Building Performance Simulation of Near Zero Energy Building Design in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia aims to improve building performance by increasing energy efficiency to address energy issues and carbon emissions. One of the concepts for realizing building energy efficiency is a Near-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), defined as a building with significantly reduced energy demand, and renewable energy resources provide the remaining energy offset. The application of NZEB could be a feasible solution for energy savings strategies. However, the climate conditions in Indonesia, which are tropical, hot, and humid, might require a different design approach than in other regions. Therefore, this study determines whether the NZEB design suits Indonesia’s conditions. A hypothetical office building in Jakarta, Indonesia, is modeled as a reference building. Then, this reference model is further evaluated by applying several Energy Efficiency Measures (EEM) to reduce energy use. The EEM selection is based on the NZEB design parameters: passive design, active design, and renewable power technologies. The evaluation uses a building performance simulation tool called DesignBuilder. The simulation results show a total percentage energy saving of 46.9% from the reference model or the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 120.18 kWh/m2/year. Although the energy reduction is significant, the current result still needs near-zero energy performance. Therefore, a further study investigating more EEMs is recommended, and the goal of the expected EUI is to be reconsidered for high-rise office buildings.