Building energy system

Abstract

There is disclosed a building energy system comprising a building enclosure having an interior and exterior. The building enclosure comprises an insulated building envelope that incorporates perimeter windows with a centre-of-glass R-value of R-4 or higher, at least one upper exhaust outlet and at least one lower supply intake that connect to the exterior of the building enclosure, and at least one central space that is connected to the lower supply intake and one or more perimeter rooms located adjacent to the central space. Each perimeter room comprises one or more lower wall vents that connect to the central space, and one or more upper vents connected to the upper exhaust outlet. The upper exhaust outlet incorporates a regulator to minimize ventilation air heat loss while maintaining indoor air quality. The regulator may comprise an automated damper and a motorized fan selectively operated based at least in part on measurements of air pollution contaminants. There is also provided a variable solar control window panel comprising coating or coatings on a number of possible glazing surfaces of a multiple glazed window. The coating or coatings comprises thin film multi-layer optical interference filters configured to selectively block solar radiation in depending upon an incidence angle of sunlight on the glazing surface.

1 . A building energy system comprising:
 a building enclosure having an interior and exterior, and comprising:
 an insulated building envelope that incorporates perimeter windows with a centre-of-glass R-value of R-4 or higher; 
 at least one upper exhaust outlet and at least one lower supply intake that connect to the exterior of the building enclosure; and 
 at least one central space that is connected to said lower supply intake and one or more perimeter rooms located adjacent to said central space, wherein each of said perimeter room comprises:
 one or more lower wall vents that connect to said central space; and 
 one or more upper vents connected to said upper exhaust outlet, wherein said upper exhaust outlet incorporates a regulator to minimize ventilation air heat loss while maintaining indoor air quality. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein said regulator comprises an automated damper and a motorized fan that are selectively operated based at least in part on measurements of air pollutants. 
     
     
         3 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein said lower supply intake comprises a motorized intake fan selectively controlled to provide for generally balanced air pressure conditions within said building enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein said building enclosure comprises two or more levels and wherein said central space is continuous at least in part between said two or more levels. 
     
     
         5 . The building energy system of  claim 4  wherein said central space comprises an open staircase. 
     
     
         6 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein one or more upper vents is connected to said at least one upper exhaust outlet via a duct that is separated off from said central space. 
     
     
         7 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein any of said one or more lower wall vents is a gap between a floor and a door wherein said gap connects said central space with one of said perimeter rooms. 
     
     
         8 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein pollutants generated in any of said perimeter rooms can be vented to the exterior of the building enclosure with the assistance of separate exhaust fans that are controlled by occupants of said perimeter room. 
     
     
         9 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein during a heating season a continuous piped loop, two air-to-liquid heat exchangers and a motorized pump with control system selectively pre-heat in-coming air at the lower supply intake using waste heat from out-going air at the upper exhaust outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein during a heating season, a continuous piped loop, an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a motorized pump with control system selectively preheat incoming air at the lower supply intake using ground heat. 
     
     
         11 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein during a heating season, a continuous piped loop, a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, a hot water storage tank and a motorized pump with a control system heat ventilation air to minimum acceptable comfort temperatures. 
     
     
         12 . The building energy system of  claim 11  wherein domestic hot water is supplied from said hot water storage tank. 
     
     
         13 . The building energy system of  claim 11  wherein said hot water storage tank is heated at least in part using renewable energy sources including solar thermal or biomass fuel. 
     
     
         14 . The building energy system of  claim 11  wherein said hot water tank is heated at least in part using a heat recovery piped heat exchanger attached to a flue pipe of a biomass combustion device. 
     
     
         15 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein during a cooling season, incoming air at the lower supply intake is cooled by a seasonally stored cooling source. 
     
     
         16 . The building energy system of  claim 15  wherein during a cooling season, the incoming air that enters through said lower supply intake has a high relative humidity, and said high relative humidity is lowered using a dehumidifier. 
     
