TITLE:
Creation of Zero CO2 Emissions Residential Buildings due to Operating and Embodied Energy Use on the Island of Crete, Greece
AUTHORS:
John Vourdoubas
KEYWORDS:
Buildings, CO2 Emissions, Crete, Greece, Embodied Energy, Operating Energy, Renewable Energies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Energy Efficiency,
Vol.6 No.4,
November
13,
2017
ABSTRACT: The
possibility of creating zero CO2 emissions residential buildings due
to life cycle energy use in the island of Crete, Greece has been examined. In a
typical residential building located in Crete, Greece, its annual operating
energy has been appraised at 170 KWh/m2 and its embodied energy at
30 KWh/m2. Various locally available renewable energies including
solar energy, solid biomass and low enthalpy geothermal energy with heat pumps
have been considered for generating the required heat and offsetting the grid
electricity used. Their technologies are mature, reliable and cost-effective.
Offset of the annual grid electricity use in the building with solar-PV
electricity is allowed according to the net metering regulation. For zero carbon emissions due to embodied energy of the
building, generation of additional solar electricity injected into the grid is
required. A mathematical model has been developed for sizing the required
solar-PV system installed in the building in order to offset the grid
electricity use. For a residential building in Crete, Greece with a covered
area of 100 m2, the
power of the additional solar-PV system has been estimated at 1.6 KWp and its
cost at 2400 €. In the current work, it is
indicated that the creation of a zero CO2 emissions residential
building due to life cycle energy use in Crete, Greece does not have major
difficulties and it could be achieved relatively easily.