Housing with Energy Self-sufficiency and Zero Co2 Emissions

Abstract

One of the sectors with the greatest contribution to energy consumption and global CO2 emissions is construction. The typology of buildings and the technologies used to increase energy efficiency in use are becoming increasingly important. Global energy consumption is estimated to increase significantly. According the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2018 the housing\residential consumption sector alone accounted 20% of global energy consumption in IEA Countries in 2018 [1].

In 2018, the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) reported that 27% of the need for primary energy consumption was met by Renewable Energy Sources. In 2020, the target set by a community directive is 31% for primary energy from Renewable Energy Sources [2]. It is therefore extremely important to create a strategy to boost construction with zero emissions, making an important contribution to the overall reduction of energy consumption and to the reduction of CO2 emissions. This work intends to identify the main concepts of construction with zero emission and present a case study of a multifamily housing following this concept. The case study presented demonstrated that the success of a zero-emission construction depends in large part on the elaboration of an energy budget based on consumption habits, on the energy production capacity of the house and on the energy performance that is intended to be achieved during use, as well as the effectiveness of how this budget is presented to the owners, demonstrating the cost vs benefit of the energy efficiency solutions presented. It is concluded that using the current technology combined with construction elements, it is possible to guarantee a Zero CO2 Emission in a self-sufficient housing in terms of energy. Given the current needs for energy savings and increased environmental sustainability, the future of civil engineering may be in zero-emission homes.