1 Zero Energy Home Team 4 Nittany Designs Edesign100 Section 15 Submitted to: Professor Wallace Catanach 2/22/13 Team Members Eric Brennan Emre Karabulak John Macnamara Yifei Wu eib5136@psu.edu eck5140@psu.edu jym5560@psu.edu yiw5240@psu.edu
2 Index Intro, Abstract, Mission Statement 3 Customer Needs, Info on Location.4 Benchmarking (House of Quality) 5-6 Product Dissection...7-8 Global Market..9 Cost Model..10 Yearly energy consumption and production.11 Concept Generation and Selection 12-13 Home Design...14-18 Conclusion, References.19
3 Introduction One of the most important questions that human-kind has yet to answer is that of how we will be able to sustain our energy usage for the years to come. Because of the world s increasing consumption of energy, the idea of self-sustainability has become increasingly popular answer to that question. At its roots, self-sustainability is simply having the ability to rely only on your own resources to produce the energy that you use. However, achieving this is not as easy as it sounds. In order for self-sustainability to truly be a solution to the world s energy problem, people must accept it as a lifestyle. Our team s idea to make self-sustainability a feasible lifestyle is to create a home that over the course of a year produces as much energy as it uses a zero energy home. This home will be able to support a typical Pennsylvanian family of four through all seasons. Abstract Our house has multiple systems to produce enough energy to be considered a Zero- Energy Home. We have a 4.24 roof-mounted photovoltaic system. An inverter will be used to return any energy generated by our home back into the power grid. The floor is designed to absorb heat through high efficiency thermal windows and distributes it throughout the entire house. Not only passive, but also active heating is present in the home. The exterior walls of the home are air tight and very well insulated to prevent exposure to the elements. Our roof overhangs the south side of the house at a precise distance in order to shade the house from the summer sun and allow more sunlight during winter when the sun is at a lower angle. As a group, functionality and the comfort of this home were our priority during the design process. Mission Statement Our mission is to design and prototype a zero-energy home that through a calendar year will produce as much as or more energy than it consumes. This home will not only be energy efficient but aesthetically pleasing and functional as well. Not only will the energy saving capabilities of this house help a homeowner save money every year but also the home itself will be affordable to those across many economic classes. Photovoltaic and geothermal systems along with Energy Star Appliances will be utilized to attain this goal of zero-energy. Water and Electricity consumption will be monitored to restrict wasteful use. None of these systems will inhibit daily life and function of homeowners. We intend to create a seamless transition from living in an inefficient, wasteful home to one that is beneficial to our planet and society.
4 Customer Needs Design a Zero Energy Home that produces as much energy as it consumes in a calendar year The home must accommodate a family of 4 Use green principles in the design House must have aesthetic value Do not sacrifice functionality for sustainability Use sustainable materials and products Limit wasteful water and electricity Home must function in Philadelphia area Information on Location Background Information on Philadelphia There are several reasons that we set Philadelphia, PA as our zero energy home location. It is in the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy which receives 80% to 85% of the annual sunshine of Florida, making Philadelphia a perfect place for active and passive solar systems, such as a solar water heat and photovoltaic system. What s more, the government of Philadelphia is supportive of zero energy homes. The City of Philadelphia was able to build capacity to change our energy management practices in 2009 and 2010 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's innovative Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) even during the budget crisis. This proves Philadelphia s commitment to change and innovate.
