Environmental Building Systems (ABPL20036)

ABPL20036 ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS

MELISSA CHONG /864703

CONTENTS SITE PLAN MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION PASSIVE THERMAL (VENTILATION / SOLAR) ELECTRICAL AND TELCOM WATER AND GAS SUPPLY

WATER RECYCLIING AND DRAINAGE HEATING COOLING DESIGN FOR RESILIENCE FIRST RATE ENERGY ASSESSMENT

Client Profile The client is a married couple with one 21 year old and one 19 year old daughter.

Mr Mee Mr Mee wakes up early in the morning and starts the day by enjoying a cup of coffee in front of the television, watching the daily news. He works in the sustainability industry, thus wants his house to function in a environmentally friendly manner. He plans to stay in this house permanently. Therefore, he does not mind investing in slightly more expensive equipment, but would like to reap its long run benefits in the future (cost-wise).

Legend

Mrs Mee Mrs Mee is a housewife and spends most of her time at home. She paints thus would prefer a house that is brightly lit, allowing her to paint both during the day and night. She also hangs up her finished artworks and often invites guest over. Therefore, the interior of her house must be kept quite simple and its colour palette must complement her paintings. As she also enjoys gardening and nature, she would prefer her main lounge area to have access to the outside.

Lastly, she has a weak respiratory system.

WINTER SUN Electric Pole Electric meter Electric line Telecom pit

SUMMER SUN

Electrical connection Sewer connection M

Water meter

S

Sewer pit

Melissa Melissa is the couple’s eldest daughter. Being in the last year of her architectural degree, she is constantly making models during the day. Thus having a room with sufficient sunlight is preferred. In addition, she is very clumsy with glue thus prefers to have a room that is durable and easy to clean. She too, like Mrs Mee has a weak respiratory system.

Garden for grey water irrigation

Storm Water pipes LPD

Legal Point of discharge

Evacuated tubes

Polycrystalline PVS

Fall

Melanie Melanie, is the couple’s youngest daughter. Being in her first year of fashion school, she is constantly out and comes back only at night. Similar to Melissa, she makes her clothes at home, thus prefers to have a room that is fuss-free as she too is rather clumsy.

Instead of having weak respiratory system like her mom and Melissa, she has very dry skin which worsens during the more arid summer days.

Orientation

Fall

In terms of orientation, the main lounge areas (living room and kitchen) are located to the north. This allows the family to enjoy maximum daylight all year round.

The master bedroom is located to the east to allow Mr and Mrs Mee to enjoy the morning sun as they are all morning people. Though Melissa’s bedroom is located to the west it is still close to the north. allowing her to receive maximum daylight while studying.

Rain garden

Solar hot water systems Evacuated tubes are used for the hot water system .

They are installed on the roof that faces the north so as to receive maximum sunlight. They are also pitched at 57 degrees.

Solar PV panels Polycrystalline solar PV panels are also installed on the roof facing the north so as to receive maximum sunlight. However, instead they are pitched at 30 degrees.

As they are on the same side of the roof, additional battens would be used to adjust the inclination.

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1: 200 @A3

1. SITE PLAN

Wall construction

Flooring For the floor, homogeneous porcelain tiles are used throughout the house.

For the external wall, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) was chosen as the cladding material with glass fibre batt insulation.

Homogeneous porcelain tiles were chosen so as to improve the efficiency of the hydronic slab heating system (will be discussed under ‘Heating’). They have high thermal conductivity which allows the heat from the underfloor pipes to be transferred to the floor surface more efficiently.

AAC W4

In comparison with natural stone and ceramic tiles, homogeneous porcelain tiles are less porous, as their absorption rate of less than 0.5%. Therefore, stains from paint and turpentine caused by Mrs Mee while painting could be more easily removed.

W5

AAC has high thermal insulating properties. This is because concrete has a high thermal mass, meaning that it is able to absorb a significant amount of heat during the day and release it at night, so as to cool the house. In addition, AAC contains air pockets which helps reduce the rate of heat transfer by convection. This compensates for the excessive heat loss through the many windows, which was requested by Mrs Mee.

Porcelain floor tiling Perini Porcelain New Orleans T9122 800mmx800mm Matt finish

Porcelain tiles are also more durable than ceramic tiles because they are fired at higher temperatures. Floor durability is essential because the clients would have spent a significant amount of their budget on the hydronic slab heating system (will be discussed under Heating).

W6 Furthermore, AAC has high fire resistance which could offer extra protection against the regular bush fires in Australia.

In addition, the plain-light-coloured palette reflects light, which would keep the house the cooler, as compared to black. This reflection of light also renders the colours of the painting better, which makes it easier for Mrs Mee to paint. As porcelain tiles are engineered, it could still achieve the marble or quartz-like finish without compensating on durability.

Moreover, it is lightweight and has a fast assembling process. This reduces the overall cost, which could offset the high cost incurred by the installation of the hydronic slab heating system.

W3

Unlike many of the residential homes in Melbourne, carpets are not used for the bedrooms (that also functions as a study). This is because, both Melissa and Melanie are constantly doing models.

Having carpeted floors makes it more difficult to clean and to maintain.

Windows

Lastly, when compared weight to weight with traditional concrete, AAC generates 30% less waste and releases 50% less green house gas emissions. This is appeals to Mr Mee as he is working in the sustainability sector.

