Building Service Engineering Module 2 addresses the subject areas of building heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning, with the integration of regenerative energy systems elucidated for each area. For example, heating technology explores the reduction of green-house gas (GHG) emissions through the integration of solar thermal energy, heat pump technology and combined heat and power plants. In ventilation technology, the topics of GHG reduction are discussed with reference to building airtightness and heat recovery in ventilation systems. Night ventilation is presented as a useful method in cooling and air conditioning technology to reduce power demand. Technical and conceptual knowledge of electricity generation with photovoltaics and storage technologies for zero and plus energy buildings is developed.
There are also a number of laboratory exercises with three regenerative energy system experiments: in addition to a solar thermal experiment, students also complete exercises on a heat pump system experiment and a photovoltaic storage experiment as part of their curriculum.
In the Technical Building Services and Energy Consulting Module students work in groups to develop concepts for a self-sufficient micro-building (Tiny Studios). The building’s interaction with storage systems and hull structures must be optimal in all technical building service areas (from plumbing to heating) to enable the mathematical modelling of a zero-energy building. In addition, social sustainability aspects are addressed in building design (topics: type of use, preferred temperatures (rebound effects) and living in smallest square footage (sufficiency). In the “Focus on Technical Building Equipment” core elective, students create a building information model (BIM) applied to buildings with renewable energy systems. These are imaged and analyzed primarily in the area of technical building services [TGA].
The objective is to use the findings of “Technical Building Services and Energy Consulting” module for the realization of two Tiny Studios to be built on campus. This will enable students to enhance the theoretical knowledge outlined above in planning, construction and operation by combining it with hands-on experience. Various experts from Faculties 1 and 2 are involved in the project to lend support.