Analysis
Our energy performance analysis work helps the building industry identify energy saving opportunities. We look at the energy performance of existing buildings to recommend improvements to increase energy performance. We also run simulations of proposed building designs to help architects and engineers make better decisions when deciding what building materials, mechanical systems, and building designs work best together to save energy. We also conduct market assessments to find out how viable new building technology is for the market and to find the quickest ways to get that technology to market.
Building Optimization
What is a zero energy building? A zero energy building is a building that produces as much energy as it consumes, usually through superior energy efficient design and the use of renewable energy technologies.
Building optimization is essential to achieving zero energy buildings. It allows building owners and managers to fine tune and maintain both new and existing buildings and equipment for maximum energy efficiency and occupant comfort. NREL is developing a variety of building optimization tools, including software, databases, and spreadsheets to enhance building optimization methods in the building community. For more information, see Energy Analysis and Tools.
Market Assessment
NREL's analysis capabilities include expertise in analyzing how groups of technologies work together to reduce energy consumption. We can do detailed calculations to capture building systems interactions on a large scale, something that currently is difficult for many energy and policy analysts today. This information is essential for answering "what if" scenarios for organizations and government agencies. For example, to answer the question, "What if we gave tax credits to individuals for the purchase of energy efficiency technologies?" policy analysts need to know how introducing more of these technologies into the marketplace would affect the nation's energy consumption. We have the staff, equipment, and expertise to answer these kinds of market assessment questions.
NREL conducted a nation-wide market assessment of the entire commercial buildings sector for DOE to evaluate the technical potential for meeting DOE's zero energy buildings (ZEBs) goal with technology available in 2005 and projected forward to possible technology improvements for 2025. The analysis looked at the technical feasibility of ZEBs and the limitations in market penetration. The assessment found that DOE's ZEBs goal is achievable for significant portions of the commercial buildings sector. Energy efficiency is critical to achieving that goal. In addition, the amount of efficiency improvements is comparable to the amount of energy that can be generated by current rooftop solar electric systems. Two areas of the commercial buildings sector were found to be the most promising: 1) warehouses, because they are usually single-story buildings with low plug and process loads, and 2) retail, educational, and office buildings because of their potential for aggregated energy savings. Based on these findings, NREL will focus the majority of its research on these two areas of the commercial buildings sector. A research report was published internally by NREL, but a conference paper summarizing that report is available. (PDF 685 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Design Analysis and Field Evaluation — Commercial Buildings
NREL analyzes the design of various commercial building types and conducts field evaluations by monitoring the energy performance of these buildings. NREL has found that a gap exists between predicted energy performance during the building design stage and real-world energy performance after building construction. Currently, NREL is working with the retail sector to analyze existing retail building designs and to identify energy saving opportunities to achieve a 50% energy reduction. The retail sector replicates stores by creating a set of prototype building design plans. Once building features are in the plans, they are replicated by builders until the plans change. NREL's objective is to get aggressive energy saving features into prototype plans. NREL researchers investigate and document energy saving areas of building operation and maintenance. NREL is currently monitoring the energy use of a national pet supply retailer, a national grocery store chain, as well as Wal-Mart to find the most optimal combination of energy-efficient resources with the least cost. The information gained from these projects helps drive future building design strategies.
Advanced System Analysis — Residential Buildings
The energy consumption of new houses can be reduced by as much as 50% with little or no impact on the cost of ownership through the use of a systems engineering approach. However, additional building system solutions are required to increase the likelihood of future net zero energy homes. NREL's advanced system analysis focuses on unique approaches that accelerate integration and broad adoption of new systems by developing new system approaches that target two key residential energy uses: 1) reducing system performance barriers to the broad use of alternative cooling systems in hot/mixed dry climates; and 2) reducing system performance barriers to the broad use of low velocity air distribution systems in cold climates.
