bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Facilitating responsive interaction between occupants and building systems through dynamic post-occupancy evaluation
Authors: Bourikas L , Teli D , Amin R , James P A B , Bahaj A S 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is a process that can reveal the interrelations between key building performance factors and successfully integrate indoor environmental quality, thermal comfort, functionality, environmental strategy and occupants’ satisfaction. POE has become a prerequisite for several building certification systems and it is often presented as a method to improve the commissioning of buildings and as a user experience feedback mechanism. This paper is based on a POE undertaken through stages at the University of Southampton Mayflower Halls of Residence complex. The first stage included the evaluation of occupant satisfaction, indoor environment quality and energy use. Results from temperature and relative humidity monitoring and an online POE questionnaire were analysed in the context of energy use, thermal comfort and building controls’ functionality. The second part of this study monitored the air temperature in a sub-sample of 30 rooms where the residents participated in a thermal comfort survey with a “right-here-right-now” questionnaire and a portable instrument that monitored air temperature, relative humidity, globe temperature and air velocity in the rooms. This paper presents the results of the POE and discusses approaches for the improvement in the buildings’ energy performance and the environmental conditions in the living spaces of the students. Results suggest that current use of controls is not always effective, with implications for the buildings’ energy use. Large variability was found in occupants’ thermal perception and preferences, which points to a need for occupant-centric solutions. In this study, POE is approached as a dynamic process that could be used to facilitate the responsive interaction of occupants with building systems and deliver through their engagement high energy performance and comfort.
Review and comparison of methodologies and tools to perform energy efficiency projects in public buildings in MED areas
Authors: Pascual R , Pascual J , Ortiz J , Salom J 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The Energy Efficiency (EE) in buildings is one of the pillars for the climate change (CC) mitigation. There are several initiatives that are providing solutions to foster and accelerate the improvement of the EE in buildings. In particular, in the framework of the Interreg MED Programme, the Efficient Buildings Community (EB Community) has been created by the MEDNICE project (https://efficient-buildings.interreg-med.eu/) with the objective of sharing knowledge, practices and solutions for energy challenges in the MED area and creating synergies between similar initiatives. The EB Community collects the results of 10 Modular Projects (MPs) focused on the improvement of the EE in public buildings (PBs), in order to harmonize, systematize and capitalize their results and produce technical and policy recommendations to remove administrative, financial, legal or technological obstacles. The EB Community brings together local, regional and national stakeholders to exchanges methodologies, experiences and tools. The MPs cover the improvement of EE in PBs from different perspectives and stages: characterization of the PB stock, planning, tendering and procurement of services, implementation of the building process, monitoring and use of the buildings, training and awareness of the different stakeholders and financing solutions. Most of the MPs have proposed methodologies to carry out the different stages of the EE projects, from a public administration (PA) point of view and providing tools and indicators to make decisions in each stage of the project. The purpose of the present paper is to make a review of the methodologies and tools proposed by the MPs. The study aims at establishing a common procedure to perform EE projects in PBs with especial focus on MED areas; selecting common and relevant KPIs to be used during the whole value-chain of a project (energy, sustainability, cost and financial, environmental comfort, among others); evaluating the main target group of each tool and the stage of the process that is addressed; and identifying the main gaps of the methodologies and tools, as well as their usefulness to overcome the main barriers identified within the EE projects.
Recent Advancements in the Energy Performance of Intelligent Green Houses: A Case Study
Authors: Kavga Angeliki , Vaiciunas Juozas , Fokaides Paris A. 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
According to the European Environment Agency, the agricultural sector consumes around 3% of the total energy consumed in the European Union and specifically 28.8 million tones of oil equivalent in 2016. Although between 2005 and 2016, the final energy consumption in the EU decreased in the fishing, agriculture and forestry sectors by 24.7 % the energy required in this sector is considered to have a significant contribution to the energy related policies of the EU. Greenhouses constitute a major energy consumer of the agricultural sector in the European Union. Although strictly speaking, greenhouses differ from buildings in several ways, such as the construction, the building systems and the use, the principles used to analyse the energy consumption of greenhouses, as well as the strategies to control their energy performance are quite similar with those of the building sector.
