Low Energy Building

This course will show how simple scientific principles affect buildings, and how insulation, airtightness and good windows can lead to houses with very low energy consumption. We will see how the addition of solar power can make buildings that produce energy. We will look at low-energy buildings around the world, including the German Passivhaus standard. We will also consider the design process, including compromise, optimization and guesstimates.

Environment, Physics, Architecture, Energy Conservation, Thermodynamics, Solar Power Generation, Group Work, Report Feedback

1. What is a low-energy building?
2. What is energy?
3. Insulation and thermal envelopes
4. Why do we feel hot or cold?
5. Compound insulation and thermal bridges
6. Air and water
7. Windows
8. Ventilation
9. Economics and ecology, embodied carbon and life cycle analysis
10. Windows 2.0
11. To zero energy and beyond: Buildings as solar generators
12. Energy standards and low-energy building around the world
13. Cultural differences in building
14. Presentations
15. Review

This plan may change to meet the needs of the class

Syllabus (Japanese site only)