ABSTRACT
Zero energy and Passive housing is a widespread concept in around the world.
The successful implementation of this in all countries has led to the discussion of its applicability in Turkey which has more than one kind of climate. The lack of this work was found in Turkey where renewable energy types are exist. For this reason, this study aims to investigate the use of renewable energy sources in Turkey at dwellings and the use of passive house standards.
Keywords: Zero energy house, passive house, renewable energy, sustainability
1. INTRODUCTION
Energy usage is rapidly increase in whole world. For that reason, it needs to arise of usage fossil fuel. However, world is damaged cause of surplus carbon emission. Consequently, different energy resources are get importance which are renewable. For instance, wind and solar energy.
In the sense that occurring an improvement in concept of “sustainability”, environmental awareness remains in numerous fields.
In building sector, many people research about how to decrease the energy usage in the buildings and how to design sustainable building. By this means, the concept of zero energy building make progress in developed countries.
Marszal, Anna Joanna, et al.(2011 p. 971-979) [1] states that “Zero energy building concept is no longer perceive as a concept of a remote future, but as a realistic solution for the mitigation of CO2 emissions and/or the reduction of energy use in the building sector.”
Passive houses have adopted themselves as an internationally accepted standard for energy efficient architecture. Potentials are not only recognized in Germany where it was originally developed; From North America to the Far East, thousands of Passive House buildings have been built in Europe, increasing in number around the world. At the same time, it provides a solution for the sustainable use of natural resources. Many studies have shown that energy consumption for heating and cooling in Passive House buildings is about 80% lower than conventional buildings.
Passive House offers a realistic option for cost-effective structures that provide high levels provides comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. In the face of rapidly rising energy prices, this makes Passive House an attractive option for the economy.
An opportunity for homeowners and residents to gain independence from volatile energy markets at the same time. The passive house building’s energy requirements are so low that it can easily be met by active solar acquisitions or other renewable sources in or near it.
Most of the passive house buildings built up to the present time, along with being new buildings in the residential area, the number of people who are aware of passive house advantages is increasing standard offers for other types of buildings. Excellent perfect examples passive home office, schools, kindergartens, sports halls, supermarkets, hotels and even closed areas, swimming pools. Zero energy buildings are structures that can provide the necessary thermal comfort by heating or cooling the fresh air to achieve the room temperature required. In addition they are designed and built in accordance with standards set by the Passive House Institute in Germany. These structures are then certified according to the standards of the institute.
Passive houses, which are mainly applied in northern European countries such as Germany and Austria, and which are developed by developing design criteria suitable for cold climate region, provide energy performance with high energy performance in the countries where they are applied. Passive house concept consists of principles of high heat insulation, design without heat bridges, airtight construction, high heat insulation resistance windows and heat recovery ventilation system with high efficiency feature. The passive household standard based on the principle of minimum energy consumption in heating, cooling and ventilation has a heating requirement of 15 kWh / m² per year, a cooling requirement of 15 kWh / m² per year and a primary energy requirement of 120 kWh / m². Passive house concept is very important in terms of protecting our country’s energy resources and preventing environmental pollution by achieving high energy efficiency in our country when our country is considered as a renewable energy potential. In this study, the applicability of this concept based on passive house standards was examined.
Decreasing the need for heating is obviously reducing building energy use costs. However, in the evaluation of the energy efficiency of the building, the costs of formation, initial investment, maintenance and repair are of utmost importance. For this reason, it is necessary to decide whether insulation thicknesses which are very much in this study are economical in order to evaluate passive house standard criteria in terms of building energy costs. In addition, passive houses developed in accordance with the cold climate regions covered in this study are ventilated under the control of the heat recovery ventilation system. Comparison of the results obtained in case of natural ventilation in Turkey climate conditions should be made. Similarly, it is necessary to develop cost and energy efficient options to reduce the cooling need by making cost analyzes for hot climate regions. Another issue that needs to be discussed is the need for the rich solar energy potential of our country to be properly assessed in terms of buildings’ heating and cooling energy needs. It is necessary to consider the energy efficient options to minimize the heat gain from solar radiation during the period when our country wants to heat according to the climate regions and climatic conditions in these regions and to develop passive house criteria suitable for the conditions of our country. For this reason, this study is important in the sense that it is a starting point for future work in this field. It is clear that the development of similar studies will provide significant support for energy efficiency studies, which have a great place in our country’s agenda, with passive house standards that can be created by our country’s climatic zones, climate needs, energy and cost effective options to be developed on the basis of renewable energy potential.
