Feasibility Study and Design of Smart Low-Energy Building Electrical ‎Installations (Case Study: Isfahan University, Virtual Faculty Building)

Abstract

Buildings, particularly office buildings, are major energy consumers and sources of CO₂ ‎emissions, contributing to around one-third of global energy consumption. As a result, energy ‎consumption optimization regulations and the deployment of renewable energy technology in the ‎construction sector has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon ‎emissions. This paper describes a comprehensive study on the technical feasibility and design of ‎the electrical equipment of the Isfahan University virtual faculty building project in accordance ‎with Iran's standards and guidelines of low-energy buildings (mostly chapter 19 of the Iranian ‎National Building Regulations). In this case study, relevant designs and calculations were presented in order to accomplish the ‎low-energy construction goals for various portions of the project. The photovoltaic system on the ‎roof provides a part of the building's energy, and the KNX protocol was used to operate the ‎lighting management system, the cooling and heating systems, and to enable intelligent ‎energy management. As a result, the consumption of the lighting system using high-efficiency ‎LED panels is less than 11 W/m². In order to ensure safety requirements, the main bonding system ‎and ground electrode were designed in accordance with the site characteristics and standard ‎criteria. Low-loss transformers are utilized to power the facility, and a soft starter, a multi-speed ‎control, and a start-up system are used in the utility room. To achieve a minimum power factor ‎of 0.94, a capacitor bank equipped with detuned reactors is employed for reactive power ‎compensation. This paper focuses on the details of this design and the resulting ‎experiences‎.