Energy Performance Optimization as a Generative Design Tool for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

In order to effectively design nearly Zero Energy Buildings, the assessment of energy performance in the early design stages through simulation is an important, although very demanding and complex, procedure. Over the last decades, various tools and methods have been developed to address performance-related design questions, mostly using Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithms. Technological advances have revolutionized the way Architects design and think, automating complex tasks and allowing the assessment of multiple variants at the same time. In this paper, a new nZEB design workflow methodology is proposed, integrating evolutionary algorithms and energy simulation, and its capabilities and current limitations are explored.