This study aims to present the recent advancements in the analysis of the energy performance of greenhouses, with a special focus on next generation greenhouses, also known as intelligent greenhouses. The main energy consumption sources in greenhouses, as well as their normalized intensity is presented. State-of-the-art automations to control the energy performance of greenhouses, as well as intelligent systems used to achieve the required thermal conditions in greenhouses, such as automation systems, infrared heating and advanced covering materials are presented. The main challenges of the intelligent greenhouse sector, as well as the requirements for the development of new energy related standards for greenhouses are also discussed. The study concludes with the presentation of the energy performance of a greenhouse, considered as intelligent, of the Department of Agricultural Technology of the Technological Education Institute of Western Greece in Patras, Greece. Detailed data logging of the temperature and indoor conditions of an intelligent greenhouse are analysed and compared with regard to contemporary greenhouses, revealing and quantifying the potentials of this sector in the energy saving strategies of Greece and the EU.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) based concept design method for potential zero emission residential building
Authors: Eichner M J , Elsharawy H H 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Regardless a large number of published researches on environmentally friendly building design, realized buildings with a low or zero-emission balance throughout the whole life cycle are rare. Life cycle assessment during building design is not considered a creative but merely calculating task with no direct relation to architecture itself. This research offers an iterative design method, based on life-cycle assessment for buildings, allowing during concept phase to set path for achieving low or zero environmental impact levels. The paper analyses the interrelation of main aspect fields of life-cycle assessment, such as: emission reduction, energy and cost saving as well as implementation of renewable resources during concept design phase for residential buildings. The applicability of the developed LCA based concept design method, its effectiveness for the environmental quality of buildings and influence on architectural factors is examined in a case study project for the hot and dry climate of Cairo. The authors consider, that a combined application of digital environmental assessment tools in initial project phases creates synergies for architectural quality and environmental performance. A combined use of digital tools for the three main aspects; emissions, renewable energy and economic factors allows architects with reasonable effort to design low emission buildings with strong incentives for the creative architectural design process.
The Utilization of Solar Energy in the Building Sector in Mediterranean Countries
Authors: Papamanolis Nikos 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In the Mediterranean region, relatively high solar radiation rates are recorded throughout the year. A part of this radiation is harnessed in energy production. At the same time, the similar climatic conditions in the area, justify comparable energy needs in key sectors of energy consumption (e.g. building, rural). Therefore, the Mediterranean area is an appropriate field for comparison and evaluation of data concerning production and consumption of renewable energy and in particular, of solar energy. Based on the available statistics, this work studies the production and consumption of solar energy in the building sector in the Mediterranean countries. It studies the evolution of energy production from the Sun in relation to energy production from other renewable and non-renewable sources. It also identifies and examines the factors that impact, positively or negatively, on the exploitation of solar energy in the building sector in the region. Insofar as the data permit, the study specializes in different areas of exploitation of solar energy (e.g. electricity generation, photovoltaic, solar thermal). The findings help to optimize the utilization of solar energy in the Mediterranean region and areas with similar climatic conditions.
Small wind turbines for on grid and off grid applications
Authors: Tzen Eftihia 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Electricity production must shift towards carbon neutral sources such as wind power to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Wind energy today accounts 18.8% of total installed power generation capacity in Europe, with a total installed capacity of 189 GW (170 GW onshore and 19 GW offshore wind farms), taking the second largest form of power generation capacity, closely approaching gas installed capacity. The progress of wind turbine technology over the last 20 years is important and is also the main reason for the rapid development of the wind power globally. In addition, the nominal capacity of onshore wind turbines has increased to more than 3 MW and more than 5 MW for offshore wind turbines. Despite the tendency for larger wind turbines there is a significant potential for small wind turbines for the urban environment as well as for off grid applications. The objective of this work is to provide a spherical knowledge of the technology of small wind turbines in the range of some kW up to 50kW nominal capacity, their market, costs, as well as their possible applications in urban and in off grid environment. Parameters such as, performance, noise issues, and visual disturbance is also discussed in this paper.
Building characterisation and assessment methodology of social housing stock in the warmer Mediterranean climate: the case of southern Spain.
