• Energy Research

The report gives a Literature Review of Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) Definitions. It all startede when the consequences of the oil crisis became noticeable and the issue of the fossil fuels sources and the energy use were discussed. Nevertheless, in the late seventies and early eighties appeared few articles, in which phrases‘a zero energy house', ‘a neutral energy autonomous house' or ‘an energy-independent house' were used.' were used.

As a result of the large amounts of CO2 emissions the built environment produces, it contributes immensely to climate change. Within the strategies developed to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions, getting buildings to an energy-neutral level is one of the main priorities. The blueprint for this altered energy-efficient building now seems to be ready: the heavily insulated outer shells of buildings have decreased the demand for energy and the necessary coolness and warmth are induced using low-temperature systems. Whether these changes are enough remains to be seen. The actual, measured energy efficiency of these environmentally friendly buildings turns out to be lower than their theoretical efficiency; they use more energy than was expected up front. This difference can partly be attributed to the increased complexity of and sensitivity to improper use of these buildings. Users simply do not understand them well enough. Improper handling then turns into energy loss. Rebound effects also play a role in the lower levels of energy saving. The rebound effect states that as a result of higher efficiency, energy will relatively be cheaper. Lower energy bills will lead to a more increased use of warming and cooling, or to extra activities – whether or not polluting – outside the building...

As a result of the large amounts of CO2 emissions the built environment produces, it contributes immensely to climate change. Within the strategies developed to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions, getting buildings to an energy-neutral level is one of the main priorities. The blueprint for this altered energy-efficient building now seems to be ready: the heavily insulated outer shells of buildings have decreased the demand for energy and the necessary coolness and warmth are induced using low-temperature systems. Whether these changes are enough remains to be seen. The actual, measured energy efficiency of these environmentally friendly buildings turns out to be lower than their theoretical efficiency; they use more energy than was expected up front. This difference can partly be attributed to the increased complexity of and sensitivity to improper use of these buildings. Users simply do not understand them well enough. Improper handling then turns into energy loss. Rebound effects also play a role in the lower levels of energy saving. The rebound effect states that as a result of higher efficiency, energy will relatively be cheaper. Lower energy bills will lead to a more increased use of warming and cooling, or to extra activities – whether or not polluting – outside the building... A+BE | Architecture and the Built Environment No 21 (2017) Building Product Innovation

Agriculture is a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in many countries. Conservation agriculture includes soil management systems that help to reduce CO2 emission levels. However, there are many factors involved in the production of these emissions such as soil management type and time at which the agriculture operations are performed, crop phenological state, the weather, and handling of the residue amongst others. In the long term, the relationships that exist between these factors seem to determine the balance of these emissions. In this study, we analyzed the influence of the soil management system as well as the climatology of the different seasons studied and the phenological state of the different crops implanted. For this purpose a field trial was conducted in Las Cabezas de San Juán (Seville). This pilot farm consisted of six experimental plots with an approximate area of 5 ha; conservation agriculture practices were employed in three of the six plots while traditional tillage management was used in the other three. Within these plots the three crops of the wheat-sunflower-legume rotation were tested simultaneously. The study was conducted over four agricultural seasons - 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13. Each of these cropping seasons were characterised by very different rainfall amounts, registering a total of 814.4, 721.6, 268.2 and 676.4 l/m2, respectively. When we studied the evolution of emissions over four seasons, an increase could be observed for both management systems during the time in which the crops were established due to the roots respiration processes. These increases were heavily influenced by the rainfall recorded during the time in which the crop was in place. In the case of wheat, higher emissions were produced during the cultivation time of the first and fourth season during which 84% and 60% of the total rainfall of each season was recorded. These emissions were 9 and 5 kg CO2/ha for conventional tillage and no tillage, respectively for the 2009/10 season and 11.7 and 6.8 kg CO2/ha, respectively in the 2012/13 season. Conversely during the 2011/12 season, a season in which lower precipitation was registered, the higher emissions were comparatively minor with respect to the previous values, specifically 3.7 and 1.9 kg CO2/ha for non-tillage and conventional tillage.

The feasibility of geologic carbon storage as an option to significantly reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere has been questioned recently. It has been argued that the overpressure induced by CO2 injection would reactivate faults through which CO2 could migrate upwards, ruining the objective of permanently storing CO2 deep underground. In this presentation, it will be shown that geologic carbon storage can be performed safely, i.e., without inducing seismic events that could reactivate faults and without compromising the caprock sealing capacity. A brief view of the CO2 storage site at Pohang will be also given. Overall, we conclude that a proper site characterization and pressure management are required to achieve a safe CO2 storage. Peer reviewed