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Net Zero Energy Consumption building in India: An

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Lohit Saini, Chandan Swaroop Meena, Binju P Raj, Nehul Agarwal & Ashok
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/15435075.2021.1948417

Net Zero Energy Consumption building in India: An overview and initiative toward
sustainable future
a,b a,c a,b a,b a,c
Lohit Saini , Chandan Swaroop Meena , Binju P Raj , Nehul Agarwal , and Ashok Kumar
a
Building Energy Efficiency, CSIR- Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India; bSchool of Energy and Environment, Thapar Institute of
Engineering and Technology, Patiala, India; cAcademy of Scientific and Innovative Research (Acsir), Ghaziabad, India

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The growing demand for energy in the building sector drives the need for change from fossil fuels to Received 12 January 2021
environment-friendly power sources which can also mitigate the effect of global warming and climate Accepted 23 June 2021
change. One of the initiatives to knock down the peak load and energy demand in buildings is stepping KEYWORDS
toward energy-efficient buildings for a sustainable future. This paper aims to review the fundamental Passive design; building
aspects for approaching net zero energy consumption buildings (nZECB) keeping into consideration the envelop; thermal load;
effect of building physics and challenges faced in the pathway and its feasibility. Also, it addresses various renewable energy; building
policies and plans that can dramatically change the future of developing nations like India toward a zero- energy efficiency; policies;
emissions energy system. Considering all the facts, this study suggests inflating our focus beyond direct building physics
energy use and opt for hybridized clean energy sources and enhance the constructional parameters for
a better, greener, and cleaner future.

1. Introduction
Since the past few decades, the energy consumption rate has been
increasing precipitously which has led to huge energy demand
(IEA 2019). The building sector alone accounts for ~ 40% of total
global energy consumption that comes out to be almost one-
third of global energy consumption (Habash et al. 2014; Pérez-
Lombard, Ortiz, and Pout 2008; Srinivasan et al. 2012). Most of
the energy produced globally is out of nonrenewable resources
such as coal, oil, and nuclear energy (Reddy 2016). Only a modest
amount of energy is produced through renewable energy sources
such as solar (Meena et al. 2021, Alam et al. 2021), wind,
geothermal, and biofuel (Kim, Kim, and Kim 2015). Due to
high energy consumption, the availability of fossil fuels is declin­
ing (Kaewunruen, Rungskunroch, and Welsh 2018). Production
and consumption of energy through nonrenewable energy
sources give rise to CO2 emissions, releases greenhouse gases
(GHG), and oxides of nitrogen & sulfur in the environment
thereby, leading to global warming and climate change (Reddy
2016). According to the statistics, in 2018 the building sector
alone accounted for 39% of total CO2 emission through 36% of
total global energy utilization (IEA 2019). This shows the build­
ing sector possesses a critical impact on the environment and
plays a significant role in CO2 emission (Vora, Rajgor, and
Pitroda 2016).
Both consumption and emissions can be reduced in
a building along with the fulfillment of the reduced energy
load using two approaches for the accomplishment of
nZECB: Energy Efficiency Management System (EEMS) –
which include all the internal operations, building envelop,
occupant thermal comfort, heating ventilation and air-
conditioning (HVAC) system, indoor environment, and all
the systems that are responsible for the consumption of energy
in a building and the Renewable Energy System (RES) – that
includes all the renewable energy sources that can be utilized in
a building for the fulfillment of its annual energy demand
(Feng et al. 2019; IEA 2020; Jain, Hoppe, and Bressers 2017;
Khan, Asif, and Mohammed 2017; Srinivasan et al. 2012; Vora,
Rajgor, and Pitroda 2016).
Achieving an nZECB goal is more convenient for new con­
struction but for a preexisting building, it can be attained
through retrofitting, by improving its energy efficiency and
using renewable sources for energy generation and energy
optimization (Albadry, Tarabieh, and Sewilam 2017; Vora,
Rajgor, and Pitroda 2016). Although retro-fitted buildings are
more expensive than a new nZECB due to restrictions of
preexisting building orientation, position, shape and geometry
(Joshi, Pathak, and Singh 2014), but various studies suggest
that it can be achieved within competitive cost (Albadry,
Tarabieh, and Sewilam 2017). Instead of altering the building’s
structural components and energy supply system, energy con­
sumption can be reduced up to 20–30% by optimizing the
operations and improving the EEMS in a building (Guan, Xu,
and Jia 2010; Kneifel 2010). The energy consumed for heating
in a conventional building can be saved up to 80% in
a Passivhaus (Zeiler and Boxem 2013). Broadly, nZECB is
based on the concept of energy optimization and clean energy
generation through sustainable renewable resources (Albadry,
Tarabieh, and Sewilam 2017; Feng et al. 2019) hence; nZECB
mainly focuses on balancing the energy requirements to reduce
the energy demand and the required energy load generation
(Pless and Torcellini 2010).
The main objective of this study is to give an overview, the
future scope and current status of development along with

CONTACT Chandan Swaroop Meena chandanswaroop2008@gmail.com CSIR- Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee 247667, India
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 L. SAINI ET AL.
initiatives and policies provided by several countries including
India to achieve their target for energy conservation following
the indoor environment quality, occupant comfort, extenuate
the building sector’s contribution toward climate change for
a sustainable future, challenges and solutions in achieving
energy efficiency in buildings.
2. Review methodology
The global warming potential and CO2 emissions by the
building sector can be reduced by reducing the embodied
emission and operational emissions i.e., reducing the emis­
sions during the manufacturing and application of building
raw material and reducing the energy consumption in build­
ing for utilities and thermal comfort requirements respec­
tively. This can be done by the reduction methods that can
be applied in a building through sustainable material use and
application of high insulation eco-friendly material to reduce
the embodied carbon emission such as use of construction
and demolition waste bricks, plastic waste bricks, high ther­
mally insulated aerated autoclaved blocks and expanded clay
aggregate blocks to reduce high energy requirements for
cooling and heating of the building. To reduce the utility
requirements for lighting, domestic water heating, and elec­
trical appliances, better active technologies can be applied in
a building such as controlled energy-efficient lighting system,
use of solar-assisted domestic water heating system, and use
of energy-efficient appliances. Most of the energy consump­
tion in a building is reported due to the space conditioning
requirements for heating and cooling of the indoor spaces.
This high energy demand can be reduced through passive
Figure 1. Multidimensional schema chart to attain nZECB.
technologies such as building physics, application of thermal
insulation, solar passive building design, and fulfilling the
space conditioning demand through geothermal heat
exchange. Figure 1 represents the multidimensional approach
to reach nZECB using various technological aspects of build­
ing and approaches based on which this review study has
been carried out through step-wise methodology having the
main focus on the energy consumption reduction in the
building sector by using different interventions.
Different approaches toward nZECB have been reported
along with the challenges and probable solutions to achieve
the goal of energy-efficient buildings. The structure of this
paper has been organized as: Section 3 reviews different
scientific definitions of nZECB including discussion regard­
ing the policies, plans, energy consumption trends and gov­
ernment initiatives targeting energy-efficient buildings
worldwide and in the Indian context. Further Indian case
studies are detailed based on case studies selection as dis­
cussed under section 2.1. Section 4 focuses on the factors
affecting the performance of nZECB (Building envelope, ther­
mal insulation, window glazing, shading, airtightness, orien­
tation and geometry, component degradation and sizing).
Section 5 discusses the challenges in approaching energy
efficiency and nZECB. Section 6 consist of innovative
approaches towards nZECB along with different building
retrofit solutions. Section 7 discusses a holistic approach of
various strategies in the building sector to improve energy
efficiency and building energy optimization. The last section
summarizes the key points and future outlook. Different
considerations taken during the review may help the Indian
researchers a step ahead in achieving a much reliable,

