Scholarly record
IS LOW-TECH ARCHITECTURE STILL POSSIBLE? A STUDY OF BUFFER ZONES AND ENERGY EMBODIED IN BUILDINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION STANDARDS
Abstract
Is it possible to design near zero energy buildings without the use of technologically advanced but costly solutions? Or – the other way around - is the use of expensive technical solutions effective from the point of view of the energy balance of the building? Can the overall environmental costs of a home, meeting the tightening up standards of energy consumption in buildings, be higher than anticipated savings? The paper answers these questions, basing on an analysis of the results of measurements of thermal properties of real objects and computer simulation models of buildings. The paper also shows the results of analyzing the energy embodied in economic value indicator (a development of the concept of energy intensity) as an estimate of the impact of the investment on the environment, basing on statistical data. Examples of existing passive residential buildings, indicate that it is possible to design an object in which the combined energy of solar radiation and energy coming from internal gains are sufficient to heat the entire building. However, this also requires the use of modern building materials and infrastructure – for instance heat recovery and IT control of home functions. Studies have shown that there is an optimal form, structure and equipment of buildings, above which, the desire to further improve energy efficiency, in fact increases the demand for energy. This may result from not taking into account the global environmental costs of investment, and perhaps - as encouraged by advanced technology - with the departure from the best practices of low-tech architecture, such as temperature zoning inside the building. The paper points out the benefits of taking into account these problems as well as areas of research that still need to be developed.
Publication Impact Profile
- Captures
- Mendeley - Readers: 6
Publication details
ReferencesPending
Structured references will appear here after the reference import pass. The count is preserved now so the scholarly record is not incomplete.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.
