Carbon-Neutral Buildings

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Carbon-neutral buildings will be in high demand over the next 10-15 years as major Russian and international companies set goals to achieve carbon neutrality, with target periods ranging from 2025 to 2060.

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Key Recommendations

 

  1. Purchase electricity from renewable sources: Access the wholesale electricity market or buy iREC certificates.
  2. Produce thermal energy independently:
  • Expand the functions of the chiller plant to serve as a heat supply center. At moderate temperatures, generate heat using air-source heat pumps.
  • At lower temperatures, produce heat from electricity using an electric boiler during nighttime hours when electricity rates are comparable to heating rates. Store thermal energy in a specialized thermal storage unit (tank) for use during the day. Reserve heating from the CHP plant as a backup source.

 

 

Additional Recommendations

 

  • Maximize the energy efficiency of building envelopes:
    1. Reduce glazing thermal conductivity to 0.8 W/(m².K).
    2. Limit the area of transparent structures to 40% of the facade area.
  • Use active heat recovery in supply and exhaust ventilation systems with rotary heat exchangers and integrated heat pumps.
  • Integrate solar panels into the building facade on the south side to generate electricity on-site.

 

 

Stages for Achieving Carbon Neutrality

 

  • Conceptual development with a designer and capital expenditure assessment.
  • Support for implementing solutions into design and working documentation.
  • Operational support period (12 months).
  • Completion of expert review.

 

 

 

Published: 19.02.2024

Article Author: Marina Kupriyanova