Figure 2. Step-wise approach adopted for the systematic review.
sustainable, and efficient source of energy to accomplish the
emerging need for energy-efficient buildings. The literature
review is conducted based on the flow chart shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 3. Methodology chart for case studies selection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 3
2.1. Methodology for case studies selection
The selection of case studies is done keeping in mind the
Indian perspective for energy consumption and imple­
mentation of various nZECB projects constructed to set
examples for sustainable design and emission reduction
participation to mitigate climate change. Case studies
selection is based on the available significant data that is
source based on the national/international publications,
research articles, review articles, conference proceedings
as well as Ph.D. thesis and the data from official Indian
government websites. Only the buildings considered as
nZECBs are selected based on their energy-saving/con­
sumption reduction strategies for various Indian climatic
regions.
The case studies are overviewed based on their active
and passive design strategies for improved energy perfor­
mance and analyzed for their thermal load, lighting load,
and operational load reduction strategies. Finally, based on
the aforementioned selection, the energy performance index
and energy balance are analyzed. Figure 3 represents the
methodology adopted for case studies selection, overview,
and analysis.
4 L. SAINI ET AL.

3. Background of nZECB insulation, shading, glazing, orientation) followed by energy

optimization for peak load reduction using active design stra­
A building structure built in such a way that it is capable of
tegies (HVAC, appliances, control system, lighting) and satisfy
fulfilling its own required energy demand by producing or gen­
the optimized load demand through available clean/renewable
erating enough energy through a renewable energy source or, the
sources (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass) of energy to achieve
amount of energy generated through a renewable energy source
energy balance.
either on-site or off-site, almost equals the amount of energy
Through various studies, it has been found that there are
consumed annually is assumed to be an nZECB (Torcellini et al.
only limited resources that can be used as renewable energy
2006). It can or cannot be fully dependent on the grid power
sources and energy alternatives for a building to be an nZECB.
supply for its energy requirements (Bruno et al. 2019). It focuses
Listed in Table 1 are these limited renewable resources with
on improving building energy efficiency and balancing the energy
their applications and the purpose they can serve in a building
requirements to reduce energy demand and the required energy
for reducing or satisfying the energy demand.
load generation (Pless and Torcellini 2010). Different definitions
The most used renewable energy form for an nZECB is
for nZECB are dependent upon region-specific conditions, gov­
solar energy (Chandel, Sharma, and Marwaha 2016), due to
ernment targets of energy efficiency, user purpose and require­
its cost-effectiveness and ease of availability. It can be
ments to reach zero energy (Pless and Torcellini 2010; Sartori,
utilized through rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or
Napolitano, and Voss 2012). The design choices are highly influ­
as a building integrated photovoltaic system (Kim, Kim,
enced by the user requirements and purpose that decide the path
and Kim 2015). For a region with a colder climate and
to reach their energy goals (Pless and Torcellini 2010). The defini­
poor solar performance, wind energy can be a better sub­
tion of nZECB also changes frequently depending upon the energy
stitute for energy generation (Mahdavi Adeli, Farahat, and
requirements and consumption. For instance, earlier space con­
Sarhaddi 2020). Wind and biomass are mainly used in the
ditioning and water heating were only considered for net zero
rural area that too as a combined heat and power systems
consumption energy buildings (Esbensen and Korsgaard 1977).
for biomass energy sources (Mohamed, Hasan, and Sirén
Based on the various studies and researches, a holistic
2014). Geothermal energy is used as a Ground Source Heat
approach toward attaining nZECB is shown in Figure 4 repre­
Pump (GSHP) coupled with an HVAC system to provide
senting the schematic diagram of various building components
thermal comfort and as an alternative for conventional
and strategies involved in achieving the nZECB goal. In the
heating or cooling system as GSHP can be used for both
construction phase, consideration is given to the building
hot and cold seasons providing heating in winters and
physics using passive design strategies (window-to-wall ratio,

Figure 4. Schematic flow to achieve nZECB.