W2

Windows are responsible for the 10%to 20% of the heat loss during winer. Thus, all the windows are double-glazed with a timber frame. Double glazing refers to a window having two glass panels which are separated by an air gap. Air, being a poor thermal conductor, acts as an additional barrier against heat transmission. A timber cladded frame was chosen to reduce heat loss through conduction.

W6

There are some concerns over the high embodied energy involved over the production of AAC. This is often due to the high transportation cost, as most of the time, AAC is not produced locally. However, in Australia, AAC is used heavily and is often supplied by HEBEL, an established local manufacturer.

AAC product

W1

CSR Hebel product: Panel Wall (Sound Barrier) Nominal Dry Density= 550kg/m3 Dry State Thermal Conductivity=0.13 W/ m.K Product Thickness= 200mm thick Dry State Thermal Resistance Rdry=1.45 K.m2/W

Double glazing was used for the entire house, instead of just the windows facing the south. This was because of the very large windows and small walls facing the north. In this scenario, even more heat would be lost during winter, thus double glazing even for the windows at the north were necessary.

Glass fibre Batt Insulation The Glass Fibre Batt is a form of bulk insulation. It is made of foam which contains many air pockets that reduces the rate of heat transfer by conduction and convection.

The foam also contains pieces of recycled glass, a poor of conductor of heat, which helps reduce the transfer of conducted heat.

W1

Windows - Facing the north

W7 It is also less combustible when compared to the rest, thus would be suitable in Australia where bush fires are prevalent.

Low-e- This helps reduce infrared radiation without affecting the amount of light entering the house.

Therefore, it still allows the house to be brightly lit.

U Value: 2.30 (Lower) The areas to the north of the house are most prone to heat gain during the summer. Therefore, a lower u value is required so as to reduce the overall thermal conductance of the window.

AAC - 200mm Glass Fibre Batt Insulation - 176mm

W8

W2

W1 U Value: 3.00 (Higher) The areas to the south,east and west of the house are less prone to heat gain during the winter. Therefore, a higher u value is required so as to increase the overall thermal conductance of the window.

S Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Clear-Clear U value: 3.00 SHGC 0.48

2100

1500

Windows - Facing the south, east and west

Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Low Solar Gain low e-clear U value: 2.30 SHGC: 0.19

1000

R-Value (K.m2 /W)

CSR Hebel Products Panel Wall (Sound Barrier)

1.45

40mm Air Gap Vertical

0.16

Insulation Placeholder: Glass Fibre Batt: R4.0

4.0

Gyprock Plasterboard

0.06

2510

W5

Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Low Solar Gain low e-clear U value: 2.30 SHGC: 0.19

W6 2100

Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Low Solar Gain low e-clear U value: 2.30 SHGC: 0.19

2100

1500

W4

W3

S Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Clear-Clear U value: 3.00 SHGC 0.48

Total R-value per m2 : 5.67 K.m2/W. In Melbourne, the minimum total R value for walls is 2.8 K.m2/W. Here, a higher total R value per m2 is being used so as to offset the significant heat loss from the many large windows and openings.

600

4170

S Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Clear-Clear U value: 3.00 SHGC 0.48

400

W7 2100

2100

Wall components

W8

885

S Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Clear-Clear U value: 3.00 SHGC 0.48

R-value (insulation)

Porcelain floor tiling

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): 0.19 (Lower) Similar to the U value, a lower SHGC value was chosen so as to reduce the rate of heat transmission into the house.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): 0.48 (Higher) Similar to the U value, a higher SHGC value was chosen so as to increase the rate of heat transmission into the house.

In addition, they are more economical due to its high availability and cheap raw materials. These minute cost-savings could help compensate for the high expenditure incurred by the hydronic slab heating system (will be discussed under ‘Heating’).

Legend

W8

1975

900

S Timber A Double Glazing Air Fill Clear-Clear U value: 3.00 SHGC 0.48

Wall section

200mm - Hebel panel wall 40 mm - Air gap 176mm - Glass fibre batt insulation 10mm - Gyprock plasterboard

1800

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

2. MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

SUMMER SUN

Passive Design

Light (North)

Passive design refers to using climate to achieve the desired level of comfort, without having to use a significant amount of energy. This form of comfort is mainly in terms of temperature, ventilation and light. Other than orientation (discussed earlier under ‘Site Plan’), amendments could be made to the house so as to allow for maximum sunlight without compromising temperature, ventilation and shading.

Larger windows and openings are placed to the north to allow maximum daylight during the summer and winter. The north is aptly in the living room, where Mrs Mee has also requested for full-length glass doors leading to the backyard.

North

East Temperature/Shading (North) To reduce the excessive heat gain from the large windows, longer eaves were added for shading. So as to suit the angle of the summer sun (79°) and the winter sun (29°), the eaves were angled in such a way that it reduces heat gain (especially during summer) without compromising on daylight (especially during winter).

WINTER SUN

West Light (West) Smaller windows were installed in Bedrooms 1 and 2. This offers a balance between daylight and excessive heat gain from the afternoon sun.

Light (East) With both Mr and Mrs Mee being morning people, a full length window has been installed in the master bedroom. In addition, to enjoy the morning sun in the living room, two long windows were also installed at the sides of the TV. This allows Mr Mee to comfortably enjoy the morning news before he starts the day.

Temperature/Shading (East)

Section of Living room - Eaves

The windows are made of a combination of glass bricks (at the bottom) and the usual double glazing (at the top). It is separated by an external light shelf.

