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Net Zero Energy Apartment

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Net Zero Energy Apartment

Sangamesh1, Mohammed Faraz2, Gagan3, Mallinath4, Mohhamed Aqib5 and

Nayana Patil*
Department of Civil Engineering, Ramaiah University of Applied sciences, Bengaluru,
Karnataka, India

E-mail: *nayanapatil.ce.et@msruas.ac.in

Abstract. In India, construction is the second largest industry next to agriculture, with respect
to its contribution to the economy of our country. Construction sector consumes a lot of energy
throughout the life cycle of the buildings and contributes immensely to the emission of
greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Considerable amount of water is being consumed during
the construction activities. It is found that In-dia’s water table is decreasing, Hence, there is a
need to bring down en-ergy consumption and conservation and harvesting of water by
implementing green and zero energy concepts. Net zero energy building is defined as a building
with zero dependence on external source of energy. The main aim of this study is “Planning,
analyzing and designing a 5 floor apartment building by implementing zero energy concepts and
techniques”. Planning has been carried out by taking into account, the orientation aspects.
Planning and plotting of the structure has been car-ried out using AutoCAD. Further analysis is
done in STAAD Pro V8i and Cype taking the design loads for both zero energy and conventional
building. Energy saving components such as rainwater harvesting system, solar panels, biogas
plant, and wind energy and sewage treat-ment plant have been implemented as per standards.
The dependence on external energy source is reduced by making use of the alternative energy
sources such as solar PV panels, biogas and wind turbine there by making it economical
environmental friendly. Estimation of the materials based on the drawings and specifications is
carried out. Lastly, a comparative study of conventional versus zero energy building is done by
performing cost benefit analysis of solar panel system.By using rainwater harvesting system the
water bills reduced by 27% annually and by installing a solar panel with a capacity of 233 Kw/h
led to the energy savings by 20 % annually. Also from the cost estima-tion, the payback period
for green building was approximately 2.9 years for solar power.

Keywords: Net zero energy, biomass, solar energy, rain water harvesting

1. Introduction
The world today is encountered with global warming and climate change. Besides other contributors,
extraction of natural resources as building materials itself consume energy, cause environmental
degradation and contribute to global warming. Buildings are the largest energy consumers and
greenhouse gas emitters, both in the developed and developing countries. Urgent changes are therefore
required relating to energy saving, emissions control, production and application of material. There is
an urgent need to use renewable resources, and to recycle and reuse building materials. It is a well-
established fact that increasing carbon dioxide emissions has led to rise in global warming. There is a
depletion of nonrenewable energy sources. Saravan, et. al. (2018) focussed on energy usage and power
generation. By using zero energy concepts they concluded that zero energy concepts reduce the global
warming and help to restore the nature. Maheshwari, et al. (2017) studied the concepts of solar panel
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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

system and concluded that solar panels are the solution for generation of electricity. Reshmi (2015),
found out the methods to use in construction to find the most cost effective way to reduce the building
energy consumption. She also stated that zero energy building requires more government incentives or
building code regulations. Sunil (2015), reviewed the zero energy buildings and numerous traditional
approaches and future components were investigated. Santosh (2015), focused on various design
processes to achieve energy efficiency and concluded that building sector has opportunity to reduce
environmental impact by incorporating energy efficient technologies. Gandhi (2014), focused on
designing a building to attain maximum energy efficiency and came up with the design of a building
where maximum illumination is obtained. Sandheep, et al. (2018), calculated the time required to
recover the cost of installation of solar panels.

The present study focuses on effective planning of a residential apartment by using natural resources,
and designs based on eco-friendly materials. Bangalore, known as the IT hub of India is growing fast in
the past few decades. Due to this many people migrate from various parts of the country leading to the
rise in the real estate sector. Currently Bangalore’s population is 11.882 million and it is expected to
grow to 18 million by 2035. It is very important that the building construction should be sustainable
with the adaptation of the emerging green technology as well as implementation of zero energy concepts.

2. Method and methodology

The structure chosen for the study is a G+5 apartment with a floor height of 3m and a parking lot. The
site dimensions are 100m x 80m. Each storey comprises of 2 flats of 2BHK and 3 flats of 3 BHK. The
process of fixing all the directions with respect to the rising sun direction to get maximum benefits from
nature is called orientation. Three factors determine orientation: sun, wind and landscape. Longer walls
of the proposed apartment are planned along north south direction and the shorter walls along east west
to get minimum radiation during summer and maximum solar radiation during winter. Bedrooms are
placed on the windward side. Due to breathing and sweating, humidity rises resulting in discomfort and
unpleasant conditions. Hence proper ventilation and cross ventilation are provided for easy movement
of wind. The sizes of various rooms and height of the building have been fixed as per National Building
Code of India (2016) norms and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) guidelines. The analysis
and design is carried out in “STAAD.Pro V8i” software. But the structural details are not discussed in
this paper. The paper discusses only the net zero energy concepts adopted and studied. Figure 1 shows
the plan of ground floor of the apartment. The cost estimation of the apartment has also been carried
out.
The elements of net zero energy concepts and techniques to be adopted in buildings are presented in
Table 1.

