EVEREST ENGINEERING COLLEGE

(Affiliated to Pokhara University)

Sanepa-2, Lalitpur

[Subject Code: CVL 290 ]

A MINOR PROJECT PROPOSAL ON

“STUDIES ON ZERO ENERGY BUILDING”

Submitted by

Shova Yadav [36]

Suman Kumar Purbey [40]
Raj Kushwaha [28]
Kamal Bharati [19]
Kaushika Pandey [45]

Submitted to
Department of Civil Engineering
November,2022
 ABSTRACT

It is reported that 30 to 40% of all of the primary energy used

worldwide is used in buildings. This high energy use may directly or
indirectly affects the environment. Also it causes climatic changes,
degrades the environment and increases the air pollution. Hence it is
necessary to reduce the energy consumption in the building and
necessary steps to be taken to make the buildings more
environmentally sustainable. In recent years, zero energy building
concepts is developed to overcome this problem. The zero energy
building uses natural energy sources to meet the energy requirements
of the building. In this work, we have carried out a study to analyze
the zero energy building available in Nepal.

Keyword: Building, energy consumption, climatic change, zero

energy building .

i
 LIST OF ABBREVIATION

ZEB: Zero Energy Building.

NZEB: Net-Zero Energy Building.

HVAC: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................i

LIST OF ABBREVIATION..........................................................................................ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................iii

LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................iv

LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..................................................................................1

1.1 Background.......................................................................................................1

1.2 Problem statement:..........................................................................................2

1.3 Objectives and Purpose:...................................................................................4

1.4 Project Features:...............................................................................................4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................6

2.1 Definition of ZEB:.............................................................................................6

2.2 Worldwide approach towards ZEB:...................................................................7

2.3 Passive and Active solar strategy in Nepal:.......................................................8

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.................................................................................9

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES...................................................................................10

CHAPTER 5: EXPECTED OUTCOME.....................................................................11

REFERENCES.............................................................................................................19

iii
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

Figure 1.1: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

Figure 1.2: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

Figure 1.3: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

Figure 2.1: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

Figure 3: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

Figure 4.1: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

Figure 4.2: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

Figure 5.1 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

Figure 5.2 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

Figure 5.3 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Figure 5.4 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16

Figure 5.5 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17

Figure 5.6 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

Figure 5.7 : --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

iv
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

Table 5.1: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

Table 4.2: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

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 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

A Zero Energy Building (ZEB) is a building with net zero energy

consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building
on an annual basis is equal to the amount of renewable energy created
on the site or in other definitions by renewable energy sources offsite,
using technology such as heat pumps, high efficiency windows and
insulation, and solar panels. It is also known as a Net Zero
Energy (NZEB) building.

Fig 1.1: Total energy consumption of a building

1.1 Background

Nepal is the under developed country and has become one of the major
energy consumers in the world. This is due to industrial growth and
globalization which increases the energy demand of the consumers. It is
reported in literature that the total energy consumption was growing at a
rate of 2.4 % per year on average as Nepal's total energy consumption in
2010 was about 428 PJ (10,220 ktoe). New renewable energy sources
(excluding large hydropower) such as biogas, micro-hydro and solar energy
contributed about 0.7% to the national balance in 2008/09 altogether.
Although the share is still small, it has increased by 40 % since 2005. About
82% of population use solid fuels (charcoal, coal, crop waste, dung and

