SYSTEMS APPROACH TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF NET

ZERO BUILDINGS

27 October 2023
 SYSTEMS APPROACH???

Looking at the entire building as an energy system with

interdependent parts

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SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR OPERATIONAL
ENERGY

3
Interdependencies: Operational energy

Climate
Architectural
design
Others

Building
envelope HVAC
BUILDING
ENERGY
CONSUMPTION
Number of
Artificial
users
lighting

Building usage:
Building
function, period of
equipment
use etc.

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Conventional Design Process

Concept Schematic Design development Construction Construction Commissioning

design design drawings

• Client
• Architect…

• Structural Engineer
• HVAC Engineer
• Green/Energy Consultant…..

• Project manager
• Contractor….

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 INTEGRATED DESIGN…..

is a procedure considering and optimizing the building as an

entire system including its technical equipment and
surroundings and for the whole lifespan

Source: International Energy Agency, 2003: Integrated Design Process

guidelines for sustainable and solar optimized building design
Integrated Design Process for energy efficiency

Concept Schematic Design development Construction Construction Commissioning

design design drawings
• Client
• Architect
• Structural Engineer
• HVAC Engineer
• Green/Energy
Consultant…..

Energy saving
Efforts / Costs
potential

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 In order to design a high energy-performance thermally
comfortable building, all the factors must be considered; and
all the stakeholders must be on-board.

An integrated design process in thus required, and the process

must be used right from the beginning of the design.
A DESIGN
CHARRETTE

is a tool to implement an
integrated design process,
wherein all stakeholders
work together in an intense
manner over a limited time-
period.

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BEEP Charrette methodology

Concept Schematic Design development Construction Construction Commissioning

design design drawings

Conducting a
charrette

Charette Follow-up, checks & commissioning

preparati
on

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Stages of Integrated Design Process

Charette preparation

• Prepare the project brief

• Form charrette organising team and identify charrette participants

• Identify charrette facilitator / moderator

• Create a few conceptual architectural designs & collect other relevant information

• Carry out climate and other preliminary analysis to understand what strategies may work

• Decide charrette date and develop charrette agenda

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Stages of Integrated Design Process

Conducting a charrette

DAY 1:
• Set the energy / comfort goal

DAY 2:
• Identify energy efficiency strategies

DAY 3:
• Test out the effectiveness of the strategies
o Energy savings and comfort (through simulation tools)
o Capital and operational cost (cost database tool)

• Develop alternative designs

DAY 4:
• Decide on final strategies / design
• Decide on next steps & assign responsibilities to track progress
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Stages of Integrated Design Process

Charrette Follow-up

Prepare a charrette report and circulate to all participants

Make sure the lines of communication are open between all charrette participants

Hold periodic meetings to review the implementation of the charrette recommendations

Prepare a final assessment after the completion of the project and after occupation.

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Energy and comfort outputs analysed
For commercial buildings For residential buildings
o Estimated Energy Performance Index o Internal operative temperature
(EPI) of the building
o Degree Discomfort Hours
o Breakdown of energy end-use

o Heat balance of the building to show the

o Seasonal or monthly energy use, which is
very relevant for cooling and heating
energy use
o Heat balance of the building, which gives
the heat gains and losses through the
building envelope and the internal heat
gains. This shows if the building is external
load dominated and what element of the
building needs to be prioritized
heat gains / losses from different building
envelope components
o Cooling / heating demand, if the building
were to be air-conditioned
o Daylighting levels in important spaces
o RETV

o Peak demand, specifically peak cooling /

heating demand

o Daylighting levels in important spaces

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Design of energy efficient building
100%

Minimize energy Efficient systems and

Use renewable energy
requirements operations
Energy Consumption

Business As Usual
Passive Measures
(Orientation, WWR, glazing,
Shading, Insulation, natural
ventilation, daylight…)
On-site Renewable
Active Measures (Proper Energy Generation
design and sizing of
lighting and cooling
system, high star rated
equipment / appliance,
assisted ventilation,…) Net Energy

Minimize heat gain/loss,

Efficient cooling & lighting
Improve Daylight & Natural
system
Ventilation Potential

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Comparison of indoor operative temperature

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Performance monitoring

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WHAT ABOUT CARBON?

