Analysis and design of innovative systems for low-exergy in the built environment - EU Cost Action C24 - COSTeXergy

In buildings, high-grade energy is often used in heating, cooling and ventilation systems to meet low-grade heat demands, resulting in a mismatch between the quality levels of energy supply and end-use. Exergy is a thermodynamic concept which is useful for quantifying the mismatch between the low quality of heat required in buildings, and the high quality level of electricity and fossil fuels often used in heat supply systems. Application of exergy analysis to the built environment is likely to favour systems supplying and utilising low-grade thermal energy, and hence to support thermally neutral buildings. Exergy also provides a thermodynamic basis for developing sustainability indicators for construction, considering materials and energy through the entire life cycle of buildings. The main objective of Cost Action C24-CosteXergy is to broadly disseminate new knowledge and practical design-support instruments that can facilitate practical application of the exergy concept to the built environment. This action addresses demand and supply aspects of the exergy chain in the built environment, including renewable energy supply and human thermal comfort. In addition to a dissemination plan, the action has three Work Packages, each related to one of the following working objectives: O1. definition of the practical applicability of exergy analysis to the built environment, particularly in support of wider Renewable Energy Sources (RES) deployment, and increase in the awareness and commitment of industrial players to the exergy concept; O2. use of insights from exergy analysis to identify and develop innovative concepts and assess their potential to contribute to a substantially more effective energy resource utilisation in the built environment, including a wider RES deployment; O3. generation of innovative insights into the interaction between human body and indoor environment.