No exterior shading would be added to this facade so as to allow Mr and Mrs Mee to enjoy the morning sun. Only drapes were added, so as to block out the summer sun when necessary.

The light shelf offers solar access, deep light penetration and protection against the hot summer sun. It also reduces the glare, which could make studying more comfortable during the afternoon. During the summer, the sun rays bounce off the light shelf and on to the ceiling. This form of indirect light also increases the level of comfort in the room.

Glass bricks are used at the bottom of the light shelf. They diffuse the sun rays so as to create a softer light throughout the room.

Legend Airflow through ventilation

SUMMER SUN

WINTER SUN

Light shelf

Desk

Section of Bedroom 2 - Use of external light shelf and glass bricks

Temperature/Shading (West) In ground rain garden

A rain garden is added to the west of the house. Other than rainwater harvesting (will be discussed under “Water Supply”), it carries out evapotranspiration. This combined process of evaporation (of water from the soil) and transpiration (of water from the vegetation) uses heat from the afternoon sun and thus cools the surrounding air.

South South

North

Light (South)

Section of house

The only openings to the south are the small windows located at the top of the ensuite and the bathroom. Large openings are not necessary to the south as it will not receive much daylight to begin with. This also helps prevent heat loss during winter.

Ventilation Clerestory windows were installed on the perpendicular side of the north roof, facing the south. This facilitates stack ventilation during the summer, where hot air rises and is pushed out from the house. However, during winter these windows are kept closed so as reduce heat loss. They are also located near the bathrooms so as to allow excess water vapour to escape when it gets too humid, considering the small windows in the bathrooms.

Temperature/Shading (South)

Transpiration

Heat absorbed during the evapotranspiration process

To the south of the compound, a koi pond is used as a form of thermal mass. Thermal mass refers to the ability of the material to absorb and store heat during the day and release it at night when it is cooler. As the south receives the least daylight, using a material with strong thermal capacity like water would be suitable.This allows the frequent winds from the south (caused by sea breeze) to carry out passive cooling.

Section of Bathroom- Day (summer)

Evaporation

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

They are also placed at the south, above the corridor, so as to allow indirect sunlight to enter the house.

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

Section of Bathroom-Night (summer)

3. PASSIVE THERMAL (VENTILATION / SOLAR)

Lighting Legend 2

Double Power Point

Tesla powerwall

Electric Pole

Photovoltaic Meter

Though many windows were installed to allow maximum amount of natural light to enter, electrical lighting is still required at night and for gloomy winter days.

LED lights were used throughout the house as they use 75% less energy as compared to the traditional lights. In addition, LED lights release less heat (which prevents additional unnecessary heating during the summer). This is essential because Mrs Mee prefers her house to be bright-lit explaining the number of lights in the house. They also have a longer shelf life.

Omnidirectional lighting

Data Cabling Points

Directional lighting

Fire Alarm Multiple switch

CCT-5500K

Electric Meter

2

CCT-3000K

Switchboard Telcom Pit

Central Inverter

Index 2

Colour Rendering Index (CRI) - This is used to measure how accurate a light source could render or portray the object’s true colours.

Correleated Colour Temperature (CCT)- This measures how cool or warm the light appears to be.

2 2

Solar energy

Beam Angles

2

PSU

NTD

2 2

PCD

Beam angles measure how the light is being distributed over an area. With a wider beam angle, a larger spread of light is achieved. In rooms with multiple lights, the fixtures could be further spread apart, allowing more area to be covered with the same overall ‘brightness’. This is often used in areas where basic tasks are being carried out at. A narrow beam angle causes the light intensity per area to increase. This is especially important in task areas such as study rooms and kitchens.

Kitchen The kitchen uses task lighting (directional), thus downlight were used. This is necessary because Melanie bakes at night during her free time. As this downlight is placed over the kitchen bench, it must have a beam angle of 0.6m luminous flux with 4440 lux.

Bathrooms, Ensuite, Corridor and Laundry Omni-directional lighting is used so as to provide a comfortable level of brightness at places where little time is being spent in. These areas are rather small thus requires lights with less watts.

Bedroom 1 and 2 As these bedrooms are accompanied with a study, task lighting (directional) is used. This is necessary because both Melissa and Melanie are constantly making architecture models and clothes at night respectively. Similar to the living room, a high CRI of 90 and CCT of 5500K is necessary so as to portray the true colours of their work. It is also accompanied with a dimmer so as to prevent eyestrain.

Master Bedroom Little time is spent in the master bedroom as it is mainly serves as a place of resting and relaxation. Thus, omni-directional lighting was used. A CRI of 75 and a CCT of 3000K. This was used as there are no paintings displayed in the master bedroom and warm lighting is more comfortable, thus allowing the couple to relax and rest better.

Electricity Switchboard A switchboard controls the flow of power. It is located inside the house and next to the entrance for easy access during a blackout. It is also kept in a cupboard with a sliding door for organisational and aesthetic purposes.

Electric Meter It measures the amount of electricity delivered to the customers for billing purposes. It is installed directly on the other side of the wall.

Beam angle : 60

Beam angle : 25

2

Broadband Power Supply Unit (PSU) and Network Termination Device (NTD)

Zones 2

Living room As a painter, Mrs Mee prefers her house to be brightly lit. She often paints in the living room, thus task lighting (directional) is predominantly used. The lights in the living room have a CRI of 90 and a CCT of 5500K. This portrays the true colour of her paintings better, allowing her to paint comfortably during the day and night. A CCT of 5500K releases neutral light, which then again, renders her paintings closer to its true colours.

