scholarly journals Green Wall Design Approach Towards Energy Performance and Indoor Comfort Improvement: A Case Study in Athens

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3772
Author(s):  
Margarita-Niki Assimakopoulos ◽  
Rosa Francesca De Masi ◽  
Filippo de Rossi ◽  
Dimitra Papadaki ◽  
Silvia Ruggiero
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Living Wall ◽  
Building Level ◽  
Indoor Comfort

In the 21st century, sustainable development is high on the international agenda, with the implementation of green walls contributing significantly to achieving environmental and social benefits, mainly in the frame of sustainable improvement of the building sector. The installation of a greening system can provide engineered solutions for stormwater management and climate change mitigation at both the urban and building level. This facilitates improving indoor comfort conditions and reducing energy needs. In order to improve the features of products and to facilitate the implementation of a proper technical standard, this paper proposes a critical bibliographic analysis of more recent scientific works. Moreover, by means of a numerical model of an existing single-family apartment, placed in the Mediterranean climate zone, a building envelope refurbishment with a living wall is carried out. A parametric analysis provides evidence for the application of different plants’ types and insulation materials. The results are analyzed considering the energy needs, the thermo-hygrometric comfort, and the outdoor surface temperature variation of the building envelope, emphasizing that a multi-criteria design approach is needed for green vertical systems. The paper provides data and an approach useful for designers and researchers in the evaluation and optimization of the performance of greening systems.

scholarly journals A Replicable Methodology to Evaluate Passive Façade Performance with SMA during the Architectural Design Process: A Case Study Application

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6231
Author(s):  
Kristian Fabbri ◽  
Jacopo Gaspari
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Early Design Stage ◽  
Virtual Test ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Preliminary Design Stage ◽  
Building Level ◽  
Indoor Comfort

Huge efforts have been made in recent decades to improve energy saving in the building sector, particularly focused on the role of façades. Among the explored viable solutions, climate-adaptive building shells [CABS] consider promising solutions to control solar radiation, both in terms of illuminance and heating levels, but are still piloting these solutions due to their complex designs and necessary costs. The present study aims to provide a speedy but reliable methodology to evaluate the potential impacts of adopting active/passive CABS systems during the preliminary design stage. The proposed methodology allows the evaluation and comparison, when multiple options are considered, of the effects of each solution in terms of the energy needs, thermal comfort and lighting, while reducing the required effort and time for an extensive analysis of the overall building level. This is based on the use of a “virtual test room” where different conditions and configurations can be explored. A case study in the city of Bologna is included for demonstration purposes. The achieved results support the decisions made regarding energy behavior (over/under heating), indoor comfort, lighting and energy at an early design stage.

Improving building envelope performance with respect to thermal, sound insulation, and lighting: a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-262
Author(s):  
Shahryar Habibi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Sound Insulation ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Energy Retrofit ◽  
Overall Evaluation ◽  
Indoor Comfort

This study concerns an overall evaluation of building envelopes, for what concerns the energy, acoustic and lighting performances. It combines different topics of energy and indoor comfort, with the aim to improve the livability of an existing building (a social housing) by means of a comprehensive retrofit of their envelopes. The novel contribution of this study is to apply some methods for energy retrofit of a building envelope in such a way that objectives are achieved within the state-of-the-art combination simulation, optimization approaches, and equations describing the calculations of sound insulation in buildings. The results showed that properties of building envelope like the value of transmittance of the glass window and thermal properties of materials have an impact on indoor environmental quality and energy performance.

scholarly journals Assessing the Energy Performance of Prefabricated Buildings Considering Different Wall Configurations and the Use of PCMs in Greece

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5026
Author(s):  
Stella Tsoka ◽  
Theodoros Theodosiou ◽  
Konstantia Papadopoulou ◽  
Katerina Tsikaloudaki
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Productivity Gains

Despite the multiple advantages of prefabricated compared to conventional buildings, such as significant reductions in cost and time, improved quality and accuracy in manufacture, easy dismantling and reuse of components, reduction in environmental degradation, increase of productivity gains, etc., they still share a small part of the European building stock, mainly in the Mediterranean. This paper attempts to highlight the potential of prefabricated buildings to achieve advanced levels of performance, particularly as regards their thermal and energy behavior. More specifically, in this paper the energy needs of a single-family building constructed with prefabricated elements is analyzed, considering different climate contexts. The prefabricated elements comprising the building envelope were developed in order to address specific requirements with respect to their structural, hygrothermal, energy, fire, acoustical, and environmental performance, within the research project SUPRIM (sustainable preconstructed innovative module). The new multifunctional building element, also incorporating phase change materials for increased latent thermal heat storage, has been proven to be beneficial in all the examined climate zones. The results of the relevant studies will highlight the contribution of the new prefabricated element to the sustainability of the overall construction, as well as its advantages when compared with conventional constructions.