1
 wood) as cooking energy. It is suggested buildings are also generators of
greenhouse gases (GHG), thus posing a threat to the environment. This is
the alarming issues and hence it is necessary to develop energy efficient
building which would facilitate minimization of energy consumption and
reduces GHG. In recent years, buildings in many countries are designed to
reduce the energy consumption, water requirements and technologies are
developed to recycle used water for secondary usage. Prava Thapa
Chhetri1 *, Triratna Bajracharya2 , Sushil Bajracharya3 carried out a
simulation work in December 2015 regarding the design of a net zero
energy building with best input in design, material and technology (Passive
and Active design) in Kathmandu Valley. They reported the case study of
Passive Design Approaches (wall, flat roof, openings and shadings device)
and Active Design Approaches for remaining energy that includes
Installation of Solar water heater and Installation of Solar Photovoltaic
Power System. In 2017, a Case Study of CES-Zero Energy Building at
Institute of Engineering was conducted by Sundar Lakhe , Bharat Raj Pahari
, Shree Raj Shakya to analyse and explore core principles of building physics
into the design process and evaluate various possible scenarios of design
strategies in design process and present the way to decision making with
the help of whole building energy model with normative open studio
simulation tool through performance analysis of implemented design
strategies of study project located at centre of Kathmandu valley for
energy efficient building solution. They reported the idea of Fenestration,
Air Infiltration, Interior lighting, HVAC-Zone Heating and Cooling
Thermostat Set Point, etc. The need of the whole building energy
simulation extends beyond to assist designers and engineers for testing
and continuation of energy efficiency measures and promote the evolution
of building metrics. Zero Energy Building in building sector can have a very
significant impact on improving the environment addressing key energy
issues. For the purpose, the collective efforts of individuals could lead to
the most powerful initiation.

1.2 Problem statement:

Buildings sector in Nepal are among the major consumer of commercial energy
and contributor of greenhouse gases also facing challenges of rapid urbanization
mostly centralized in Kathmandu valley and leads to increase energy demand in
the urban centers of the country. The electricity sales data shows electricity as
main source of energy for the building, around 28% of electricity produced is
consumed in the valley alone with the peak load 1,026 MW while the supply
was only 40%, leads to a situation of power outage in managing the distribution
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i.e. almost 12 hours a day in the dry season and 6 hours a day in the wet season,
Led to a tremendous anomaly in the captive electricity generation by imported
petroleum products. So, the energy efficiency is most in each and every sector
in our country.

Fig 1.2: House hold energy data base of rural area

Fig 1.3:
House
hold
energy
data base of
urban
area

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 1.3 Objectives and Purpose:

The main focus in this research is

to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material

4
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
5
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
6
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus in this research is
to construct typical Net
zero energy building with best
input in design, material
and technology (Passive and
Active design) in
The main focus of this study is to analysis the zero energy building available in
Nepal at Institute of Engineering (PULCHOWK).And to construct typical Net
zero energy building with certain modification in input in design, material and
with advance technology (Passive and Active design) in different Nepal. To
achieve the objective of this study, following questions are to be answered:

What is the Typical model of net zero energy contemporary building for Nepal?

How much energy is consumed in typical contemporary building of Nepal?

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How much energy can be saved through proper design and use of our natural
resources?

1.4 Project Features:

1. Very Economical

Considered the next level of smart homes, zero energy buildings

provide several advantages for their owners. These buildings
produce clean energy and can be cheaper in the long run than
traditional buildings. In addition, they usually need less
maintenance and don't use up as much electricity. Overall, it is a
wise choice to convert your home or business into one of these
structures for your own good.

2. Reliability is one the Key advantages of Zero Energy building

The reliability of a zero energy building is better than your

average building. You will not have to worry about blackouts,
power surges, and brownouts because the buildings are equipped
with generators that run on fuel cells. Generators can be switched
on if there is an emergency, and they will automatically switch
back off when the power returns.

3. Environmental Friendly

The zero energy building is environmentally sound and

sustainable. Such buildings reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the zero energy building relies on technologies that
enable it to be more efficient with its resources than a typical
building. This means that the zero energy building has a smaller
ecological footprint than any other style of construction.

4. Lower emission of carbon

As environmentally friendly as zero energy buildings are, they are

even better for the environment. They do not emit as much carbon
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 into the atmosphere, making your home or business a cleaner
place to live in. In addition, these buildings use significantly less
electricity than traditional ones, saving you money on your electric
bill. All of these benefits will provide a boost to your bank account
and a clean environment to live in.

