Understanding the Importance of Post Occupancy Usage Trends During Concept-Stage Sustainable Building Design

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Piacenza ◽  
Salvador Mayoral ◽  
Bahaa Albarhami ◽  
Sean Lin
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Student Housing ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Actual Usage ◽  
Mixed Use ◽  
Housing Complex ◽  
The Impact

As sustainable building mandates become more prevalent in new commercial and mixed use buildings, it is a challenge to create a broad, one-size-fits-all certification process. While designers can estimate energy usage with computational tools such as model based design, anticipating the post occupancy usage is more challenging. Understanding and predicting energy usage trends is especially complicated in unique mixed use building applications, such as university student housing buildings, where occupancy varies significantly as a function of enrollment, course scheduling, and student study habits. This research explores a computational modeling approach used to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification for a student housing complex design. A case study is presented from the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) campus, and examines the impact of post occupancy building usage trends, and diversity factor, defined as a building’s instantaneous energy usage normalized by the maximum allowable usage, on energy use estimates. The CSUF case model, which was originally created using EnergySoft’s EnergyPro 5 software, is examined. An annual predictive energy use comparison is performed in EnergyPro 5 using general building design mandates (i.e., ASHRAE 90.1, California Title 24), and CSUF case specific building usage details (e.g., student scheduling, diversity factor). In addition, the energy usage estimates of these two predictive models are compared to the actual usage data collected during the 2014 academic year. The results of this comparison show the benefits of considering post occupancy usage, and recommendations are presented for creating unique and application based computational models, early in the design process. This research has broad applications, and can extend to sustainable building design in other organizations, whose operational schedule falls outside of current prediction methods for sustainability mandates.

Understanding the Impact of Occupancy Trends in Sustainable Housing Designs

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Piacenza ◽  
Salvador Mayoral ◽  
Sean Lin ◽  
Lauren Won ◽  
Xava Grooms
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Student Housing ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Sustainable Housing ◽  
Course Scheduling ◽  
Housing Complex ◽  
The Impact

As sustainable building mandates become more prevalent in new commercial buildings, it is a challenge to create a broad, one-size-fits-all certification process. While designers can estimate energy usage with computation tools such as model based design, anticipating the post occupancy usage is more difficult. Understanding energy usage trends is especially complicated in university student housing buildings, where occupancy varies significantly as a function of enrollment and course scheduling. This research explores the effect of student occupancy on both predicted and actual energy usage in a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified student housing complex. A case study is presented from the California State University Fullerton (CSUF) campus, and examines diversity factor, defined as a building’s instantaneous energy usage as a percentage of the maximum allowable usage during a period of time, trends throughout the academic year. The CSUF case diversity factor is compared to the diversity factor used in predictive models for obtaining LEED certification, and the mandates that govern the models (e.g., ASHRAE 90.1). The results of the analysis show the benefits of considering post occupancy usage in sustainable building designs, and recommendations are presented for creating unique and application based computational models, early in the design process. This research has broad applications, and can extend to sustainable building design in other organizations, whose operational schedule falls outside of current prediction methods for sustainability mandates.

Assessing design buildability through virtual reality from the perspective of construction students

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Amila Sajeevan Samarasinghe ◽  
Imelda Saran Piri
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Information ◽  
2D Drawing ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of visual models on the ability of construction students to assess design buildability.Design/methodology/approachThe study engaged 45 construction students from one selected tertiary education institute in New Zealand. The data collection process involved meeting the students face-to-face and demonstrating the VR model to them, after which the students completed an online questionnaire and assessed design buildability using both 2D drawing and virtual reality (VR) models. To make this assessment, the participants considered a residential earth building modelled to promote sustainable building features. The assessment process required the participants to evaluate the design buildability of the same building design using a 2D drawing and a 3D VR model.FindingsThe study found that VR models have significant advantages for assessing design buildability. Students measured 16.80% higher average buildability with the 3D VR model compared to the 2D drawing. The participants in the evaluation felt that the visual model significantly improved the comprehensibility of complex designs, which helped identify and manage design buildability (overall, 83% of participants strongly supported this).Originality/valueThe paper showed construction digitisation such as VR, augmented reality and building information modelling is highly cooperative as it can easily be made available for online learning. Thus, the findings support construction educators use online-based VR learning to promote efficient teaching of design buildability to students.