Energy Performance and Indoor Comfort of a 1930s Italian School Building: a Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cirrincione ◽  
Maria La Gennusa ◽  
Giorgia Peri ◽  
Gianluca Scaccianoce ◽  
Angela Alfano
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
School Building ◽  
Italian School ◽  
Indoor Comfort

Estimate of Energy Performance Indicator of Existing Single-Family Houses in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2020 ◽  
pp. 244-260
Author(s):  
Darija Gajić ◽  
Erdin Salihović ◽  
Nermina Zagora
Keyword(s):  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Statistical Estimates ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Collective Housing

Yielding from an overall quantitative study of the residential sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), this chapter concentrates on the ratio between single-family and collective housing, as well as on the urban-rural ratio of the single-family housing. Based on the data from the existing building stock (buildings built by 2014) and the statistical estimates, 23% of the buildings belong to the urban areas and 77% belong to the rural areas. The main goal was to study the correlation between the characteristics of the building envelope, the shape factor (A/V ratio) and the energy savings potential for the application of conventional measures of refurbishment of the building envelope of the single-family houses (type of buildings, which dominate in rural and urban areas). The chapter wraps up with recommendations for the adequate level of the energy performance indicator (energy need for heating) for the approved energy class for single-family houses located in the climate zone of the northern B&H.

Upgrading the Building Facades in Low-Density Residential Areas

2020 ◽  
pp. 216-243
Author(s):  
Katerina Tsikaloudaki ◽  
Dimitra Tsirigoti ◽  
Stella Tsoka ◽  
Theodore Theodosiou
Keyword(s):  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Building Facades ◽  
Thermal Bridging ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Building Physics ◽  
Common Action

The most common action for the buildings' energy upgrade across Europe is the addition of thermal insulation on the external walls. Such interventions, although simple on their construction, cause significant changes on the building's behavior, not only on its energy needs, but also on the hygrothermal and visual performance. The effects are not always positive; for example, thicker insulation may result in lower thermal transmittance and better thermal energy performance, but on the other hand the thermal bridging effect is amplified, and the daylight levels are decreased. This research intends to quantify these impacts by analyzing the relevant parameters for different regions of Europe. The analysis aims at explaining the complicated interrelationships on the building physics' aspects encountered through interventions on the building envelope, but also at identifying appropriate measures that could counterbalance the negative impacts and enhance the overall building performance.

scholarly journals Identification of the Building Envelope Performance of a Residential Building: A Case Study

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2469
Author(s):  
Evi Lambie ◽  
Dirk Saelens
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchange ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Calculation Methods ◽  
Characterization Methods ◽  
Target Values

Since households are one of the most energy-intensive sectors in Europe, retrofit of dwellings is promoted to increase energy efficiency. Recent research, however, shows that the energy performance after retrofit does not always meet the target values, which can be caused by amongst other things, a deviating building envelope performance. This paper compares the theoretical and measured building envelope performance for a real-life case study in post-retrofit state, in order to illustrate the limitations of calculation methods and characterization models. First, the performance is evaluated on building scale by verifying the correspondence between the default theoretical heat loss coefficient (HLC) and the measured HLC, which was determined by following the guidelines formulated within IEA EBC Annex 58 and Annex 71. In order to illustrate the limitations of the standard calculation method in real-life conditions, the theoretical variability of the HLC is evaluated, generated by variating infiltration heat losses and heat exchange with neighboring dwellings. Second, the performance is investigated on a component scale by assessing the theoretical and measured thermal resistances, identified from heat flux tests. Additionally, nonhomogeneous assembled components and air leaks are simulated to verify probable causes for the locally varying measured values and to illustrate the limitations of calculations and characterization methods. The results illustrate the limitations of the calculation methods by the assessment of the strong variability of the theoretical HLC, depending on assumptions regarding infiltration and heat exchange with neighboring dwellings. In addition, component simulations indicated that deficiencies on a component scale could be caused by a nonhomogeneous assembly and air cavity flows of the component. Moreover, a detailed assessment of an unreliable thermal resistance illustrates the limitations of the used characterization method. Finally, a contrast was found between the quite good performance on building scale (15% deviation between the theoretical and measured HLC) and poor performance on a component scale (only one out of nine monitored components met their theoretical target values), which illustrates the complexity of the building envelope performance.