Nonetheless, these lights often comes off as harsh and consume a large amount of energy. Thus, the light switches were paired with a dimmer so as to prevent eyestrain. Omnidirectional task lighting are used at the dining area to provide a certain level of comfort. However, a high CRI of 90 and a CCT of 5500K were still used to render the true colours of the paintings displayed around the dining table.

Photvoltaics (PVS) Due to the client’s high reliance and demand for lighting, a significant amount of energy is required. Therefore, photovoltaics (PVS) would be installed on the roof to generate electricity.

2

Polycrystalline solar panels are chosen along with a central inverter. In addition, a Tesla Powerwall would be used store surplus energy.

Despite being less efficient than mono crystalline solar panels, they have a higher temperature resilience.

Therefore, its efficiency is less likely to decrease significantly when the temperature goes up. This is more suitable for Melbourne’s hot summers and medium to high diurnal temperature range.

Despite the many drawbacks of a central inverter, it was chosen over the micro-inverter as it could be paired with a Tesla Powerwall. The Tesla Powerwall allows electricity to be stored for future use (in case of a blackout). In addition, it allows extra energy to be sent back to the main grid.

Polycrystalline solar panels DC

AC

1. Solar energy absorbed by the PVS are converted into direct current (DC) 2. The inverter converts DC into AC for household consumption 3. Surplus energy is sent to the interface so as to be stored in Tesla Powerwall for future use.

Inverter

Tesla Powerwall

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

Diagram

Interface

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

Located inside of the house, they are also kept in the same cupboard with a sliding door for easy access and organisational purposes.

Premises Connection Device (PCD) Part of the broadband The PCD is installed on the other side of the wall.

Fire Alarms 2 fire alarms are located along the corridors and approximately 6m away from the kitchen. This is done to prevent false positives.

The allowable watts in an Australian household is 5 watts per m2.

Zones

Type of light

Directional or Omni

Beam Angle

Total area / m2

Allowable watts

Selected watts

Dimmer

CRI

CCT / K

Bedroom 1

LED

Directional and Omnidirectional

25 and 60res

9.62

9.62 x 5= 48

20 x 2

present

90

5500

Bedroom 2

LED

Directional and Omnidirectional

25 and 60res

9.3

9.3 x 5 = 46.5

20 x 2

present

90

5500

Master Bedroom

LED

Omni-directional

60

10.2

10.2 x 5 =51

40

present

75

3000

Kitchen

LED

Directional

25

40 x 2

present

90

5500

20 x 2 + 20x 2

present

90

5500

46.9

234.5

Living and Dining

LED

Directional and Omnidirectional

25 and 60res

Bathroom

LED

Omni-directional

60

5.7

5.7 x 5= 28.5

20

present

75

5500

Ensuite

LED

Omni-directional

60

4.8

4.8 x 5= 24

20

present

75

5500

Corridor

LED

Omni-directional

60

5.1

5.1 x 5 =25.5

20

present

75

5500

Laundry

LED

Omni-directional

60

3.9

3.9 x 5 = 19.5

10

present

75

5500

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

4. ELECTRICAL AND TELCOM

As the decoupled hot water tank is connected to the evacuated tubes and the heat pump, placing the hot water tank should be placed outside. It is located to the north of the household so as to prevent excessive heat loss. Being at the north also allows more of the hot water pipes to run through the spaces for in slab heating (living room and dining) before reaching the hot water faucets.

Filter Gutters and down pipes direct rainwater from the roof to the 500 L water tank

KOI POND

Rainwater is temporarily stored here to prevent overflooding of rain garden

Water Supply Potable water

HWS

Legal point of discharge

For cold potable water supply, water is collected from the grid and distributed to all the faucets within the house.

Legend

Hot water System For potable hot water, the water supplied from the grid is to be stored in a hot water tank. As a screed hydronic slab heating system(open) was chosen, the hot water pipes would run through the slabs within the house reaching the hot water faucets. (discussed under ‘heating’).

Filtered water is absorbed through the holes in the pipes.

Despite the higher capital cost, having the hot water pipes pass through the floor before reaching the faucets increases energy efficiency. This is because the same hot water is used to heat the floor and provide hot water for the faucets simultaneously. This long run cost savings compensates for the high installation costs incurred. This is also worth the investment because the Mee family plans to stay in this home permanently. Furthermore, due to the Mee family’s preference for screed hydronic slab heating system, this form of hot water system was chosen (discussed under heating).

Rain water tank

Rain Water System The main purpose of the rainwater system is to collect and reuse rainwater.

The dry system collects and transfers rainwater to a 500L rainwater tank and subsequently to an in-ground rain garden that is used for harvesting. A portion of the harvested rainwater is further filtered and used to fill the koi fish pond, that acts as a thermal mass. The remaining harvested rainwater is connected to the stormwater drain in case of a surplus in the tank, rain garden and the koi fish pond.

The tank is also connected to the main water line so as to provide additional water when supply runs low (under extreme cases).

To reduce dependency on gas and electricity from the meter, The hot water tank uses a solar energy and a heat pump as a booster (discussed under heating).

