heat pumps are characterized by an
external loop containing water or a water/antifreeze mixture (propylene glycol,
denatured alcohol or methanol), and a much smaller internal loop containing a
refrigerant. Both loops pass through the heat exchanger. Air source heat pumps
use the same principle but extract the heat from the air, rather than the ground.
As such their installation is much simpler and cheaper.

Heat pumps are especially well matched to under floor heating systems, rather
than wall mounted radiators, and so are ideal for use in open plan offices. Using
large surfaces such as floors, as apposed to radiators, distributes the heat more
uniformly and allows for a lower temperature heat transfer fluid.

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The Earth below the frost line remains at a relatively constant temperature year
round, usually between 7-21 degrees Celsius (45-70 degrees Fahrenheit)
depending on geographical location. Because this temperature remains constant.

Geothermal heat pumps perform with far greater efficiency and in a far larger
range of extreme temperatures than conventional air conditioners and furnaces.

To understand how a heat pump can heat during the winter and cool during the
summer, let us consider each mode:

Heating mode
In the heating mode, the external fluid is pumped from the well at 8-16 degrees
Celsius and passes through the heat exchange unit. Within the heat exchanger
the internal fluid is allowed to expand and change state into a gas, which draws
heat (heat of vaporization) from the external fluid, thereby cooling the external
fluid.

Meanwhile the internal gas is pumped to the compressor where it is pressurized

causing it to condense into a liquid, which releases the heat and the heat
exchanger warms the neighboring air of the house. At the same time, the cooled
external fluid is pumped back into the closed loop running into the earth where it
is warmed by the soil and recirculated.

Cooling mode

The cooling cycle is very similar except a valve on the internal loop reverses the
direction of flow. Now the compressed internal fluid coming from the compressor
heats the external fluid, before passing through the evaporator where it vaporizes
taking up heat from the air in the house. The heated external fluid is pumped into
the ground where it is cooled and recirculated. Alternatively, the heated fluid may

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pass through a second heat exchanger where water from the house absorbs
some of the excess heat. This means that in summer, the house air is cooled and
the hot water is heated by the heat pump.

Potential Advantage of ZEB

 it appears to isolate the buildings occupant(s) from energy price increases

 buildings built using ZEB concepts tend to be more comfortable due to more

uniform temperature (this can be demonstrated with comparative isotherm

maps)

 it is substantially less expensive to improve energy efficiency during initial

design and construction than it is to do so through a retrofit

 higher resale value

 the value of a ZEB building relative to similar conventional building increases

as energy costs increase

Potential Disadvantages of ZEB

 first costs can be expected to be higher in the near term

 future significant declines in energy costs could strand capital invested in

energy efficiency

 new technology in the field of solar cells could strand capital invested in a

solar electric generating system

 challenge to recover higher first costs on resale of building

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CONCLUSION

The ZEB goal is technically achievable for significant portions of the commercial
sector.
This suggests that a ZEB goal is feasible and this goal can be used to direct
research and other activities.
Efficiency measures are important for reaching the ZEB goal. The amount of
energy that can be saved by efficiency improvements is comparable to the
amount that can be generated by current rooftop PV panels.

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References
 2000 ZEB meeting report
 "Self-Sufficient Solar House " Fraunhofer Institute's (ZEB), Freiburg, Germany
 AEO. (2006). Annual Energy Outlook 2006. Washington, DC: EIA. Available 
from 
                http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo

 DTI pages on Microgeneration

 The DTIs Low Carbon Buildings Programme
 Micro power Council
 The Green Alliance's Microgeneration Manifesto
 "Our Energy Challenge, Securing Clean and Affordable Energy for the Long
Term" (a document by the DTI).




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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that, the seminar work entitled

Zero Energy Building
Has been submitted by
Mr.Chetan Annaji Waghmare
In satisfactory manner as a partial fulfillment of award of degree of
Bachelor of Engineering
(Mechanical Engineering)
Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati.

GUIDE H.O.D.
Prof. A.M. Mahalle Prof.Mrs. S.R.Charde

Department Of Mechanical Engineering

Government College of Engineering Amravati.
2006-07

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