Table 1. Net zero energy concepts and techniques to be adopted

Water conservation Designs related to zero

energy building
1 Use of efficient plumbing fixtures Solar Panels
2 Dual flush Toilets Sewage treatment plant
3 Bathroom Sink Faucets Biogas plant
4 Shower heads(rain sense shower) Wind Energy
5 PRV (pressure-reducing valve) Rainwater harvesting
6 Re-circulating hot-water system

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Figure 1 Plan of ground floor of the apartment

2.1 Low flow plumbing fixtures

Low flow plumbing fixtures are the fixtures that use significantly less water than conventional plumbing
fixtures. They have been proposed in the study for 50 flats with an average of 4 persons per family
containing a total of 150 toilets. So 150 toilets are flushed 6 times a day which equals to 900 times per
day by saving 2430 litres of water per day exclusively for flushing alone. Table 2. gives details of low
flow plumbing fixtures used and the savings achieved in water consumption.

Table 2. Details of low flow plumbing fixtures and savings achieved in water consumption
Type of fixture Dual flush Toilets (per Bathroom Shower PRV (pressure reducing
day) Sink Faucets heads valve)
Consumption of 4.7 to 7.4 litres 5.5 litres per 9.5 lpm, 35psi
water minute (lpm
Savings in water 2.7 litres per flush 3.6 lpm 10 lpm 35psi
consumption
Savings per day 2430 litres 3.6*50* 10*4*5=
5mins=2700 2000 lpd
lpd
Savings per year 657000 litres 985500 l per 730000
year l per year

Total savings in water is 2372 m3 per year due to low flow plumbing fixtures

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

2.2 Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Design (RWH)

The rainwater collected is stored in the storage tank which is used for non potable uses like flushing and
gardening. Assuming a run off coefficient of 0.8, for a roof area of 2692 m2 and considering 979.88 mm
or 0.979 m (from the rain fall data of Bangalore). The catchment area for RWH is found to be 2692 x
0.979 x 0.80 i.e. 2108 m3 .Non-potable water requirement for family for dry season is 90 * 5*60*50
flats i.e. 1350 m3. This is based on the dry period, the period between two consecutive rainy seasons
designing for 90 days. Two tanks of size 7m x 7m x 3.5m can meet non-potable water requirement of a
five member family for the dry period. The diameter of the down take pipe is 100mm.The total savings
in water consumption resulting from low flow plumbing fixtures and rain water harvesting has resulted
in savings in water consumption by 25%.

2.3 Design of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP)

Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from municipal wastewater, containing
mainly household sewage plus some industrial wastewater. A by-product of sewage treatment is a semi-
solid waste or slurry, called sewage sludge. The details required for design of Sewage Treatment Plant
are presented in Table 3.Table 4 gives details of sewage flow and the tank capacity required.

Table 3. Details required for design of Sewage Treatment Plant

Population for Water supply Maximum Average daily Maximum
a portion of for a day per demand consumption l /day Daily
apartment (G+5) capita Consumption
P l /day
30*5+20*3=210 135 1.5 times the 210×135= 40.5×103 1.5×40.5 × 103 =
average 60.75×103
demand

80% of water supplied to the apartment becomes sewage.

Table 4. Gross area required for STP

Quantity of Peak flow in Capacity Net area Gross area Gross area of screen
sewage required to Detention of screen required to be provided
be treated per day Period of 3 openings
(Q) l hours( l/day) required
0.8x60.75×103 Peak flow 6.07 (6.07)/(0.3 20.28×6/5 (24.28) /sin 60
= 48.6×103 l 48.6×103 ×103l ) = 20.23 =24.276m2 = 28.03 m2
=6.07 m2
m3

Gross area is calculated by assuming the velocity through the screens as a maximum velocity of 0.3
m/s and using rectangular steel bars 1 cm wide as screen, placed at 5 cm clear spacing inclined at 600
to horizontal.

