The real challenge facing us is essentially a dual challenge – the energy challenge and the liveability challenge. Seven main criteria have been identified as the most important for the energy design and liveability criteria of the Model Home 2020 experiments.
- Energy consumption targets.
Targets should at least match our expectations for the best EU regulations of 2020.
- Low-energy standards.
The building should have low-energy standards for heating, hot water and electricity for technical equipment and lighting. The building should have a dynamic envelope that can regulate heat transmission during night/day and summer/winter.
- Optimised design.
The design of the building should be optimised to eliminate energy consumption for cooling in summer, to utilise passive solar heat gains in winter and to benefit from natural daylight all year round.
- Highest energy marking.
The building should only use appliances with the highest energy marking.
- Intelligent energy performance control
Intelligent control of energy performance, ventilation, windows and other systems should be demonstrated, including reductions of energy consumption through home automation.
- Documentation of embodied energy.
The buildings must document the energy in the materials used for constructing the building (embodied energy) and the extend
of CO2 neutrality.
- Energy self-sufficiency.
The focus is on being self-sufficient in energy, based on renewable energy.
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- Maximise daylight availability.
Useful daylight illumination levels should be ensured around the year in order to create visual interest and demonstrate the energy savings potential for electric light.
- High daylight levels.
High daylight levels must be achieved and documented ensuring the health and well-being of the residents. Documentation could be carried out with the VELUX Daylight Visualizer 2.
- Strategic window positions.
Windows must be placed low for view and high for illumination. The building should be treated as a daylight luminaire, with the best possible transition from the window pane to the interior surfaces without creating visual discomfort and glare. Walls and floors should be in light-diffusing colours to maximise internal reflection.
- Healthy indoor climate.
Indoor climate and comfort are to be documented. The buildings are built for living, so indoor comfort will be subjected to both scientific measurement and subjective human assessment.
- Automatic control of natural ventilation.
A strategy must be defined for automatic control of natural ventilation, based on the actual conditions. Mechanical ventilation may not be used as primary source of fresh air but may be used as support/backup for natural ventilation.
- Stack effect/chimney effect.
Openable windows should be used and placed in low and high positions to take maximum advantage of the stack effect in the same zone (under sloping roof/high ceilings).
- Sound materials.
The building should use sound materials with a long lifetime and of a composition that allows different materials to work together. The cost of each building must be calculated according to life cycle.
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