Energy efficient residential buildings assessment using building information modeling

Abstract

Energy efficiency is using less energy to provide the same level of performance, comfort, and convenience. Energy Efficient Home is a building that utilizes minimum energy needed to heat and cool the interior of a building with the added feature of making this space healthy and comfortable for human occupation, which includes air quality, moisture conditions, and lighting. The ideal energy efficient home maintains the best environment for living while reducing the cost of energy. These buildings have a number of advantages such as improved comfort, reliability, energy security, and environmental sustainability, which are the consequences of independency of fossil fuel consumption and less release of CO2 emissions. This thesis analyzes a Low Energy underground cooling ventilation to providing thermal comfort in Malaysia. In the analysis of the case study several factors are considered, including: orientation, window location and size, glazing type, wall and roof insulation levels and efficiencies of cooling systems. First, the case study was modeled based on the current situation and data gathered and cooling load calculated. Next, the optimal design features determined for selected case study in Malaysia. The optimization results indicate that changing orientation and materials such as windows and walls are required energy efficiency measures to design high energy performance homes throughout climatic zones in Malaysia. In particular, it was shown that implementing these measures can cost-effectively reduce the annual energy use by 32% compared to the current design practices of home in Melaka.