F. Cuadros, F. Lopez-Rodrfguez, C. Segador,

Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales de la Universidad de Extremadura. Campus Universitario,

Av de Elvas s/n. Badajoz. Spain.

Corresponding Author, ferlopez@unex. es

Abstract

This communication is intended to present an example of bioclimatic architecture. In particular, the development of an intelligent zero-energy building (ZEB) in the campus of the University of Extremadura is described. Such building is projected to have an approximate surface of 1000 m2, and will be located in the outskirts of Badajoz. Specific concepts directly related to building design are put in practice, like for instance energy saving and energy efficiency, energy storage, environmental impact, etc. Besides, a comparative empirical analysis among conventional and renewable energy sources is carried out. Some of the specific technologies involved are: active and passive solar heating, ventilation of south facade, Trombe walls, reflective insulation, window and cover shadowing, mixed solar-biomass acclimatisation, full monitoring of building in order to achieve real time data transfer.

Keywords: Zero Energy Building (ZEB), Energy Efficiency in Edification

1. Introduction

Energy consumption in the housing and service sectors has great relevance in the ambit of the European Union, provided that it exceeds 40% of the total. All European countries have taken steps to restrict the energy demand (like for instance the new Royal Decree for the Technical Building Code — TBC — in Spain). Therefore, the application of sustainability criteria to building activity in order to favour energy collection is a priority task for public administrations.

Spain is the most energy consuming country in the European Union if referring to the tertiary sector. It has also the greatest potential for harnessing renewable energy sources.

The use of bioclimatic architecture is far from being a modern technique: caves and most traditional constructions are based on bioclimatic principles. However, bioclimatic buildings are an unusual type of housing at present. Although there is no specific official registry, it is estimated that there are between 5000 and 10000 buildings of this type in Spain, according to the Centre for Energetic, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT).

Unfortunately, many housing projects are promoted nowadays as bioclimatic, although they should not be taken as such. To what extent should a building be considered to be bioclimatic? Such a denomination is wrongly being assigned to buildings that have a single eave as passive shading element and that integrate certain renewable energy devices.

It is important to note that the concept of bioclimatic construction might be seen as new from a textual point of view, but it is not as the constructive concept itself. Yet the Romans designed ventilated covers, and the Arabs invented the tile, the courtyards with ponds and convective loops, and inside gardened zones. In this sense, let us cite some examples like the ventilated adobe walls

in centenary constructions of Marrakech, or the efficient cow-dung huts of the Nubis people in the High Nile.

There are some projects being undertaken both inside and outside Spain which are similar to that proposed in the present communication. Some of the most relevant are the following:

• Sustenergy [1]. It was supported by the INTERREG III C Program, and ended in 2007. Six different institutions took part in this project, and was led by the Centre of Environmental Resources of Navarra (CRAN). The main goal was the development of common technologies in order to achieve energy saving and efficiency strategies in construction. One of the actions promoted was the set up of thirty pilot experiences, among which the Program for Efficiency in Construction was the most relevant.

• PSE-ARFRISOL [2]. Bioclimatic architecture and solar cooling. It is a Singular and Strategic project included in the National Plan of MEC and led by the CIEMAT. It is developed by twelve institutions, like solar energy technology companies and research groups from different universities and from the CIEMAT itself.

• Project CONAMA VII. It was presented in the Sustainable Development Conference held in November 25th 2004, in connection with the topic of Ecoefficiency in Construction. This project allowed to carry out detailed studies on the evaluation of the environmental behaviour of several buildings in Spain.

• Contest of ideas for the construction of a rural house in Chile, according to the principles of sustainability and energy saving [3].

• Cities for a More Sustainable Future [4], which can be looked up at the website of the Department of Urban and Landscape Planning in the Superior Technical School of Architecture (Polytechnic University, Madrid).

• Agenda for Sustainable Construction, a website designed by the Official College of Master Builders and Technical Architects of Barcelona, the Superior Technical School of Architecture of Valles, the Association for Geobiological Studies and the Cerda Institute.

• New York’s Department of Design and Construction. Office for Sustainable Design. This website is specialised in resources for sustainable construction, and is organised in six categories: projects, local legislation, reports and manuals, specification documents, pilot projects and reference examples.

• Website of the Official College of Architects of Cataluna [5], devoted to the Environment in the ambit of sustainable construction.

• CIEMAT, a technology centre linked to the Ministry of Education and Science devoted to promote Research-and-Development projects in the fields of energy (energy use of conventional and alternative sources), of environment (impact of energy on population and environment), of radiation protection (control and surveillance of ionizing radiation generated at CIEMAT), of magnetic confinement fusion (study of the device Stellerator Heliac flexible TJ-II) and also on basic research.

• Project LIFE-EcoValle. Bioclimatic conditioning of the road C-91 of UE-1 in the outskirts of Vallecas, in collaboration with CIEMAT.

• Forum Barcelona, a recent project based on the recycling of urban land.

The present communication describes the development of a project for the construction of an intelligent zero-conventional-energy building (“bioclimatic”) in the Campus of the University of Extremadura. It is linked to the development of the Project PETER (Experimental Transborder Park on Renewable Energies), which involves the Spanish institutions University of Extremadura, Province Deputation of Badajoz, Government of Extremadura (General Direction of University and Technology, Regional Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Innovation), IDAE and CIEMAT, and the Portuguese institutions University of Evora, INETI and ADRAL. The project is being carried out under the auspices of the Program INTERREG III of the European Union.

EUROSUN 2008

1st International Congress on Heating, Cooling, and Buildings ■ 7th to 10th October, Lisbon — Portugal *

This proposal corresponds to what is referred to as sustainable edification, which includes actions in three different aspects: economic, environmental and social, and can be regarded as the continuation of other previous works performed by the research group DTERMA, from the University of Extremadura [7-9].

The main goal of the project described here are:

• To put in practice the concepts of energy saving and efficiency for the energy transformation devices relating different sources, energy storage, environmental impact, etc.

• To carry out a comparative empirical analysis among different energy sources, in order to emphasise the advantages of renewable versus conventional energy sources.