SEE624A: Design

Strategies for Net-Zero

Energy Buildings
(Lectures 1-3)
Outline
• Course introduction.
• Basic principles and overview of net-zero
buildings.
– Vernacular architecture
– Definitions of net-zero
– Buildings, energy, and climate
– Energy targets and baseline
– Sustainable building design

2
Objectives
• Impart knowledge to design net-zero energy buildings,
including:
– Basic building design principles
– Passive heating and cooling techniques
– Renewable energy integration
– Lighting principles
– Retrofit techniques

3
Learning Outcomes
• Perform site and climate assessment and select proper
building orientation, geometry, zoning, and massing strategies for
NZEBs.
• Select suitable envelope components (walls, roofs, and
windows) and design shading devices based on thermal principles.
• Design the building envelope and evaluate the suitability of
different passive heating and cooling techniques.
• Select appropriate renewable energy systems for NZEBs.
• Grasp basic concepts of lighting design.
• Propose solutions for improving energy efficiency of existing
buildings.
4
Introduction: Books
1. Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustainable Design
Strategies towards Net Zero Architecture (4th edition)
by Norbert Lechner.

2. Net Zero Energy Design: a Guide for Commercial

Architecture by Thomas Hootman.
3. Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning – Analysis and
Design (6th edition) by McQuiston, Parker, and Spitler.
4. ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals.
5
Introduction: Course plan
Lectures Topic
Basic principles and overview of net-zero buildings
Introduction, vernacular architecture, measuring energy use in the
1-3 built-environment (site versus source energy), energy source
considerations, energy and carbon, energy use metrics, energy and
climate, energy targets and baseline.
Thermal comfort and indoor air quality
Physiological considerations in comfort, environmental comfort
4-5
indices, comfort conditions, adaptive comfort, and indoor air quality
considerations.

6
Introduction: Course plan
Lectures Topic
Fundamentals design considerations
6-9 Climate and site assessment, building mass and geometry, building
type and zone.
Solar geometry
10-11 Sun’s motion around the earth, solar angles and time, sun-path
diagrams, sunbeams, and solar heat gains.
Shading
Exterior shading devices, design of overhangs and fins, eggcrate
12-15
shading devices, glazing as a shading element, interior shading
devices, solar heat gain coefficient, roof and wall reflectivity.

Mid-semester examination
7
Introduction: Course plan
Lectures Topic
Passive cooling
16-18 Ventilation cooling, radiant cooling, evaporative cooling, earth
cooling, and desiccant-based cooling.
Building envelope
19-21 Envelope heat transfer, thermal planning, and envelope design
considerations.
Passive solar heating
22 Design considerations, direct gain systems, trombe walls, and
sunspaces.
Renewable energy integration
23 Basic renewable energy systems and design guidelines for integrating
photovoltaic systems in buildings.
8
Introduction: Course plan
Lectures Topic
Lighting
24
Basic concepts and design strategies.
Energy efficiency retrofits for existing buildings and
25 case studies
Techniques for improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings
and case studies of net-zero buildings.
End-semester examination

9
 Introduction: Evaluation
Weightage Date &
Components Duration Remarks
(%) Time
Open/closed
Mid-semester 2h 30 -
book.
Open/closed
Assignments/Quizzes - 25 -
book.

Class participation - 5 - -

Open
End-semester 3h 40 -
book/notes.

10
Questions?

11
Global warming and
climate change

12
Global Warming

Ref: IPCC AR6 WGI, Figure SPM.1b, p. SPM-7.

13
Retreat of Mountain Glaciers
Pedersen Glacier, Alaska
1917 2005

Ref: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-mountain-glaciers 14
 Muir Glacier, Alaska

August, 1941

15
August, 2004
 Careser Glacier, Italy

August, 1933

16
August, 2012
Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector

17.5 %
NZEB Design
• How can a building achieve net-zero energy and carbon?