scholarly journals The Circular Retrofit Lab: a multi-disciplinary development of a building envelope according to circular design qualities

2021 ◽  
Vol 855 (1) ◽  
pp. 012013
Author(s):  
Charlotte Cambier ◽  
Jeroen Poppe ◽  
Waldo Galle ◽  
Stijn Elsen ◽  
Niels De Temmerman
Keyword(s):  
Building Design ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Student Housing ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Learning History ◽  
Funded Project ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Circular Design

Abstract From 2016 until 2019, the Circular Retrofit Lab (CRL) was realised within the H2020-funded project Building As Material Banks (BAMB). The CRL was an experimental pilot project concerning the refurbishment of eight student housing modules in Brussels, Belgium. The lab aims to demonstrate how to implement circular building design in a retrofitting project. This paper discusses the design choices and the outcome of the CRL’s building envelope. That envelope consists of a modular façade system of prefabricated panels. The innovative, adaptable and reusable building solutions applied in the CRL have been developed in collaboration with various construction stakeholders and included, exceptionally in the design and construction process, also industrial partners. In this study, we go deeper into the impact of the multi-disciplinary approach on the resulting implementation of a circular building envelope. Through a reflexive learning-history workshop, we can show how the involvement of various actors and unconventional circularity requirements increase the complexity of the project, but also how they positively impact the reactivation of existing buildings and proved to be a lasting learning opportunity to all partners involved.

Partnering Preservation with Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-164
Author(s):  
Carli V. Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Archival Practice ◽  
Current Century ◽  
Changing Practices ◽  
Climate Crisis ◽  
The Impact

As the archival profession is inextricable from future-focused thinking, sustainable preservation must be incorporated into archival practice. Sustainable thinking considers the economic, environmental, social, and cultural needs of both present and future generations, without privileging one factor over another. This article investigates the existing literature on sustainable preservation practices in archives. Sustainability presents a challenge to the archival mission. Becoming more sustainable begins with changing practices, which requires investing time, money, and energy to learn new information. The imperative to provide care for cultural resources is an argument for proceeding with caution. Nevertheless, the reality of the climate crisis and an ever-growing body of evidence from the archives field suggest that archives can and should adopt more sustainable practices. Research indicates that preservation goals may be more effectively met through sustainable practices, leading to more reliable preservation environments and financial savings for the institution as a result of reduction in energy use. This article identifies opportunities for action archives can take to become more sustainable through building design, learning from cultural preservation traditions, rethinking the role of archivists, and reconsidering the impact of practices, both small and large. In the 1980s, Hugo Stehkämper drew attention to principles for natural air-conditioning reliant upon building design, but civilizations have been developing procedures for preserving cultural heritage materials for centuries prior to the advent of so-called modern technology. In the current century, archives, libraries, and museums are continuing to discover a multitude of effective sustainable methods. Drawing upon decades of study, successes, and failures will allow archivists to assess and rethink practices.

Evaluation of the Impact of Window Shading on the Anti-Insulation Phenomenon in Building Energy Use

MRS Advances ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (34-35) ◽  
pp. 2063-2073
Author(s):  
R. K. Rabasoma ◽  
D. D. Serame ◽  
O.T. Masoso
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Building Energy Use ◽  
The World ◽  
Building Design Decisions ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTBefore 2008, it was common knowledge around the world that insulation always saved air conditioning energy in buildings. In 2008 a phenomenon called anti-insulation was brought to light by Masoso & Grobler. They demonstrated that there are instances when insulation materials in a building directly increase building energy use. Researchers around the world then echoed the message. Recent work by some of the authors investigated the anti-insulation phenomenon in summer and winter for both hot climatic regions (Botswana) and cold climatic regions (Canada). Their study concluded that there is still a mystery of exaggerated sources of heat inside the building aggravating the anti-insulation phenomenon. They hypothesized that incident solar radiation through the windows could be one of the causes. This paper therefore focuses on eliminating direct solar radiation through windows by applying external shadings on a previously anti-insulation building. The energy saved is evaluated and the possible reversal of anti-insulation studied. The study is useful to energy policy makers and the building industry as it showcases the existence of a possible silent killer (anti-insulation) and demonstrates that investing large sums of money on insulation in buildings may not be the most economic thing to do in building design decisions.

