•Thermal response of roof/wall was analysed by altering U value and solar properties.•Solar absorptivity has significant effect on total energy use, especially at U > 0.3.•Optimal total energy use in ...Hamburg and Granada was always achieved by cool coating.•Coating’s solar properties affect indoor thermal comfort in summer and winter.
In recent decades, high level of urbanization, air pollution and climate change have caused a frequent occurrence of urban heat islands, resulting in thermal discomfort and increased energy use of buildings. As a response, a lot of attention has been paid to building envelope characteristics, with an increasing number of studies investigating building envelope solar properties as one of the important factors affecting thermal performance. However, different climate characteristics are the reason why solar properties may have different efficiency at various locations, also because in cold or temperate climates building envelope has to be more thermally insulated, namely having lower thermal transmittance. Therefore, within this study, building energy use and indoor thermal conditions were analysed for an office cell using different types of solar absorptivity (e.g. white, dark grey, collector or cool coating) and thermal transmittance, on either external wall or roof. The analysis was conducted for hot-arid and temperate climate locations. The results showed that solar absorptivity can have a significant effect on total energy use, especially in cases with higher envelope thermal transmittance. It also showed that the application of cool coatings is more reasonable if the external building envelope is not intensively thermally insulated (e.g. in hot-arid climate). In general, the optimal total energy use in both analysed climates was always achieved by implementing cool coatings. Furthermore, the results showed that white and cool coatings have comparable external (20–30 K above Tair in summer) and internal surface temperature responses, while dark grey coatings cause the surface to heat up significantly (external surface 60 K above Tair in summer).
Global warming will seriously affect buildings, and the Montenegrin building stock is no exception. Since the country is one of the most inefficient energy users in Europe, improving the energy ...efficiency of buildings is essential. Therefore, the study implemented a novel multi-aspect approach to energy retrofitting, linking building thermal performance, occupant interaction and climate change. A representative existing multi-apartment building in Podgorica was selected, and a survey among occupants was conducted to identify their satisfaction with indoor thermal comfort and to evaluate the acceptability of the proposed energy retrofit measures. Next, the thermal performance of the building was simulated under current and future climate conditions. Finally, a comprehensive parametric analysis was performed by applying different retrofit scenarios. The selected retrofit measures were evaluated based on their impact on energy efficiency and occupant acceptability. The results showed that the most impactful retrofit measure would be thermally insulating the building envelope, followed by a lower shading set-point and natural ventilation cooling. Applying the best retrofit combinations would reduce the total energy demand by 75% under the current climate and by 66% and 59% at the end of the 21st century under the RCP4.5 or RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. However, the occupant survey results disclosed that beyond thermally insulating the building, occupants have limited awareness about the potential of energy retrofit actions, while summer thermal discomfort is the dominant issue. Therefore, building energy retrofit and climate adaptability actions should also address occupant views.
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•a multi-aspect retrofit was proposed to address future overheating resistance.•Global warming would markedly increase the energy need of un-retrofitted building.•Shading and natural ventilation are 2nd and 3rd most effective retrofit actions.•Best combinations of passive measures reached up to 75% energy need reduction.•Occupants underutilise the most effective, albeit low cost, passive measures.
Climate zoning is fundamental to improving building energy efficiency through bioclimatic design principles and passive design strategies. In Sri Lanka, buildings consume approximately 37 % of ...primary energy and about 33 % of total generated electricity. This study aims to carry out bioclimatic zoning and estimate the passive design potential for each bioclimatic zone. Utilising dimensionality reduction through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering on 31 years of weather information, Sri Lanka is classified into three distinct bioclimatic zones, namely Z1 (Hot and humid), Z2 (Cool and humid) and Z3 (Warm and humid). An hourly method was used for each zone to determine HDD and CDD. Accordingly, regression models were constructed (R2 > 0.77) to estimate the CDD for each zone for cooling load. Bioclimatic potential analysis is carried out to link climate parameters with building performance. The results demonstrate that natural ventilation is the most effective passive design method with potential 64 ± 13%, 63 ± 10, and 83 ± 4% in a year for hot and humid, cool and humid, and warm and humid zones, respectively. The results emphasise the importance of using bioclimatic classification to design energy-efficient buildings to achieve national energy efficiency goals in low-income countries like Sri Lanka.
•A hierarchical agglomerative clustering method was employed in the study.•Sri Lanka is classified into three bioclimatic zones.•Three bioclimatic zones are Warm and humid, Hot and humid and Cool and humid.•Regression models were proposed to estimate cooling degree days for each zone.•Natural ventilation has the highest potential for passive adaptation of buildings.
This reprint aims to address the challenges modern-day buildings face in the context of high energy and resource consumption and climate change. One of the ways to address the issues is holistic ...design and operation of high-performance buildings in the area of energy efficiency, occupant health, and comfort. All this should be achieved through synergic interconnectedness between parameters such as the indoor–outdoor environment, sustainability, and resilience. Through different chapters, this reprint highlights the key areas, namely, the optimization of building design parameters, the impact of the use of modern-day phase-change materials, the adaptation of occupants and buildings to climate change, the mitigation of urban overheating by cool roofs, and reducing energy demand and CO2 emissions.
