Bangkok - Pursuit of Net Zero Energy Design Testing the Potential for A Prototype High-Rise Residential Mixed-Use Building Design

Amid growing concerns about rising energy prices, energy independence, and the impact of climate change, buildings are considered to be the primary energy consumer in the Metropolitan area of Bangkok, Thailand. This fact underscores the importance of targeting building energy use as a key to decreasing the country's energy consumption. The building sector can significantly reduce energy use by incorporating energy-efficient strategies into the design. It can further reduce dependence on fossil fuel derived energy by increasing use of onsite and off-site renewable energy sources. This comprehensive research project aims to pursue the Net Zero Energy (NZE) strategy that influences building performance and reduces it environmental impact. Challenged with an extreme climate of high humidity, heavy rain pour and low wind speed, the ultimate goal of the research is to design a prototypical net zero energy high-rise that reduces energy demand and satisfy internal thermal comfort. The key design approach is the integration and balance of solar energy technologies with natural ventilation strategies that will minimize energy demand and maximize renewable energy supply. The establishment of building performance criteria and energy benchmark is needed to become a baseline for prototypes that can be used for building design, energy performance target, and simulation modeling technique. Multiple research methodologies have been established and proven useful in this area of study, such as: the quantitative research methodology; whole building energy simulation; and computational fluid dynamic (CFD). The investigation for this research focuses on the design of a prototypical residential high-rise building that is about 40,000 m2 high. The design constraints common to metropolitan areas in Southeast Asia will be a major driving force for the design outcome, including the heat island effect and the obstructions to wind and sun. Setting up a benchmark plays an important role in pre-defining building performance. Much consideration will be given to both local and global policies, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Asian Green City Index (AGCI) and the Energy Efficiency Development Plan (EEDP). These benchmarks are established to measure the model’s proximity to the performance goals