Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

The EPBD Recast launched nearly zero energy target in 2010 with the need for the Member States to define what nZEB for them exactly constitutes. Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) are extremely low energy buildings in which thenearly 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

nZEB topic is strictly connected with cost optimal policy, as MS shall take the necessary measures to ensure that minimum energy performance requirements for buildings or building units are set with a view to achieving cost-optimal levels. According to current understanding, nZEB is not cost effective yet, however this may depend on available incentives. Therefore, these both requirements (cost optimal and nZEB) will have to be reconciled so that a smooth transaction from cost optimal requirements to nearly zero energy buildings could be guaranteed in near future.

There are however many problems that arise when defining and designing such buildings, as the system boundary to be taken into account, the national financial conditions, the trade-off between the zero-energy, the zero-costs and the zero-emissions objectives, the shifting towards a Zero Energy Cluster instead of single ZEB, the regulation and optimization of small district networks of ZEB the storage of produced thermal energy. This research line is intended to cover the lack of research on these topics.