Authors: Calama-González C M , Suárez R , León-Rodríguez A L 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The increase in the average temperature of the planet due to global warming has serious repercussions on buildings, affecting indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort. Currently, one of the building stocks most at risk is that of the residential sector in southern Spain, given the high sensitivity of the Mediterranean climate to the effects of climate change and the massive volume of this built environment with obsolete energy conditions. However, it is crucial to carry out an in-depth assessment of the necessary retrofitting strategies for implementation in this existing stock, with an overall analysis of building characterisation and current state of the building stock. This research takes these aspects into consideration, using statistical descriptive techniques to evaluate the building characterisation of public social housing in southern Spain. This public sector is managed by the Regional Government of Andalusia and is made up of 39.486 social housing units. Results reported in this research make it possible to establish which buildings require short-term and priority retrofitting actions, thus creating a useful tool for decision-making within the political context.
Optimisation of outdoor shading devices with thermal comfort criteria: The case of the Venetian Port of Chania
Authors: Vartholomaios Aristotelis , Kalogirou Nikolaos 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
While the optimisation of building shading devices is a frequently researched topic, few studies focus on optimising the form and location of devices that shade outdoor spaces. Consequently, there is no agreed consensus on the workflow that should govern the design of outdoor shading installations with respect to microclimate and human thermal comfort. The present study addresses this research gap by developing a flexible workflow that informs the architectural design process with parametric thermal comfort simulations. The proposed workflow acknowledges that although an environmentally optimal design may exist, the designer is often forced to select a sub-optimal solution that can satisfy non-comparable design objectives including practical on-site constraints and political pressure from stakeholders with often conflicting interests. Considering that outdoor shading devices are often found at the fringe of public and private spaces, the influence of the aforementioned non-environmental objectives on the design process becomes significant. For these reasons, the proposed workflow utilises state- of-the-art techniques such as ComfortCover in order to map the ‘usefulness’ of shade over a specified area and to explore alternative forms of shading devices. Thus, shading optimisation becomes a matter of weighting alternatives and choosing appropriate solutions from the examined parametric space, rather than a fully automated process. This ‘designer-first’ approach evolved through extensive pilot-testing at the Old Venetian Port of Chania, Greece as part of a series of urban regeneration interventions coordinated by the Municipal Port Fund of Chania. This design process resulted in a typology of shading devices that offer optimal annual thermal comfort conditions while satisfying the rest of the design objectives as well.
A new multi-objective dynamic model to close the gaps in sustainable development of industrial sector
Authors: Pirouz Behrouz , Arcuri Natale , Maiolo Mario , Talarico Vito Cataldo , Piro Patrizia 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The GHGs emissions by different activities show that the main part that is 25% belongs to electricity and heat production and the industrial activities counting as 21% of total emission. About 37% of the electricity consumption in Europe belongs to manufacturing and share of industrial activities in GHGs are among 30% to 40%. The electricity production trends show that the proportion of the renewables energy is going to reach to 20% in Europe by 2020 and according to the new energy targets, the minimum use of renewable energy must be 27% by 2030 and decarbonizing by 2050. For the industrial sector as a main energy consumer several elements affect the total energy consumption that start from the mining of the raw materials, transporting the materials to factories, grid network and finally the product to the end users and landfilling/recycling the used products. In this regards, to analyse all factors together a new multi-objective dynamic model has been developed. Moreover, to achieve eco-factories, the main solutions have been provided and dynamically analysed by the model. The results show that, all possible factors must be considered at the same time and applying just some approaches such as solar panels and forgetting the other factors such as end user, life cycle analysis and many other factors will not achieve the sustainability goals. The multi-objective dynamic models can be used as an appropriate approach to check the role of all solutions in achieving eco and sustainable factories.