Ref: https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/net-zero-energy-building
End of Lecture 1
Vernacular architecture
Architecture without architects

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-leUMOaic4

20
Vernacular Architechture
• Main reason for regional differences in architecture is
the response to climate.
• Indigenous buildings usually reflected the climate in
which they were built.
Hot and dry climate

Ref: https://misfitsarchitecture.com/2014/08/02/the-buildings-of-yemen/
Hot and dry climate
• Massive walls and roofs used for their time-lag effect.
– Light exterior surfaces to minimize absorption of solar
radiation.
– Light interior surfaces to help diffuse the entering sunlight.
– Little rain flat roofs  additional living and sleeping areas
during summer nights

• Small windows
– Adequate for lighting due to intense sun.
– During the day, hot outdoor air makes ventilation largely
undesirable.
Hot and dry climate
• Community planning
– Buildings often closely clustered for shading one another and
the public spaces between them.

• Homework [2 marks]:
– Find a few pictures (make 3 slides) of architectural elements
used in Rajasthan and send them to me by Wednesday.
– Talk about the architectural elements visible in those pictures.
Hot and humid climate

Ref: www.slideshare.net/maitreyiy/architecture-in-hot-and-humid-climate
Hot and humid climate
Hot and humid climate
• Temperatures lower than in hot and dry climates
– water vapor blocks solar radiation
– high humidity creates discomfort

• Increase air movement to increase the rate of

evaporative and convective cooling.

• Large windows with large overhangs

– Maximize ventilation
– Overhangs and shutters protect from solar radiation and rain.
Hot and humid climate
• Light-colored walls

• High ceilings
– Permit larger windows
– Allow air stratification
• Vertical ventilation through high windows exhausts the hottest air
layers.

• Lightweight (wood) construction

– massive construction is a disadvantage.
Hot and humid climate
• Community planning
– Buildings sited as far apart as possible for maximum access to
the cooling breezes.

Ref: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/windcatchers/
Other climates
• Temperate climate
– Hot summers and cold winters  difficult to design for!

• Cold climate
– Emphasize heat retention.
“Modern” Architecture

Infosys Pune Campus

Modern Architecture
• Modern architecture
prided itself on its
“foundation of logic”.
– “Form follows function”
– Function rarely referred to
low energy usage.

• Today energy
consumption is the
number-one issue facing
the earth!

twitter.com/culturaltutor/status/1599948999389110273
Net-zero Buildings
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FysJKq5yCfg

34
Definition of Net-zero Energy
• What is a net-zero energy building?

• A measure of a building’s energy performance.

– A net-zero building produces as much (or more) RE as its
energy usage over its yearly operation.
– Means that NRE sources may be used, but enough RE must
be generated to offset/exceed the NRE use.

35
Definition of Net-zero Energy
• A measure of a building’s energy performance.
– A net-zero building produces as much (or more) RE as its
energy usage over its yearly operation.
– Means that NRE sources may be used, but enough RE must
be generated to offset/exceed the NRE use.

• An operational goal: performance measuring period is

one year of operation, to include all seasons.
– demonstrate net zero in design.
– truly achieved through actual measured operation.

36
Definition(s)

Ref: building.ca/net-positive-office-building-markham-howland-green/
37
Definition of Net-zero Energy
• Very low-energy buildings with enough dedicated RE
generation.
– intent is not just to secure enough RE regardless of energy
efficiency.

38
End of Lecture 2
Definition(s) of Net-zero

Net-zero Site Energy

Net-zero Source Energy

Net-zero CO2 Emissions

40
Net-zero Site Energy
Site boundary
On-site energy
generation

Energy consumed

Net site-
energy

Natural gas Electricity

Net-zero Site Energy

Meter
#1
Natural
gas Energy consumption

Meter
#2
Electricity
Energy generation

42
Net-zero Site Energy
• Net-zero site energy (most commonly used)
– Produces as much RE as it uses over 1-year when accounted
for at the site.
– Site-level energy measurement: boundary drawn around the
building site, and all of the energy within the site added up.
– Reflects the meter recordings  easier accounting.

– Doesn’t include resource consumption and emission impacts

– What to do with different mixes of energy (Gas, electricity,
etc.)?

43
Net-zero Source Energy
Energy
generation

Energy consumed

Natural gas Electricity

Net source-energy
Source energy Source energy
factor = 1.047 factor = 3.34

Natural gas plant Electric power plant

44
Net-zero Source Energy
• Net-zero source energy
– Produces as much RE as it uses over 1-year, when accounted
for at the source.
– Measure includes factors related to providing energy to a site.

