NEARLY ZERO ENERGY WOOD CONSTRUCTION IN RURAL COLD REGIONS USING INNOVATIVE SOLAR SELECTIVE TROMBE WALL TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY IN XUZHOU, CHINA

ABSTRACT

A substantial amount of research has been conducted on nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs) in China; however, most studies primarily focused on buildings constructed with conventional materials such as reinforced concrete and masonry. This study delves into the required design strategies to achieve nearly zero energy rural houses in cold regions. It also explores methods to mitigate the summer overheating of Trombe walls, where a new rural wood-frame house in Xuzhou was the focal point of research. This study underscores that substantial reductions in energy consumption and enhancements in thermal comfort are achievable by improving the thermal insulation properties of exterior walls, implementing SST technology (Selective Solar Tunnel), and using natural ventilation. The study also effectively addresses the issue of summer overheating in Trombe walls. Additionally, an on-site photovoltaic system is used to provide electricity for the building's needs, which further reduces energy consumption. Simulations to evaluate the annual energy usage show that compared with the TW model and baseline model, the SST model exhibits a relative reduction of 87.43 kWh (4.6%) and 265.28 kWh (12.8%) for heating and 96.29 kWh (7.55%) and 10.63 kWh (0.89%) for cooling. The total energy consumption of the building is –42.53 kWh/m². This result conclusively demonstrates that rural wood-framed houses in Xuzhou, which are equipped with SST technology, can achieve nearly zero energy consumption.