Varming – Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Recast) requires that all buildings be Near Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) by 31st December 2020.

A Nearly Zero Energy Building, as defined in Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings (recast) is:

“‘… a building that has a very high energy performance. The nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby;”

What this means for Ireland;

According to a recent study by ZEBRA2020, the industry body formed in 2014 to facilitate the move NZEB standards and target a 100% uptake of NZEB in new builds by 2020, the main obstacle to achieving this target was the absence of key data relating to market activity in non-residential and existing buildings and renovations.

Though ZEBRA2020 covers 17 European countries Ireland was one of the few without a National definition of NZEB at the time of publication however public consultation on TGD L 2017 for “Buildings Other Than Dwellings” has recently completed

The current TGD L 2008 no longer represents good practice and Varming Consulting Engineers have been designing beyond this for a number of years to ensure our designs are future proofed to protect our clients’ asset value and pre-empt future regulatory changes. This is demonstrated by the numbers of certified LEED buildings that are being designed and built by our members.

More accurate data;

By its nature SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) is not suitable for evaluation of complex buildings at level 4 & 5 and there is a need to move to Dynamic Simulation for compliance and accurate data on the building stock, particularly with the necessity for renewable energy technology.

At Varming, we support companies in achieving sustainable design through advanced simulation techniques and cutting edge green technologies. For more information on anything talked about here or for advice on your own projects, please call us on 01 4872300 or visit our website www.varming.ie.