green house

Qatar Case Study Passivhaus Project The Baytna Scientific Partnership

Dr. Alex Amato

Dr. Cynthia Skelhorn

Qatar Green Building Council

May 2014

Passivhaus Concept

Aim - to reduce the space heating/cooling

demand and primary

energy consumption

Initially conceived for cooler regions

Considered as:

a robust energy performance spec; and

a holistic low energy design concept.

Thermal comfort achieved through passive measures:

Good insulation, minimal thermal bridges

Reducing solar gains and internal heat sources (for

warm climates)

Excellent airtightness

Good indoor air quality, due to whole house mechanical

ventilation system, highly

efficient energy recovery

Qatar Case Study Passivhaus

Performance Characteristics

Airtight building shell 0.6 ACH @ 50 Pa pressure

Annual cooling allowance 15 kWh/m2/year

Primary Energy 120 kWh/m2/year

Recommendations, varying with climate:

Window u-value 0.8 W/m2/K

Ventilation system with heat recovery with 75% efficiency, low electric consumption @ 0.45

Wh/m3 (in our case, we have a very efficient AC

unit with energy recovery)

Thermal Bridge Free Construction 0.01 W/mK

Presentation Title

Baytna Scientific Partnership

Testing the Passivhaus Concept in Qatar

Presentation Title


After visiting a Passivhaus in Europe in 2012 BARWA Real Estate decided on a demonstration

project to test the applicability of the Passivhaus

concept in the hot arid climate of Qatar and the

wider GCC Region

Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) was selected as the technical and scientific partner for

the project

This partnership includes Kahramaa, electricity and water utility providers in Qatar, and the

Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning


The project constructed both a Passivhaus villa and a Business As Usual (BAU) villa (quickly

nicknamed the Im-Passivhaus) that will act as a

control for the experiment

The two villas are now completed and located in BARWA City South West of Doha, Qatars capital city

The villas will be inhabited by two similar families with one or two young children and monitored for

3-5 years


Location of Passivhaus

Presentation Title

Baytna Scentific Partnership

Main project aims, comparing the Passivhaus Villa to BAU villa, are:

50% reduction in annual:

operational energy consumption

water consumption;

CO2e emissions;

Additional construction (capital) costs of achieving this performance is no more than 15-

20% of the capital cost of the BAU villa;

Passivhaus villa can be certified to meet the Passivhaus standards by the Passivhaus

Institute or similar authority


Passivhaus Design Elements

Passivhaus Design


Standard House Wall Construction


Passivhaus Wall Construction


Design for Qatar

Wall construction:

370 mm extruded polystyrene insulation

mm external render finish

200 mm masonry wall (compared to 150 mm external /100 mm internal concrete block with 50 mm air gap in

BAU)

Triple glazed windows and doors

Skylight in atrium with louvres that open/close with sun angle

PV array for daytime power

Black and grey water recycling

Presentation Title

Energy Modelling Using IES-VE

Presentation Title

Solar PV with a peak power of 34 kilowatt

Will produce around 58,000 kWh of electricity per year,

helping avoid about 35 metric

tons of CO2 emissions per

year

Solar power will provide all of Passivhaus electricity requirements, with excess

power to be fed into

Kahramaas power grid during the day

Scientific Experiments

Since its initiation the project

has also become the vehicle for

a number of additional discreet

experiments

Solar Power (PV) Supply

Participating Companies and Institutions

Qatar Solar Technologies, Kahramaa

Aims

Determine amount of energy that can be generated and fed back to the Kahramaa

power grid and total amount of carbon

emissions avoided through installed solar

panels.

Integral to one of the main aims of the overall project, which is to determine whether carbon neutrality can be achieved by the building design

BIONEST


Bionest, Kahramaa, BARWA, MMUP,

ConocoPhillips, QSE, QGBC and TAMU. Other

interested parties are likely to be Ashghal and the

Ministry of Environment.

Project Aims

To test the application of the BIONEST system (a

biological process consisting of an extended

aeration submerged fixed film bioreactor) for

recycling both black and grey water in Qatar

Bionest system


Polypipe Terrain, Kahramaa, BARWA, AECOM, MMUP and

GORD + QGBC and TAMU.

Aims

Polypipe Terrain experiment features a new irrigation technique that delivers water to the root base of shrubs

and trees eliminating wasted water. The purpose is to

determine the water savings that can be achieved

through the use of sub-soil irrigation.

Methodology

A comparative experiment has been devised with 50% of the landscape irrigated by sub-soil irrigation and 50%

irrigated by regular good practice. The water for irrigation

for both methods will be measured and the health and

growth of the shrubs and trees monitored.

Polypipe Terrain


QGBC, Hempel Paints, National Paints,

Siemens, TAMU-Q, BRE, ETA-Star

Aims

To test the efficacy of external paints in

reducing heat gain through the building

envelope

Methodology

Three different paint systems will be tested on the West wall of each house, measuring

temperatures and heat flux

Paint Experiment

Project Aims

This experiment will test the effectiveness of

shading through vegetation on the West Elevation

of the house.

Methodology

Heat flux meters installed at 3 locations along the west wall, all at the same height, at equal

spacing along the length of the wall at both

Passive House and BAU house.

Vegetation Experiment


QS Tec, Kahramaa, Siemens, AECOM, TAMU

Aims

This experiment will test a cleaning method using a large movable wiper blade to determine the most

cost-effective method of cleaning

Methodology

Half the PV array fitted with the new cleaning device and compared to manual cleaning

Energy generated by both sections will be compared along with capital cost, water

consumption and maintenance issues associated

with each cleaning method

PV Array Cleaning


AECOM, BARWA, GORD, ETS Insulation, QSE and

MMUP + QGBC and TAMU.

Aims

To test the effectiveness of thermal mass in reducing heat flow to the interior and reducing air

conditioning usage and costs.

Equipment and Methods

Temperature profile and heat flow through the walls and roof structural elements will be

monitored through use temperature sensors, heat

flux meters, and comparison of air conditioning

loads.

Effect of Thermal Mass


GORD, BARWA, QSE, and MMUP + QGBC and

TAMU

Aims

To assess the two villas using two different sustainability rating systems - LEED and

GSAS

Methodology

A number of aspects of each system that arise during application will be compared: ease of

use, the extent of input requirements, impact on

the design team and process, and final scores,

normalised around a carbon benchmark.

GSAS and LEED Assessment


AECOM, BARWA, GORD, ETS Insulation, QSE

and MMUP + QGBC and TAMU

Aims

To determine the total energy and associated carbon emissions involved in the construction

of each house.

Methodology

Assessment will be made, using Life Cycle Assessment methods, of the energy used in the

materials, transport, and construction methods

of each house.

Embodied Energy

UV Treatment of Wastewater Examination of Possible Capital Impact on Regulation and New Build

Construction

Solar Hot Water Building Information Modelling Demonstration

Additional Studies Being Developed

Thank you

Dr. Alex Amato

Dr. Cynthia Skelhorn

Qatar Green Building Council

green house

Documents

passivhaus institute

passivhaus standards

bau villa passivhaus

passivhaus concept aim

qatar wall construction

hot arid climate of

primary energy consumption

kwhm2year primary energy