5. Higher resale value

The buildings constructed based on energy-efficient technology

will require less maintenance. Therefore, zero energy buildings are
seen as more desirable and valuable, which means that the price
of your property will rise significantly due to the reduction in
maintenance. An added advantage of zero energy buildings is that
they also have a higher resale value.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definition of ZEB:

Over the decades, in many articles and research projects number of ZEB’s
were described and evaluated, however almost for each case the ZEB was
defined different or sometimes even no exact definition was used. Recently, the
lack of common understanding and common definition for ZEB became
noticeable and the world wide discussion has begun. . There are many studies
available, in which authors tried to propose different definitions for ZEB
depending on such factors:

• How the zero energy goals are achieved?

• What is the building – grid interaction?

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• What are the project boundaries for the balance?

Taking into consideration all the above mentioned scenarios Torcellini , et al.
(2006), distinguish and point out four most commonly used definitions.

• Net Zero Site Energy: A site ZEB produces at least as much energy as it
uses in a year, when accounted for at the site.
• Net Zero Source Energy: A source ZEB produces at least as much energy
as it uses in year, when accounted for at the source. Source energy refers to
the primary energy used to generate and deliver the energy to the site. To
calculate a building’s total source energy, imported and exported energy is
multiplied by the appropriate site-to-source conversion multipliers.
• Net Zero Energy Costs: In a net ZEB, the amount of money the utility pays
the building owner for the energy the building exports to the grid is at least
equal to the amount the owner pays the utility for the energy services and
energy used over the year.
• Net Zero Energy Emissions: A net-zero emissions building produces at
least as much emissions free renewable energy as it uses from emissions
producing energy source.

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 Fig 2.1: Zero Energy Building

2.2 Worldwide approach towards ZEB:

During the last 20 years more than 200 reputable projects with the claim of
a net zero energy balance have been realized all over the world. Between
2008 and 2013, researchers from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and
USA worked together in the joint research program “Towards Net Zero
Energy Solar Buildings” under the umbrella of International Energy

11
 Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling Program (SHC) Task 40 / Energy
in Buildings and Communities (EBC, formerly ECBCS) in order to bring
the Net ZEB concept to market viability . The joint international research
and demonstration activities are divided in subtasks. The objective is to
develop a common understanding, a harmonized international applicable
definition framework, design process tools and advanced building design
and technology solutions and industry guidelines for Net ZEBs. 3.3 Passive
and Active solar strategy in Nepal is blessed with solar resource as it lies at
30o Northern latitude which is ideal and there are over 300 days of
sunshine annually. Further the annual average solar insolation is
5kWhe/m2 per day. These conditions are perfect for harnessing solar
energy for various conversion technologies. Therefore solar PV system is
best suitable renewable energy to implement in household for energy
generation. Thorough study on active and passive solar system is studied in
the research.

2.3 Passive and Active solar strategy in Nepal:

Nepal is blessed with solar resource as it lies at 30 o Northern latitude

which is ideal and there are over 300 days of sunshine annually. Further the
annual average solar insolation is 5kWh/m2 per day. These conditions are
perfect for harnessing solar energy for various conversion technologies.
Therefore solar PV system is best suitable renewable energy to implement
in household for energy generation. Thorough study on active and passive
solar system is studied in the research.

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 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

In this work, we want to study and analyze the zero energy building available in
Nepal. The study will be carried out based on the need of zero energy building
and method of reducing the building energy consumption and energy
conservation. We have identified zero energy building located inside the
Institute of Engineering in Pulchowk. This building is energy sufficient
building and uses renewable energy sources for heating and power generation to
operate the electrical and electronic appliances. This building utilizes the natural
resources to minimize the burden on infrastructure and utility systems keeping
the emissions less. It also has renewable energy devices.

