An intensive methodology for designing near zero energy public buildings in Egypt : office building as a case study

Abstract EN

Building sector consumes 40% of the total energy consumption worldwide.

This number is much higher in Egypt.

It reached 52% of total energy sold in 2014 with an annual average growth of 5.2% .

Public buildings energy consumption; in turn; has a great effect on total energy consumption.

In Egypt public buildings represent 40% of the Egyptian building sector.

They can give a large potential in reducing total national energy demand and solve a part of energy problem in Egypt.

Moreover, they can generate energy to be nearly zero energy building or even zero energy building “off grid connection buildings” in an ambitious plan.

Using renewable energy techniques (such as; solar cells& wind turbines) is also considered an optimum solution in this field.

This paper targets zero energy public building in Egypt.

It suggests an intensive design methodology which based on three major phases: first- is to design an energy efficient public building, second- is to reduce the building energy consumption to the minimum, then the third- tends to produce energy and cover the building needs.

To check the efficiency of the proposed methodology, an experimental study is applied on an office building model as case study of public building in Egypt.

Design Builder simulation program is used to calculate and compare the building energy consumption in the three successive phases.

After applying “the intensive methodology for designing zero energy public buildings” on the proposed office building model, energy consumption indicates initial energy reduction and the consumption became 245232.39 kWh/yr.

(28kWh/m2.

).

Once again, at the end of the consequential phases, the installed photovoltaic panels succeeded in producing 107923.2 kWh/year, and an array of 408 microwind turbines added 138964.8 kWh/yr- the sum of the energy produced comparable with the mentioned consumption conclude mathematically zero needs.

At the end, the experiment shows that becoming near zero energy building, or zero energy building, or even energy building plus can be practically true in the upcoming near future.

Moreover, calculations and comparisons support using the intensive methodology in designing zero energy public building in Egypt.