Being the major energy consumer of electricity and natural gas, buildings consume more than 70% of electricity and 30% of natural gas. On the way to green buildings and zero energy buildings, investigation and improvement of energy efficiency of the buildings will result in significant reductions in energy demands and CO2 emissions / make cost savings and improve thermal comfort as well. Key steps of a successful green, energy efficient building can be summarized as whole building design, site design, building envelope design, lighting and day lighting design and HVAC system design. Energy Plus&reg / software is mainly developed to simulate the performance of the buildings in the view of the above listed points. The design of a building or the analysis of an existing building with the software will show how efficient the building is or will be, and also helps finding the best efficient choice of the whole building system. Thesis focuses on the effect of changes in building envelope properties. In Turkey, topic of green buildings has recently started to be studied. Therefore, this thesis aims to present efficient technologies providing energy savings in buildings, to present green building concept and alternative energy simulation software. In the context of this study, design, methods and material guidelines are introduced to reduce energy needs of buildings and to bring in the green building design concept. Building and system parameters to enhance building energy efficiency and energy savings together with green building principles are summarized. Moreover, whole building energy analysis methods and simulation steps are explained / year-round simulation is performed for a sample building / as a result, energy savings about 36% is achieved.

abstract: The building sector is responsible for consuming the largest proportional share of global material and energy resources. Some observers assert that buildings are the problem and the solution to climate change. It appears that in the United States a coherent national energy policy to encourage rapid building performance improvements is not imminent. In this environment, where many climate and ecological scientists believe we are running out of time to reverse the effects of anthropogenic climate change, a local grass-roots effort to create demonstration net zero-energy buildings (ZEB) appears necessary. This paper documents the process of designing a ZEB in a community with no existing documented ZEB precedent. The project will establish a framework for collecting design, performance, and financial data for use by architects, building scientists, and the community at large. This type of information may prove critical in order to foster a near-term local demand for net zero-energy buildings. / Dissertation/Thesis / Appendix M - Simulation and Weather Data / M.S. Built Environment 2014