Table 1. Available renewable energy sources for nZECB.
Reference(s) Methods Application
Solar (Kim, Kim, Photovoltaic, Flat Plate Lighting, Electrical space
and Kim 2015) collectors, evacuated conditioning, Solar cooking,
tubes collectors domestic solar hot water
heating and air preheating.
Wind (Elkinton, Wind Turbines Lighting, electrical space
McGowan, and heating and cooling,
Manwell 2009) electrical cooking.
Geothermal Ground Source Heat Space Conditioning, DWH
(Aggarwal et al. Pump (Domestic Water Heating)
2020)
Biomass Biomass boilers Space heating, domestic water
(Mohamed, heating
Hasan, and
Sirén 2014)
cooling in summers (D’Agostino et al. 2020). It also elim­
inates the GHGs emissions produced by a conventional air
conditioning unit and reduces the high energy consumption
caused by a conventional HVAC system (Aggarwal et al.
2020; D’Agostino et al. 2020; Gondal 2020).
To measure the performance and energy balance between
the energy utilized and energy generated through renewable
sources different metrics and boundaries are defined consider­
ing the user requirements for an nZECB. The metrics are zero
site energy i.e., generating the amount of energy required to
fulfill the building’s annual average energy demand through an
on-site renewable energy source; zero source energy i.e., gen­
erating and revert to the grid the amount of energy that
a building borrowed from the grid to fulfill its annual energy
demand. These two metrics measure the nZECB performance
in terms of the amount of energy generated and the total
energy utilized by the building annually; zero energy cost for
which the utility bills paid by a building owner is equal to or
less than the amount of money he received from the utility for
exporting the renewable energy that he produced on-site and
zero emissions building that generates emission-free renewable
energy equals to the emissions it produced annually through
energy consumption. These four main metrics define user
requirements for zero energy demand and helps to pave the
path in achieving energy balance (Marszal et al. 2011).
3.1. Worldwide scenario
In the building sector alone, the energy consumption is ~ 40%
and that stands at third in ranking after industrial and trans­
portation energy consumption worldwide (Pérez-Lombard,
Ortiz, and Pout 2008). Concerned about the current scenario
of energy consumption and related issues with it such as CO2
emissions, carbon footprint, the release of GHGs from the
buildings, many countries have come forward with new inno­
vative inventions to mitigate the above-mentioned issues
related to building construction and energy consumption
impacting the environment. To abridge their contribution in
high energy consumption and ultimately GHGs emissions,
many countries have taken initiatives by framing their energy
policies and setting targets to achieve building energy efficiency
(Zero Carbon Australia Plan 2013; California Zero net energy
plan 2008; EISA 2007; EPBD Directive 2010; Hölscher and
Jensterie 2018; Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2017).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 5
With the development of nZECB, ultra-low energy buildings,
positive energy buildings, Passivhaus and zero-emission build­
ings in their coming future, many countries have already
started working on their policies for all new constructions in
the commercial building sector and some with policies of
retrofitting for existing buildings (California Public Utilities
Commission, Zero net energy action plan 2008).
Europe has set targets for upcoming constructions in the
commercial sector as net-zero energy buildings from 2020
(EPBD 2010; Topriska et al. 2018) with the implementation
of their European Performance Building Directives (EPBD)
under their ZEBRA, 2020 program. Europe also proposed its
goal to cut down CO2 emissions up to 40% by 2030 and
decarbonization of buildings by 2050 (EU Directive 2018/
844). USA has proposed to achieve 50% of their existing and
all new construction under the commercial sector to achieve
a net-zero energy target by 2040 and 2050 respectively and to
provide low-cost nZECB design solutions by 2025(EISA, 2007).
Germany has also set targets to start generating at least 80% of
total electricity through renewable energy sources by 2050 with
the implementation of EPBD (RESA Germany 2017). France
under their Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Sea has also
targeted to achieve all new buildings to be positive energy
buildings from 2020 (Hölscher and Jensterie 2018). Australia
decided to lower their emissions by 28% on a benchmark of
2005 by 2030 under their National Strategy on Energy
Efficiency (Australia 2013). A net-zero energy plan has been
prepared by California under their Public Utilities
Commission to achieve their target for all new residential
buildings and commercial buildings to be nZECB by 2020
and 2030 respectively and 50% of all existing commercial
buildings to be retrofitted by 2030 (California Public Utilities
Commission, Zero net energy action plan 2008). Among Asian
countries, South Korea has set up its own “Zero Energy
Building Action Plan for Climate Change”(Liu et al. 2016)
and Japan has also targeted to achieve all new constructions
to be zero energy buildings by 2030 (Li et al. 2017).
Some International certification bodies are also set up by the
countries for energy certification in building energy efficiency
and green buildings such as, LEED and BREEAM (Prior 1993),
Comprehensive Assessment System for Building
Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE), Building and
Environmental Performance Assessment Criteria (BEPAC)
which provides ratings and certification to the buildings in
different regions through assessing their efficiency and envir­
onmental impact. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) guidelines are
mostly used worldwide for energy-efficient HVAC systems to
improve energy efficiency and improved built-in environment.
3.2. Indian scenario
With a rapid increase in population and urbanization, the
energy demands are also reaching heights in India (Gandhi
et al. 2020; Kameswararao and Manideep 2017; Manu et al.
2011). This rising demand statistics based on year-wise and per
capita growth from the year 1947 to 2019 are indicated in
Figures 5 and 6 which depicts the increased demand of the
building sector i.e., just at an equal hype as the industrial
6 L. SAINI ET AL.
Figure 5. Year-wise consumption growth (1947–2019), (Central Electricity Authority (CEA) 2019).
Figure 6. Per capita consumption (1947–2019). (CEA 2019).
sector. Bureau of Energy Efficiency, India has estimated the
commercial sector energy consumption for the year 2030 to be
2.648EJ (BEE, 2020) and a total floor area estimation by ECO-
III till 2030 to be 1090 m2 under the commercial sector (Kumar
et al. 2010). Growth in floor area per year directly indicates the
growth in high energy demand that ultimately leads to high
emission rates. Increasing trends of the energy consumption in
the country per year with an exorbitant incremental rate indi­
cate the need for transformation from fossil fuel to a renewable
source of energy for electricity generation along with conserva­
tion of nonrenewable resources and reduction in carbon
emissions.
In the current scenario, electricity consumption by the
building sector in India contributes to approximately 33% of
total energy consumption (Energy Statistics 2019) that ulti­
mately emits carbon dioxide and GHGs in immense quantity.
India ranks fourth in carbon emission globally and the power
generation sector itself generates half of the total carbon emis­
sion in India (Chandel et al. 2016b). The energy consumption
by the domestic or residential sector in India is approximately
24% which comes out to be the second-highest followed by the
industrial sector consuming approximately 42% of the total
energy. The energy consumption for the domestic sector has
increased at a higher rate (Chandel, Sharma, and Marwaha
2016), leading to the compound annual growth rate of 7.58%
from the year 2008–2019.
Considering energy consumption growth, the Government
of India introduced the (Energy Conservation Act (ECA),
2001). The outcome of this act is the introduction of the
Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) (Nandi and
Basu 2008) in 2007. ECBC provides standards for energy per­
formance to aid designers and architects to coalesce energy-
efficient passive design components in a building along with
renewable energy (International Energy Agency 2020). Bureau
of Energy Efficiency (BEE, 2020), a government body, estab­
lished in 2002 under the provision of (ECA 2001), is respon­
sible for proper implementation of ECA and activities under
the act for energy conservation and energy efficiency. BEE is
also responsible for providing the standards and labels to
energy-efficient appliances (Jain 2020) so that only energy-
efficient appliances may reach the user thus conserving energy.
BEE looks after the implementation of ECBC in the building
sector (Nandi and Basu 2008). Through execution and com­
pliance of updated ECBC, 2017 India aims to achieve ~ 50%
reduction of energy consumption in the commercial building
sector by 2030 (PIB 2017) and through its Buildings Energy
Efficiency Programme (BEEP) 2017, India targeted retrofitting
of more than 10,000 commercial buildings by the end of 2020

with advanced building management system and efficient
appliances. State bodies are empowered to amend the ECBC
region-wise considering the local climatic condition of the state
(Nandi and Basu 2008). ECBC was only applicable to the
commercial sector with no firm regulations for the residential
sector before 2018, (Tulsyan 2013; Yu et al. 2013) with the
declaration of India’s ECBC for residential buildings in 2018
(EcoNiwas 2018) and labeling system for residential buildings
in 2019, many states initiated the implementation of ECBC for
the residential sector with consideration for occupant thermal
comfort and passive design strategies (International Energy
Agency 2020). BEE also started a 5-star rating system for
commercial buildings in India based on their energy efficiency
(BEE, 2020) and launched a web-based energy simulation soft­
ware ECOnirman (Manu et al. 2012) to check the conformance
of ECBC and energy optimization, using a whole building
performance method.
India possesses a great opportunity in the building sector for
reduction of future energy demand and to build a market and
business opportunities for energy-efficient and affordable
building components as more than 70% of building stock
estimated for 2030 is yet to be constructed (International
Energy Agency,2019). Shifting toward renewable energy,
India aims to achieve 175 GW of electricity through renewable
energy sources and 40 GW of rooftop solar energy for the
residential and nonresidential sector by 2022 out of which 84
GW of electricity through renewable energy sources has
already been achieved by the end of 2019. India also aims to
achieve ~ 40% of total electricity through non-fossil fuel energy
sources and ~ 35% carbon emission reduction by 2030 from
2005 levels (International Energy Agency 2020) through its
huge potential in renewable energy resources as shown in
Figure 7.
Several policies and regulations are provided by the
Government of India for improving the energy efficiency of
buildings, encouraging the consumers to step toward renew­
able energy alternatives for their energy demands, and a long-
term goal for zero-energy buildings (International Energy
Agency 2020). Some policies and missions provided by the
Government of India are – National Mission for Enhanced
Energy Efficiency (Garnaik 2011), Jawaharlal Nehru National
Figure 7. Estimated potential for renewable energy in India (Energy Statistics 2019).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 7
Solar Mission (Shrimali and Rohra 2012), Integrated Energy
Policy (India Integrated Energy Policy, 2020), National
Mission for Sustainable Habitat, National Mission for
a Green India and several state policies on which Indian states
are individually working to mitigate climate change and sup­
port sustainable development in building construction and
energy sector. India is the first country to induce its Indian
Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) in 2019 (Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change, 2019). The year
2018 recorded India’s investment in solar energy to be greater
than all other nonrenewable energy investments together. Steps
taken by India in energy efficiency have resulted in avoiding
300 million tonnes of CO2 emission from 2000 to 2018 and
15% of yearly energy demand growth (India Integrated Energy
Policy, 2020).
In compliance with ECBC and other rating agencies that
provide certification for energy-efficient buildings and green
buildings such as LEED (Council, 2008), Indian Green
Building Council (Council, I.G.B, 2008), Green Rating for
Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), 18 net and nearly
zero energy buildings are developed in India so far. Table 2
shows the case studies included for 18 nZECBs developed in
India divided into four categories depending upon the climatic
region they fall in viz composite, hot and dry, warm and
humid, and Cold region, representing their habitat type, the
covered floor area, operations and activities responsible for
consuming most of the energy in these buildings along with
various strategies applied for energy demand reduction, types
of renewable energy sources utilization to meet the energy
balance making these buildings nZECBs and their achieved
Energy Performance Index (EPI). The energy consumption
pattern for the case studies included is examined and calculated
using EPI. EPI is used as a comparison parameter for energy
consumption in buildings. It is the ratio of annual gross energy
consumed by the building and its net gross floor area (Garg
et al. 2017)(Eq. 1).
Net Annual Energy ConsumedðkWh=year Þ
EPI ¼ (1)
Gross Floor Area of Building ðSqmÞ
8 L. SAINI ET AL.

