PhD

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The Effects of Sustainable Energy Features on the
Thermal Performance of New Office Buildings
PhD
Angela Fandiño IDTC, Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering The University of
Melbourne
Supervisors Dr Lu Aye, Prof Jon
Robinson Supervisory Panel Prof Bill Charters
Industrial Partners CIIA, BCV, DWQ
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Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Research methodology
• Thermal comfort
• Energy consumption
• Embodied energy LCEA
• Optimisation
• Expected outcomes

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Introduction (cont.)

• In Australia

30 of all raw materials 40 of all energy
produced
40 of all air emissions

• BAU scenario for the commercial building sector
  predicts an increase in energy related GHG
  emissions from a level of 32 Mt per annum in the
  year 1999 to 63 Mt for the year 2010

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Introduction (cont.)
Considerable scope to improve environmental
performance of commercial buildings by

• increasing resource efficiency
• increasing energy efficiency
• reducing ecological footprint
• reducing GHG emissions

Philip Merrill Envi. Centre NY
San Francisco Public Library
Swiss Re Building, London
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Construction Industry

• Building codes
• Energy rating systems
• Building design guides

• To measure and promote the merits of sustainable
  construction

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SEFs

• green elements and/or characteristics capable of
  reducing the amount of energy consumption,
  pollutant emissions and environmental impacts
  generated by the building throughout its life
  cycle,
• environmentally friendly, made in a sustainable
  way, using resources wisely.

Examples North orientation, high performance
double glazing, high shading coefficients, low
u-values and energy efficient HVAC.
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Problem Statement
Thermal Performance
Sustainable Energy Features

• energy consumption
• environmental impact from building materials
• thermal comfort

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Aim
The aim of the project is to quantify the effects
of sustainable energy features on the thermal
performance of new office buildings.
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Objectives

• To develop building simulation model that
  quantifies life cycle energy (embodied
  energy operational energy).
• To apply an optimization technique with the model
  developed to identify the set of optimal
  variables which provide minimum energy
  consumption (subject to thermal comfort).

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A
B
Methodology
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Methodology
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Thermal Comfort
Measurements
McCoy WS
ambient temperature, relative humidity, local
wind speed, wind direction measurements
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Thermal Comfort
Simulation
TRNSYS Simulation
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Methodology
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Energy Consumption
Audit Simulation

• an energy audit has being undertaken AS/NZS
  35982000. Each audit involved
• visits to the building,
• analysis of energy sub-meters to understand the
  distribution of energy in the building,
• analysis of the sites energy use.

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Energy Audit BA BB
Electricity
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Energy Audit BA BB
Gas
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Methodology
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LCEA
Source U.S. Department of Energy High
Performance Buildings Database
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LCEA
Embodied energy Operational Energy
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Expected outcomes

• Opportunity to develop a building simulation
  model to quantify the effects of SEFs on the
  thermal performance of office buildings
• Better understanding of the characteristic
  behaviour of SEFs.
• A benchmark derived from the relationship
  between sustainable energy design features and
  buildings thermal performance, to be used in
  decision making process in development of new
  office buildings.

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MANY THANKS