The study aimed to develop a holistic, evidence-based calibration strategy and define a hybrid step-by-step methodology for building thermal simulations during the warm season. The methodology was ...demonstrated using the thermal performance of a naturally ventilated single-family log house in a temperate climate. The calibration process was supported by on-site measurements of indoor thermal conditions and occupant behavioural reports between April and July. Hybrid calibration methodology combines statistical indicators, such as NMBE, CV(RMSE), and R
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, and a graphical evaluation of the deviation between the simulated and measured values. After 28 proposed calibration steps, a final calibrated model predicted the actual thermal response of the log house with an accuracy of ±1°C at 71.6% or ±2°C at 98.4% of the considered time. The results showed that occupant-related information, material properties and infiltration rates are crucial to improving the reliability of building thermal models. Moreover, in the calibration process of log houses, appropriate determination of building envelope materials' thermal conductivity, wood's solar absorptivity, and airtightness showed high importance. The study highlights the importance of calibration for reliable building thermal models, specifically in overheating prevention simulations.
Visual comfort can affect building occupants’ behaviour, productivity and health. It is highly dependent on the occupant and how they perform a task indoors. In that regard, an occupant centred ...approach is more suitable for evaluating the lighting perception of the indoor environment. Nevertheless, the process of rating and estimating the visual comfort makes a limited distinction between physiological differences (e.g., ageing eye, light sensitivity), field of view, and personal preferences, which have been proven to influence the occupants’ lighting needs to complete their tasks. Such features were not considered while establishing the visually comfortable conditions; perhaps due to the challenge of coupling the assumptions made during building design to the performance indicators monitored during building operation. This work focuses on reviewing literature findings on how the common design approach deviates from real building performance, particularly failing to prevent visual disturbances that can trigger the inefficient operation of building systems. Additionally, it is highlighted that redesigned visual comfort assessment methods and metrics are required to bridge the gap between the lighting environment ratings computed and surveyed. One possibility is to consider such physiological features that induce lighting experiences. Finally, it was deducted that it is important to target the occupants’ eye response to calibrate limit thresholds, propose occupant profiling, and that it is convenient to continuously monitor the occupants’ perception of indoor lighting conditions.
In recent years implementation of sustainable building design in the EU has become one of the key issues in reducing energy dependence. In this context efficient use of solar potential incident on ...building envelope is essential. The goal of the study is to evaluate the influence of interventions required by the new Slovenian legislation and to propose general site planning guidelines. Special emphasis is devoted to the existing building stock, which is due for refurbishment. The study is carried out on the basis of seven typical urban layouts, which are assessed according to the shape of layout, density, building orientation and design. The calculations are carried out with the program SHADING. The study showed that the existing layouts are not as problematic as had been expected and that form and orientation of buildings present a major challenge. Nevertheless, the quality and the duration of insolation are highly dependent on the specifics of each case. The study showed that by respecting the basic rules of good practice in conjunction with the existing requirements no major changes in the existing design principles are needed.
•New Slovenian legislation regarding minimum insolation of building envelope.•Seven typical urban layouts were analysed.•Requirements and rules of good practice result in adequate insolation.•Duration of insolation is highly dependent on the specifics of each case.
This study is devoted to the possibility of using advanced insulation materials, such as Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP), in the insulation and reconstruction of buildings, in connection with the ...green elements that are installed on the facade in the case of the use of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). The use of VIP as part of the insulation system will result in a significant reduction in the required thickness of the insulation layer. In turn, the reduced overall thickness of the system will allow for easier direct anchoring of the elements of the green facade through the insulating layer to the base of the structure. The research carried out proves that, by using VIP in the insulation system (with a VIP thickness of 30 mm in combination with 20 mm of extruded polystyrene XPS), the thermal insulation properties can be significantly improved and, thus, the thickness of the insulation system can be reduced to 1/3 of the thickness of conventional insulation (while achieving the same thermal resistance), thereby enabling the anchoring of green elements on the surface of such an insulation system.
The reprint provides a comprehensive review of various topics related to sustainable building design and operation, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and environmental impact. It covers a ...wide range of topics, including visual comfort assessment, decision-making processes of residents, low-cost devices for CO2 monitoring, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential energy use. The reprint also includes discussions on solar energy in urban planning, cost-optimal measures for energy renovation, and passive solar solutions for buildings. It provides insights into the use of different materials and strategies for improving the energy efficiency of building envelopes, including the integration of phase change materials and the use of reflective coatings on building roofs. Several case studies are presented in the book, which explores the implementation of sustainable design strategies in different building types and climates. The authors also discuss the use of advanced modeling techniques to simulate the performance of different building systems, including vertical greenery systems and the solar cadaster.
In the era of informational and technological breakthrough, the automatically controlled living and working environment is expected to become a commonly used service. This paper deals with ...dynamically controlled thermal and illumination responses of built environment in real-time conditions. The aim is to harmonize thermal and optical behaviour of a building by coordinating energy flows that pass through the transparent part of the envelope. For this purpose, a test chamber with an opening on the southern side was built. Changeable geometry of the opening is achieved by the automated external roller blind. A fuzzy control system enables the positioning of the shading device according to the desired indoor set points and the outdoor conditions. Through the experiments, the fuzzy controllers were tuned and gradually improved. Some sets of the experiments are presented here to illustrate the process.
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