Table 2. List of nZECBs built in India. (Source: NZEB India; IGBC; Sudhakar, Winderl and Priya 2019; Soni and Singh 2020)
Strategies Used
Habitat Operational Renewable EPI
Climate Case study Type Area (m2) Energy Energy demand Reduction Energy Energy Balance kWh/ m2/yr
Composite Indira Office 9565 ● Conditioning ● Energy Efficient Lighting and ● Photovoltaics 100% 44
Paryavaran ● Heating HVAC ● Ground
Bhawan, ● Lighting ● Integrated building manage­ source heat
MoEF ● Appliances ment system (IBMS) pump
New Delhi ● Building ● Wall insulation and double-
Operations glazed windows
● Regenerative lift
● Natural ventilation and
Daylighting
Akshay Urja Office 5100 ● Cooling ● Orientation for solar gains and ● BIPV 100% 30
Bhawan, ● Heating daylighting ● Solar heat
HAREDA ● Hot water ● Shading devices, reducing heat collectors
Haryana ● Lighting gains ● Passive solar
● Appliances ● Cooled roof using reflective tiles energy use
● Building ● Thermal insulation and dou­
Operations ble-glazed windows
● Building Integrated
Photovoltaics (BIPV)
● Solar heat collectors and
Passive solar energy use
Unnati Office 3740 ● Cooling ● Climate responsive façade with ● Photovoltaics 40% 60
Uttar Pradesh ● Heating green wall, green roof and ● Passive solar
● Lighting foundation with thermal energy use
● Building insulation
Operations ● Motorized shading devices
● Double-glazed windows with
30% WWR
● CO2 based occupancy sensor
for lighting system and IAQ
● Building Management System
(BMS)
● Hybrid HVAC
Jaquar Office 48000 ● Space ● Occupancy sensor-based light­ ● Solar 122% -
Headquarters conditioning ing and natural daylighting Photovoltaics
Haryana ● Lighting ● Shading to reduce the cooling ● Solar passive
● Appliances load energy
● Building ● Natural ventilation
Operations ● Energy Efficient hybrid cooling
system
Eco Commercial Office 891 ● Space ● Orientation for reduced loads ● Solar 100% 72
Building conditioning and natural daylighting Photovoltaics
Uttar Pradesh ● Lighting ● Occupancy sensor base Energy ● Solar passive
● Appliances Efficient lighting system energy
● Building ● Motorized shading devices
Operations ● Double glazed windows with
WWR of 33.8%
● CO2 based IAQ monitoring
with natural ventilation
● Thermally insulated walls, roof,
and foundation
● Building Management System
for energy optimization
Hot and Sohrabji Godrej Office 1,858 ● Space ● Natural ventilation using wind ● Bifacial Solar 100% 80
Dry Green conditioning scoops and wind towers. Photovoltaics
Business ● Lighting ● Building Management System
Center (IGBC) ● Appliances for load optimization
Telangana ● Building ● Cooled roof using vegetation
Operations ● Natural daylighting, double
glazed windows, shading
devices, and Energy Efficient
lighting fixtures
CEPT, A Living Office 498 ● Space ● Ground heat exchange ● Building- 100% 58
Laboratory conditioning ● Maximum daylighting through integrated
Gujrat ● Lighting double glazed windows Solar
● Appliances ● Occupancy sensor-based Photovoltaics
● Building Energy Efficient lighting system ● Solar
Operations ● Shading and light shelves chimneys
● Solar chimneys for natural
ventilation
● Insulated walls and roof and
Energy Efficient HVAC
● BMS for IEQ control and energy
optimization
(Continued)
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 9