Following the literature searching, I realize to need a research about zero energy building in Turkey.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Catarina Thormark, Building And Environment 41 (2006) 1019-1026, Received 21 February 2005; Received In Revised Form 4 April 2005; Accepted 21 April 2005, The Effect Of Material Choice On The Total Energy Need And Recycling Potential Of A Building
The aim of the study is research to limit of embodied energy and recycling capacity would be affected by some material permutation. Moreover, the other point is acquire a reference value for the life-cycle energy for low-energy dwellings in a cold climate.
The method of the study is using a dynamic calculation method. In the study, the recycling potential was calculated for original and re-designs. Also re-designs were investigated according to minimize or maximize the embodied energy. In addition, the recycling capacity was evaluated for two scenarios which is A and B. A is maximum material recycling with heat recovery. B is maximum re-use.
The conclusion is that reduce operational needs are not only important issue. Also the choice of material is important as well as recycling aspects. In addition, considering the ways for recycling have importance.
2.2 T. Ramesh, Ravi Prakash, K.K. Shukla, Energy and Buildings 42 (2010) 1592-1600, Received 19 September 2009; Received In Revised Form 28 April 2010; Accepted 13 May 2010, Life Cycle Energy Analysis Of Buildings: An Overview
The focus point of the study is research about total energy use during the life cycle are requested to classify phases of largest energy usage. The other aim is improved strategies for its diminution.
The methodology is consisted with 73 case studies from 13 countries. In this counties buildings’ life cycle energy use is measured with using a literature survey. This survey involve offices and residential buildings.
As a conclusion, the cases presented that the life cycle energy usage consist in the operating energy and embodied energy of buildings. Also the building’s life cycle energy requirement can be decrease to operating energy. In addition, passive and active technologies cause to increase in embodied energy.
3. METHODOLOGY
There is an association which is interested in zero energy and passive housing in Turkey. It is called SEPEV. The head office of association is built as passive building which is located in Ankara. Zero Energy and Passive House Association is a pioneering association that works on behalf of independent and profit-oriented, passive house standards and methods in Turkey. The objectives of the Zero Energy and Passive House Association;
- To publicize the standards and methods of Passive House in design and practice and to preserve integrity.
- Combining passive house criteria with traditional Turkish architectural understanding and building techniques.
- To undertake researches on Passive House standards to be implemented in Turkey and to support the students and academicians working on this issue.
- To give trainings to architects and engineers about the subject.
For this reason, I made an email interview with Tuğba Salman Gürcan who is manager of the SEPEV. The interview consist of passive house standards and renewable energy sources in Turkey.
3.1 PARTICIPANTS
The participant of interview is Tuğba Salman Gürcan. She graduated from the interior architecture department of Bilkent University. She study for master’s degree in sustainable architecture. Also she is certified passive house designer.
3.2 DESIGN OF THE STUDY
I have followed a two-step process to reach the goal of the work. The first stage was to read articles on zero energy and passive houses and to learn the terms and literatures used. At this stage, I decided to focus my research on insulation, ventilation, doors and windows, and renewable energy sources. I have also included research on the applicability of these issues in Turkey’s climatic conditions. In the second phase, I completed my research with an interview with experts of these subjects.
3.3 FINDING DISCUSSION
What is the main difference between a zero energy house and a passive house?