P

Grey water would be used instead to flush the toilets. This is because, grey water has a shorter ‘life span’, in a way that it turns into black water within 24 hours. Toilet flushing occurs frequently.

Thus in order to maximise the use of recycled water, grey water, and not rainwater, should be used. In addition, with the limited uses of grey water, it would be best to direct the use of rainwater elsewhere.

ZONE 4

P

ZONE 3

P

ZONE 2

Solar Hot Water System For the solar hot water system, evacuated tubes were chosen.

Despite being more expensive than the flat plate, it is more efficient. Absorbing maximum solar energy for heating water is crucial because the heated water serves two very important purposes: heating and hot water supply. If the building fails to deliver these two purposes, the building would fail to function.

Dry system A dry system is to be used. In comparison to the wet system, other than being much simpler, the downpipes are constantly dry when there is no rain. Thus less maintenance is required which is suitable to the family’s hectic lifestyle.

Rainwater is collected from the roof facing the north. As this side of the roof covers more area, a larger volume of rainwater could be collected. A box gutter is also used, so as to reduce the rate of rainwater evaporation on the eaves. This is critical because this side of the roof is heavily exposed to the sun. In addition, many evacuated tubes for the solar hot water system and polycrystalline panels are installed at this side of the roof. Having a gutter here would quickly direct water away from these services, therefore preventing these services from malfunctioning.

P

Furthermore, it has a lower risk of damage from freezing. As Melbourne has a medium to high diurnal temperature range, freezing is a concern. The Mee family would have spent a significant amount of money on the screed hydronic slab heating system, thus could not afford for the system to fail due to undesirable weather that could have been avoided.

ZONE 1

Lastly, it is cheaper to repair, which is more economical.

In ground rain garden CO2 heat pump

Filter In ground rain garden

Similar to a booster, the heat pump is used to provide heated water when the limited heated water is generated from the solar hot water system. This allows the screed hydronic slab heating system to continuously function even when there is a lack of daylight, especially during winter.

A rain garden tank removes pollutants and impurities in the rainwater before discharging them to the koi pond and the legal point of discharge. This additional water source for the koi pond helps reduce the overall cost of purchasing water from the main grid. Furthermore, the filtered water is discharged into the legal point of discharge, which shows the Mee family’s effort in doing their part for the environment. Other environmental benefits include the recharging of ground water and reduction of soil erosion. Lastly, the in ground rain garden cools down the house via evapotranspiration and provides aesthetic purposes. Being a garden itself, it also provides Mrs Mee a form of relaxation as she enjoys gardening.

M Plants for in ground rain garden Kangaroo Paw

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

The way in which the hot water system works would be further elaborated under “Heating”.

Hollow rush

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

LPD

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

5. WATER AND GAS SUPPLY

S Suitable plants for the grey water irrigation

Sewer The plants that are are suitable for this grey water system are plants that are not edible and not highly dependent on water.

They must also be plants that thrive better in alkali soil conditions.

Only the toilets and the kitchen sink have sewer pipes that are connected to the main sewer pipe, which is then connected to the main sewer point, (the lowest point on site). These pipes are often downward sloping so as to ensure a smooth flow via gravity. In addition, these pipes are often joined to the main pipe at an angle so as to prevent possible clogs at the joints, which may cause the sewage system to fail.

Garden for grey water irrigation

The reason why only the toilets and the kitchen sinks are directly connected to the sewer is because these facilities produce black water. Black water is highly contaminated and requires many chemical treatments for it to be reused.

Bearded iris

Investing in a blackwater system requires a large amount of money because of its extensive chemical treatment.

Therefore it is not viable in this case due to its low volume.

In addition, for safety purposes, having blackwater to be chemically treated in specialised factories would be more reliable than treating these very ‘dirty water ‘ at home.

Furthermore, the cost-savings of not investing in a blackwater system could be used to offset the high cost involved in the rainwater and screed hydronic slab heating system.

Roses

Sewer vents They are installed to provide ventilation for the sewer pipes.

This prevents damp solid waste from sticking to the surfaces of the pipes which could potentially clog up and cause the system to fail. It also prevents the accumulation of sewer gases which could cause the pipes to rupture if the pressure is too high.

Honeysuckle

Grey Water System The toilet sinks, showers and the washing machine have pipes that are connected to the grey water tank.

When grey water is being discharged, they are collected in a grey water tank nearby. The grey water tank would then filter the impurities and release them to the nearby toilets for flushing. As grey water turns into blackwater within 24 hours, surplus is immediately discharged onto the garden which is another form of grey water treatment. In addition, if there were to be a high surplus of water, more than what the garden bed could take, this volume of water would be immediately discharged to the main sewer pipe.

Similar to the rain garden, the garden bed could also be used as a natural filter. As not all plants are suitable for grey water irrigation, they must be meticulously chosen for it to thrive. Some suitable plants are listed above. It is advised that edible plants should not be included in this list for safety purposes.

Grey water diagram Bathroom sinks Overflow to sewer line Grey water tank (system) Washing machine

Legend

Grey water system Into grey water system In ground rain garden Out of grey water system

Having an additional garden bed could be used to further cool the house through the process of evapotranspiration (discussed under Passive Thermal”)

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

Garden

Sewer pipes

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

6.WATER RECYCLIING AND DRAINAGE

Evacuated tubes

Zoning

Heating

Screed hydronic slab heating system is the only active system that would be used to heat the house. With the socioeconomic status of the family, hydronic in slab heating is a viable option. In slab heating would be installed throughout the house but would be divided into several zones so as to allow personalised temperature control. This way, the bedrooms and the living rooms are kept comfortable for everyone. In addition, it allows only certain zones to be heated up when needed, thus less energy would be wasted.