Table 2. (Continued).
Strategies Used
Habitat Operational Renewable EPI
Climate Case study Type Area (m2) Energy Energy demand Reduction Energy Energy Balance kWh/ m2/yr
Infosys – Office 27,870 ● Space ● Natural daylighting of 90% ● Photovoltaics - 75
Pocharam conditioning office space ● Solar heat
Campus ● Lighting ● Shading in south-facing collectors
Telangana ● Appliances windows ● Passive solar
● Building ● Efficient building material energy use
Operations ● Controlled lighting system
● Radiant cooling system
IIT Jodhpur, Academic 8,07,518 ● Thermal ● Cool roof ● Solar PV park - -
Rajasthan Campus Comfort ● Light shelf ● Rooftop solar
● Lighting ● Daylighting and energy- PV
● Appliances efficient lighting system ● Biogas
● Thermal insulation with XPS ● Solar thermal
DHW
Sun Carrier Office 918 ● Cooling. ● Double glazed windows ● Photovoltaics 100% -
Omega NZEB ● Lighting ● Energy Efficient lighting ● Passive solar
Madhya ● Appliances fixtures energy
Pradesh ● Building ● 81% of office area receives
Operations daylight
● Reflective roof
● Ambient lighting sensors for
the controlled lighting system
● Occupancy sensor and CO2
sensor base IAQ monitoring
● Efficient HVAC system
Warm and Kalpana Housing residential 5,010 ● Lighting ● Natural daylighting ● Solar - -
Humid Tamil Nadu cum ● Appliances ● Energy Efficient Refrigeration Photovoltaics
office ● Domestic system
Operations ● Energy Efficient Appliances
● Energy Efficient lighting
system
Humanscapes Residential 1,680 ● Space ● Sufficient natural daylighting ● Solar 100% -
Tamil Nadu conditioning ● Energy Efficient lighting Photovoltaics
● Lighting ● Solar passive design
● Low embodied energy material
SIERRA’S Office 2322.55 ● Thermal ● External Shading Devices and ● 60 kW Roof 80% 56.2
eFACiLiTY comfort motorized internal blinds. top solar
Tamil Nadu ● Lighting ● High performance reflective Photovoltaics
glazing with WWR < 40% ● 4.3 kW BIPV
● 86% Natural daylight and ● 20 kW Bi-
skylight facial roof
● BMS for monitoring various top solar PV
systems
● Thermal insulation using foam
concrete and cool roof tiles
● 55% more energy- efficient
HVAC system
● CO2 monitoring for IAQ with
controlled ventilation
● Automated LED Lighting
Avasara Academic 11,148 ● Space ● Bamboo screens for shading ● Rooftop solar 85% -
Academy conditioning ● Shades and overhangs to avoid photovoltaics
Maharashtra ● Lighting heating ● Solar water
● Appliances ● Solar passive design strategy heating
● Building ● Earth duct for passive heating
Operations and cooling
● Natural ventilation
Godrej Plant 13 Office 24,443 ● Space ● BMS for energy optimization ● Solar 100% 75
Annex conditioning ● Energy Efficient lighting and photovoltaics
Maharashtra ● Lighting appliances
Malankara Tea Office - Lighting, Heating ● Passive design strategies ● Solar 100% -
Plantation and cooling ● Energy Efficient system photovoltaics
Kerala
GRIDCO Office 15,794 ● Lighting and ● Passive design strategies. ● Solar - 90
Odisha Conditioning photovoltaics
Cold Lodsi Factory 929 ● Lighting ● 80% naturally daylight and ● 50kWp Roof >100% 35
community ● Space skylight top Solar
project conditioning ● Passive design strategies photovoltaics
Tehri- ● Manufacturing ● facade shading
Garhwal, ● Appliances ● Sustainable architecture and
Uttarakhand building material
10 L. SAINI ET AL.
All buildings listed in Table 2 are newly constructed projects as
nZECB except that of the Confederation of Indian Industry –
Sohrabji Godrej Green Building Council, which is the only
building retrofitted to achieve nZECB. To encourage new pro­
posals and retrofitting projects for buildings and achieve
energy efficiency, green buildings rating schemes are also intro­
duced, and with a total area covered under green buildings of
around 600 million m2, India has become the second-largest
country worldwide with one of the largest registered green
building footprints IGBC Green Building rating system.
Among several rating systems, IGBC has also provided
a separate rating system specifically for nZECBs which is
IGBC Net Zero Energy Buildings rating system (IGBC NZEB
Rating System) that provides certification to an nZECB based
on three key areas – energy consumption reduction, thermal
comfort, and renewable energy generation. Most of the build­
ings included in Table 2 are office buildings with a large built-
up area as the approach to nZECB is still nascent in the
residential sector of India due to cost perspectives. Also, due
to the high construction cost and certification fee to various
certification bodies such as LEED and GRIHA, small projects
have not gained recognition yet at the local level along with the
fact that sufficient official data and validation studies for such
cases are not available. The gray area is the lack of research and
awareness at the local level, where India lags in the implemen­
tation of small residential nZECB projects at the residential
level.
4. Factors affecting the performance of nZECB
An nZECB can fail to achieve its annual target due to various
factors such as abnormal weather conditions, above-average
energy loads, and below-average solar or wind resources
(Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz, and Pout 2008). A better solution for
nZECB can be achieved by analyzing and considering Life cycle
cost as well as Life cycle emission to keep in mind both energy
as well as environmental concerns as lowering the energy
consumption lowers the carbon emission rates (Kneifel 2010;
Arumägi and Kalamees 2020; Asdurbali et al. 2020; Tabrizi and
Sanguinetti 2015).
Various factors are discussed in this review that can affect or
act as challenges faced during the design phase of the imple­
mentation of an nZECB addressed by several researchers in
their studies along with the tentative solutions and ways to
enhance the efficiency of a building through optimizing the
system and components. The main factors affecting the per­
formance of an nZECB are- The building envelope that con­
sists of the roof, walls, floor, windows, doors, and every
component that act as a separator for the internal and external
environment of an enclosed space and the active design com­
ponents of an nZECB such as energy storage system, HVAC
system, lighting and control systems, and the energy genera­
tion system.
4.1. Building design elements
Passive design strategies are in use since the concept of energy
consumption reduction was not even introduced. Passive stra­
tegies are being used since the historic era for thermal comfort
inside the building. Thermal comfort is achieved when the
temperature or indoor environment is warmer in winters and
cooler during the summer season and along with cross air
circulation, natural ventilation, and ample amount of fresh
air exchange for occupant’s health and safety (Agarwal et al.
2021).
Building Envelope: One of the most important factors to
achieve building energy efficiency in nZECB is the building
envelope (Chandel, Sharma, and Marwaha 2016; Charisi 2017).
Building energy efficiency can be improved by choosing the
optimum building envelope during the design phase
(Gumbarević et al. 2020; Loukaidou, Michopoulos, and
Zachariadis 2017). Components of the building envelope that
enhances the building performance and impacts the heating
and cooling loads are building orientation, glazing, daylighting,
shading devices, proper ventilation, and insulation
(Gumbarević et al. 2020; Khakian et al. 2020; Kim, Kim, and
Kim 2015).
Thermal Insulation: Thermal insulation is an important
factor that governs heating and cooling losses in a building
(Charisi 2017). A considerable amount of reduction in heating
and cooling demand can be achieved through increasing insu­
lation layer thickness, use of VIP (Vacuum Insulated Panels),
and improving the airtightness of a building (Fu, Qian, and
Wang 2017; Kalamees et al. 2016). VIP provides a thin insula­
tion layer yet high insulation performance and esthetics.
Window glazing:Horn, Dudás, and Terjék (2020) stated that
cooling loads in summers and heating loads in winters can be
reduced using double glazed windows, also energy reduction
can be achieved by increasing window thermal insulation
capacity and optimizing the ventilation system to reduce the
ventilation losses. Energy consumption can be significantly
reduced by utilizing passive and active solar gains through
facade and roof by the integration of solar panels into windows
or by using building integrated photovoltaic solar energy can
be actively used in building.
Shading: The addition of shading devices on facades and
using an automatic lighting control system may reduce heating
and cooling loads (Tzempelikos and Athienitis 2007), but using
shading devices is more favorable in hot climatic regions as it
can also increase the heating demand in winters (Bataineh and
Alrabee 2018). (Gumbarević et al. 2020) suggested proper
parametric analysis must be performed before constructing
an nZECB with a keen consideration of the local climatic
behavior. (Al-Masrani et al. 2018) discussed various solar
shading devices and their impact on building efficiency, ther­
mal comfort, indoor environment, and visual comfort. They
evaluated three types of shading systems, active shading sys­
tem, passive shading system, and hybrid shading system, and
concluded that fixed shading devices regardless of various
limitations are best suited looking upon their simplicity and
cost-effectiveness as compared to motorized and hybrid shad­
ing devices as they involve complexity and cost in their design.
Airtightness: Reduction in thermal load airtightness in
a building is much needed (Guillén-Lambea, Rodríguez-Soria,
and Marín 2016) but airtight envelope along with the reduction
in heat loss, also results in poor natural ventilation and poor
indoor air quality (Ionescu et al. 2015). To overcome the
problem of poor air quality, ASHRAE has recommended the
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 11