In my opinion, a passive house is an application that minimizes energy use and waste energy. As regards to zero energy house, it provides passive energy as well as used energy from renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, heat pump etc.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “Passive House makes it possible to meet the energy demands of buildings with a wide variety of energy sources, but how long can our existing options be sustained? In this sense, instead of using limited resources such as coal, crude oil and natural gas, renewable resources can be used to build houses with zero energy and energy plus building (which is house that generate more energy than they use). In this respect, passive houses and zero-energy homes are the perfect combination for our environment.”
According to climatic differences in Turkey, what will change in passive houses to be built in different climatic conditions?
According to me, the insulation materials, window and door thicknesses used vary.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “Passive House Standard can be applied all over the world and the general approach is always the same. Depending on the local blend, the properties of the individual components vary. Particular attention should be paid to passive cooling measures, such as shading and window ventilation, in hot climates, for example to provide comfort during the hot months. Passive house individual features should be optimized according to local conditions. Two Passive houses designs in different locations may be completely different. This may be due to changing tastes, building traditions and climate conditions. However, the guiding principle remains in that peak loads are reduced to the point at which the building can be heated and / or cooled, with fresh air to be provided in each case to provide good air quality. When this is done, both good air quality and comfortable temperatures can be achieved. Particularly the insulation, the windows and doors which are used and the thermal bridges vary.”
According to climatic conditions in Turkey, which types of insulations should use?
In my opinion, more layered insulation is used in cold regions whereas less layered insulation material can be used in hot regions.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “According to map of climate regions (figure 1), Turkey is located in the cool warm climate zone shown by turquoise. Insulated, triple paned windows for this belt together with higher insulation levels are recommended. As the night uses passive cooling through open windows, a summer shade is also recommended for this climate.”
In regard to windows, how windows should be used for passive houses in Turkey climate conditions?
In my own conceit, in cold regions more insulated windows should use.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “The window does not only make the rooms stand out in daylight but at the same time they benefit from solar energy to heat the building. In cold temperate climates, Passive Houses have a triple-glazed glass pane with well-insulated frameworks peeled. In winter, such high-quality windows allow more energy to enter the building than solar energy. During warmer months and warmer climates closer to the equator, the sun saturates higher in the sky and results in reduced solar heat recovery when less needed. In most climates, large glass areas should ideally be directed towards the equator; Windows facing east or west can lead to overheating more easily and provide less solar energy gain during heating. Windows needs careful planning and appropriate shadowing if necessary.”
What is the concept of airtight? And why it is important for passive houses?
In my opinion, airtight is the concept that prevents to taking in the cold air from outside to building. And it prevents to go out the warming air inside to out.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “The voids in a conventional building and the air leaks in the connections are perceived as drafts. Such “ventilation” is unreliable and uncomfortable. In addition, it is insufficient to provide healthy indoor air quality on its own, which requires that the windows remain regular and open for a long time. An airtight building envelope allows the ventilation system to operate as efficiently as possible. Perhaps even more important is the key to avoiding moisture damage and mold growth: In traditional buildings, the gaps in the building structure allow air to pass and accordingly building became cool. Ensuring that the building envelope is airtight reduces the risk of structural damage. Airtight buildings can be provided through careful planning and intelligent solutions such as full interior plaster, coating, reinforced concrete paper or wood composite sheets. It is also important that the quality workmanship and the correct placement of all airtight building elements such as windows and doors.
In an airtight house, air does not flow randomly along the walls of the building envelope. This is important because airflow guided by wind and temperature differences is not always sufficient to provide good air quality. This random air flow does not just bother you, it sometimes gives too much air and is often very small, at the same time it can cause structural damage to the building envelope, and hot and humid air flowing through the walls.