5 Benchmarking Seattle Washington Location (city, state) Seattle, WA House size (floor area in square 1915 sqft feet) Number of floors 2 URL of web site where info is http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/homes/netzero-energy-house-125-square-foot found Number of occupants 2 Number of bedrooms 3 Type of heating system (forced Unico UniChiller air-to-water heat pump, 3-ton, air, hydronic, radiant floor, heat 35,400BTU/h capacity, 9.2 HSPF. Space heat pump, etc. distribution: hydronic PEX tubing in first-floor slab. Hydronic heating system is supplemented by electric-resistance in-floor heating mats in upstairs bathroom Main heating fuel (electricity, Electricity to run air-to-water heat pump natural gas, wood, oil, etc.) Size of photovoltaic system 6.4 kw (kilowatts) Solar water heater (yes or no) No R-value of wall insulation 26 R-value of ceiling insulation 42 Ventilation air heat recovery (yes No or no) Predicted or measured annual 6064 kwh, however 7903 kwh is produced energy use Any other pertinent info
6 Massachusetts Location (city, state) Massachusetts House size (floor area in 1100-2600 sqft square feet) Number of floors 1-2 URL of web site where info http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rris found 1103-new-england-net-zero-production-houses Number of occupants One family (approx. 2-5) Number of bedrooms Enough for one family (approx. 2-3) Type of heating system Mini split air-source heat pump (forced air, hydronic, radiant floor, heat pump, etc. Main heating fuel Electric, gas (electricity, natural gas, wood, oil, etc.) Size of photovoltaic system 6.4 kw (kilowatts) Solar water heater (yes or yes no) R-value of wall insulation 22 R-value of ceiling 60 insulation Ventilation air heat In earlier models yes, now no recovery (yes or no) Predicted or measured Net annual consumption of 1000 kwh annual energy use Any other pertinent info This company builds zero-energy homes, so these are their specifications
7 Product Dissection Geothermal Pump www.treehugger.com Geothermal heat pumps transport heat from the surrounding land and transfer the energy to inside the house. Water, antifreeze, or some type of refrigerant is passed through pipes buried underneath the Earth. The liquid then absorbs the energy as it travels from the house, through the earth and then back to the house. After the liquid travels back to the house, the warm liquid passes over a fan unit that transfers the heat out of the liquid and into the house. Geothermal heat pumps are extremely efficient due to the stable temperature of the earth. Even during winter, ground temperature can range between 45 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your altitude. This will help achieve our customer needs of producing energy and using green principles. Photovoltaic System www.fsec.ucf.edu Photovoltaic Systems use solar panels to convert sunlight into useable electricity. Solar panels are commonly placed on the roof of a house where they can effectively absorb sunlight. The converted electricity is then run through an inverterchanging it from D.C. to A.C making it usable for household appliances. Any excess electricity can then is fed back into the grid and create profit for the homeowner. We opted to use a 4kW photovoltaic system in our Zero Energy Home. This will help achieve our customer needs of producing energy and using green principles. Solar Water Heater www.atissun.com Solar Water heaters also utilize solar panels to collect heat. Cool water is run through collectors in solar panels. The water is heated up and then travels to a tank where the hot water is stored for later use. The area we opted to place our house in is sunny for most of the year making our system very efficient. This will help achieve our customer needs of producing energy and using green principles.
8 Energy Star Appliances Refrigerator Energy Star refrigerators can use up to 15% less energy than conventional refrigerators. This will help us achieve our customer needs of accommodating a family of four, not sacrificing functionality for sustainability, using sustainable products, and limiting wasteful electricity. Clothes Washer Energy star clothes washers use 35% less water than regular washers. They also have larger drums which provide a greater loading capacity and less total loads altogether. This will help us achieve our customer needs of not sacrificing functionality for sustainability, limiting wasteful water, using sustainable products, and accommodating a family of four. Dish Washer Energy Star model dishwashers are 10% more energy efficient and 20% more water efficient than conventional models. These dishwashers can save up to 1,300 gallons of water during its lifetime. This will help us achieve our customer needs of accommodating a family of four, not sacrificing functionality for sustainability, using sustainable products, and limiting wasteful water.
9 Insulation foam www.ci.bellaire.tx.us Insulation foam insulates a home and helps to create an airtight seal which stabilizes inside temperatures and increases energy efficiency. This foam expands when sprayed and can get into every crack and crevice. Specifically our home uses 10 insulating foam. This will help us achieve our customer needs of using green principles. Global Marketplace The demand for more efficient homes is at an all time high. The market for zero energy homes is increasing but is still very small piece of the construction market. It is projected by 2035, the global zero energy home market with be worth 1.3 Trillion dollars. This is a great number to shoot for but we are a long ways away from reaching this. We are quickly using up renewable resources and must look for other viable options for our energy needs. The world will not be able our current lifestyles and a global change is necessary if we wish to continue to live on our planet. Countries and governments are taking leaps to help promote the building of zero energy homes.