least air exchange rate of 0.35 h−1 and greater than 15 ft3/min/ 5. Challenges
person (cfm).
Achieving an nZECB and maintaining the performance of the
Orientation and geometry: Orientation plays a significant
nZECB throughout its lifecycle is a challenging task. The chal­
role in solar gains in a building. The solar orientation of
lenges faced by the users and their probable solutions recom­
a building should be in such a way that it provides max­
mended in various research studies are discussed in this section
imum and minimum solar gains in winters and summers
to achieve the nZECB goal throughout the life of the building.
respectively. Caruso and Kämpf (2015) evaluated the build­
Missing technological Enhancement and Economical
ing shape and orientation using Algorithmic approaches for
Barriers: A missing link is reported between the invention
minimizing the energy consumption and solar irradiation of
of new technologies and innovations over existing technolo­
the building envelope and their study results concluded
gies for attaining nZECB (Lindkvist et al. 2014). There is
maximum algebraic solar irradiation point lies in the south-
a need for continuous enhancements of technological
west direction.
research and ideas to achieve the zero-energy goal. Most of
All the passive design components in a building are inter­
the studies and researches are being carried out for only new
linked such as the orientation of the building, openings on the
buildings and only a few studies for preexisting buildings are
walls, glazing, and shading system. Chen, Yang, and Lu (2015)
being done (Kaewunruen, Rungskunroch, and Welsh 2018).
compared different green building rating tools considering
Due to rising temperatures and changing climatic conditions
both active and passive design strategies used in building and
in the coming future, the energy demand is going to rise and
focused on passive design solutions for building energy effi­
those increased demands could not be sufficiently met by
ciency considered in rating system and found passive design
photovoltaic energy generation as it would become an out­
strategies to be a cost-efficient and effective solution to opti­
dated technology (da Guarda et al. 2020) unless the energy
mize building energy consumption. The use of building physics
demand is reduced to meet the energy generation level. There
strategies reduces a considerable amount of energy load con­
is a need for effective, economical, and alternate solutions to
ditional to the proper implementation, as for variable seasonal
convert conventional buildings into energy-efficient green
regions it can reduce the load in one season and increase load
buildings and achieve energy consumption reduction goals
demand in other seasons. For such a condition thermal insula­
considering the future load demand (GhaffarianHoseini et al.
tion proves to be the best approach to keep the indoor envir­
2013). Building an nZECB involves high capital cost, without
onment comfortable for all seasons thereby improve the
any financial aid from the government and local bodies it
efficiency of the HVAC system.
seems challenging for users to opt for an nZECB
Components Sizing and Degradation: An nZECB constitutes
(Ruparathna, Hewage, and Sadiq 2016). To reduce the eco­
of different interconnected systems that include renewable
nomical barrier for users, more governmental policies and
energy systems, energy-consuming components, and storage
incentives are needed (Banerjee 2015), and subsidies for
systems (P. Huang, G. Huang, and Sun 2018b). These inter­
renewable energy can encourage consumers to go for clean
connected systems decide the sizing of each component such as
energy production for their energy demand (Kaewunruen,
the size of the HVAC system, energy storage system, and
Rungskunroch, and Welsh 2018). The decision-making for
energy generation system. Based on Life Cycle Performance
financial aid can be done through Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Analysis (LCPA) a two-stage design method was proposed by
(LCCA) consideration (Lindkvist et al. 2014) and the eco­
P. Huang, G. Huang, and Sun (2018a) to improve the sizing of
nomic analysis and optimization is a prerequisite in the early
components to finally improve the performance of the system.
design phase to achieve energy efficiency and economic effi­
At stage 1, sizing of the renewable energy system is improved
ciency goals (Kapsalaki, Leal, and Santamouris 2012).
and at stage 2 sizing of the energy storage system is improved
To overcome the economical barrier governmental support
by analyzing the size alternatives available and selecting an
and subsidies along with awareness needed to be introduced.
optimal size. For the system to perform efficiently and accu­
More innovative studies and researches for economically fea­
rately, the optimal sizing of the component is an important factor
sible solutions are much required such as the use of alternate
to be considered during the design phase to avoid over-sizing
building material with high efficiency and performance yet
that leads to high capital cost and under-sizing leading to under­
economical and with less payback period.
performance (Bruno et al. 2019; Kolokotsa et al. 2011). Another
User Acceptability and Built-in Environment for occupant
affecting factor related to the system components of an nZECB is
health: User needs and goals to achieve net-zero energy plays
the component degradation with time that declines the system
a major role in defining an nZECB as the definitions of nZECBs
performance and efficiency. To determine the performance decli­
are very diverse in themselves (Torcellini et al. 2006). Some
nation rate of the system and how long a building can maintain
users aim to achieve net-zero emissions whereas others, net-
to achieve its net-zero energy goal, LCPA must be performed
zero cost. User acceptance and support for occupancy reforms
during the designing phase for uncertainties and component
and energy efficiency culture is a great challenge in achieving
degradation (P. Huang, G. Huang, and Sun 2018b; Ruparathna,
the energy goals (Ruparathna, Hewage, and Sadiq 2016). Also,
Hewage, and Sadiq 2016).
achieving optimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and the built-in
Only a few studies are available for component sizing and
environment is a challenge as the experimental values and
degradation despite being an important factor in maintaining
results get altered during execution and implementation stages
the energy efficiency of the system. Much more studies are
(Lindkvist et al. 2014) as it is highly influenced by the occupant
required in this field for the constant efficient performance of
psychological behavior and physiological occupant dimensions
the system.
12 L. SAINI ET AL.
(Kapoor et al. 2021). Piasecki (2019) stated that increasing
airtightness to improve thermal insulation sentences the occu­
pants to an artificial environment and climatic condition,
which for the sake of energy efficiency shall be avoided. In
the study IEQ was modeled (Indoor Environment Quality)
taking four parameters: Thermal comfort, Air quality,
Acoustic comfort, and daylighting and compared the results
with the building environmental effectiveness (BEE) tool based
on CASBEE and concluded that the IEQ model method is more
suitable for user satisfaction whereas BEE proved to be more
extensive to access possibilities to control the indoor
environment.
User acceptability can be improved through awareness
regarding available options for economical and feasible renew­
able energy alternatives in place of the conventional ones and
also through providing incentives or subsidies for renewable
energy use. Economical solutions are also much needed for
improving thermal insulation along with proper fresh air cir­
culation indoors.
Region and climatic factor: Achieving zero-energy goals and
nZECB performance lifelong is highly based on several local
factors. One of the most common factors is the local climatic
conditions (Chandel, Sharma, and Marwaha 2016). The com­
fort range of occupants is highly influenced by climate.
Different climatic zones differ in values for comfortable indoor
temperature depending upon the time duration of the year and
season (Nematchoua et al. 2014). Due to the difference in
temperature, heating and cooling season, the results for the
intensity of energy efficiency for the same structure in two
different climatic zones may differ from each other (Perlova
et al. 2015). To overcome this, an nZECB must be evaluated,
analyzed, reviewed, and maintained from time to time. Khan,
Asif, and Mohammed (2017) investigated a gymnasium that
aimed to be nZECB in Calolziocorete, Italy. In their study, the
climatic conditions were analyzed to select the optimum con­
struction material for proper wall, roof, floor insulation, and
glazing. Real-time monitoring was done for thermal insulation,
proper airtightness, and energy demand reduction. The energy
demand was calculated using software ECOTECT to design
optimum energy generation and storage systems for renewable
energy harvesting. Results concluded that analysis of the local
climatic conditions of the region and behavioral changes of the
seasons are necessary to be carried out during the design stage
for the proper and efficient functioning of a system. Parametric
simulations may aid in choosing appropriate parameters for
any climatic condition and region to determine the optimal
building envelopes and their performance in improving the
efficiency of a building (Charisi 2017; Dimitriou et al. 2020).
Regions with seasonal variations, such as India needs precise
studies of local climatic behavior to achieve optimum perfor­
mance of energy-efficient buildings. Flexible solutions are
required to work efficiently in varied seasons (summer, win­
ters, and monsoon). For instance, the application of movable
or motorized shading devices and the use of phase change
material in the building.
Cost and Economic factor: Although an nZECB can reduce
the cost of energy consumption for users through various
interventions used during the execution and implementation
of the strategies, yet it involves high capital cost for
construction that needs to be examined before the execution.
Bano and Sehgal (2019) discussed various methods for eco­
nomic analysis of a building including methods of simple and
discounted payback period, simple and discounted return
investment rate, and net payback value to aid in decision
making for smart selection of strategies to be included in the
design stage.
6. Innovative approaches toward nZECB
Several studies are being conducted worldwide to enhance the
efficiency of building operations and reduction of consumption
and emissions. To achieve all these goals the one-step solution
is nZECB or Nearly Zero or Ultra-Low Energy Consumption
Buildings. Studies are being carried out on energy efficiency
and the use of renewable source alternatives for energy demand
in the buildings since the world’s first Passivhaus was built in
1991, Germany (Pitts 2017). Arumägi and Kalamees (2020)
investigated a passive house case study of Children’s day center
in Estonia, to analyze the cost-effectiveness of nZECB built up
of wood in a colder climate and analyzed that wooden build­
ings can be a cost-effective solution for an nZECB in a colder
region built up with proper building envelop considerations
with insulation and airtightness to avoid heat losses in the
building. Depending upon the construction and external fac­
tors, wooden structures can be energy efficient and can pro­
duce less CO2 emissions in some cases at some particular
climatic conditions and could be cheaper than concrete,
whereas in some regions it could be too expensive over con­
crete depending upon climate and region. Huang et al. (2018)
investigated a cluster nZECB with energy sharing between
nZECBs for achieving maximum energy efficiency. nZECB
cluster is a block of an interconnected network of nZECBs
that share an interdependency of energy and store surplus
energy for future use, having a common aim of an off-grid
system or nearly zero energy from the grid. An nZECB cluster
enables improvement in energy generation by 45%, improve­
ment in grid interaction performance by 82%, and
cost-effectiveness by 55% through using optimal ways and
interactions, and interdependency of nZECBs. Concluded
that minimum grid exchange eliminates the losses which
occur during the exchange and improved performance of
nZECB clusters is achieved. Santos-Herrero, Lopez-Guede,
and Flores (2018) analyzed Predictive Model Control (PMC)
methods to achieve better performance of nZECB considering
the energy consumption optimization through various factors
such as weather, occupancy, load, comfort, and many more
that in PMC can help to analyze building performance.
Bataineh and Alrabee (2018) Investigated residential buildings
in Jordan and simulations were done using a software Design
Builder and software BEopt resulting in a significant reduction
in energy consumption and 1321 Kilo-Ton/Year CO2 emission
reduction through adopting retrofitting techniques on preex­
isting buildings and discovered a great opportunity of encoura­
ging job creation for more than 80,000 per year in Jordon
through retrofitting program.
Georgiou et al. (2020) proposed a new approach of linear
programming (LP) model for battery storage, discharge, and
charging optimization for energy management using
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 13