Lack of regulation on the energy efficiency in Serbia in terms of the assessment of the impact of thermal bridges
Authors: Aleksandar Rajčić , Ljiljana Đukanović , Ana Radivojević 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
As one of the aspects of sustainable architecture, the energy efficiency of buildings has largely come to life and has found its practical application in modern construction practice. Active action towards the achievement of the adequate energy performance of buildings implies the creation of appropriate regulations, providing basic guidelines for securing energy efficiency in the design and construction of buildings. In that sense, with a dozen years of delay in relation to the introduction of the EPBD, Serbia has adopted its legal regulations regarding energy efficiency in buildings, being in force since 2012. Respecting the basic guidelines of the original directive, the regulations in Serbia were the subject of major changes in relation to the previous ones, making a major shift in the boundaries of the relevant parameters and the basic methodology of calculating the energy performance of buildings. However, in practice, it has been shown that some of the factors that are important for the design and energy behaviour of the buildings have been treated inadequately. This particularly refers to the problem of thermal bridges, whose impact on the overall energy performance of the buildings is too simplified. Consequently, depending on the complexity of the building, the prescribed calculation methodology often yields significantly fewer energy needs than they actually are. By taking the view that the influence of thermal bridges, regardless of their type and character, is treated as an arbitrary magnification of surface transmission loss in the function of magnifying the surface of the thermal envelope, the real impact of both linear and point heat losses is neglected. While the issue of an adequate calculation of linear losses is directly related to the way of designing the building, that is, to the conception of details, the question of the impact of point losses is a consequence of the structure of thermal envelope elements. The paper presents two types of critical cases of thermal bridges: the treatment of linear thermal bridges for which research has shown that their influence can significantly exceed those envisaged by the current rulebook, and the influence of point heat bridges, as seen in the specific case of ventilated façades in which this problem is present.
Use of cross laminated timber (CLT) in industrial buildings in Nordic climate – A case study
Authors: Svortevik Vilde Jakobsen , Engevik Mathias Berntzen , Kraniotis Dimitrios 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In recent years there has been a greater interest in developing new more sustainable solutions in the construction of buildings and in particular of large commercial and industrial buildings. This study analyses the feasibility and degree of sustainability of using cross laminated timber (CLT) as building material in industrial buildings in Nordic climate. An industrial building located in Eastern Norway, MAXBO Bjertnestangen, has been used as case study for the analysis. Two scenarios have been studied: i) the first analyses the existing industrial building (Scenario 1) built in steel, and ii) the second implies that the building components are replaced with CLT-elements (Scenario 2). For the structural analysis a commercial finite element method (FEM) code has been used and the results confirm that the CLT building achieves approximately equal mechanical and structural properties. For studying building physics in the two buildings, a commercial numerical simulation tool that couples hygrothermal with energy performance and uses the finite volume method (FVM) has been employed. The results show that it is possible to achieve a total energy saving of 3.3%, for the industrial building consisting of CLT-elements compared to the existing building. Furthermore, the life cycle analysis (LCA) shows that the total emission of CO2-eq is 16.7% lower in the CLT building, however the building’s construction costs are higher 13% compared to the existing industrial building. Finally, an optimized solution has been proposed in which sandwich panels in the roof are combined with CLT in rest of the building. In this case, the difference associated with costs is narrowed to 3.3%, while the difference in the total emission of CO2-eq stays still significant, i.e. 13.6%.
Sustainability, Environmental Performance and Energy Efficiency in Higher Education: Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb
Authors: Muraj I , Veršić Z , Binicki M 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Sustainability, environmental performance and energy efficiency have become main subjects not only for the profession of architecture, but for every profession, as well. Within the scope of this conference, and more specifically the overall energy performance of buildings, the section dealing with the higher technical education has special relevance. The need for incorporating sustainability and energy parameters in higher education has been recognised for some considerable time now. As academic staff members teaching in technical courses at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, we are always under time pressure in keeping up with the newest performances in structure and technology facing the question: How to realise and improve the graduate framework and the learning and teaching plan of environmental issues in the courses that we teach?
The paper examines available study programme ‘Architecture and Urban Studies’ within the master degree programme at the Department of Architectural Technology and Building Science. The new compulsory course Architecture and Technology 1 (AT1_2018/2019) addresses the topics of building energy consumption and emissions, rational use of energy, environmental impact, high performance efficiency and sustainable building. By comparing a selection of students’ works in different groups conducted experimentally for the first time, the paper will discuss the project approach, give a critical evaluation of the selected case studies and some lessons learned from attempts to incorporate environmental issues into the unit syllabus. Through this paper we attempt to share information and deepen the discussion within the academic community. Finally, as a contribution, it is expected to increase the ways by which parameters of energy and environmental sustainability can become an integral guiding principle in the design and delivery of all academic courses offered at the Faculty.