Topology optimization of thermally activated building system in high-rise building

The building sector accounts for nearly 1/3 of global energy end-use and associated carbon emissions. Fulfilling buildings' thermal demand in an efficient way is critical for decarbonizing the building sector. Therefore, this paper introduces the thermally activated building system (TABS) as an energy retrofit solution. A TABS floor-byfloor return water temperature control approach is proposed to reduce buildings' energy use and carbon emissions. The approach includes the topology optimization of TABS and flow control. The bypass pipe connections of the TABS to each floor, namely, the floor-by-floor pipe network topology, have been optimized by using genetic algorithms to achieve the lowest total cost. A case study of a high-rise building located in Beijing demonstrates that the proposed approach can improve the system's energy efficiency compared to the conventional TABS without optimization. The reduction of energy cost can be up to 11.21% with a 13.53% annual emission reduction. In general, the proposed TABS floor-by-floor return water temperature control approach can significantly improve the building efficiency comprehensively, therefore can be considered as a promising energy retrofit solution for the decarbonization of high-rise buildings.

Automated summary

The building sector is responsible for nearly 1/3 of global energy end-use and associated carbon emissions. Achieving efficient fulfillment of buildings' thermal demand is crucial for decarbonizing the sector. This paper introduces thermal activated building system (TABS) as an energy retrofit solution, proposing a floor-by-floor return water temperature control approach to reduce energy use and emissions. The approach optimizes the TABS topology and flow control, resulting in improved energy efficiency and cost reduction.