It takes about three times the energy, in terms of coal-

fired, grid-based electricity, measured at the source as
compared to what is actually delivered and measured at
the site. Why?
45
Net-zero Source Energy
• Net-zero source energy
– Produces as much RE as it uses over 1-year, when accounted
for at the source.
– Measure includes factors related to providing energy to a site.
– Gives a more complete picture of energy use.
– A site-to-source energy factor applied to the site energy value
for each source.

46
Net-zero Source Energy
National average source energy conversion factors for USA
Source energy conversion
Energy form
factor (r)
Imported electricity 3.15
Exported renewable electricity 3.15
Natural gas 1.09
Fuel oil (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, diesel, kerosene) 1.19
Propane and liquid propane 1.15
Steam 1.45
Hot water 1.35
Chilled water 1.04
Coal or other 1.05
Ref: USDoE, A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings 47
Example
A building has the following actual annual delivered energy types: 60,000 kWh of
electricity and 20,000 kWh of natural gas. The on-site renewable exported energy
is 75,000 kWh of electricity from photovoltaics.
• Would the building be a net-zero site or source energy building?

48
Net-zero Energy Emissions
Energy
generation

Energy consumed

Natural gas Electricity

Net energy emissions
Emission factor Emission factor =
= 0.0066 0.689 CO2e/MWh
CO2e/MWh

Natural gas plant Electric power plant

49
Net-zero Energy Emissions
• Net-zero energy emissions
– Produces enough emissions-free renewable energy to
offset emissions from all energy it uses over 1-year.
– Emissions measured in carbon-equivalent of GHG emissions.
– Carbon emission factor applied to the site energy use.

• Quantifies the key value of a net-zero — the elimination

of GHG emissions!
Does it?
50
Net-zero Energy Emissions
• Emission factor
– Relates a quantity of a pollutant to an activity, usually put in
terms of CO2 equivalent.

GHG Emissions = Activity* Emission Factor

51
Net-zero Energy Emissions
• Emission factor for the Indian Power Sector

Ref: CO2 Baseline Database for the Indian Power Sector User Guide Version 18.0 December 2022 52
Energy Use Metrics

53
Energy use intensity (EUI)
• Measure of the total
annual building energy
use divided by gross
building floor area.
– Also called EPI
(energy performance
index).

Ref: www.firstgreen.co/green-building-metrics-every-architect-should-
know/#:~:text=EUI%20is%20an%20abbreviation%20for,%2Fm2%2Fyr
Energy use intensity (EUI)
• Measure of the total
annual building energy
use divided by gross
building floor area.
– Also called EPI
(energy performance
index).

• Both site and source

energy may be used
for calculations!
– For simplicity we will
use site energy.
Ref: www.firstgreen.co/green-building-metrics-every-architect-should-
know/#:~:text=EUI%20is%20an%20abbreviation%20for,%2Fm2%2Fyr
EUI or EPI
Major uses
1. To set energy targets.
2. To compare performance with established energy
baselines.
3. To compare energy performance of same type of buildings.
4. For energy rating purpose.

Ref: https://beeindia.gov.in/sites/default/files/Labelling%20Flyer.pdf
Ref: https://beeindia.gov.in/sites/default/files/Labelling%20Flyer.pdf
 Star rating of 2700 houses in Jaipur
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
0 star 1 star 2 star 3 star 4 star 5 star
Star rating
2700 houses in Jaipur City
EUI or EPI
• Limitations
– Less helpful when comparing buildings in different climates
or of different types.
– Unfair to even compare two office buildings in the same city
with different occupancy densities!

– Other metrics
• kWh/occupant hour/year for an office building.
• kWh/guest nights/year for a hotel.
• kWh/meals served/year for a restaurant.

Ref: https://beeindia.gov.in/sites/default/files/Labelling%20Flyer.pdf
End-use of Electricity in Buildings
Commercial Residential
4
34 7
31

Appliances
Others Air conditioning
Lighting
Air conditioning Fans
Lighting Evap. cooling
61
End of lecture 3

62