Optimal utilization of Renewable Energy Sources in nearly Zero Energy Buildings – A review
Date Issued
May 2016
Abstract
Renewable energy is important nowadays, not only as an environmental scientific issue,
but as an obligation with regard to European Union Regulations. Specifically, the 2020
European Energy Strategy: “Energy 2020 – A strategy for competitive, sustainable and
secure energy” requires each European Nation to increase their renewable energy
penetration as well their total energy efficiency by 20% and to reduce their total
emissions coming from fossil fuels by 20%, by the end of 2020. As a result, in recent
years, scientific interest has increased toward the improvement of the different
renewable energy technologies and their optimum utilization in different applications
such as smart grids, micro grids, distributed generation at low voltage level networks,
zero energy buildings and so forth. The paper mainly focuses on nearly Zero Energy
Buildings and the optimum utilization of the renewable energy generation installed in
them. This can be achieved through various methodologies, among which artificial
intelligence models, which take into account different factors such as building location,
building construction materials, local weather data, payback period, electricity demand
and many others that will lead to meaningful and useful results. A review of the above
is made with regard to the various forms of renewable energy technologies. In
particular, the main emphasis is given to results that focus on the balance between the
electricity demand along with the renewable generation of the building itself, including
storage, with the lowest installation cost and the minimal payback period, so that the
requirements for a nearly Zero Energy Building are met.
but as an obligation with regard to European Union Regulations. Specifically, the 2020
European Energy Strategy: “Energy 2020 – A strategy for competitive, sustainable and
secure energy” requires each European Nation to increase their renewable energy
penetration as well their total energy efficiency by 20% and to reduce their total
emissions coming from fossil fuels by 20%, by the end of 2020. As a result, in recent
years, scientific interest has increased toward the improvement of the different
renewable energy technologies and their optimum utilization in different applications
such as smart grids, micro grids, distributed generation at low voltage level networks,
zero energy buildings and so forth. The paper mainly focuses on nearly Zero Energy
Buildings and the optimum utilization of the renewable energy generation installed in
them. This can be achieved through various methodologies, among which artificial
intelligence models, which take into account different factors such as building location,
building construction materials, local weather data, payback period, electricity demand
and many others that will lead to meaningful and useful results. A review of the above
is made with regard to the various forms of renewable energy technologies. In
particular, the main emphasis is given to results that focus on the balance between the
electricity demand along with the renewable generation of the building itself, including
storage, with the lowest installation cost and the minimal payback period, so that the
requirements for a nearly Zero Energy Building are met.