Improving the sustainability of buildings by reducing the energy consumption
Jonckheere, Keanü (2018)
Jonckheere, Keanü
Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805249996
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805249996
Tiivistelmä
Sustainable buildings are becoming more and more important. It is recommended to define the sustainability during the preliminary design. In this phase it is possible to adjust certain things faster and it is also cheaper for the owner and in some cases for the contractor. If the changes has to be done during the construction phase, the cost would be much higher. It is up to the architect to design a sustainable building as possible. But in Belgium there is also the EPB reporter who checks if the design is sustainable enough with the chosen insulation and techniques. Hereby are energy requirements of the European Union (EU) taken into account. Each country has implemented these requirements in their own way and they are improving them yearly so that the nearly zero energy building (nZEB) requirements are met by 2020. Through a simple project, a bungalow, it is demonstrated what needs to be done to meet the Belgian and Finnish energy requirements and if the bungalow already meets the nearly zero energy building (nZEB) requirements. When this is not the case, there is examined which steps must be taken to meet the nZEB requirements. The Belgian requirements are checked by using the EPB software and for the Finnish requirements are checked by using the energy evaluation option in ArchiCad.
Furthermore, it is tested whether an insulation thicker than the minimum requirements is worth of the additional cost. In Belgium it is possible to put some thicker insulation in walls and roofs because the minimum requirements for the U-value are only 0,24 W/m²K which is not that strict as those in Finland, 0,16 W/m²K for the walls and 0,09 W/m²K for the roof. Because of the slightly higher U-value in Belgium the insulation does not have to be as thick as in Finland. The requirements in Finland have to be stricter due to the much colder climate. The test is done by placing two different types of insulation in the floor, walls and roof, comparing the additional cost for the insulation with the saving of energy to heat the bungalow and then check if the additional cost is earned back within the life span of the condensing boiler.
Furthermore, it is tested whether an insulation thicker than the minimum requirements is worth of the additional cost. In Belgium it is possible to put some thicker insulation in walls and roofs because the minimum requirements for the U-value are only 0,24 W/m²K which is not that strict as those in Finland, 0,16 W/m²K for the walls and 0,09 W/m²K for the roof. Because of the slightly higher U-value in Belgium the insulation does not have to be as thick as in Finland. The requirements in Finland have to be stricter due to the much colder climate. The test is done by placing two different types of insulation in the floor, walls and roof, comparing the additional cost for the insulation with the saving of energy to heat the bungalow and then check if the additional cost is earned back within the life span of the condensing boiler.