     
         17 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of one or more perimeter rooms is heated by a radiant heat source. 
     
     
         18 . The building energy system of  claim 17  wherein said radiant heat source comprises infrared light bulbs controlled by occupants of said perimeter room. 
     
     
         19 . The building energy system of  claim 17  wherein said radiant heat sources comprises hydronic panels or radiators. 
     
     
         20 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein said perimeter windows are triple glazed windows comprising three glazed substrates having an ultra low-emissivity coating on glazing surface five, and a second low-e coating on either glazing surface two or three, whereby said glazing surfaces are numbered from the exterior to the interior. 
     
     
         21 . The building energy system of  claim 20  wherein the emissivity of said ultra low-emissivity coating is 0.03 or less. 
     
     
         22 . The building energy system of  claim 20  wherein said triple glazed windows comprise a vacuum double glazed unit located adjacent to the interior of said building enclosure. 
     
     
         23 . The building energy system of  claim 20 , wherein said triple glazed windows are located on a south facing elevation of a building enclosure and wherein use of a seasonal solar control device prevents excess solar gains during a cooling season. 
     
     
         24 . The building energy system of  claim 20  wherein said triple glazed windows are rotatable such that:
 during a heating season said ultra low-emissivity coating on glazing surface five is a solar control coating; and   during a cooling season, said solar control coating is repositioned onto a renumbered glazing surface two.   
     
     
         25 . The building energy system of  claim 1  wherein said perimeter windows comprise:
 an existing single glazed window; and   a removable multi-layer glazing panel having a solar control low-emissivity coating wherein said panel is rotatable such that said solar control coating is on surface two during a cooling season whereby said glazing surfaces are numbered from the exterior to the interior.   
     
     
         26 . A regulator for minimizing ventilation air heat loss while maintaining indoor air quality, wherein said regulator comprises an automated damper and a motorized fan selectively operated based at least in part on measurements of air pollution contaminants, and whereby:
 said ventilation air is supplied to an insulated building enclosure having windows with a center-of-glass R-value of R-4 or higher;   said building enclosure comprises a lower supply ventilation air intake separated vertically apart from an upper exhaust ventilation air outlet; and   said upper exhaust ventilation air outlet incorporates said regulator.   
     
     
         27 . The regulator of  claim 26  wherein said automated damper is fabricated at least in part from low-conductive materials comprising fiberglass pultrusions. 
     
     
         28 . A variable solar control window panel for a building energy system comprising a building enclosure having an interior and exterior, wherein said panel comprises a coating on glazing surface one or two, or on surfaces one and two of an exterior glazing substrate of multiple glazed window, wherein said coating or coatings comprises thin film multi-layer optical interference filters configured to selectively block solar radiation in depending upon an incidence angle of sunlight on said glazing surface. 
     
     
         29 . The variable solar control window panel of  claim 28  wherein said coating or coatings is installed on a suitably oriented south facing window in a building enclosure located between latitudes 30 degrees and 55 degrees in the northern hemisphere. 
     
     
         30 . The variable solar control window panel of  claim 28  wherein the seasonal reduction of direct solar radiation transmission substantially starts at an incidence angle of about 50 degrees and reaches a majority of required reduction at an incidence angle of about 60 degrees. 
     
     
         31 . The variable solar control window panel of  claim 28  wherein said panel comprises first and second glazing substrates spaced apart and sealed around a perimeter edge, wherein said coating or coatings is located on a glazing substrate that is adjacent to the exterior of said building enclosure and wherein an ultra low-emissivity coating is located on a cavity face of the second glazing substrate adjacent to the interior of said building enclosure. 
     
     
         32 . The variable solar control window panel of  claim 28  wherein said glazing panel comprises three glazing substrates spaced apart and sealed around a perimeter edge, wherein said coating or coatings is located on a glazing substrate located adjacent to the exterior of the building enclosure and wherein an ultra low-emissivity coating is located on a cavity face of a glazing substrate that is located adjacent to the interior of said building enclosure.