Zero-energy log house - Future concept for an energy efficient building in the Nordic conditions

The current target to decrease the energy consumption of buildings is important as the residential sector consumes a significant part of the energy over the energy chain. Another driver is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle global warming. Renewable energy sources and technical solutions should play the main role in this pursuit. In this paper, a zero-energy log house in southern Finland is analyzed in detail. The analysis consists of the design, construction, and practical use during the years 2017-2019. The objective of the study is to show that a highly energy efficient log house can be achieved in Nordic conditions without additional insulation by utilizing renewable energy sources and energy technical solutions. The energy efficiency of the house is clearly higher than defined in the national nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) regulations. The house has a plus energy classification and carbon negative emissions for the energy. The operational cost of electricity is on both sides of zero. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.