Fig 3: Zero energy building of Pulchowk Campus

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 CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES

Case studies of two building were done in this project. National

buildings are Center of energy studies building of Pulchowk Campus
which is called “Zero Energy Building” and “Mato Ghar”.

Fig 4.1: Mato ghar

Fig 4.2: Mato ghar

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 CHAPTER 5: EXPECTED OUTCOME

1. It can be tough to make an individual building into a

zero energy building, while working at the community
scale can offer up opportunities for energy efficiency
and cost-effective renewable energy generation:

Achieving a net-zero building with today’s technologies and

occupant expectations is hard. There are projects out there proving
that it is possible—for the right building in the right setting with
the right team. But sometimes going after the goal of net-zero
energy use in the building can have unwanted side effects. For
example, a low-rise building on a low-density site will have a better
chance of being net-zero with onsite renewables, but that type of
development is often known as “sprawl.” The investment in dollars
and resources to get to zero are significant and might be better
spent on more cost-effective energy saving options, such as a more
efficient building envelope or creating a district energy system that
can serve an entire campus.
For all those reasons and more, some argue that while both have
an important role to play, it’s more useful and important to work
toward zero-energy communities rather than net-zero buildings.
Individual high-performing buildings don’t mean so much if the
neighborhood as a whole is wasteful, while if an entire community
is net-zero, that’s meaningful even if the individual buildings
within it are not.

Fig 5.1: Sample of Eco-district.

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2. Energy Auditing of Typical Contemporary Building:
From the questionnaire data survey of contemporary building of
Kathmandu valley was generalized and concluded as follow:
Table 1: Generalized typical contemporary residential building of
Kathmandu valley

Table 5.1: Energy Auditing

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3. Vinayak Colony F-Type:

Fig 5.2 : Vinayak Colony F-Type

The housing unit considered as reference for analysis is a three bedroom unit
with an approximate built up area of 2308.76 square feet. It is oriented towards
east. The ground coverage is about 985.62 square feet which is about 49.1% of
the site area. It has living, dining, kitchen and bathroom in the ground floor. The
housing is constructed in reinforced concrete structure. The external and the
internal partition walls are of locally available brick with cement mortar. Walls
are cement plastered on both sides. The roof is constructed of reinforced
concrete with cement plaster finishing and does not have any internal or
external insulation. Windows are of single glazed. The roof is constructed of
reinforced concrete with cement plaster finishing and does not have any internal
or external insulation. Windows are of single glazed.

Figure: Comparing energy consumption of Vinayak Colony with general building

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4. Energy Auditing of F-Type Vinayak Housing Colony :

Table 5.2: Energy Auditing Vinayak housing colony

5. Zero Energy Building at pulchowk campus:

Fig 5.3: ZEB of Pulchowk

In Nepal, renewable energy sources like solar, hydro and biogas are examples of
what works. Tribhuban University's Centre for Energy Studies has taken things
a step further by building a 'Zero Energy House'-a building that generates as
much energy as it consumes throughout the year and does it without using any
fossil fuel.
Inside the Institute of Engineering in Pulchok, the house's main source of
energy is a 6.5 kW solar photovoltaic system on the roof. All it needs is 4.15
hours of direct sunlight a day to generate 27 kW of electricity which is stored in