2.3.1 Grit Chamber and Sedimentation Tank:

Considering settling velocity between 0.016m/s and 0.22m/s, flow velocity as 0.3m/s and a detention
period of 5 hours, a grit chamber of dimensions 10m×1.3m×1.55m is to be provided. Quantity of sewage
to be treated = 48.6×103 l/day. By adopting the various design requirements shown in Table 5, a
rectangular tank of 4m×1.0m×2.5m has been designed. Table 6. gives the details of yearly water
requirement, recycled water available from STP, water available from RWH and saved from low
plumbing fixtures .

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Table 5.Various design requirements for sedimentation tank

Detention period Velocity of flow Capacity Depth of tank Free board Total depth
4 hours 0.2 m/min 8.1 m3 2m 0.5m 2.5m

Table 6. Details of annual Water requirement, recycled water available from STP, water available
from RWH and water saved from low plumbing fixtures
Total water Water Recycled Water saved from Water obtained from
requirement (m3) from STP (m3) low plumbing RWH (m3)
fixtures (m3)
15521.61 5794.74 2372 1375

Figure 2 gives the details of water required, recycled water obtained from STP, water obtained from
RWH, and water saved from low plumbing fixtures. The total savings in water requirement yearly is
around 60%.
Volume of water in m3

25000
Total water requirement (m3)
20000
15000 Water Recycled from STP (m3)

10000 Water saved from low plumbing

5000 fixtures (m3)
Water obtained from RWH (m3)
0
Yearly Water requirement and generation

Figure 2. Water required, recycled water obtained from STP, water obtained from RWH, and water
saved from low plumbing fixtures

2.4 Design of Solar Panel:

Solar energy offers numerous benefits for building owners as well as to the environment. While non-
renewable energy sources like oil, gas and coal are becoming increasingly scarce, the sun’s energy is
limitless. Lights, fans, and other electrical appliances consume power. Number of wattages consumed
by each appliance is found and multiplied by the number of hours. Total units in one floor = 10: 3 BHK
= 6 and 2 BHK. The total power consumption was found to be 197.34 KWh/day and the total Wattages
required is 2752 watts. The sizing of PV Panels is shown in Table 7.

Table 7. PV Panel details

PV Panel sizing Appliance Total PV Total panel capacity Number of PV panels
usage for one panels energy needed Assuming needed rated peak watt
floor needed 5.5 hours of daily output= 265watt
sunshine
For 5 floors and =(5*197344) 986723.84×1 = 233225.6349)/265
basement +3.840=9867 .3 1282740.992)/(5.5) =880.09 panels
23.84 watt =1282740.99 =233225.6349 =881 panels
hours 2 Wh/day
Total area of the roof = 2692 m2 Total area occupied by panels = 1308.285 m2

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Inverter rating should be more than the total watts used by the appliances and its DC. Table 8 gives
details of batteries designed as a part of the solar power design.

Table 8. Battery details for Solar power design

Total watts For safety, Taking 3000 45% of energy Applying temperature
of all inverter should be watt needs to be correction of 0.96 for
appliances considered 25-30% capacity stored in the Bangalore
bigger in size inverter batteries
2752 watts 2752 + (0.2*2752) = Number of 197344*0.45= Capacity of battery
3302.4 inverters = 2 88804.8 Wh 130543.056/0.96
=135982.35Wh
Assuming the appliance receives direct power daily for 5.5 hours from the panel by the inverter and
around 55% of power out of 220.313 kWh/day is directly supplied from the panel through inverters
during the day. Table 9 gives the size of solar charge controller.

Table 9. Size of the solar charge controller

Power from charge controller to the inverter is 2752 I=P/V; I=2752/24: I=114.66 A
Watts

The cost of arrays, batteries, Inverter and installation charge is found to be INR 71,00,000 with
additional cost of wiring taken as 5% of total system cost. The total cost works out to be INR 74,65,500.

COST RECOVERY
From the tariffs set by BESCOM, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Karnataka, India) and
assuming an average price of INR 7.00 per unit.
Gross electricity bill = 7*1282.740*30 = 269375.4 INR
Cost recovery of Solar panels is 28 months or 2 years 4 months.

2.5 Design of biogas plant

The anaerobic fermentation is a biological process aiming to transform organic matter into methane. It
is an anaerobic process made in a neutral and oxygen free environment. Table 10 provides details of
kitchen and green waste generated in the Apartment. Also the details of liquid and solid sewage
generated are provided in Table 10. Table 11. Gives the details of methane yield and energy production
from the biomass

Table 10. Details of liquid and solid sewage generated

Kitchen waste Green waste Liquid sewage(From STP) Solid sewage waste(kg)
80 kg/day 1.5 kg/day 48.6 x 103 l 30% of 48.6 x 103l = 14.58
S_d=[ 80 (kg/day)+1.5 (kg/day)+14.58(kg/day) ]×2=192.16 l/day

The retention time considered was 62.5 days and the digester volume was found to be 13 m3. Hence a
15 𝑚3 digester was proposed with the radius of the dome being 2.05 m. The dimension of the digester
was found to be 1.15*3.50 sqm, and the outlet chamber was found to be 2.604 m3 in capacity.

