A review on the applicability of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs) in Turkey

Today, with technological developments and population growth, the demand for energy is increasing. The depletion of fossil-based energy sources and the environmental problems it causes have made it necessary to reduce the use of these energy sources, especially in the building sector. There are many legal regulations for reducing energy consumption in buildings. The concept of nZEBs (Near Zero Energy Buildings), which is included in these regulations, is mostly applied to new buildings. However, considering that the existing buildings will constitute a significant part of the building stock in the coming years, it is extremely important to reduce the energy consumption of these buildings. For this study, aTOKİ residence located in Ankara was chosen as a sample building. The nZEB design strategies applied to the selected building were determined by analyzing the sample buildings defined as nZEB in the world. After the design strategies were determined, the necessary criteria were calculated on the selected reference building model by using the DesignBuilder energy simulation program. In the application study, an apartment in the selected TOKİ building was considered. The design strategies that can be changed in the apartment without demolition are focused and the efficiency that can be obtained by applying photovoltaic panels to the glass systems, thermal insulation thickness, and wall surfaces has been calculated. A total of 108 scenarios were simulated. It has been observed how close each scenario can be to the nZEB compared to the reference scenario. When the results are examined, a decrease of approximately 15-18 kWh/m2 and 3% - 4% in total energy consumption has been noticed compared to the reference scenario (reference building)