Designing Holistic Zero Energy Homes in Denmark

Designing zero-energy buildings (ZEB) is a complex but no longer an infeasible task, which has also been illustrated through several demonstration projects with buildings that produce as much energy as they use on a yearly basis. The key issue is to design the buildings with a very low energy demand and let the energy demand be covered by renewable energy sources. However, designing ZEBs is still not common practice, and in order to gain further currency, we need to address the problem of how to bridge the gap between theory and practice, including how new knowledge gained through demonstration projects and research can be made more applicable for practice.
This paper presents the development and objectives of a booklet entitled “Zero Energy Buildings – Design Principles and Built Examples for Detached Houses” which is a design guide that communicate research on ZEB to practicing architects and engineers, with a long-term perspective heading towards 2020-35 building design. The project is part of the Danish Strategic Research Centre for Zero Energy Buildings.
The design guide clarifies and articulates design strategies and technologies of vital importance for reaching a successful and holistic ZEB, including making visible the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork in an integrated design process. This paper presents the development of the design guide and outlines as an example of the content, different design options and appurtenant qualities/challenges related to building-integrated renewable energy sources in ZEB, in this case solar cells.