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Best Practices to Develop Net Zero Energy Office Buildings

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Best Practices to Develop Net Zero Energy Office Buildings BEST PRACTICES TO DEVELOP NET ZERO ENERGY OFFICE BUILDINGS An extensive literature and empirical research to advise project developers of Net Zero Energy Office Buildings on successful project development. H.L.G. Ansems MSc Thesis in Climate Studies September 2018 Supervised by: Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans Course code: ESA-80400 Environmental Systems Analysis BEST PRACTICES IN NET ZERO ENERGY OFFICE BUILDING An extensive literature and empirical research to advise project developers of Net Zero Energy Office Buildings on successful project development. H.L.G. Ansems Reg.nr. 940428-016060 MSc Thesis in Climate Studies September 2018 Supervisor Examiners Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans 1st: Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans Droevendaalsesteeg 3 Droevendaalsesteeg 3 6708PB WAGENINGEN 6708PB WAGENINGEN +31317484919 +31317484919 2nd: Dr.ir. Karen Fortuin Droevendaalsesteeg 3 6708PB WAGENINGEN +31317484033 Disclaimer: This report is produced by a student of Wageningen University as part of his/her MSc- programme. It is not an official publication of Wageningen University and Research and the content herein does not represent any formal position or representation by Wageningen University and Research. Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without the prior consent of the Environmental Systems Analysis group of Wageningen University and Research. Source picture front-page: https://dribbble.com/shots/2541255-Green-City. 2 Preface This thesis is the end product of my master’s program Climate Studies at Wageningen University & Research. Thereby, it means the finalization of my academic career. I have thoroughly enjoyed my studies and I am beyond grateful for the opportunities that I have had during my academic development. I am glad and excited to share that during my academic process I have found the passion that I want to pursue in my career: enhancing sustainability and managing climate change. My studies have been an ongoing progress of growth, learning and expanding my awareness as to what is happening in the world that we live in. Over the years, and especially during my master’s program in Wageningen, I developed valuable academic skills and have greatly expanded my knowledge of environmental science. Besides that, I have learned a great deal about myself as a person, about discipline, my skills and my true interests. I have managed to finally funnel my broad interests into one overarching theme: climate change. I am thankful and very excited to shortly start my career in this field. I wish to share and use the knowledge that I have acquired at Utrecht University, the University of California Irvine and Wageningen University & Research in my career, with the ultimate goal to contribute to making this planet a better place. As humans, we have the tendency to adopt a short-term pragmatic way of thinking rather than thinking about future implications. Although uncertainties with regard to investments and complexities of systems are a logical drawback, they should be no reason to sit back and wait for action to be taken when it is already too late. Economic incentives may not dominate urgent environmental rationales, as the economy will not be able to flourish when Earth’s biophysical thresholds are surpassed and its resources are contested. This accounts for a wide variety of situations, amongst which are unsustainable building practices. The transition towards a Net Zero Energy (NZE) built environment on a short time span is highly challenging, yet we should actively invest in making it happen. We need to recognize the problem at hand - global climate change and resource depletion - and actively start thinking in possibilities rather than constraints. The current transformation of the energy market creates possibilities, possibilities that we should embrace and optimize to achieve a sustainable, low-impact future. To contribute to this goal, this study offers a roadmap for successful project development and delivery of Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs). I thoroughly enjoyed writing this thesis as I believe that NZEB is a major contribution to the end goal of achieving a sustainable future. NZEBs, when properly developed and implemented, lead to energy conservation, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, material conservation, minimized waste and a healthier in- and outdoor environment. Therefore, they play a substantial part in resource securitization and diminishing climate change. Although the content of this thesis cannot be reproduced without prior consult, the reader of this study is highly encouraged to share the findings and spread the key messages of this research. I believe we are capable to realize NZEBs more efficiently, effectively, rapidly and on a larger scale - if only we work together, integrate our knowledge, use our financial resources properly and get our priorities aligned towards creating a sustainable future. Large multi-story office buildings impose a substantial challenge in NZEB which results in a knowledge gap that actively and critically needs to be filled. Although large multi-story office buildings are the main focus in this study, the results of this thesis are not merely applicable to, nor are they entirely based on, large office buildings. The results are therefore also relevant for other commercial NZEBs, smaller NZEBs, nearly NZEBs and other type of low- or no-energy impact buildings. 3 Acknowledgements First of all, I am very grateful to my thesis supervisor Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans. The supervision procedure deviated slightly from the regular procedure as I had to switch supervisors a few months in the process. My thanks therefore also go out to my initial supervisor, dr. André van Amstel, who has guided me in the process of selecting a topic which I now mastered and want to continue working with. Prof. Dr. Rik Leemans has supervised me with great excellence. His constructive feedback, proficiency of the English language, great scientific knowledge, and his patience and support in my ups and downs have been extremely valuable to me. I would also like to thank my second supervisor Dr.ir. Karen Fortuin for critically reading and evaluating my thesis. Special thanks also goes out to Mark Pauls (electrical engineer at Manitoba Hydro Place) and Damian Farr (European Managing Director at DPR Construction). Both have put in effort to help me by supplying me with information, documents and literature that have been essential for this thesis. They have also connected me with other experts that delivered valuable contributions to my research. Mark Pauls and Damian Farr have therefore greatly accelerated the process of writing this thesis, for which I am truly grateful. Finally, I want to thank all other interview participants for their valuable contributions to this study. On a personal note, I would like to thank my friends, family and boyfriend. I want to thank my friends for their patience and moral support. I want to thank my parents for their emotional and financial support during my studies, and my sister too for critically thinking with me and reading parts of my thesis. Finally, I want to thank my boyfriend for his patience, critical remarks and on- going support, especially through the long days and nights of working on this thesis. Hesther Louise Geerthe Ansems Utrecht, September 2018. 4 Table of Contents Preface ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10 1.1 Cities and climate change ............................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 The building sector and climate change .................................................................................................. 10 1.3 Achieving NZEBs: current situation and challenges ........................................................................... 11 1.4 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................................................ 12 1.5 Research Concepts ............................................................................................................................................ 13 1.6 Structure of this Study..................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 Conceptual Approach to NZEB ............................................................................................. 15 2.1 Energy and Buildings ....................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1.1 Energy use in office buildings .............................................................................................................
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