Energy Analysis of a Net-Zero Energy Building Based on Long-Term Measured Data: A Case Study in South Korea

Abstract

In this study, the energy consumption and generation characteristics, the operation status of a photovoltaic (PV) system, and the energy balance of a net-zero energy building (nZEB) in South Korea were analyzed based on the data collected over a 10-year period (2012–2021). The average annual power consumption of the nZEB was 101.3 MWh, 6.2% higher than the estimated power consumption. The PV system of the nZEB had an annual power generation capacity of 105.8 MWh, indicating an increase of 10.6% compared to the estimated value. The failure of PV systems such as module cracks, inverter failures, and performance degradation led to a decrease of 21.5% in the power generation. Energy balance analysis was conducted by comparing the energy consumption and generation data based on yearly, monthly, daily, and hourly time intervals. In addition, load coverage factor (LCF) and supply coverage factor (SCF) were used to evaluate the load matching rate. The nZEB achieved a net-zero energy status for 5 out of the 7 years of normal operation (2012–2018) based on average annual data. However, the energy balance analysis using hourly measured data showed that there was both a surplus and a shortage of power every year, and that the average annual power surplus and shortage were 56.4 MWh and 54.3 MWh, respectively. In addition, the load matching analysis showed that the annual LCF and SCF were approximately 0.36 and 0.32, respectively. Thus, the advanced nZEB design, hourly data-based energy analysis, fault diagnosis and maintenance, and the strategies enhancing the self-consumption rate should be considered to expand nZEB dissemination.