VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND LTD

Effectiveness of active systems in

improving the energy efficiency

of buildings

Pekka Tuominen, Francesco Reda,

Miimu Airaksinen

18/01/2017 2

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), officially

Directive 2002/91/EC and Directive 2010/31/EU, regulates what

is demanded from buildings with regard to energy efficiency in

EU countries

One of the principal aims of the directive is that all new buildings

be Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) by 2020

A very ambitious goal with scarcely 10 years to adjust to the

changing regulations

Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) and the

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)

18/01/2017 3

Relative evolution of building space heating consmuption requirement

in selected European countries

Lienart (2008): The European regulation for thermal insulation: norms, impelementation, recommendations, incentives.

EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperations seminar on energy environment and climate change, 28.11.2008.

Development of building regulation over timek

Wh

/m²

18/01/2017 4

The directive lets each member

state to define its own

regulations within the framework

given by the directive

Different countries are advancing

in different paces, not all

countries have yet defined NZEB

in their building code

NZEB definition complete

Defined but not codified

Work in progress

Map: Buildings Performance Institute Europe: NZEB definitions across Europe, situation in April 2015

Current status of the Energy Performance of

Buildings Directive (EPBD)

18/01/2017 5

Approaches to reaching the goal of near zero

Active solutions: integrated energy production, energy

recycling, heat pumps, smart control, energy storages…

Passive solutions: insulation, airtightness, use of solar gains,

shading, positioning and orienting…

Planners are trying different approaches to reach the NZEB goal

by using different mixes of active and passive measures

18/01/2017 6

Villa Isover: active systems approach

Solar heat

collectors

Energiatehokaskoti.fi

PV panels

Ground source

heat pump

Exhaust air

heat pump

18/01/2017 7

Concept Olavilla: passive solutions approach

Energiakokeilut.fi

Shape of the

building

Direction of the

windows

Omission of

cooling system

Insulation

One active

system:

temperature

balancing

ventilation

18/01/2017 8

Approach

Case buildings from Energiakokeilut.fi

Some additional buildings from known projects of energy

efficient buildings

Buildings will be compared based on two variables:

Level of energy efficiency achieved (kWh/m²)

Amount of active systems used (n)

Comparative analysis

Lessons learned and best practices

18/01/2017 9

Preliminary calculation examples

Electricity

consumption

Heat

consumption

Total

consumption

Net energy

consumption

No of active

systems

House A 79 79 0 4

House B 79 36 115 115 1

House D 189 44 233 233 1

House G 91 91 91 3

House J 61 61 2

Enery consumption in kWh/m² and active systems in case buildings

in Vuores, Tampere, retrieved from Energiakokeilut.fi

18/01/2017 10

Comparison of energy and number of systems

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 2 3 4

kWh/m²

No of systems

18/01/2017 11

Comparison of energy and number of systems

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 2 3 4

kWh/m²

Number of systems

Increasing the amount of active

systems seems to succeed in

improving energy efficiency.

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