Monitoring and Assessment of Net Zero Energy Home and Net Zero Energy Ready Home

The project involves monitoring and evaluating the energy performance of two houses built by a mainstream builder – one Net Zero Energy (NZE) and one Net Zero Ready (NZR). Both have advanced zoned variable-capacity air source heat pump systems (ASHPs), heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) and drain water heat recovery. The NZE house has a Photovoltaic (PV) grid-tied/battery system. Objectives are to assess energy and comfort performance and to identify options for optimizing performance. A key issue is how to optimize the way ASHP, HPWH and PV systems work together, in order to minimize peak electricity demand, maximize efficiency and environmental benefits, and minimize costs to builders, homeowners and utilities. Performance will be modelled in TRNSYS and a user interface refined to enable researchers and industry to simulate different NZE approaches and identify optimum strategies. The project is related to the intern’s field of study and will provide valuable experience monitoring and modelling real-world high-performance housing. It builds on research of the partner organization and its industry partners.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alan Fung

Student:

Partner:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (Vaughan, ON)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: