Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB): Concepts, Frameworks and Roadmap for Project Analysis and Implementation provides readers with the elements they need to understand, combine and contextualize design decisions on Net Zero Energy Buildings. The book is based on learned lessons from NZEB design, construction, operation that are integrated to bring the most relevant topics, such as multidisciplinarity, climate sensitivity, comfort requirements, carbon footprints, construction quality and evidence-based design. Chapters introduce the context of high performance buildings, present overviews of NZEB, cover the performance thresholds for efficient buildings, cover materials, micro-grid and smart grids, construction quality, performance monitoring, post occupancy evaluation, and more. - Offers a roadmap for engaging in energy efficiency in high performance buildings projects - Combines solid grounding in core concepts, such as energy efficiency, with a wider context that includes the technical, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions - Covers key areas for decision-making - Provides a logical framework to analyze projects in the context of environmental change - Presents worldwide examples and cases for different climates and societies

Cost optimal and nearly zero energy performance levels are principles initiated by the European Union’s (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which was recast in 2010. These will be major drivers in the construction sector in the next few years, because all new buildings in the EU from 2021 onwards are expected to be nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB). This book introduces the technical definitions, system boundaries, energy calculation methodology and input data needed to set primary energy based minimum/cost optimal and nZEB requirements in national energy frames. Worked examples are provided to illustrate the calculation of delivered, exported and primary energy, and renewable energy contribution. Five case studies of high performance nZEB office buildings across Europe are reported to show alternative technical solutions and to draw some general design rules based on completed nZEB buildings. Specific features of the nZEB design process, especially in the early stages, and architectural competitions are included. These describe important design issues in the scoping and conceptual design phase, allowing design streams to be controlled so that specified targets can be met. This book is intended for readers who need to be aware of or are working with the energy performance of buildings – for decision makers in public and private sectors, architects, engineers, construction clients, consultants, contractors, manufacturers and students. The editor of this book, Professor Jarek Kurnitski has made major contributions to the preparation of the European REHVA nZEB technical definition and has developed energy calculation frames for current Estonian and Finnish energy performance regulations. He is the leader of nZEB research at Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia and Aalto University in Finland, and he has over 300 publications.

SMART GRID AND ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES Discover foundational topics in smart grid technology as well as an exploration of the current and future state of the industry As the relationship between fossil fuel use and climate change becomes ever clearer, the search is on for reliable, renewable and less harmful sources of energy. Sometimes called the “electronet” or the “energy Internet,” smart grids promise to integrate renewable energy, information, and communication technologies with the existing electrical grid and deliver electricity more efficiently and reliably. Smart Grid and Enabling Technologies delivers a complete vision of smart grid technology and applications, including foundational and fundamental technologies, the technology that enables smart grids, the current state of the industry, and future trends in smart energy. The book offers readers thorough discussions of modern smart grid technology, including advanced metering infrastructure, net zero energy buildings, and communication, data management, and networks in smart grids. The accomplished authors also discuss critical challenges and barriers facing the smart grid industry as well as trends likely to be of importance in its future development. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to smart grid architecture, including traditional grids, the fundamentals of electric power, definitions and classifications of smart grids, and the components of smart grid technology An exploration of the opportunities and challenges posed by renewable energy integration Practical discussions of power electronics in the smart grid, including power electronics converters for distributed generation, flexible alternating current transmission systems, and high voltage direct current transmission systems An analysis of distributed generation Perfect for scientists, researchers, engineers, graduate students, and senior undergraduate students studying and working with electrical power systems and communication systems. Smart Grid and Enabling Technologies will also earn a place in the libraries of economists, government planners and regulators, policy makers, and energy stakeholders working in the smart grid field.

"Net zero energy buildings, equilibrium buildings or carbon neutral cities – depending on location and the reasons for making the calculation, the numbers are run differently. The variety of terms in use indicates that a scientific method is still lacking – which is a problem not just in regard to international communication, but also with respect to planning processes as a response to energy challenges. The clarification and meaning of the most important terms in use is extremely important for their implementation. Since October 2008, a panel of experts from an international energy agency has concerned itself with these topics as part of a project entitled “Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings”. The objective is to analyse exemplary buildings that are near a zero-energy balance in order to develop methods and tools for the planning, design and operation of such buildings. The results are documented in this publication: In addition to the presentation of selected projects, it is not just architectural showcase projects that are shown – the focus is on relaying knowledge and experience gained by planners and builders. Even if many questions remain unanswered: Project examples that have already been implemented prove on a practical basis that the objective of a zero energy balance is already possible today."

The building industry is one of the largest energy consumers and countries all over the world are striving to design buildings that satisfy the user’s expectations while containing their energy consumption. In this context, zero-energy buildings have emerged as a technological paradigm that can solve this global issue, but its implementation in different contexts has brought a profound debate about its technical, social, and environmental limitations. Thanks to contributions from a variety of scholars from different countries, this book explores different aspects of the zero-energy buildings and gives the reader a broad view of the feasibility of implementation in different contexts.

Net Zero-Energy Buildings have been the object of numerous studies in recent years as various countries have set this performance level as a long-term goal of their energy policies. This book presents a unique study of 30 NZEBs that have been constructed and have had their performance measured for at least 12 months. The study is based upon an international collaborative research initiated by the International Energy Agency - the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC). It is the first book to evaluate building strategies in houses, educational buildings and offices that have been demonstrated to work in practice. It examines how the design challenges of climate and building type have been addressed, and to what extent the various design approaches have been successful. This book presents convincing evidence that a careful re-thinking of conventional design norms can achieve a far greater performance benefit than is normally feasible. It identifies `solution sets? that work at the whole building level and at the individual building design challenge level for each climate and building type. In doing so, the book provides guidance as to how to improve the design by learning from these cases. Unusually for a book of this type it has examples of buildings in what are conventionally labeled "hot" and "cold" climates. A simple process is proposed for the reader to commission the analysis of their own climate to assess not only the conventional measure of how hot or cold or humid it is, but also to assess its suitability to support other NZEB technical challenge solutions sets such as Daylight or Natural Ventilation or comfort based climate conditioning.

This book presents cutting-edge work on the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of buildings, examining EU policies, regulations and technologies for complex systems such as passive buildings, sustainable buildings and, as part of the Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD), nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) requirements. It explores a wide range of topics, including indoor environment requirements, building physics, in-situ experiments to determine the thermal properties of buildings, nZEB requirements, building service technology, and methods of evaluating energy efficiency and environmental impacts. It also provides an overview of the best available technologies for nZEB, including those for the rational use of energy, utilization of renewable energy sources, EPBD systems and calculation methods. This book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and practitioners of urban planning, and architecture, civil and mechanical engineering.