Identification and development of feasible approaches and policies to achieve and promote NZE residential buildings and communities

Project Leader

• I. Ugursal

Description

There are a variety of approaches and technologies to achieve NZE status for existing buildings and communities. Their feasibility is impacted by parameters such as building size, envelope and HVAC equipment characteristics, as well as climate and geological characteristics, community density, primary energy availability and mix, and economic conditions. The impacts of these parameters and retrofit choices on the energy performance of buildings and communities are highly inter-related and complex. 

By strategically applying complementary technologies, it is possible to develop feasible approaches to achieve NZE status at the building as well as community levels. However, due to the complexity and interdependence of the impacts of the technology, location and design choice parameters on energy and GHG emission performance, a high-resolution, accurate and versatile computer model is required. 

The Canadian Hybrid Residential End-Use Energy and GHG Emissions Model (CHREM), developed through the SBRN, represent the state-of-the-art of residential sector energy consumption and GHG emissions models (Crawley, 2008; Swan & Ugursal, 2009; Swan et al., 2009; Farhat & Ugursal, 2010; Kavgic et al., 2010; Swan et al., 2010). CHREM utilizes a hybrid (engineering/neural network) approach to estimate the end-use energy consumption and GHG emissions of the Canadian housing stock (CHS). The Canadian Single-Detached and Double/Row House Database (CSDDRD) that contains detailed data from 16,952 actual houses in Canada (Swan et al. 2009) represent the CHS. The hybrid approach utilizes the strengths of the neural network and engineering modeling methods (Aydinalpkoksal & Ugursal, 2008) to estimate the energy consumption of for space heating/cooling, domestic hot water heating, lighting and appliances (Swan et al., 2010). CHREM has the ability to assess the reduction in energy consumption and GHG emissions for each end-use and energy source due to the adoption of a wide variety of alternative and renewable energy technologies at various levels of penetration. 

CHREM will be expanded to incorporate technologies that are suitable to achieve NZE status, such as cogeneration, seasonal thermal storage, solar-assisted air and ground source heat pump systems, and the expanded CHREM will be used to conduct a wide range of studies that will facilitate the identification and development of economically and technically feasible approaches, as well as policies and strategies to support the conversion of existing buildings and communities into NZEBs and communities. Thus, the project has three inter-connected objectives, which will be achieved through three sub-projects: 

1. Expansion of CHREM to include capability to model technologies that will facilitate NZE status. 

2. Development of feasible approaches, incentive measures and strategies to facilitate/support the conversion of existing buildings into NZEBs in different regions of Canada. 

3. Development of feasible approaches, incentive measures and strategies to facilitate/support the conversion of existing communities into NZE communities in different regions of Canada. 

Sub-Projects

• 5.1a  Modelling of retrofit measures (CHREM)
• 5.1b  Development strategies and approaches for  conversion of existing buildings into NZE
• 5.1c  Study of strategies and approaches for  conversion of existing communities into NZE

Back to Theme V : Technology transfer, design tools and input to national policy