Towards Energy-Positive Buildings through a Quality-Matched Energy Flow Strategy

Nick Novelli, Justin S. Shultz, Mohamed Aly Etman, Kenton Phillips, Jason O. Vollen, Michael Jensen and Anna Dyson
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Nick Novelli: Center for Ecosystems in Architecture, Yale University, 180 York St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Justin S. Shultz: Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180, USA
Mohamed Aly Etman: Center for Ecosystems in Architecture, Yale University, 180 York St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Kenton Phillips: Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180, USA
Jason O. Vollen: AECOM, 125 Broad St., New York, NY 10003, USA
Michael Jensen: Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180, USA
Anna Dyson: Center for Ecosystems in Architecture, Yale University, 180 York St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-29

Abstract: Current strategies for net-zero buildings favor envelopes with minimized aperture ratios and limiting of solar gains through reduced glazing transmittance and emissivity. This load-reduction approach precludes strategies that maximize on-site collection of solar energy, which could increase opportunities for net-zero electricity projects. To better leverage solar resources, a whole-building strategy is proposed, referred to as “Quality-Matched Energy Flows” (or Q-MEF): capturing, transforming, buffering, and transferring irradiance on a building’s envelope—and energy derived from it—into distributed end-uses. A mid-scale commercial building was modeled in three climates with a novel Building-Integrated, Transparent, Concentrating Photovoltaic and Thermal fenestration technology (BITCoPT), thermal storage and circulation at three temperature ranges, adsorption chillers, and auxiliary heat pumps. BITCoPT generated electricity and collected thermal energy at high efficiencies while transmitting diffuse light and mitigating excess gains and illuminance. The balance of systems satisfied cooling and heating demands. Relative to baselines with similar glazing ratios, net electricity use decreased 71% in a continental climate and 100% or more in hot-arid and subtropical-moderate climates. Total EUI decreased 35%, 83%, and 52%, and peak purchased electrical demands decreased up to 6%, 32%, and 20%, respectively (with no provisions for on-site electrical storage). Decreases in utility services costs were also noted. These results suggest that with further development of electrification the Q-MEF strategy could contribute to energy-positive behavior for projects with similar typology and climate profiles.

Keywords: on-site net-zero electricity; energy-positive buildings; active integrated facades; thermal storage; distributed systems; exergy management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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