Sustainable passive solar and photovoltaic integrated technology interventions for climate responsive net zero energy buildings in western Himalayan mountainous terrain of India

The global warming concerns, greenhouse gas emission reduction, are not being addressed effectively in the energy-consuming building sector worldwide. This study presents a novel approach of solar technology interventions for sustainable buildings namely rooftop photovoltaic systems, use of carbon-free sustainable building materials, and passive solar heating systems. A methodology for achieving net zero energy and zero carbon emission buildings is described. This strategy is being implemented to develop an educational institution as a sustainable campus in a Western Himalayan cold region of India. The results show an energy yield of 1561 kWh/kWp/year from a proposed photovoltaic power system for a typical building at this location producing 10,928 kWh avoiding 7.7 t-CO₂ emissions which means the system will produce enough electricity in 2.6 years to offset the amount of carbon emissions during manufacturing of PV modules. The modeling and simulation analysis using the developed mathematical model shows that the space heating system provides 37–56 % of total energy needs with a payback period of 3.5–5.8 years depending on the type of six different construction materials used. The innovative mandatory policy and solar technology interventions implemented can be followed in remote rural and semi-urban areas in developing countries.