Seminar on Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB’s) in India

16-17 May 2013

Building on Established Frameworks:

Measurement and Verification (M&V) Considerations
for Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs)

Dr. Peter du Pont

Senior Advisor, Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Deployment (PACE-D)
Topics Covetred

 Codes & Standards

 Standardized M&V Protocols
 North American Pilot Programs
 North American Case Studies
 On-Site Generation Technology
 M&V Challenges

2
Codes & Standards:
The Framework

3
 Codes & Standards

 Energy Efficiency is the first step to net zero

 India’s National Energy Conservation Building Code
(ECBC) sets minimum requirements but it is a voluntary
code
 Wide Scale Implementation & Enforcement of ECBC is
required

4
Codes & Standards

5
 Codes & Standards

 Codes are a benchmark to be used in savings M&V

 Does ECBC build on IECC? Which version does it align
with?
 ECBC should be aligned with local requirements,
weather conditions and building characteristics
 Local officials should be allowed to adjust
requirements based on local conditions
 Code requirements can be broken into tiers of different EE
measures and implemented in phases

6
Standardized M&V Protocols:
The Tools

7
M&V for NZEB – Standardized Protocols

 No standardized protocol as yet

 NZEB not directly addressed through International Monitoring
and Verification Protocol (IPMVP), however
o Volume III explains how to employ the standard 4 options to verify
the performance of new construction and renewable projects
 Multiple efforts in progress to create guidelines for M&V
approaches for NZEB
o ASHRAE Vision 2020 (Market viable NZEB by 2030)
o NIST Measurement Science Roadmap to NZEB
 Pilot programs are being funded through utilities and state
agencies:
o Pacific Gas and Electric (ZNE Pilot Program)
o Energy Trust of Oregon (Incentive for Net Zero Commercial
Projects)
8
Pilot Programs

9
M&V for NZEB – Pilot Programs

 PG&E Pilot
o Focused on outreach and education
o Annual competition for ZNE designs
o Currently funding two research projects; technical feasibility
for ZNE buildings in different California Climates and a policy
and marketing study on achieving the 2020 and 2030 ZNE
goals
 Energy Trust of Oregon Pilot
o Must achieve 60% less consumption than Oregon building
code
o Incentives and technical assistance for:
o Early design/energy modeling, additional energy-related
design studies, renewable technologies, Commissioning
10
M&V for NZEB – Pilot Programs

 ETO Pilot (contd.)

o 6 active projects
o Rigorous M&V requirements
o At a minimum, the facility should have:
o Whole building 15-min interval data for electricity end-use
o Hourly data for natural gas end-use
o Separate metering for onsite renewable energy sources
o For eligibility, reporting of the data to ETO for eighteen
months after occupancy
o Facilities recommended to have advanced monitoring
systems which can provide visibility to all major end-uses

11
Case Studies

12
Case Studies

 2011 report: total of 21 occupied buildings which can be

classified as NZEB
 15 buildings have measured NZE performance from
installed real time monitoring systems or extensive sub-
metering
 Most of these facilities can be classified as small or
medium commercial end-uses
 Largest measured NZE facility is the Adam Joseph Lewis
Center for Environmental Studies--Oberlin College in
Oberlin, OH.

13
Adam Joseph Lewis Center – Building Characteristics

 Higher education facility with

class-rooms, library, waste-
water purification facility
 Total conditioned area of
13,600 ft2
 Closed looped ground
source heat pump
 Double and triple pane argon
filled low-e windows
 Day-lighting through
clerestories and engineered
overhangs
 60 kW rated, grid tied PV
panels

14
Adam Joseph Lewis Center – M&V Methodology

Real Time Data Monitoring

and Reporting

Visibility into each end-use

15
Adam Joseph Lewis Center – M&V Methodology

 M&V was developed on

the premise that the data
monitored will be utilized
for:
o Engagement
o Education and
o Motivation of building
occupants
 Watt meters and current
transducers on 10 different
load circuits are being
utilized to measure the
electricity consumption of
the facility.

16
Adam Joseph Lewis Center – M&V Methodology

 For the PV array, two additional meters are being utilized

 The accuracy of the facilities data collection system was verified with
the utility meter through a study completed by NREL over a period of
3 years
 The study determined that the sum of the internal meters aligned very
well with the utility data
 From historical data review, the facility is operating as a Net Zero
Energy Building with a negative net electricity consumption over the
last 12 months
 Data accuracy is verified after a prescribed period by checking
against utility data
 Visibility to the end-user and visitors greatly assist in managing the
behavioral aspects of controlling building operations

17
On Site Generation Technology

18
On-Site Generation Technology Selection and
Alignment Challenges

 Selection of most cost-effective on-site generation

technology may lead to large misalignments of premise
and system load shapes.
 This may lead to:
 Significant shortfalls of system generation capacity during peak
hours, and
 Excess of system generation capacity when it is not needed.
 Consider a commercial building with only on-site wind
generation.

19
On-Site Generation Technology Selection and
Alignment Challenges

73% Excess capacity at hour 21

20
On-Site Generation Technology Selection and
Alignment Challenges
 Now consider a commercial building with 50% on-site
wind generation and 50% solar generation.

42% Excess capacity at hour 18

21
M&V Challenges

22
M&V for NZEB – Challenges

 Necessity for continuous measurements

o Variations in building operations and onsite renewable
energy capacity

 Required visibility for the following parameters groups:

o Energy consumption (real-time values for electricity
consumption by fans, chillers, plug loads etc)
o System status (air-flow rates, stream temperatures)
o Level of service (thermal comfort, indoor environmental
quality)
o Outdoor conditions (air temperature, wind speed,
availability of solar)

23
M&V for NZEB – Challenges (contd.)

 High incremental cost of advanced monitoring system

 Higher maintenance cost of monitoring system

 Behavioral tendencies of occupants
 Alignment of generation load shapes

24