With Melbourne’s medium to high diurnal temperature range, passive design needs to be paired with other active systems, so as to achieve the desired level of comfort.

For heating, the screed hydronic slab heating system (open) was chosen. This would be powered by the energy generated by the solar panels and the CO2 heat pumps.

There will be 4 main thermostats, one located in each zone.

Screed Hydronic Slab Heating System (Open)

Zone 1- Living room, Kitchen and Dining This zone is heavily exposed to the sun as it faces the north. To prevent overheating, a separate thermostat is to be used.

Screed hydronic slab heating is where pipes, carrying heated water, are fastened onto an insulation pipe positioning board, in a snake-like fashion. The board is sandwiched between the ground floor concrete slab and a thick concrete screed (where the tiled flooring is laid onto). This allows heat to radiate through the home providing a high level of comfort.

Zone 2 and 3 - Bedroom 1 and 2 respectively.

The bedrooms facing the west are often warmer than the master bedroom but cooler than the living room, dining and kitchen. Thus, a separate thermostat is to be used so as to allow the bedrooms to achieve the desired level of comfort.

Zone 4- Master Bedroom The master bedroom faces the south which would be rather cold during the winter as compared to the rest of the house. To ensure that the master bedroom stays warm without heating up the rest of the house, a separate thermostat would be used.

Comparing it with other systems Unlike the ducted system or the split system, the hydronic slab heating system transmits radiant heat, through the floor. As this one storey house has high ceilings, it would take more time for the heated air produced by the ducted system or the split system to reach the ground and warm the occupants up. Thus, a hydronic slab heating system would be more suitable. In addition, water coupled with concrete proves to be better conductor of heat as opposed to air, thus allows heat to be transferred more efficiently.

HWS HWS

How it works: In the room 1. The thermostat detects a decrease in room temperature and switches the heating system on.

Evacuated tubes

Ducted and split system

Hydronic slab heating system

Screed hydronic slab heating system was chosen over the conventional hydronic slab heating system because of its efficiency. It takes around 6 hours for screed hydronic heating to warm up the home, whereas the conventional system takes up 12-16 hours. With a quicker response time, the occupants could lower the temperature over night, which allows energy to be used more efficiently.

Benefits and satisfying the needs of the client The open system was chosen and this refers to a situation where the hot water tank supplies heated water for both domestic use and floor heating. Despite the higher capital cost, having the hot water pipes pass through the floor before reaching the faucets increases energy efficiency. This is because the same hot water is used to heat the floor and provide hot water for the faucets simultaneously. These long run cost savings could be used to compensate for the high installation costs. This is worth the investment because the Mee family plans to stay in this home permanently.

Furthermore, due to the Mee family’s preference for screed hydronic slab heating system, this form of hot water system was chosen.

Porcelain tiles were selected because they are good conductors of heat. This increases the efficiency of the screed hydronic slab heating system.

2. The cold water feed introduces water into the storage tank.

3. The water is being pumped up to the evacuated tubes located at the roof to get heated up 4. By gravity, the heated water runs down through the pipe, back into the water storage tank.

5. If the heated water does not reach the desired temperature, the heat pump unit would be engaged.

CO2 heat pump 6. The fan in the heat pump unit forces atmospheric air through an ozone-friendly C02 refrigerant, allowing the heat to be absorbed.

7. The heated refrigerant would then be passed to the electrically powered compressor. This heat causes the pressure and temperature to increase.

8. Subsequently, the heated refrigerant reaches the heat exchanger, where the water would be heated up to 50 degrees celsius and pumped to the hot water storage tank.

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Furthermore, the heated air (split system or the ducted system) could cause the paintings to deteriorate at faster rate. Thus, the screed hydronic slab heating system was chosen over the others.

The hydronic panels take up a significant amount of wall space, which could reduce the size and amount of paintings Mrs Mee could hang up.

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ZONE 2

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ZONE 3

In the room 9. Hot water is pumped to a manifold which would be distributed to the circuits of pipes under the concrete screed.

10. The heat from the water is subsequently transferred to the stone tiles through the concrete slab by conduction.

11. The same heated water would then be directed to the kitchen or the toilet if the facuets are turned on.

12. The remaining water circulates back to the heating unit to be reheated

The screed hydronic slab heating system (open) releases radiant heat, which helps maintain a low and fresh air temperature. This form of healthy heat could provide more comfort for Mrs Mee who spends most of her time at home.

In addition, in comparison to the ducted system, less air and dust would be circulated around the house. This form of heating poses less health risks, thus would be far more suitable for Mrs Mee and Melissa’s lung condition. Furthermore, with ducted heating or the split system, Melanie’s skin could dry out more easily.

ZONE 1

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ZONE 4

Reasons for selecting evacuated tubes Despite being more expensive than the flat plate, it is more efficient.

Absorbing maximum solar energy is crucial because the heated water serves two very important purposes: heating and hot water supply. If the building fails to deliver these two purposes, the building would fail to function.

Furthermore, it has a lower risk of damage from freezing. As Melbourne has a medium to high diurnal temperature range, freezing is a concern.

