Heating and Cooling with Focus on Increased Energy Efficiency and Improved Comfort: Guidebook to IEAAAA ECBCS Annex 37 Low Exergy Systems for Heating and Cooling of Buildings: Summary Report

This Summary Report summarises and presents the contents of the Guidebook, which is included here in CD-ROM format. The Guidebook is meant to help engineering offices, consultants and architects in their search for energy efficient heating and cooling systems that can provide the occupants with comfortable, clean and healthy environment. In addition, some background information is offered for real estate builders, building maintenance managers, political decision makers and the public at large. The Guidebook is available as a CD-rom version and also freely available on the internet (http://www.lowex.net/). Exergy defines the quality of energy and is an important tool for designing and assessing different heating and cooling systems. In Annex 37, 'low exergy(LowEx) systems' are defined as heating or cooling systems that allow the use of low valued energy as the energy source. In practice, this means systems that provide heating or cooling energy at a temperature close to room temperature. Low temperature heating systems or high temperature cooling systems that are suitable for office buildings, service buildings and residential buildings, can use a variety of fuels and renewable energy sources. These systems use energy efficiently while providing a comfortable indoor climate. They should be widely implemented now in order to create possibility to use sustainable energy sources in the near future.