NEHA VRATIAKANSHA KAJAL

sustainable architecture

Zero Energy Building

What is Zero Energy Building?• Fully Powered by the Sun

• Office of the Future

• Greenery Systems

• Natural Daylighting and Ventilation Systems

The first Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in South-east Asia retrofitted from an existing building.

Converted from a three-storey former workshop, ZEB houses offices, classrooms and a resource centre.

The ZEB is a zero energy building because the building produces enough energy to run itself. As a critical test-bedding facility, the 4,500 m2 building aims to produce enough energy to power the building.

In all, the building will save $84,000* a year in energy cost compared to typical office in Singapore.

The building aims to achieve this through a combination of green building technology, clever building design that takes advantages of natural ventilation and lighting (this is called ‘passive design’), and the harnessing of solar energy.*based on an electricity tariff of 21.69 cents/kWh.

The Zero Energy Building (ZEB) was conceived with the following objectives in mind:

To serve as a test bed for integration of Green Building Technologies (GBT) in existing buildings

To be a hub for practitioners and students in the study of energy efficiency and green buildings

Located within the BCA Academy, ZEB is retrofitted from an existing building, the first to be achieved in Singapore.It is a tripartite collaborative effort between BCA, NUS and MOE, partially funded by the MND Research Fund and EDB’s Clean Energy Research Program. 

SIGNIFICANCE

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) has set a target for the building industry, which is to achieve 80% Green Mark Certification for all buildings by the year 2030.

To achieve this target, many existing buildings will have to be greened. The ZEB is such an existing building. The lessons learned and the experience gained in the construction and operation of ZEB will therefore be very useful and valuable as the building industry journeys to achieve the set targets.

The technology that are being test bedded in ZEB at the moment will have potential applications for many of the existing buildings that will be striving to achieve Green Mark Certification in the not too distant future.

Zero Energy also refers to energy self sufficiency without the need to tap on power supply from the grid at all. For energy scare Singapore which is also devoid of natural resources, the success of ZEB in achieving this target is exciting and has tremendous implications on the way energy is used in Singapore for specific types of buildings.

Zero-energy building

Electrochromic glass is glazing that changes its opacity depending on the amount of sunlight being received. This is being tested for its light and heat control.

Photovoltaic glass has dual function of providing shading and generating power at the same time. This is being tested for its efficiency, impact on view, shading, heat absorption and re-radiation.

Double Glazed Unit (DGU) with internal operable glass is being studied for it impact on view, shading and heat absorption. These consist of blinds between the glasses which can be turned up during strong sunlight.

Clear DGU glass is used as a reference for comparison. The air between the double sheets of windows is thoroughly dried and the space is sealed air-tight, providing superior insulating properties and eliminating possible condensation. Double glazing is used in all air conditioned areas. Single glazing is used in the classrooms and school hall.

TYPES OF GLAZING

GREEN WALLLocation: West face, south faceOther than producing oxygen, vertical greenery has the benefit of reducing heat transmittance and lessening the effect of Urban Heat Islands.The intent of installing vertical greenery is to study the effectiveness of these systems on reducing the heat transfer through building walls into the interior building space and the possible energy savings. The three types of vertical system being tested in ZEB are:Panel typeMini planter boxCage system.

 

Temperature sensors are placed on the surface behind the vertical greenery, on the external façade and under the plants

   

Panel Type  Mini Planter

Box 

Cage System

Cumulative Energy Production

    874420 kWh

Cumulative Energy Consumption

Typical Office of Similar Layout    1.69829 MWh

Zero Energy Building 828282kWh    Since 18th of October 2009 TOTAL SOLAR ENERGY GENERATED : 874420 kWh

TOTAL CO2 REDUCTION : 454698 kg

Cost Saving from PV Generated(Based on 21.69 cents per kilowatt-hour till 31 Dec 2009)(Based on 22.87 cents per kilowatt-hour from 1 Jan 2010)

: S$ 217656

SAVING DUE TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY (EE) : 870007 kWh

Cost Saving from EE : S$ 219025 WEATHER DATA

Date Time TemperatureWind

VelocityIrradiance

07 Mar 2014 08:58:29 28.33°C 1.5 m/s218.021 

W/m2

• www.bca.gov.sg/zab what is zab.html

• www.solari pedia.com.• www.frost-apac.com/green21/pdf