Exploring zero carbon building space efficiency: the case of CSET building at University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Abstract

The design of sustainable buildings encompasses key options and strategies for converting the building sector into a climate-neutral sector. In particular, zero-carbon buildings require a net-zero lifecycle emissions footprint, making a significant contribution to the mitigation of global warming. However, despite the environmental benefits of ZCBs, their adoption comes with unique challenges.
The core aim of this study is to investigate the impact of pursuing net-zero carbon goals on overall building efficiency in hot summer and cold winter climate zones, and the resulting “energy-space” balance issues.
To achieve this, the study adopts a single-case in-depth analysis of China's first zero-carbon building: the Center for Sustainable Energy Technology (CSET) in Ningbo. The research methodology involves:
(1) Calculate the overall spatial efficiency of the CSET building using the ANSI/BOMA Z65.1 standard and conduct a comparative analysis of the overall spatial efficiency between the CSET building and a traditional building with a similar educational function.
(2) Analyze the potential power generation potential of deploying renewable energy systems on the roof of the CSET tower building.
(3) Based on one year of energy consumption data collected by the Ningbo University of Nottingham Energy Consumption Management System (ECMS), the correlation between on-site renewable energy area and energy intensity is quantified.
The study reveals that overall building efficiency at the CSET building researched 64.4%, approximately 20% lower than the average for standard educational buildings. Furthermore, when utilizing only the tower block roof
area to accommodate the solar energy system can meet only one-sixth of the
building's total energy demand, approximately 22 kWh/m²·yr.
In conclusion, this study confirms that while sustainable buildings associated with zero carbon buildings make significant contributions in mitigating global warming, sustainable buildings utilizing on-site renewable energy solutions will face severe “space-space” and “energy-space” challenges. This provides critical empirical evidence for future urban sustainable design policies, indicating that development efforts should focus on more efficient renewable energy systems and low EUI.

Date of Award	15 Mar 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Sung-Hugh Hong (Supervisor) & Wu Deng (Supervisor)