Page 6 - ZEB Final Report 2009-2017
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6     |   ZEB Zero Emission Buildings  |  Final Report 2017




          Summary                         the performance of the buildings is high, but   export interaction with the surrounding
                                                                           electricity grid.
                                          there is still room for improvements related
                                          to ventilation efficiency and integration   Research on the operation of buildings
          by Arild Gustavsen, Professor, NTNU,   of heat pumps in the energy system. The   with high energy and emission related
          ZEB Centre Director             overall impression from the evaluations   ambitions has focused on the analysis
                                          of buildings and solutions from a process   of organizational, cultural, and social
          When The Research Centre on Zero   and user perspective is that the high   factors that increase or decrease energy
          Emission Buildings (ZEB Centre) started   performance buildings work well. However,   performance gaps in residential and non-
          in 2009, it was among the first initiatives   areas for improvement were also identified,   residential buildings. In this work a typology
          to look at greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions   such as the flow of knowledge from   of energy related occupant behaviour was
          from buildings in in a life cycle perspective.   construction professionals to occupants,   developed. Finally, analyses of controversies
          The main objective of the centre was to   and temperature control during periods   around cost and culture of buildings with
          develop competitive products and solutions   with extreme outside temperatures. In this   high emission and energy ambitions have
          for existing and new buildings that will lead   respect, quick and reliable heating and   revealed that additional cost did not always
          to market penetration of buildings with zero   cooling have turned out to be key concerns   play an important role; this can be explained
          greenhouse gas emissions related to their   from a user perspective. Evaluations of the   by the fact that these buildings were seen
          production, operation, and demolition.   design and construction processes showed   as pilot projects that would yield benefits
          Focusing on reduction of GHG emissions in   that ZEB pilot buildings have profited   in terms of learning and early positioning
          a life cycle perspective has promoted energy   from extra resources (time and money),   in an emerging market. Small actors in
          efficiency in the use phase, investment in   the competence of experts and enthusiasts,   the Norwegian construction sector remain
          new local renewable energy technologies,   continuity in project ownership, focus on   sceptical towards climate friendly building
          and reduction of GHG emissions from   the hand-over phase, a feeling of ownership   ambitions; although many do see that new
          materials used, the construction process   among the occupants, and the involvement   business opportunities are emerging.
          and end-of-life stage of buildings. Compared   of design and construction professionals in   ZEB results have been published in close
          to the Research Council of Norway's overall   the early use phase.  to 1000 scientific articles, popular science
          aim for Centres for Environment-friendly   On the material and building assembly   articles and presentations, where some
          Energy Research Program (FME Program),   side, the thermal performance and   articles have received international awards.
          it is safe to say that the ZEB Centre has   condensation risks when applying vacuum   ZEB researchers have given a number of
          fulfilled its obligations. The Norwegian   insulation panels (VIP) in well-insulated   keynote/invited lectures. Almost 20 PhD
          University of Science and Technology   walls has been evaluated, providing   and 100 MSc candidates are expected to
          (NTNU) hosted and led the centre along   a background of knowledge for the   complete their theses in connection to
          with SINTEF, in close collaboration   development of new materials and material   ZEB; becoming ZEB experts that will work
          with forward thinking members of the   combinations. Thermal insulation materials   within a number of different fields, securing
          Norwegian building industry.    and solutions developed include nano   national and international dissemination
            Research and development has taken   insulation materials (NIM) and aerogel-  of knowledge about zero emission
          place within five main areas: WP 1 Advanced   incorporated concrete with reduced thermal   buildings into society. The MSc program in
          materials technologies, WP 2 Climate   conductivity. Coating materials have been   Sustainable Architecture at NTNU, which is
          adapted low energy envelope technologies,   developed for various building applications,   connected to the ZEB Centre, has included
          WP 3 Energy supply systems, WP 4 Use,   e.g. electrochromic materials with large   students from 32 countries during the last
          operation and implementation, and WP 5   solar radiation regulation and with a very   eight years. Professors have organized
          Definitions, concepts, strategies, and pilot   low material emissivity value of 0.015 for   international summer schools in China.
          buildings. New laboratories, necessary for   reduced thermal transport. Reflective foils   The ZEB Centre researchers have engaged
          the research, development, and testing of   in floors is another example of an innovative   in a number of IEA and EU projects, and
          technologies and solutions that will be used   technology that, if used correctly, improves   the centre has exchanged incoming and
          in the buildings of the future have also been   the thermal property of building envelopes.   outgoing researchers.
          developed by the ZEB Centre. The Centre   Windows and facades with integrated   Norwegian  society  is  becoming
          has produced a wide range of results and   technology for solar shielding and solar   increasingly aware of the need to increase
          innovations, and this summary includes   thermal energy collection are examples of   energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.
          some examples.                  innovative products that have reached the   Large and small municipalities, companies,
            Nine pilot building projects, including   construction market.   and international actors have observed the
          residential,  commercial  and  public  The centre has further developed a tool   activities taking place within the research
          buildings, act as proof of the viability of   for analysis and selection of energy systems   centre and are getting in touch asking for
          the zero emission building (ZEB) concept.   in the early design phase. For different   advice and support in their work towards
          The pilot buildings have enabled the testing   system combinations, the output can be   developing and building zero emission
          and demonstration of the Zero Emission   specific cost vs specific primary energy/  buildings and communities. We can clearly
          Building Definition, evaluation of tools,   carbon emissions. Another study was on   see that ZEB Centre activities will continue
          products and systems, and calculation rules   the role of zero emission buildings on   into the foreseeable future.
          for documenting ZEBs. The evaluation   future energy systems and specifically the   The range of activities needed to
          of solutions for the energy supply and   interplay between on-site generation and   develop a rigorous zero emission definition,
          climatisation in pilot buildings, found that   the building loads, and the resulting import/  the knowledge and solutions needed,
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