Passive Design Optimization Towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings Requirements. Operational Performance of a Low Energy Office Building in Continental Semi-arid Climate

D'AMANZO, MICAELA; ANDREONI TRENTACOSTE, SOLEDAD ELISA; MONTIEL ZAMORANO, GLORIA VIRGINIA; BETMAN, ALICIA; GANEM, CAROLINA

Santiago de Chile

Conferencia; PLEA STGO 2022. WILL CITIES SURVIVE? The future of sustainable buildings and urbanism in the age of emergency.; 2022

PLEA

A way of achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions is through a combination of cutting energy demand in buildings through increased energy efficiency and a wider deployment of renewable energy (RE)technologies. Nearly Net Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) turn up as a possible response path. The present studyinvestigates the operational performance of a low energy office building in a continental semi-arid climate, andthe integration of passive design strategies to meet nZEB requirements. It focuses on the study of the thermaland energy performance of the building under summer conditions. Environmental measurements wereperformed during the year 2021. Meanwhile, ER generation data was collected. A simulation model wasdeveloped in Energy Plus software. Results show that the lack of adequate solar protections favours theoverheating of the interior spaces during the hours in which the solar radiation falls directly on the façade.Regarding energy demand, there is a high consumption of electricity for the air conditioning to maintain indoorthermal comfort. The model was run improving the passive strategies of night ventilative cooling and solarprotection. A consumption lower than 30 kWh/m2/year was achieved through the passive design optimization proposal meeting nZEB requirements.