scholarly journals The Electrification of Cooking Methods in Korea—Impact on Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunji Im ◽  
Yunsoung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Cooking Methods ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Housing Complex ◽  
The Impact

The electrification of cooking methods in Korea was investigated to understand the impact of different cooking methods on energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the building sector. Annual household cooking energy consumption was compared for the Nowon Energy Zero House Project, a zero-energy housing complex using induction cooktops, and a sample of households that used natural gas for cooking. The results showed that the former consumed less calories (a difference of 2.2 times) and emitted less GHGs (a difference of 2.6 times) compared to gas cooking households. A countrywide scenario analysis was conducted by combining the share of electric cooking households with the projected power generation mix in 2030. Under the 2030 Policy scenario for power generation, and with an electricity cooking share of 20%, cooking-related GHG emissions were projected to be 3.79 million t CO2/year; 3.8% (150,000 t CO2/year) lower than those in the present day, despite a total population increase. The electrification of cooking methods in Korea has the potential to reduce both the energy demand of the building sector and GHG emissions, in synergy with the decarbonization of the power generation sector.

Analysis of Impact of Daylight Time Savings on Energy Use of Buildings in Kuwait

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moncef Krarti ◽  
Ali Hajiah
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Peak Demand ◽  
Daylight Saving ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Detailed Simulation ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
The Impact

In this paper, a detailed simulation-based analysis is conducted to assess the impact of adopting Daylight-Saving Time (DST) on the electrical energy use and peak demand in Kuwait. The analysis focused on the impact of DST in the building sector since it represents 90% of electrical energy usage of Kuwait. The simulation results indicate that the adoption of DST has mixed impacts for Kuwait. While the commercial and the governmental sectors may benefit from the DST, the private residences and apartment buildings can see both their annual energy use and peak demand increase slightly by adopting DST. The overall impact of the DST implementation is rather minimal with a slight increase energy use of about 0.07% and a slight reduction in peak demand of 0.14% or about 12 MW based on 2005 electrical peak demand for Kuwait.

scholarly journals The Inclusion of Microclimate Modelling for House Heating Energy Simulation in Wellington, New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
wendy sunarya ◽  
Nigel Isaacs ◽  
Michael Robert Donn
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Model Validation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Integrated Simulation ◽  
Hilly Region ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Site is an important factor in determining building design strategies for responding to the local climate and minimizing energy use. Nevertheless, too often Building Energy Simulation (BES) supporting the design process uses a generic weather file from the local weather station rather than a site-specific microclimate. This study tests the inclusion of microclimate model, ENVI-met, for BES (EnergyPlus) to assess the impact of site parameters on house heating energy in Wellington (New Zealand) where micro-climates vary widely due to the local topography. The ENVI-met model validation was conducted with the air temperature difference of less than 0.5oC on average between simulated and measured data in ENVI-met model validation. The validation determines ENVI-met input settings for the integrated simulation with BES for site modelling. The integrated simulation test produced insignificant energy impacts for almost all parameters tested, but it has limitations in modelling slopes. This finding suggests that ENVI-met is not applicable for house heating energy simulation in hilly region.

Understanding the Effects of Capturing Climate and Occupancy Trends During Concept-Stage Sustainable Building Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Lin ◽  
Bahaa Albarhami ◽  
Salvador Mayoral ◽  
Joseph Piacenza
Keyword(s):  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
State University ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Leed Certification ◽  
Actual Energy Consumption

Abstract This paper presents a model prediction to capture specifically how energy usage in sustainable buildings on college campuses is affected by different variables of student life. The California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) Student Housing Phase III, which received a Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the Building Design and Construction category, with its performance in a LEED California Nonresidential Title 24 (NRT24) and ASHRAE 90.1 climate zones, is used as a case study to illustrate the method. Through LEED-approved software, the standard compliant energy models are compared with the occupancy-scheduled models along with the actual energy consumption in different climate zones. The results provide insight into how variables within student dormitory life affect the total building energy usage. The total amount of energy consumed per area is one new factor providing understanding into occupancy trends. This new data set reveals more understanding regarding how and where the energy is consumed to maintain a comfortable learning environment. The LEED certification program is one benchmark used to determine sustainable building design. Designers must adhere to set standards before being awarded a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certification such as LEED. The results from this paper will provide input over which variables within student dormitory life affect the energy usage of the building. With the model results, some solutions are presented to update the LEED project certification as well as to reduce student energy usage.

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