When the passing air cools, the moisture inside will condense and cause mold and structural damage. Poor sound insulation and significant heat loss are the disadvantages of leaking buildings. Airtightness, on the other hand, helps prevent structural damage from drafts, cold pads and facade cavities. A ventilation system ensures the correct amount of clean air in a controlled manner.
Airtightness is one of the most economical measures that can be undertaken to increase the energy efficiency of a building. Fortunately, it is relatively simple to build air-tight buildings without the need for careful planning. For each Passive House, an airtightness test or air pressure test is performed to ensure that the tight Passive House weatherproofing requirements are met. The test is carried out by measuring the total air leak under positive pressure in the building and then again under negative pressure.
This pressure test is very important when constructing the structure for the Passive House Standard so that it is easy to close the leakages as soon as possible. It is worth the effort; airtight buildings have many advantages, such as better acoustics, reduced energy requirements, and increased comfort levels without the risk of drafts and structural damage.”
What is important in passive houses of ventilation?
According to me, ventilation is important to all buildings for clean air. However, ventilation system should not cause heat loss in passive houses.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “The ventilation system plays a crucial role in passive houses: it provides clean, polluted, dust-free air as it lifts excessive odor. To achieve this, the opening windows often cause more heat loss than the total energy demand of a Passive House building.
Heat recovery ventilation systems are indispensable in cold climates. In the heat exchanger, heat coming from hot, stale air (extracurricular air) is transmitted to the cold, incoming outside air, thus significantly reducing heat losses. In extreme summer temperatures, this system can work a little backwards by pre-cooling the fresh air provided to the building. Depending on the efficiency of the heat exchanger, more than 90% of the temperature can be sent so that the supply air is almost at room temperature.
High-quality ventilation systems ensure that the supply and exhaust air ducts in the heat exchanger are leak proof; so fresh and used air is not mixed. These high-quality ventilation systems save a lot more energy than they use to prevent heat losses. The ventilation system must be carefully designed as a whole to achieve the best result. Air should be extracted from rooms where a house is flowing into the living room and bedrooms and where moisture and smells such as kitchens and bathrooms are formed. These areas are connected by air transfer zones consisting of areas such as corridors. On this side, fresh air is directed so that it is not felt anywhere on the building. It is easy to operate and maintain a heat recovery ventilation system. Due to hygienic reasons, these systems are equipped with high quality filters while the exhaust air valves are equipped with coarse filters. These filters should be changed regularly one time and four times a year depending on the building location (cities tend to be more polluted than rural areas).
In most climates, even Passive Houses require some heating, but heating is so small that a ventilation system can be used to distribute the air all over the house. The heating coils can compensate for residual heating needs by heating the incoming fresh air. Compact heat pump units incorporating heat recovery ventilation, heating, hot water supply and a unit storage are approved for this purpose. These space-saving devices come in handy and are both optimized and easy to set up. Other solutions are available: Gas, oil, district heating or wood can use for heating and hot water needs. The use of solar collectors for domestic hot water supply is also an interesting option that can further reduce energy consumption.
In hot, light seasons no heat recovery is needed, because heat is held in the building. For this reason, the ventilation systems are equipped with a summer warmer, which disables heat recovery to cool indoor air directly inside. At this point, the heat can be recovered to the highest level throughout the year with potential for recovery and in different climates.”
How can be used renewable energy sources in homes in Turkey?
In my opinion, solar energy can be used for heating and hot water needs because Turkey’s sunshine duration is high in all regions. Apart from that, wind energy in Turkey can be used in many regions.
As also mention in the interview she also said that “Covering up our energy demands completely with renewable materials is a big challenge, especially in areas where the world needs to be overheated. North and Central Europe, North America and most of northern Asia, most of the energy is used in winter. While lower temperatures result in higher heating demands, the absence of daylight requires more artificial lighting. At the same time, solar energy is less available and hydroelectric power drops when snow falls. Although colder days usually have more powerful winds, they are almost completely deprived of solar and water shortages in response to increased heating needs.