18
 battery banks in the basement. The excess power is supplied to the campus'
power grid so that during cloudy days when there isn't enough sunlight, power
can be 'borrowed' from the grid.
"The energy given and taken from the campus grid is equal, hence the term Zero
Energy House," explains the brain behind the house and director of the campus'
Centre for Energy Studies, Jagan Nath Shrestha.
The building has been fitted with thermos cole insulation between the walls to
help maintain its temperature and includes a solar water system and solar
kitchen equipped with a sun-powered cooker. A wireless system in the campus
computer lab reduces power consumption, a weather station and other
appliances such as a gasifier-an efficient smokeless burner used for drying large
cardamom-are also being developed and used.
The Centre for Energy Studies is also working on a unique Earth Air Tunnel
system which works on the principle that four metres below ground level the air
temperature remains constant, which at the university grounds is at about 19
degrees. The system sucks outside air into a tunnel where it mixes with the
underground air and cools down or heats up depending on the season. This
regulated air is then blown into conference halls and classrooms by convection,
where it acts as an air conditioner or heater depending on the outside
temperature.
"The Zero Energy House wouldn't be immediately applicable for the lay person
but there are features which are attractive. The EAT for heating and cooling
homes and offices is one such feature," says energy expert Bikash Pandey of the
international energy group, Win rock, "the thing now is to make architects more
aware".
The Zero Energy House was designed entirely by the Pulchok campus faculty.
It took five years to build and cost around Rs 60,000,00.
Because it is a model house, it has used every conceivable source of alternate
energy available in Nepal: there is even a working model of a micohydro
powerplant on-site that students can observe and study without leaving the
campus.

I. Interior Lighting: In Zero energy building of pulchowk the model

lighting levels were determined by the space-by-space method and the
corresponding lighting power intensities have been calculated and
considered as per standard manual[10]to reflecting existing case. For
calculation each space was assigned a light power intensity based on its use
and the overall zone lighting power intensity was calculated by adding the
power intensities of the spaces in the corresponding zone and dividing by the
zone area. See figure for interior lighting considered for energy model.

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 Fig 5.4: Interior Lighting

II. Air Infiltration:

In Zero energy building of pulchowk, The infiltration rate was considered as per
standard [11].The infiltration rate was based on testing buildings at greatly
increased pressure difference than in normal operating conditions. The
infiltration schedule was assumed as such no infiltration occurred when the
HVAC system was on and occurred only when the HVAC system was off .
III. Fenestration :
In Zero energy building of pulchowk, The vertical glazing was modeled as
fixed and flush with the exterior wall as in existing case. No shading
projections and no shading devices such as blinds or shades were modeled in
energy model, The shape, size and distribution of windows were referenced
to the architectural drawing of study project building to reflect the existing
case.The U-value were considered as per standard.
IV. HVAC-Zone Heating and Cooling Thermostat Set Point:
The study model of building was divided into two thermal zones i.e.Controlled
Zone and Normal Zone. The systems with EAT maintained a 20 oC heating set
point and 24 oC cooling set point during occupied hours.The setback thermostat
control called for heating or cooling to maintain the setback temperature as per
standard[14

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6. Active Design Approaches for remaining energy:
 Installation of Solar water heater: The Valley is well-situated for the use
of solar water heaters, as it has 300 sunny days annually.

Fig 5.5: solar water heater

 Installation of Solar Photovoltaic Power System: It is the best option of

renewable energy for residential building in the context of Kathmandu. The
total energy consumption per year for the proposed house was 517 kW he
(considering passive design). The surveyed feasible roof area was
approximately 50.37 square meters of flat type where the PV array
inclination will require to be made 30◦ to 40◦ towards south direction, to
collect maximum solar radiation throughout the day. The solar electricity
generated during the day time could be used in the same building and at the
same time the surplus electricity could be feed to the NEA grid line.

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 Fig 5.6

Fig 5.7: Solar Photovoltaic Power System in Nepal

REFERENCES

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1. S Adhikari. Electricity demand side management of residential sector in
kathmandu valley. Master’s thesis, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Nepal, 2012.
2. Timila Batracharya. Energy efficient building in kathmandu valley-case
study of passive and contemporary residential building. Master’s thesis,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Nepal,
2014.
3. American Society of Heating Refrigerating and AirConditioning
Engineers. Standard 189.1-2009 user’s manual. 2009.
4. Design Strategies to Energy Efficient Building in Kathmandu Valley -A
Case Study of CES-Zero Energy Building at Institute of Engineering.
5. 0 Energy House
A prototype house with infinite energy-saving potential.
6. https://energypedia.info/wiki/Nepal_Energy_Situation

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