ZeroBuild Journal

Economic Analysis of the Transformation of Natural Gas Meters in Smart Cities

2025-12-23T16:47:25+03:00

With the start of natural gas use in Türkiye, mechanical diaphragm meters were first used to measure consumption and are still widely used in Türkiye. However, mechanical failures, pressure losses and time-dependent aging occur in mechanical diaphragm meters due to friction inside the meter. This situation causes pressure losses and increased energy consumption during gas transmission and indirectly increases carbon emissions. However, since ultrasonic meters do not contain moving mechanical parts, they consume less energy and have a longer life. This feature reduces the carbon footprint that occurs during the production and operation process. In recent years, energy management, efficient use of resources and sustainability have come to the fore in smart cities around the world. A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic IoT sensors to collect data and then uses the information obtained from this data to manage assets, resources and services efficiently. It is known that the initial investment costs of smart ultrasonic meters are higher than mechanical diaphragm meters. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse which of the mechanical diaphragm and smart ultrasonic meters is more economical, taking into account the initial investment costs and other factors. This study aims to compare the two meter types by examining initial investment, operational costs, and economic performance over their lifecycle. The evaluation is based on (PV), (FV), (BCR) methodologies. Findings indicate that, despite their higher upfront costs, smart ultrasonic meters are economically more viable in the long term due to lower operational expenses and longer lifespan. According to the literature research, it has been understood that there is no study on the contribution of natural gas meters to the economy if used in Turkey. With the development of smart cities, it has been determined what the economic impact of the transition to smart ultrasonic meters will be in Turkey.

Comparison of TS 825: 2024 and Passive House Standards in Terms of Insulation Thickness and Evaluation of Their Effects on Building Energy Performance

2026-01-08T10:59:35+03:00

Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'de binalarda enerji verimliliğinin artırılmasında önemli rol oynayan TS 825 Isı Yalıtım Gereksinimleri Standardı ile yüksek performanslı bir yaklaşımı temsil eden Pasif Ev standardı, dış duvarlarda kullanılan EPS yalıtım kalınlığı ve bunun bina enerji performansı üzerindeki etkileri açısından karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında, Türkiye'nin altı farklı iklim bölgesini temsil eden Adana, Manisa, İstanbul, Eskişehir, Sivas ve Kars'ta bulunan örnek bir konut binası modeli için OpenStudio–EnergyPlus kullanılarak dinamik enerji simülasyonları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Dış duvar yalıtım kalınlıkları, TS 825'in güncellenmiş 2024 U-değer limitlerine ve Pasif Ev standardının tanımladığı performans kriterlerine göre belirlenmiş ve simülasyon sonuçları analitik hesaplamalarla karşılaştırılmıştır. Bulgular, TS 825 standardındaki yalıtım kalınlıklarının iklim koşullarına bağlı olarak değiştiğini, Pasif Ev standardının ise iklimden bağımsız olarak yüksek ve sabit yalıtım seviyeleri benimsediğini göstermektedir. Yıllık enerji tüketimi açısından, Pasif Ev standardı, özellikle soğuk iklim bölgelerinde, TS 825'e kıyasla %60-75 daha düşük enerji talebi sağlamaktadır. Sonuçlar, TS 825'in minimum gereksinimlere odaklandığını, Pasif Ev standardının ise bina enerji performansını doğrudan sınırlayan daha katı ve bütünsel bir çerçeve sunduğunu göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda, çalışma, Türkiye'de bina enerji verimliliği hedeflerine ulaşmak için TS 825 standardının yüksek performanslı yaklaşımlarla uyumlu hale getirilmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Thermal Performance Assessment of Domestic Hot Water Tanks with PCM and Energy Efficiency Improvement Through CFD Analyses

2025-12-29T14:15:06+03:00

Energy efficiency has become increasingly critical in domestic hot water tank (DHWT) systems, as DHWT use accounts for approximately 30% of total energy consumption in buildings. Phase Change Material (PCM) integrated systems offer significant potential for improving thermal performance compared to conventional water-based storage. In this study, the charging, discharging, and heat loss behaviour of PCM-integrated DHWT were evaluated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The results showed that adding 3 kg of paraffin-based PCM to a 300 L DHWT increased the usable hot water volume by at least 10% without significantly affecting the charging time. While the conventional tank provided usable hot water for 14.10 minutes, PCM integration extended this time by approximately 2 minutes due to the latent heat released during solidification. A heat loss analysis conducted according to the TS EN 12897+A1:2020-03 standard revealed that the conventional system showed a heat loss of 86.9 W at 55 °C, while the MP52 integrated tank reduced this value to 79.95 W after a 180-minute retention time. These findings demonstrate that combining sensible and latent heat storage reduces thermal losses, improves discharge performance, and contributes to overall energy savings. The study also offers recommendations for the future optimization of PCM-enhanced hot water systems, emphasizing improved control strategies to increase efficiency, particularly in material selection, PCM deployment, and next-generation hot water storage designs.

Effects of Different Typical Meteorological Year Generation Methods on Building Energy Analysis in the Marmara and Thrace Regions of Türkiye

2025-12-30T19:26:19+03:00

Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) datasets are widely used in building energy analysis to represent long-term climatic conditions with reduced computational effort. However, the selection of the TMY generation method may significantly influence building energy performance indicators, particularly in regions with transitional climate characteristics. In this study, hourly meteorological data covering the period 2020–2024 were used to generate TMY datasets for five representative cities located in the Marmara and Thrace regions of Türkiye. The classical Finkelstein–Schaefer method and weighted variants based on ASHRAE and Jiang approaches were applied to construct different TMY datasets. The resulting datasets were evaluated using heating and cooling degree-day (HDD/CDD), degree-hour (HDH/CDH), and BinData frequency analyses. The results reveal that different TMY generation methods lead to measurable variations in heating and cooling indicators at both annual and hourly scales. These variations directly affect the representation of climatic conditions used in building energy performance assessments. The findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate TMY generation methods, particularly for energy-efficient and Zero Energy Building-oriented design and analysis studies.