A Path Towards Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB): High-Rise Building Design and Energy Consumption

Abstract

The dem, and for energy is escalating and, consequently, intensifying the environmental challenges such as global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and irreversible ecological impacts. A higher energy demand will result in more severe environmental issues on the Earth. Furthermore, it is predicted that urbanization will account for 66 % of the world's population by 2050, and as a result, it is expected that the trend of building high-rise buildings would continue in the coming years to meet the dem, and for building spaces. The purpose of this study was to analyze the design strategies to achieve a Net Zero high-rise office building in the hot and humid climate of Houston, Texas. Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) aim to reduce energy consumption by energy optimization and transforming renewable energy into electricity to supply buildings' needs. By utilizing energy modeling software, multiple building design strategies were investigated in order to lower the overall energy consumption of the building. The results showed that the energy consumption was mostly affected by the internal HVAC load followed by the lighting system and domestic hot water. The high-rise office building model in this study achieved the goal of Net Zero energy consumption by introducing passive design measures, in addition to implementing photovoltaic panels on the building façades, rooftop and in situ as energy generation source.