Table 3. Simulation optimization tools used by researchers. retrofits (Kaewunruen, Rungskunroch, and Welsh 2018;
Simulation Lindkvist et al. 2014). To retrofit a preexisting building, the
Reference(s) Tool Target deciding factor is the net energy consumption of a building in
Kaewunruen, Revit Estimate the total cost of the
Rungskunroch, and building
all seasons throughout the year that decides the amount of
Welsh (2018) energy to be saved in a building and the amount of energy to
Jain, Hoppe, and ATLAS.ti Qualitative data analysis be generated through renewable energy sources (Feng et al.
Bressers (2017)
Khan, Asif, and ECOTECT Energy modeling
2019). The second factor is optimizing the energy of the sys­
Mohammed (2017) tems installed that are consuming high energy and through
Albadry, Tarabieh, and Design Builder Electricity consumption installing alternate energy-efficient systems such as the use of
Sewilam (2017) determination
Mohamed, Hasan, and Insight Yearly running cost analysis
LED in place of conventional lights or fluorescent bulbs. In the
Sirén (2014) TRNSYS Thermal and electrical demand building sector, 20% to 30% of total energy consumption con­
simulation tributes to the lighting system and around 40% to 60% is
D’Agostino (2020) Design Builder Evaluation of energy needs and
calculation of thermal loads.
consumed by the HVAC system installed in the building
Manu et al. (2011) Energy Plus Parametric energy simulations (Sudhakar, Winderl, and Priya 2019; Zeiler and Boxem 2013).
Manu et al. (2012) ECOnirman ECBC compliance of building HVAC systems alone account for around 10% to 20% of total
Arumägi and DesignBuilder Simulation for energy consumption.
Kalamees (2020)
global energy consumption (Alghoul 2017). Most of the energy
Charisi (2017) Design Builder Hourly dynamic simulation savings in a building can be achieved from installing an energy-
Loukaidou, BEopt Energy simulation efficient HVAC system in place of a conventional HVAC
Michopoulos, and Energy Plus Energy assessment
Zachariadis (2017) Annual heating and cooling needs
system (Pérez-Lombard, Ortiz, and Pout 2008), and through
Bataineh and Alrabee Design Builder Energy consumption analysis optimizing the lighting system up to 11% of building cooling
(2018) load can be saved (Bataineh and Alrabee 2018). Al-Saadi, Al-
Ferrara and Fabrizio TERMOLOGY Verification of achievement of nZECB
(2017) TRNSYS Simulation for cost optimization
Hajri, and Sayari (2017) investigated various retrofitting tech­
Tulsyan et al. (2013) eQuest3 − 64 Energy Simulation niques on a residential building in Oman using simulation
Alghoul (2017) Energy Plus Energy consumption for HVAC software DesignBuilder to determine the reduction in energy
system
Al-Saadi, Al-Hajri, and GenOpt Energy simulation
consumption through best fitted parametric retrofitting that
Sayari (2017) Design Builder Energy consumption evaluation resulted in a 42.5% reduction in the energy consumption.
Georgiou et al. (2020) MATLAB Linear Programming algorithm Kaewunruen, Rungskunroch, and Welsh (2018) investigated
optimization
Kapsalaki, Leal, and MATLAB Economic analysis for achieving
for preexisting buildings to achieve nZECB using the Building
Santamouris (2012) economic nZECB solutions. Information Modeling (BIM) method using Revit software for
cost analysis, and a payback year of 23 years was estimated in
their study that can be reduced by applying optimum retrofits.
Albadry, Tarabieh, and Sewilam (2017) investigated an existing
renewable energy sources. The proposed approach included building in Nasar city, Cairo, Egypt with high energy consump­
the LP model, GA (genetic algorithm) model, and ANN (arti­ tion and poor thermal comfort retrofitted to make it nZECB
ficial neural network) model. All three models were integrated and simulated on software DesignBuilder and a cost analysis
with SAM (System Advisory Model) of NREL and achieved an was carried out which resulted in a cost-effective retrofit solu­
annual grid supply reduction of 53% along with 60% of build­ tion and achievement of zero energy target. Changes made in
ing annual energy demand fulfilled through RES. Carletti et al. the building through retrofitting were – Changing window
(2018) in their study carried out an evaluation of building glazing to double glazed, the addition of window coating,
components and assessment of solar shading devices using wall insulation, roof insulation, the addition of rooftop solar
simulation software to reduce building heating and cooling panels to fulfill the required load with renewable energy source.
load for a detached wooden house and performed a detailed Irulegi et al. (2017) proposed a method for retrofitting an
analysis and concluded that proper analysis of components to educational building with various building parameters and
achieve net-zero energy target is necessary for wooden build­ climatic condition considerations using simulations to analyze
ings in different climates. and implement best-suited retrofit strategies, keeping in
Different simulation tools for results and analysis have been mind indoor environment quality for students and teachers.
used to study various aspects of the building energy sector. Several simulation results and analyses of the best-suited retro­
Table 3 shows the different simulation tools used by research­ fit strategies resulted in a 58% reduction in energy consump­
ers and their application in their studies. tion of the educational building. Teni, Čulo, and Krstić (2019)
investigated preexisting buildings from three different periods
and analyzed the renovation solutions, energy and cost analy­
6.1. Retrofit for existing buildings sis, payback period, and rate of return on converting them into
Achieving the goal of energy efficiency in an existing building nZECB. Results concluded that the period of the constructed
through retrofitting is a challenge as it depends upon several building poses a great impact on the economic investment for
factors. Also, rules, regulations, and guidelines are being pro­ retrofitting and energy performance. Although retrofitting
jected and implemented mainly for new constructions only, existing buildings to achieve energy efficiency and zero-
and for preexisting buildings, the policies are absent for energy goal within the economical and feasible range is
14 L. SAINI ET AL.

