Performance Evaluation for Zero Energy Houses Under Iraq/Basra Conditions

The demand for electricity during the summer increases sharply due to the widespread use of air conditioning systems, and on the other hand, hydrocarbon refrigerants used in conventional cooling systems cause significant damage to the ozone layer in the atmosphere. Reducing dependence on electric energy and reducing environmental pollution has become very important, especially in hot areas such as Basra city - Iraq. This study deals with the Zero Energy House (ZEH) performance evaluation of a building model. The analysis methods include: The SketchUp software for a virtual private housing building is built for the Basra city. The air conditioning system worked by a solar-powered absorption unit. The modeling and simulation of a single-stage absorption refrigeration circuit using a solution of water and lithium bromide as a working pair. TRNSYS and Sketchup software were used to build the required home system. The results showed the effect of solar energy systems in providing thermal energy for possible absorption systems with the availability of conditions such as open roofs of houses or empty spaces for apartments, and also that the temperature that can be provided in summer ranges from 20 ºC to 28 ºC, which is sufficient to some extent to provide thermal comfort. Moreover, the result show that the optime temperature of the hot water supply to absorption system from 60 ºC to 80 ºC on hot days in the Basra city.