The Mee family would have spent a significant amount of money on the screed hydronic slab heating system, thus could not afford for the system to fail due to undesirable weather that could have been avoided.

Legend

Reasons for selecting a CO2 heat pump Similar to a booster, the heat pump provides heated water when it does not reach the desired temperature. This allows the screed hydronic slab heating system to continuously function even when there is a lack of daylight, especially during winter.

HWS

Decoupled hot water tank Potable water from the grid to faucets Potable water from the grid to slab heating Hot water for slab heating Cold water after slab heating Hot water to faucets from hot water tank

Lastly, it is cheaper to repair, which is more economical.

Cold water to hot water tank from slab

One way valve

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Pump

Thermostat Shut off valve

M NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

7. HEATING

Cooling Similarly, with Melbourne’s medium to high diurnal temperature range, passive design needs to be paired with other active systems, so as to achieve the desired level of comfort.

For cooling, portable evaporative coolers were chosen.

Portable Evaporative Coolers

In a nutshell, the way the portable evaporative coolers function is similar to how our body releases perspiration to cool off. Hot air is taken in by the machine and is passed through an evaporative pad that is saturated with water. Other than removing the impurities, it lowers the air temperature by evaporating the water within the pads. Subsequently, the cooled, filtered and ‘hydrated air’ is distributed within the building.

Comparing it with other systems

Unlike the traditional ducted and split system, the portable evaporative cooler releases fresh and clean air that has been filtered. The ducted and the split system relies on recirculating the existing air, which can cause even more dust particles and air impurities to be pushed around the house. This can pose certain heath risks for Mrs Mee and Melissa Benefits and satisfying the client’s needs

The evaporative cooler releases fresh and clean air that has been filtered. This form of cooling is healthier, therefore would be far more suitable for Mrs Mee and Melissa’s weak lung condition.

In addition, the portable evaporative cooler adds moisture to the released air and cools the house via evaporation. This is very suitable in the case of Melbourne where summers are hot and dry. The moisture could also prevent Melanie’s dry skin condition from worsening. It could also be beneficial for Mrs Mee and Melissa’s weak lung condition.

Legend

Moreover unlike fans , they do not disturb the layout of the ceilings and light spread. They are also non-intrusive thus could be moved around to different parts of the house. The many windows in the house could also improve the efficiency of this cooler.

Portable evaporative cooler

Airflow through ventilation

As compared to air conditioners, evaporative coolers also release lower levels of CO2 and are more energy efficient. It is also more environmentally-friendly which is crucial for Mr Mee who has a heavy stand on preserving the environment.

Rainwater garden

Lastly, they have low capital and operational cost. They do not require anything more than minimal maintenance. This cost-saving could be used to offset the high cost that was used to install the screed hydronic heating system.

Zoning Zoning is possible with portable evaporative coolers.

During the summer, there are many windows located around the house to help with ventilation, that may in one way or another cool the house. In addition, with the clerestory window located on the perpendicular side of the north roof, stacked ventilation could take place. This further cools the house. (discussed under ‘Passive’). Thus there is not much of a need to cool the house. Nonetheless, on the hotter and dryer summer days, portable evaporative coolers could be coupled with these windows to allow hot air from the outside to be filtered and cooled. This allows for the release of clean air.

As cooling might not be needed at all areas, a portable evaporative cooler would be useful. Its flexibility allows for different places to be cooled when the existing temperature is not ideal.

How it works 1. The evaporative cooler absorbs hot and dry air.

2. The hot and dry air passes through and evaporative pad that is saturated in water.

3. The now ‘hydrated’ air is being pushed through a blower.

4. The blower disperses cool and refreshing air to the surroundings.

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

North

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

South Section of house

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

The Mee family could have 2 portable evaporative coolers. One would be shared between the bedrooms of Melissa and Melanie. This is because their rooms are situated at the west which receives the afternoon sun, that could be quite uncomfortable especially during the hot and dry summer days. The other would be mainly used in the living room. This area has the largest number of openings, thus could improve the efficiency of the evaporative cooler. This area also faces the north which (based on the wind rose diagram) receives frequent breezes.

This too could improve the efficiency of the evaporative cooler.

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

8. COOLING

Design for Resilience Solution to heat waves With the increasingly unpredictable weather, there is a high risk of droughts, power outrages and heatwaves.

Solution to droughts Unfortunately, the house for the Mee family is heavily dependent on water. This could be seen from the use of the screed hydronic slab heating system and the koi pond used for thermal mass. Currently, some implementations have been made so as to store and conserve water. This is through the use of the rainwater tank and grey water tank. Nonetheless, there are still some constraints to these two methods.

The rainwater tank is small and is mainly supplied to the koi pond. On the other hand, for the case of the stormwater tank, it has a short ‘lifespan’ in a sense that grey water becomes blackwater within 24 hours.

With the lack of adequate space, installing a brand new blackwater system is also not viable option.

Solution to Power Outrages Benefits

Currently, all the exterior walls of the houses are made of autoclaved aerated concrete. Concrete, a form of thermal mass, is effective in cooling the house depending on its facing. It could also intensify the effects of heatwaves. In the case of the koi pond, it does not receive direct exposure from the sun as it is located to the south of the compound. During the hotter summer nights, passive cooling could also take place to reduce the effects of the heat waves.

Active systems and in house amendments With the large number of openings to the north, one possible solution is to install insulated external shutters. This acts as a barrier against heatwaves. This could be accompanied with the additional use of evaporative coolers.