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Interdependencies: Operational carbon

Climate
Architectural
design
Others

Building
envelope BUILDING HVAC
OPERATIONAL
CARBON
CONSUMPTION
Number of
Artificial
users
lighting

Building usage:
Building
function, period of
equipment
use etc.

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Interdependencies: Embodied carbon
Are you
building
new??
Architecture Recyclability &
disposal of
building
Building structural
system BUILDING Use, repair &
EMBODIED maintenance
CARBON
Materials used for CONSUMPTION
structure, envelope Wastage
and finishes during
construction

Distance of Materials used for

procurement of services &
materials Distance of
procuement

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Addressing carbon during design & construction

Concept Schematic Design development Construction Commissioning

design design

SET GOALS SHAPE & MASSING REDUCTIONS IN CEMENT & CONFIRM OPTIMISATIONS
• Comfort & EPI OPTIONS STEEL
• CO2 intensity
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM ENVELOPE HOT-SPOTS
REDUCE
MATERIAL
DO YOU NEED TO ENVELOPE DESIGN INTERNAL LAYOUTS; AVOID WASTE /
BUILD NEW? ELEMENTS WITH LIMITED VALUE RECYCLE

TYPE OF HVAC SYSTEM etc.

CAN YOU REUSE / DEVELOP SPECIFICATIONS &
RECYCLE INCLUDE IN BID DOCS
MATERIALS OF • Material thermal properties
EXISTING DESIGN FOR
• Material / Product EPDs or CO2 intensity
BUILDING? DISMANTLING
• Equipment efficiencies

Operational & Embodied

Operational Carbon Embodied Carbon
Carbon
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Other dependencies???

URBAN &
REGIONAL BUILDING
ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATIONS
CONTEXT

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Where are the gaps?

Concept Schematic Design development Construction Commissioning

design design

SET GOALS SHAPE & MASSING REDUCTIONS IN CEMENT & CONFIRM OPTIMISATIONS
• Comfort & EPI OPTIONS STEEL
• CO2 intensity
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM ENVELOPE HOT-SPOTS
REDUCE
MATERIAL
DO YOU NEED TO ENVELOPE DESIGN INTERNAL LAYOUTS; AVOID WASTE /
BUILD NEW? ELEMENTS WITH LIMITED VALUE RECYCLE

TYPE OF HVAC SYSTEM etc.

CAN YOU REUSE / DEVELOP SPECIFICATIONS &
RECYCLE INCLUDE IN BID DOCS Construction
MATERIALS OF • Material thermal properties energy???
EXISTING DESIGN FOR
• Material / Product EPDs or CO2 intensity
BUILDING? DISMANTLING
• Equipment efficiencies

Operational & Embodied

Operational Carbon Embodied Carbon
Carbon
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Embodied carbon reductions & cost

Source: Driving Action on Embodied

Carbon in Buildings, RMI and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), 2023,
Benchmark for CO2 intensity (kg CO2e/m2)?

Benchmark for
Indian
buildings??

Source: AIA-CLF Embodied carbon toolkit for

architects. PART II: Measuring embodied carbon 28
Material / product EPDs or CO2 intensities

• EPDs available for 92 Indian construction product brands

• Databases
Name Data Source Geographical coverage Access Coverage Remarks
Ecoinvent Varied. For European centric, around 200 Paid Data given at unit Updated annually
Indian building datapoints out of 18000 for process level. The
materials, CII is India system boundary
the listed data followed is mentioned
provider. for each dataset.
ICE Mainly EPD UK centric Free A1-A3 Last updated in 2019
India Construction Data from the India-focussed. Generic data Free A1-A3 Last updated in 2017.
Material database Industry and for 100 materials, under 10 Further updating plan not
(EDGE) studies material groups, typically known. Some of the data
used in India needs re-checking

Auroville Earth Data from India centric with a focus on Free A1-A3 and A4 (for Created in 2005 and
Institute studies and area around Aurovile in South Aurovile) updated in 2013. It is an
industry India. Only limited number of embodied energy
materials covered. database, from which
emissions are derived,
which in many cases
leads to incorrect CO2
emission values
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