CH-18-017 -- Energy Modeling Methodology for Community Master Planning PDF

Net zero energy is an influential goal guiding the buildingstock toward renewable energy resources. Increasingly, thistarget is scaled to entire communities, which may includedozens of buildings in each new development phase. Althoughbuilding energy modeling processes and codes have been welldeveloped to guide decision making, there is a lack of methodologiesfor community-integrated energy master planning.The problem is further complicated by the availability ofdistrict systems, which better harvest and store on-site renewableenergy. In response to these challenges, this papercontributes an energy modeling methodology that helps energymaster planners determine trade-offs between building energysaving measures and district system design. Furthermore, thispaper shows it is possible to mitigate electrical and thermalpeaks of a net zero energy community using minimal districtequipment. The methodology is demonstrated using a coldclimatecase study with both significant heating/cooling loadsand solar energy resources.