Currently, polycrystalline photovoltaic panels and gas pumps are used. These renewable forms of energy are also stored in a Tesla Powerwall for future use. But with this in place, a central inverter has to be used. One drawback is that the whole system is succeptible to failure if one out of the many photovoltaic panels is damaged. Even though electricity could still be obtained from the grid, these repercussions are disastrous as it could cause the building to function less efficiently. In addition, with failure, the long run benefits,that were meant to be achieved with the invested renewable energy cost, turns into cost. Thus the house would be increasing the long run cost whilst decreasing energy efficiency.

There are no direct solutions to completely alleviate this problem.

Instead, spreading dependency on different renewable sources could be done.

Wind turbines Installing wind turbines is one viable option. Wind turbines work by converting wind energy to kinetic energy and subsequently electrical energy for use.

Increasing the number of rainwater tanks

How it works

One possible solution is to install more rainwater tanks.

1. Wind, containing kinetic energy, passes through the blades of the turbines.

2. The blades of the turbine to rotate. This motion is the result of wind losing some of its kinetic energy to the blades. This too cause the central drive shaft to rotate.

3. Pitch control occurs her where the blades moves around the hub at the front so as to receive wind energy at the best angle.

The gearbox converts the slow rotation of the drive shaft into a higher speed rotation that is used to activate the generator.

4. The generator receives this kinetic energy and converts it to electrical energy for consumption.

External shuttlers

How it works This was discussed earlier under “Water and Gas Supply”.

Benefits Between rainwater and grey water, rainwater could be stored for a longer period of time. Thus increasing the number of rainwater tanks within the compound could help resolve the issue of droughts to a certain extent.

Disadvantages

Underground home Underground homes could also be built. They are well shaded spaces that are highly insulated. They have little to no windows which could protect individuals from the heatwave.

Advantages

One of the main advantages of wind turbines is that they are also environmentally friendly in a way that it does not release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This reduces its contribution to acid rain, which increases the quality of the rainwater that is harvested. It is also sustainable in a way that it does not consume finite resources, thus lower running cost would be incurred. This could offset the high capital cost to install all the different systems in their house such as the solar hot water system, screed hydronic slab heating system, etc. In addition, the long run cost would be lower as well, assuming that the Mee family would stay here permanently.

Disadvantages Some other concerns could be the large area of land it takes up. From the site plan, it could be seen that there are some remaining land to the north. Installing wind turbines at that area would also increase its effectiveness as most of the winds come from the north during both summer and winter.

It also provides a safety space in the case of fire and other natural disasters.

Disadvantages

Some concerns could be related to the large space it takes up. To resolve this issue, a portion of the rain garden could be removed to make way for more rainwater tanks. This would not affect the effectiveness of the rain garden to a huge extent as during the drought, the plants in the rain garden are likely to have withered. The soil would have also lost its filtering capabilities. Thus, removing a portion of the rain garden for the installation of another rainwater tank is a viable option.

However proper planning and maintenance is required. A well designed ventilation system is also needed for the space to function efficiently.

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/windturbines.html

Underground homes

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

SCALE: 1:100 @A3

9. DESIGN FOR RESILIENCE

Project Information

Walls

Mode

New Home

Type

Climate

21 Melbourne RO

AAC Block

Exposure

Suburban

Client Name

Mee

Rated Address

Kew

Type

Accredited Rater

Melissa Chong

Date

1 August 2017

CSOG:Sla b on ground

4.0

Insulation

Energy (MJ/m2)

Area (m2)

2.8 encl

Type

Total

46.4

Heating

28.2

Cooling

18.2

Areas

95.3

Net Conditioned Floor Area (NCFA)

84.9

Unconditioned Room Area

10.4

Garage Area

4.1

48.4

Window Direction Area (m2)

W

Size (m2)

Area

Area (m2)

Insulation

Disc:AtticDiscontinuous

Direction

Direction

7.1 N

Area (m2)

Direction

15.1 E

Area (m2)

Direction

5.4 S

Area (m2) 0.7

Windows

0.0

Type

Zones Area (m2)

Heating (MJ/m2)

Total Heating (MJ)

Cooling (MJ/m2)

Total Cooling (MJ)

46.9

23.0

1076.0

31.9

1496.2

Bedroom 1

9.6

48.4

463.6

7.4

71.2

Bedroom 2

9.3

50.2

462.7

16.6

153.6

10.2

50.5

509.9

23.1

234.3

Ensuite

4.8

0

0

0

0

Bathroom

5.7

0

0

0

0

Laundry

3.9

95.2

370.6

0.0

0.0

Corridor

5.1

37.6

193.4

5.5

28.2

Master Bedroom

Ventilation

Roof/Ceiling

Mode

Kitchen/Living

126.5

Floors

Energy Usage

Zone

Area (m2)

Insulation

NAME : MELISSA CHONG STUDENT NUMBER: 864703

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SYSTEMS ASSIGNMENT 1

U-value

Area (m2)

SHGC

TIM-003-01 W: Timber A DG Air Fill Clear-Clear

3.00

0.48

27.68

TIM-003-04 W: Timber A DG Air Fil Low Solar gain low-E Clear

2.30

0.19

0.74

Final Star Rating: 8.2

TUTOR : CATHERINE PUSEY

10. FIRST RATE ENERGY ASSESSMENT