Fast Tracking Energy Efficient Bldgs by Separating the Bldg from its Occupants

Session 9 Paper 2, CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium, Imperial College, London, UK
18th and 19th April 2012

A quick and simple ‘movement’ to create energy efficient buildings (like the evolution of green cars), both retrofitting the existing stock and new buildings, is needed to fast track energy efficient buildings. In large sized hi-tech buildings, around 90% energy bandwidth is occupant dependant which needs to be separated from the balance 10% (building element related). The latter 10% can be monitored by a simple set of Building perspective indices delinked from the rest 90%.

These simple set of indices for the building could pave the way for an easy and speedy creation of energy efficient and creative buildings. Controlling the 90% energy bandwidth would require a more complex approach as this fraction of the bandwidth is occupant behaviour dependent. It needs more of stakeholders’ collaboration, as well as research by social scientists and academics. This paper attempts to evolve strategies and measures to be taken for reducing consumption by the elements connected with the 90% energy bandwidth and proposes a simple Occupant Perspective Index (OPI). The concepts of energy bandwidths can merge with Exergy calculations. There is a limit to reach Net Zero. In a strict sense, renewable energy substitution is not energy reduction, although it can provide carbon credits.