For this reason, an emphasis on the use of renewable energies to strengthen our construction industry can only be sustainable if we focus on reducing our energy use. The Passive House only has the following characteristics: Passive Households with extreme energy efficiency levels, which means that the amount of energy that remains at a low level can be economically met by a wide range of stable and sustainable energy sources. On the other hand, a bias towards renewable energies can cause a buildup of “zero net” or “energy plus” build up, but will do little to close the winter void.
It is much easier to provide a completely renewable energy supply in hot climates where cooling demands are dominant. Hot days with high peak loads usually come in plenty of sunshine. In this case, energy production and energy use are in good agreement; Photovoltaic systems can capture solar energy, so it can be used for cooling with electric heat pumps. This constellation results in negligible storage requirements and cheap energy resources.
Energy efficient design is constantly evolving and new designs are being introduced every day. The zero or energy plus concepts that are often used extensively by solar energy systems on the roof mean to convert houses into small power plants.
However, such buildings may be truly self-sufficient when energy demand is very low. In this case, it becomes much easier to use renewable energy to meet heating, cooling, dehumidification, hot water, ventilation and electrical energy needs.”
4. CONCLUSION
High insulation, high efficiency glass, heat or energy recycled ventilation systems and an airtight building envelope definitely choose ways to reduce heating and cooling requirements. The Passive House concept provides the best use of these elements: heating and cooling, more than 80 percent of the total energy demand in existing buildings. Passive Home heating and cooling, more power is needed to remove hot water from the house.
With such a low energy requirement for heating and cooling, other aspects, which typically constitute only a small percentage of total energy use, are becoming more important. Passive the most important part of total energy use at home. Water-saving faucets for showers and sinks can lead to significant reductions in hot water requirements and direct energy savings. Recycling devices that have a high need for heating may also benefit.
In Turkey, considering the renewable energy sources and the climate zone in which Turkey is located, it has been determined that it is very suitable for zero energy and passive houses. With the help of solar energy, which will be used in long-lasting sunsets, fossil energy consumption will be greatly reduced. In cold climates, consumption of fossil fuels will be reduced due to soil-based heat pumps. In addition, wind energy can also be used in windy places.
In conclusion, the use of renewable energy sources, along with passive house standards, will be a great contribution to both in nature and financially.
5. REFERENCES
[1] Marszal, Anna Joanna, et al. “Zero Energy Building–A review of definitions and calculation methodologies.” Energy and buildings 43.4 (2011): 971-979.
Chastas, Panagiotis, Theodoros Theodosiou, and Dimitrios Bikas. “Embodied energy in residential buildings-towards the nearly zero energy building: A literature review.” Building and Environment (2016).
AlAjmi, Ali, Hosny Abou-Ziyan, and Adel Ghoneim. “Achieving annual and monthly net-zero energy of existing building in hot climate.” Applied Energy 165 (2016): 511-521.
Rohdin, Patrik, Andreas Molin, and Bahram Moshfegh. “Experiences from nine passive houses in Sweden–Indoor thermal environment and energy use.” Building and Environment 71 (2014): 176-185.
Schnieders, Jürgen, Wolfgang Feist, and Ludwig Rongen. “Passive Houses for different climate zones.” Energy and Buildings 105 (2015): 71-87.
Kylili, Angeliki, Milos Ilic, and Paris A. Fokaides. “Whole-building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a passive house of the sub-tropical climatic zone.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 116 (2017): 169-177.
Hernandez, Patxi, and Paul Kenny. “Development of a methodology for life cycle building energy ratings.” Energy Policy 39.6 (2011): 3779-3788.
Ferrante, A., and M. T. Cascella. “Zero energy balance and zero on-site CO 2 emission housing development in the Mediterranean climate.” Energy and Buildings 43.8 (2011): 2002-2010.
Thormark, Catarina. “The effect of material choice on the total energy need and recycling potential of a building.” Building and Environment 41.8 (2006): 1019-1026.
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