Functionality assessment of building a micro-climate system utilising solar energy in a cold climate

Abstract

In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) Assembly approved the sustainable development agenda [1]. According to this agenda, member countries must take action in order to improve the sustainability of the planet. Goals up until the year 2030 were set. Multiple aspects of the 17 sustainable development goals determined by the UN were aimed at increasing the utilisation of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency [2]. It is clear that these goals could only be met by using complex measures, in terms of the most influential consumers, i.e. the built environment, due to its high environmental impact [3]. In EU households, heating and hot water alone account for 79 % (in industry 70.6 %) of total final energy consumption. Thus, it is important to focus on heating demands [4]. Approximately 84 % of heating and cooling is still generated from fossil fuels, while only 16 % is generated from renewable energy. In order to fulfil the EU’s climate and energy goals, the heating and cooling sector must sharply reduce its energy consumption and decrease its use of fossil fuels [5]. Integrated design efficiency and final product quality are highly dependent on primary actions at the initial stages of any project. According to value engineering principles [6], a function could be satisfied in different ways that allow for different performances. Those aspects determine the pathway characterized by [7], which specified that alternatives should be considered at the initial stage of design. In this phase, solutions can be integrated at the lowest resource cost. In this context, the cost of considering different design alternatives becomes an important aspect of an efficient design process. When designing sustainable buildings, passive and active energy conservation solutions, in combination with renewable energy utilisation, play an important role. The primary function of a complex microclimate Functionality Assessment of Building a Microclimate System Utilising Solar Energy in a Cold Climate Januševičius, K. – Bielskus, J. – Martinaitis, V. Karolis Januševičius1,* – Juozas Bielskus2 – Vytautas Martinaitis1 1 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lithuania 2 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Civil Engineering Research Centre, Lithuania