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The TAEQ Green Training and Community  Centre in Sakhnin is a two story public building integrating modern and  vernacular elements. It is used as headquarter of the Towns Association for  Environmental Quality (TAEQ) and for training and demonstration purposes.

The TAEQ Centre has a floor space of  currently 1482m² and is planned to be extended to 2101 m². To increase energy  efficiency, vernacular passive measures, modern energy efficiency measures and  renewable energies are used.

Partners:

Towns Association for  Environmental Quality (TAEQ) natufa@zahav.net.il

The TAEQ building has been planned  according to "green" and energy saving design principles. The aim is  to minimize its energy needs to a "no heating - no cooling" situation  by integrating measures which are also suitable for other, similar buildings.

The energy saving concept of the TAEQ Green   Building is based upon  three levels:

Level A: "Traditional -  vernacular" passive energy conserving elements, estimated to reduce energy  consumption by 50 - 60% compared to conventional buildings.

Level B: Addition of modern and traditional  energy saving elements further reducing the heating, cooling and light demands.

Level C: Addition of modern renewable  energy electricity producing elements (PV, wind turbine) to supply the rest of  the energy demands. Connection to the public grid supplies the backup for peak  demand hours.

Profitability
 Due to the combination of passive and  active energy efficiency measures, the overall primary energy consumption of  the TAEQ building could be reduced by more than 80%. However, investment costs  were increased by around 40% which resulted in a pay back time of 10 years. It  therefore makes sense to choose only the most cost efficient measures to bring  the pay back time down to 6 years making the project also attractive from an  economical point of view.
 

The energy concept of the TAEQ building is  based on a combination of vernacular passive measures, modern energy efficiency  measures and the use of renewable energies:

Traditional - vernacular passive measures:

 
• Malkafs (wind towers)
 
• Mashrabia (shading system for windows)
 
• Tisane (daylight system)
 
• Domes-vaults
 
• Water fountain

Modern energy efficiency measures

 
• Insulation of the external envelope
 
• Energy efficient light bulbs

Modern renewable energy systems

 
• Different photovoltaic systems (3.6 kWp) with estimated production of 7000 kWh/a
 
• Wind turbine with 1 kW nominal capacity with estimated production of about 2550 kWh/a

The training and demonstration centre for  green building technologies is almost a "Zero-Energy Building", showing a  combination of traditional vernacular and modern passive measures as well as  the application of renewable energies.

The focus of the centre is on training and  applied research; it has not been conceived as a model building for  dissemination. Therefore, the moderate pay-back time of 10 years for all  realized measures is not critical. (re. graph 1)

Graph 1:
   

However, a part of the implemented measures  is highly cost-efficient and can be replicated in comparable buildings (re.  graph 2)

Graph 2:
   

See the general view of the project by clicking here.

See the inside view by clicking  here.

See the dome view by clicking  here.

Israel PP in progress, download photos by clicking here.