-Energy+and+Performance+Targets

Energy performance motives and guidelines

-Houston weather Houston climate is classified as humid subtropical. Houston's warmest month (on average) is July at 84.5 °F (29.2 °C), and the coldest month being January at 54.3 °F (12.4 °C). The average yearly precipitation level is 54.0 inches (1,370 mm).

-Environmental Issues Houston as many big cities has had troubles with pollution of many types mainly air and water pollution. This is because of the fact that It has been the home of the oil and as and many other industries since 1900s.

Energy performance Targets Houston hot weather and the environmental hazards such as air and water pollution are what generate and guideline my energy performance targets. **Buildings use 40% of the total energy in the US** which makes energy conservation and renew an architectural concern. I would like for my project to perform and contribute to the city environmental protection. I propose to achieve that a set of criteria and energy performance targets:

Criteria -Self-Sufficient Building- Zero net energy -Pollution reduction -Integration and flow of systems -Use of recycled materials (waste management)

Zero-energy buildings are potential solution to a range of issues, including reducing carbon emissions, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The standard of zero energy for my project will be accomplished by using the Trias Energetica concept.

The 3 elements of Trias Energetica are: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Reduce the demand for energy by avoiding waste and implementing energy-saving measures; <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Use sustainable (green) sources of energy instead of finite fossil fuels; <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Produce- and use fossil energy as efficiently as possible. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reduce energy demand <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The design will reduce the energy demand through: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The use of high performance envelopes such as insulating facade, green roof, climate ceiling so that the heating and cooling can be done by means of radiation. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Efficient mechanical systems <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-The use of high performance lighting and air conditioning systems.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Green Sources <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Design some elements of the building such as the facade as power station or thermal storage for the high efficiency heating and cooling.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Less fossil energy <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The dependence on fossil energy to be as low as possible. The remaining needs of fossil energy is produced in a clean as possible way. The source can be green energy from the energy suppliers. For instance green electricity and or green gas.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These performance targets and /or standards reinforce the environmental and urban dimension of my design intention which is to approach the project not as an isolated creation but as a part of a whole that can interact and respond to the environment and the urban context. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The above listed performance targets will set up new guidelines for my design performance specifications especially heating, cooling and lighting systems. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Green Energy Zero Energy Building SunTech project (see below), an office and recreational center (mixed use), is a typological example of my project that uses the concept of Zero energy which makes it an interesting case study.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18.66px;">Standard: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meet LEED as rating system & ZEB guidelines.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18.66px;">Evaluating the success <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will evaluate the success of my project energy performance by the degree that building orientation, layout, and design of elements and components are contributing to the reduction of energy demand and consumption even the green ones.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18.66px;">Zero Energy Buildings -Examples: -Green Energy Zero Energy Building SunTech, China <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Photovoltaic Solar cells integrated is the facade; approx 6.000 m2 which generate approx. 300 kW electrical peak power coupled directly on the electrical distribution grid; <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Low temperature heating and high temperature cooling by means of a climate ceiling, and based upon two heat pumps with high coefficient of performance (COP > 5) and two or more deep wells which are connected in a closed circuit high efficiency heat exchanger to the climate ceiling and the heat pumps.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> -Griffith University, Australia. Designed by Australia’s Cox architects <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Zero-emission and self-powered building driven by solar-hydrogen energy. Transparent solar panels will be integrated within the building's facade to generate renewable energy, which coupled with the hydrogen systems. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18.66px;">