scholarly journals Energy flexibility in Mediterranean buildings: a case-study in Sicily

2020 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 02002
Author(s):  
Ilaria Marotta ◽  
Francesco Guarino ◽  
Maurizio Cellura ◽  
Sonia Longo
Keyword(s):  
Residential Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Flexible Control ◽  
Emission Signal ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Family House

Since the building sector is responsible for 40% of the world’s electricity demand, it is essential to act on it in order to reduce emissions of climate change gases on a global scale, as expressed also in the latest directive on the energy performance of buildings. A design approach that focuses on the energy flexibility of buildings can contribute to the improvement of its energy-environmental performances. In this context, the objective of the study is the analysis of the energy performance of a residential building in Sicily and the definition of strategies aimed at increasing its energy flexibility. In particular, the case study is a 631 m2 single-family house, modeled and simulated in TRNSYS environment. The approach involves the development of scenarios to reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions during the use phase of the building. Rule Based Control algorithms are implemented. The flexible control reacts to a price or emission signal, by modulating the heating set-point accordingly. The results highlighted significant increases in energy flexibility. The economic algorithm achieves savings of 21.46%, accompanied by a 15% reduction in emissions. The environmental algorithm allows to reduce CO2 emissions by about 30%. The economic impact is positive, with a 17.58% reduction in costs.

scholarly journals Numerical Assessment of Zebra-Stripes-Based Strategies in Buildings Energy Performance: A Case Study under Tropical Climate

Biomimetics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Miguel Chen Austin ◽  
Kevin Araque ◽  
Paola Palacios ◽  
Katherine Rodríguez Maure ◽  
Dafni Mora
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Numerical Assessment ◽  
Lower Temperature

Urban growth has increased the risk of over-heating both in the microclimate and inside buildings, affecting thermal comfort and energy efficiency. That is why this research aims to evaluate the energy performance of buildings in terms of thermal comfort (operative temperature (OP) levels, satisfied hours of natural ventilation SHNV, thermal lag), and energy efficiency (roof heat gains and surface temperatures) in an urban area in Panama City, using superficial-heat-dissipation biomimetic strategies. Two case studies, a base case and a proposed case, were evaluated using the Designbuilder software through dynamic simulation. The proposed case is based on a combined biomimetic strategy; the reflective characteristics of the Saharan ant applied as a coating on the roofs through a segmented pattern such as the Zebra’s stripes (one section with coating, and another without). Results showed that the OP decreased from 8 to 10 °C for the entire urban zone throughout the year. A reduction of 3.13% corresponding to 8790 kWh per year was achieved for cooling energy consumption. A difference of 5 °C in external surface temperature was obtained, having a lower temperature in which the biomimetic strategy was applied. Besides, it was evidenced that a contrasted-reflectivity-stripes pitched roof performed better than a fully reflective roof. Thus, the functionality of Zebra stripes, together with the reflective characteristics of the Saharan ant, provide better performance for buildings’ thermal regulation and energy needs for cooling.

scholarly journals Energy Efficient Improvements of Existing Buildings through Building Envelope Upgrade Case Study of High Rise Block of Flats on 76, Boulevard Partizanski Odredi in Karpos IV, Skopje

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-180
Author(s):  
Katerina Petrushevska
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Class B

AIM: This research examines the important issue of energy efficient improvements to the existing building stock through building envelope upgrade. To facilitate this, the energy performance characteristics of the existing building stock were identified with a view to establishing an existing building stock type, where building envelope upgrades can contribute to a higher level of energy efficiency improvements. The literature review along with the selected building precedents was used to establish the best current practice for building envelope upgrades.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Established building precedents and identified best practice for building envelope upgrade, a high rise block of flats was identified and used as a case study, with the current and predicted, following building envelope upgrade, energy performance of the building calculated. This has allowed us to identify the possible energy efficiency improvements for this type of building following the building envelope upgrade. RESULTS: In the projected case, the building with energy class - "D" become class "B". In addition, increased quality of the living room in the attic was enabled. It was possible to obtain a decrease of the heating energy from 130.76 kWh/m²a to 37.73 kWh/m²a or to jump in the class "B" of energetic passport.CONCLUSION: This research contributes to the local implementation of the global agenda for sustainable development, design and construction, and it demonstrates the possible way and level of energy efficiency improvements to the least efficient building stock through existing building envelope upgrade.

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