Figure 8. Schematic view of energy flow in an nZECB system.

a challenge, yet applying optimized and evaluated study results
on building retrofits may prove to be economical for users and
aid in paving the path to reach the nZECB target.
7. Discussion and hypothesis
Energy consumption is a major concern in the Indian building
sector. This paper reviewed renewable energy, building phy­
sics, reliable, environment friendly, and sustainable solutions
to achieve nZECB. Researchers for few decades are involved in
finding out sustainable and feasible solutions worldwide. But,
the expansion toward nZECB still lacks in India therefore,
further research is needed to develop environment-friendly
and low energy-consuming buildings in diverse Indian climate
regions. The new buildings constructed in India must be cap­
able to mitigate CO2 emission, global warming, and peak
energy demand through the hybridization of diverse building
design techniques and approaches.
Figure 8 shows the schematic of a hybrid solution to achieve
an nZECB system and energy flow between the grid and hybri­
dized on-site/off-site renewable energy system and compo­
nents of an nZECB that affects the building energy efficiency
achievement. Considering the various factors affecting the per­
formance of nZECB and challenges faced in achieving zero
energy targets, there are solutions to improve the energy effi­
ciency and to achieve the aim of nZECB, which are mentioned
below:
● Improving and optimizing the building physics and com­
ponents of building envelope such as shading, glazing,
ventilation, orientation, daylighting, and insulation which
plays a major role in improving building energy efficiency
and load reduction. Increased insulation thickness,
improved airtightness, the addition of shading devices at
the facade can significantly contribute to a reduction in
energy demand and increase in solar gains to lower the
heating demands in the winter season.
● Pre optimizing the size of the system such as HVAC,
energy storage, and energy generation system to avoid
oversizing and under-sizing to reduce the capital cost and
avoiding the reduced performance respectively.
● LCPA and LCCA are important studies for the efficient
performance of an nZECB. Through evaluation of LCPA
and LCCA, the duration for efficient performance and the
need for subsidies or incentives can be well figured. Since,
in the end, the priority is submissive to cleaner energy
production with at most reliability.
● The need for economical and technological enhancement
is much awaited to compute a well-designed nZECB.
● Region and climatic factors need to be well determined,
keeping the continual change in perspective to achieve
maximum efficiency which can be regulated by simula­
tion studies for energy efficiency, thermal load, electricity
load, annual heating, and cooling demand over simula­
tion software during the designing phase. All construc­
tion elements should be considered according to the local
climatic conditions prior to the building construction as
different climate has a different behavior on different
components.
● Retrofitting is a probable solution that will direct to
increase the efficiency within already existing buildings
by changing the source of primary energy and improving
components such as HVAC, lighting can readily reduce
the consumption of energy.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREEN ENERGY 15

8. Conclusion and further recommendations sustainable approaches and alternatives for energy con­
sumption reduction at the local level.
A Net Zero Energy Consumption Building provides all essen­
● Considering the case studies, the colder and temperate
tial operational energy along with thermal comfort and indoor
climate of India is still untouched for this field of study.
environment quality within the optimized energy demand
Experimental and numerical studies are much needed to
which may be fulfilled through a renewable energy source.
be carried out for various Indian climate zones.
This review provides an overview of the research and develop­
● No LCA and LCPA studies for existing cases are available
ment in energy consumption trends, challenges, barriers, var­
for the Indian region.
ious initiatives, policies, and factors determining the
● A few studies of LCPA for uncertainties, component
performance of nZECB along with the proposed solution to
degradation, and sizing globally arises a need for further
achieve nZECB. The paper concluded many advantages such
study in this field.
as non-dependence on the grid that uses fossil fuels to gen­
● Life cycle cost analysis studies needed to be carried out for
erate energy and decreased GHGs levels using renewable
the Indian scenario for new and retrofitted buildings.
energy. Environment-friendly construction material used in
● Incentives from the government, better central and state-
nZECB reduces environmental impact with reduced overall
level policies can aid to tackle the high capital cost.
cost and an opportunity to provide surplus energy back to the
● For better implementations and enforcement, building
grid. Various Indian case studies have been focused on in this
codes and standards need revision specifically for
study with their energy consumption pattern and load reduc­
nZECB.
tion strategies using active and passive design techniques
● More policies and regulations are needed for different
within diverse Indian climatic conditions. Through the ana­
regions and climatic conditions.
lysis of the case studies, it is found that almost all the
projects executed in India as nZECBs are commercial pro­
jects having a large built-up area. Implementation of Nomenclature
nZECB in the residential sector of India is still in its
infancy stage. Constructing or retrofitting to an nZECB
Nomenclature
may reduce the long-term energy consumption cost for AAC Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
users but it involves high capital cost and high certification ANN Artificial Neural Network
fee from the certification bodies such as LEED and GRIHA BIPV Building Integrated Photovoltaics
BMS Building Management System
that tends to lack recognition for small scale projects that C&D Construction and Demolition
consequently leads to a lack of available official data and ECA Expanded Clay Aggregate
validation of such small scale nZECBs in India. Also, it EE Energy Efficiency
EEMS Energy Efficient Management System
results in a lack of research and awareness at the local GA Genetic Algorithm
level that needs much consideration and at the same time GHG Green House Gases
creates a scope of future study and researches in the imple­ GWP Global Warming Potential
HVAC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
mentation of small residential nZECB. Counting on the IAQ Indoor Air Quality
pros some cons can be stated as high capital cost compared IBMS Integrated Building Management System
to conventional building and requirement of continual solar IEQ Indoor Environment Quality
LCA Life Cycle Analysis
energy supply and orientation of building for solar passive LCCA Life Cycle Cost Analysis
energy production. LCPA Life Cycle Performance Analysis
Despite the tremendous number of researches being con­ LP Linear programming
nZECB Net Zero Energy Consumption Building
ducted in this field, yet a scope of improvement exists by taking PMC Predictive Model Control
a further insight into the following regulatory measures: PV Photovoltaics
RES Renewable Energy System
VIP Vacuum Insulated Panels
● Existing studies have focused mainly on new buildings,
WWR Window to Wall Ratio
more studies are required for retrofitting solutions. EPI Energy Performance Index
● Most of the studies and reviews are based on EPBD
principles. More studies are to be made on other policies
and their outcomes.
● Only a few studies and researches are carried out for ORCID
nZECBs in India. More studies based on the Indian
Lohit Saini http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1472-1760
climate required. Chandan Swaroop Meena http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3274-6275
● Very few detailed reviews and researches on different Binju P Raj http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4725-7850
Indian climates are available in regards to achieving Nehul Agarwal http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0181-6696
energy efficiency. This creates the scope of more research Ashok Kumar http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8215-4243
in this vast area.
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