Table 11. Methane yield and energy production from the biomass
Biomass Methane produced Quantity Quantity Methane produced
in m3/total kg/day total/year m3/year
Food waste 220 80 29200 6424
Green waste 110 1.5 547.5 60.225
Sewage waste 250 14.58 5321.7 1330.2
Total 7814.65

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 ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Considering calorific value of methane as 9.94 kWh/m3 and 5% of energy loss, the energy supplied by
the biogas in one hour is 8.88 kW of the energy supplied in one year is found to be 77788.8 kW

2.6 Wind Turbine

The wind turbine can generate power in urban environments by catching wind that blows in any
direction. Typical wind turbines are only able to hardness wind that is blowing horizontally. In a
complex urban environment where buildings interfere with air flow, winds are more likely to be
travelling in every direction. Considering the parameters mentioned in Table 12, a wind turbine has been
designed and the diameter of the rotor blade obtained is 1.97m and actual rated power of the turbine
rating is found to be 26kW.

Table 12. Parameters needed for Wind Turbine design

Average Density Capacit Number Coefficient Transmission Genera Overall loss

wind speed of air y factor of hours of losses tor factor
in Bangalore kg/m3 in a year performance losses
5.6 km/h = 1 0.30 8760 0.40 0.90 0.90 =0.40× 0.90 ×
5.6/3.6 0.90 = 0.324
=1.56 m/s

3. Results and Discussions

Figure 3. 3D view of the Apartment

The 3d view of the structure shown in Figure 3 was done using Revit software. Figure.4. gives the
details of energy production from solar power, wind and biomass. Figure. 5 shows the details of energy
required and produced. The energy needs of the Apartment have been met by about 99% from solar,
biomass and wind.

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

Energy comparison

500000 468200 463611.1

Electircity in KWh/year
400000

300000

200000

100000

0
Energy required per year Energy produced per year

Figure 4. Details of Energy Production Figure 5. Details of Energy required and

produced

The total cost of the structure was estimated to be INR 3.5 crore.

4. Conclusion

1. The cost recovery of solar panels is 28 months or 2 years 4 months

2. The solar sytem installed is capable of producing 82% of the power requirements.
3. The biogas plant setup can 17% of the electric requirement.
4. The wind turbine installed can generate 0.2% of the total power requirement.
5. Total savings in water requirement yearly is around 60% by installing Rain water
harvesting, using low plumbing fixtures and using recycled water from STP.
6. As concluding remarks, though the initial investment is higher for net zero energy
buildings in the long run, zero energy buildings prove to be more beneficial and economical
not only in the environmental aspect but also social aspect by enhancing users comfort and
health.

References
[1] Saravan Devraj, N Kapilan, T Nagaraja, Albert M (2018), Studies on Zero Energy Building,.
Journal 2(5), 99–110 (2016). International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-
4562 Volume 13
[2] Maheshwari Shubhangi, Pallavi Chauhan, Shubh Tandon and Shammi Sagar. (2017),A
Review of Study on Net Zero Energy Building, International Research Journal of Engineering
and Technology (IRJET), pp 1567-1570
[3] Reshmi Banerjee (2015), Importance of Net Zero Energy Building, International Journal of
Innovative Research in Advanced Engineering (IJIRAE) ISSN: 2349-2163 Issue 5, Volume 2
[4] Sunil Kumar Sharma(2013), Zero Energy Building Envelope Components: A Review,
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA), Vol. 3, Issue 2
[5] Santosh D Jadhav (2015), Role of net zero energy building in energy security, International
Journal of engineering sciences & research and Technology 4(6) : 669-674.
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Technology (IRJET), pp 1567-1570
[7] Gandhi Habash, Daniel Chapotchkine, Peter Fisher, Alec Rancourt, Riadh Habash, and Will
Norris (2014), Sustainable Design of a Nearly Zero Energy Building Facilitated by a Smart Micro
grid, Journal of Renewable Energy, Volume 2014 |Article ID 725850 |
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/72585

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ICRIET 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1070 (2021) 012093 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/1070/1/012093

[8] Sandeep Mane, Tushar Patil, Rasika Patil, Akshay Parit, Nikhil Raybole, Rajiv Chavarekar
(2018), Planning and designing of zero energy residential building, International Research
Journal Of Engineering And Technology, Volume: Issue: 03, pp 1756-1759