Hadi Zohouri Khosrowshahi - Lecturer, Department of Architecture, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran,
Mohammad Bager Zohouri Khosrowshahi - Master of Civil, Department of Civil, Shabestar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shabestar, Iran,

Buildings, as they are designed and used today, contribute to serious environmental problems because of excessive consumption of energy and other natural resources. The close connection between energy use in buildings and environmental damage arises because energy intensive solutions sought to construct a building and meet its demands for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting cause severe depletion of invaluable environmental resources. However, buildings can be designed to meet occupant’s need for thermal and visual comfort at reduced levels energy and resources consumption. Energy resource efficiency in new constructions can be effected by adopting an integrated approach to building design. Passive systems provide thermal and visual comfort by using natural energy sources and sinks e.g. solar radiation, outside air, sky, wet surfaces, vegetation, internal gains etc. Energy flows in these systems are by natural means such as by radiation, conduction, convection with minimal or no use of mechanical means. Technology available today can achieve dramatic improvements in building energy efficiency. The challenge in this first phase has been to understand those impediments. In the next phase the project will explore ways to overcome them and develop a roadmap with practical measures that businesses can implement. The building industry and the market are highly complex. Different approaches will be needed for different segments and sub-sectors. Each sub-sector (e.g., offices, hospitals, retail, apartments, detached houses) may have its own particular characteristics, and the project will develop sector-specific analysis in the next phase. At this stage the conclusions are concerned with the building market as a whole. There are three important key elements to achieving sustainable energy in architecture and building. To use less energy, to make more energy (locally), to share surplus energy (through an intelligent grid).The most significant, long-term gains will come from using less energy. Thus in brief, an energy efficient building balances all aspects of energy use in a building: lighting, space-conditioning and ventilation, by providing an optimised mix of passive solar design strategies, energy-efficient equipments and renewable sources of energy. Use of materials with low embodied energy also form a major component in energy-efficient building design.

Building, Architecture, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Design