10 Cost Model Refrigerator Clothes Washer General Info Heating & Cooling Location Philadelphia Type of heating & cooling system Electricity cost ($/kwh) 0.1 Solar Technologies Electric geothermal heat pump House type 1 story Size of PV system (kw) 4.24 Conditioned floor area (sq.ft.) 600 Solar water heater Yes Number of bedrooms 2 Behavior Envelope Details Water conservation A lot Wall construction Double 2x4 with 10" foam Uses clothesline A lot Ceiling Insulation R40 Thermostat setback A lot Window type Triple low-e Heat thermostat setting (F) 64 Upper floor ceiling area (sq.ft.) 1512 Cool thermostat setting (F) 74 North wall area (gross) (sq.ft.) 462 Results East wall area (sq.ft.) 396 South wall area (sq.ft.) 462 West wall area (sq.ft.) 396 North window area (sq.ft.) 144 East window area (sq.ft.) 21 South window area (sq.ft.) 52 West window area (sq.ft.) 0 Air tightness Appliances Tight with heat recovery Energy Star Energy Star Dishwasher Energy Star Small Appliance Input Extras Base House Cost $93,129 Garage a. None PV Cost $21,192 Hot Tub a. None Upgrade Costs $18,591 Pool a. None Total House Cost $132,911
Yearly Energy Consumption and Production 11
Concept Generation and Concept Selection Generation: Electricity 12 Solar Wind Coal Hydro solar panels wind turbines conventional power plant hydroelectric power plant Selection: For our electrical needs we selected solar energy, more specifically a photovoltaic system. Wind turbines and a hydroelectric plant are cumbersome and unrealistic for an average home. The Philadelphia area does not receive much energy from any hydroelectric plants. Coal is very inefficient and dangerous to our environment. Also solar energy is very cost effective. Solar panels are reasonably priced for our budget and our home is place in an area that receives ample sunlight.
13 Natural Gas Oil Generation: Heat Active------ Solar collector Solar Heating Direct Gain---Thermal Windows Passive Indirect Gain-----Thermal Slab Geothermal Closed Loop----Use of Ground Heat Open Loop-----Use of Ground Water Heat Selection: Natural Gas and Oil are neither green nor self-sufficient. Since we already have a photovoltaic system, an active solar system could be easily incorporated into our house. We chose to include Triple low-e windows because they were cost efficient as well and helped as direct gain, passive solar heating. We also have a 600 square foot Thermal Slab to also add to our passive solar heating properties. Our house has a closed loop Geothermal Heating system because we aren t guaranteed to have a nearby source of ground water.
14 Home Design Figure 1: Top View Dimensioned Figure 2: Front view dimensioned
15 Figure 3: West side dimensioned Figure 4: Rear view dimensioned Figure 5: East view dimensioned
16 Figure 6: Isometric no roof Figure 7: Rear isometric
17 Figure 8: Front isometric Family Room Dining Room Bathroom Bedroom Bedroom Kitchen Closet Closet Figure 9: Floor plan
18 Conclusion We were succssesfully able to desgin a home that produces more energy than it consumes, is functional, and has aesthetic value. We accomplished these goals by using systems such as Photovoltaic, geothermal and passive solar heating. Also we included energy star appliances as well as other cost reducing features. Our house meets every customer requirment. Also this house could function well in multiple areas worldwide. This home is accessible to many people because it is so affordable. Its less than $140,000 and over time will start to pay for itself. Our group is confident that we designed a home worthy to be called a Zero-Energy Home. Resources http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/geothermal.html http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity/basics/how_pv_system_wo rks.htm http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=solar_wheat.pr_how_it_works http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4912319_spray-foam-insulation-work.html http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/zero-energy-buildings http://cleantechnica.com/2012/02/06/zero-energy-building-market-to-hit-1-3- trillion-by-2035/ http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/energy_target1.html (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/philadelphia#climate,http://www.maximussolar.co m/faq/faq.htm )