Energy performance monitoring and analysis of NetZero Energy Homes (NZEHs)

Residential building operations consume a considerable amount of energy, especially in coldclimate regions. The National Energy Board of Canada (NEB) analyzed energy consumption in 2011, and found that energy use in the residential sector, including space heating/cooling, hot water heating, lighting, appliances, and other energy-using devices, accounts for 14% of the total energy consumption nationally. The concept of NetZero-energy homes (NZEHs) has emerged as a solution to reduce the energy demands of residential building operations. Following efforts to develop NZEHs, the actual energy performance of these homes needs to be examined, and sensor technology is capable of measuring this energy consumption in detail. In this research, sensor instrumentation is customized for NZEH projects developed by Landmark Group of Builders in Edmonton, Canada. Data is collected for the first month and following winter months, then the collected data is validated and cleaned and is analyzed in terms of energy consumption, energy generation, and energy balance. Based on the analysis, recommendations for the operation of NZEHs are proposed.