Value Analysis of Building Energy Conservation Options

The purpose of this work was to determine the possible optimal cost effectiveness of various energy conservation options for new buildings in the local climate. The building energy analysis code Energy-10 was used for this purpose. Three types of savings have been evaluated: energy savings, operating cost savings, and Life-Cycle Cost (LCC) savings. To complete this study, a parametric analysis was performed on the influence on LCC savings due to variations of various individual components (including window characteristics, wall, floor, and roof constructions) and the whole-composite buildings. The initial part of the study focused on examining the impacts of individual components within the capabilities of Energy-10. For example, the impacts of a single window size, orientation, and construction were analyzed. While doing this, all of the other heat loss/heat gain paths were made negligible. Results of this aspect of the work were used to define a shorter list of components and building construction options to evaluate in the following composite-house studies. Then two general categories for the whole-composite buildings were evaluated to assist in analyzing the potential cost-effectiveness and benefits of buildings’ energy conservation options. In these studies, various energy cost escalation rates, economic life times, and replacement costs were considered. Building orientations relative the areal placement of fenestrations were also evaluated. Conclusions are given about combinations of construction elements that make the most economic sense for this rapidly growing population area. While Las Vegas climatic data are considered in this work, the conclusions are more generally applicable in the desert Southwest portion of the US.