bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Energy-related policy in the housing sector of Bulgaria: in search for a meeting point of social and technical dimensions
Authors: Dimitrova E , Petrova-Tasheva M , Mutafchiiska I , Burov A 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Understanding the way in which a policy framework put into action supports or hampers stakeholders’ energy-related action in the field of housing renovation could provide meaningful insight on needed respect for stakeholders’ needs, expectations, motivations and capacity for action. The paper presents a study undertaken on the case of Bulgaria as part of ongoing ECHOES research project (EU-funded under the Horizon 2020 Program). It discusses the complex challenges faced in linking policy and technical to social and cultural considerations in renovating the existing residential stock in Bulgaria while meeting energy-efficiency requirements with an explicit focus on predominant apartment buildings in multiple ownership. The refurbishment process requires, on one hand, considerable investment, which is in most cases hardly accessible for the homeowners; on the other hand, collective decision-making with numerous stakeholders involved, often with diverse social and economic status. The presented two national case studies illustrate two alternative approaches applied – one searching to benefit from the national energy market peculiarities, and the other taking the opportunities provided by European and national grant schemes introduced in the country. Based on contacts and semi-structured interviews with various actors involved in the two initiatives, the dynamics of the situation throughout the projects’ life cycle sand and in the longer term and the changing personal estimations of costs and benefits are analysed. Conclusions are drawn about the importance of continuity in implemented energy-related policies. The authors claim that specific paths to EU energy policy goals under varying economic, technical and sociocultural context should be well continually informed by comprehensive interdisciplinary research.
Passive Strategies for Buildings in Hot and Dry Climates: Optimisation of Informal Apartment Blocks in Cairo
Authors: Vignola Gionatan , Kiracofe Ryan , Dietrich Udo 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Cairo’s dry and hot climate leads to challenges related to health, thermal comfort and energy consumption that its urban dwellers encounter daily. The informal apartment blocks in which most of the Cairene households live are generally poorly insulated against external heat gains, hardly shaded and poorly ventilated. Furthermore, especially during summer, about one-fifth of households experience constant power interruptions. This research shows to what extent it is possible, by using passive strategies, to optimise the architecture of informal apartment blocks, to meet the end user’s thermal comfort expectations while being energy and environmentally sound. By using Primero, an EnergyPlus based software, existing informal and traditional Cairenes buildings have been modelled, and thermal comfort and energy performance simulated and compared. Performance of informal buildings has been optimised and improved by using passive strategies. This has been possible by changing the structure of the building (adding an overhang), and by experimenting with the use of different materials for external wall constructions (all of which available in Egypt).
3D built-environment attributes and household road traffic noise exposure in Hong Kong
Authors: Guo Mengdi , Huang Jianxiang , Yuxuan Ni Michael 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Road traffic noise is an environmental health hazard in Hong Kong and other high-density cities. The dense built environment modifies noise propagation, reflects, absorbs or diffracts sound depending on building morphology, road configuration, and open space layout, etc. Mitigation of urban traffic noise is of growing concerns to planning and design practitioners. Existing assessment methods are limited in reliably accounting for localized variations in noise exposure associated with a high-density city. The aim of this research is to 1) develop a 3D database of road traffic noise exposure for a large number of households in a high-density city; 2) explore the linkages between built environment attributes and road traffic noise exposure. A 3D built environment database was constructed for Hong Kong using building geometries, topography and urban traffic noise data. Window coordinates for each household were extracted using address and building floor plans. Computer simulation was conducted to determine traffic noise exposure at window locations using CadnaA for a random sample of 8,158 households across the city. Results revealed that 76.3% of the households are exposed to excessive road traffic noise by WHO standards. Household traffic noise exposure are significantly associated with proximity to secondary road, story-level of the flat, and other urban form attributes. The 3D database is of value for public health research in relation to noise and urban noise mitigation measures. The next step is to develop an efficient and reliable simulation tool to support planning and design decisions in traffic noise mitigation.
Communicating innovations: examples from smart technology retrofits
Authors: Darby S J 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
The importance of effective feedback loops during and after building retrofits is well-established. Good communications between designers, practitioners and building users typically lead to better outcomes for users and can allow designers, investors and builders to learn from experience.
Where ‘smart’ retrofits are concerned – that is, introduction of ICT for more sophisticated control and new functions such as demand response – it can seem as though the aim is a friction-free transfer of activity and learning from humans to machines. In such a scenario, the complexities of real-life routines and activities are typically minimised or ignored, along with the need for time and effort to put into sense-making and adaptation. The paper argues that this is unhelpful at best. Drawing on the author’s involvement in evaluating three contrasting programmes, it illustrates how smart refurbishment is an exercise in which ‘smartness’ is distributed between technologies and humans; one in which we can expect some emergent (i.e. unpredictable) outcomes. The three case studies, at different scales, are:
• the rollout of smart meters in Great Britain, a large-scale infrastructure refurbishment;
• ‘smartening’ domestic storage heaters and water heaters, a retrofit exercise in homes;
• ‘smartening’ electricity demand in a community – small-scale system upgrade.
These programmes show the significance of different types of communication in sociotechnical systems as they incorporate smart technologies. Thematic analysis indicates three ways of categorising communication during these processes: between technologies (connectivity), between technologies and people (controls), and between people (care). As buildings become more closely integrated into energy systems, for example via on-site generation, demand response and heat networks, these categories can be useful when designing, implementing and evaluating smart refurbishment.
Agent-Based Modelling of Occupants’ Clothing and Activity Behaviour and Their Impact on Thermal Comfort in Buildings
Authors: Zhang Anxiao , Huang Qiong , Du Yiming , Zhen Qi , Zhang Qi 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
This paper proposes a new agent-based approach to model the clothing and activity behaviour of occupants in buildings. An autonomous agent is created to interact with the surrounding thermal environment and make decisions based on its comfort level. The agent-based behaviour model was implemented by MATLAB and was linked with building energy simulation program EnergyPlus via Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) and MLE+. A simulation experiment was conducted to see how an agent adapts to the dynamic thermal changes in different seasons and how it affects the annual thermal comfort. Obvious variation in the predicted annual discomfort time can be observed when using the agent-based method compared with a traditional commonly used method with static parameters. The paper concludes with a discussion of the model’s current limitations and possibilities for future development.
The relationship between thermal environments and clothing insulation for rural low-income residents in China in winter
Authors: Zhao Wei , Chow David , Sharples Steve 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
China is developing rapidly, but there is an obvious imbalance in the development level between urban and rural areas. Differences in economics, living conditions and life style contribute to differences in indoor thermal environments, and may result in differences in the perceptions of thermal comfort between urban and rural areas. Clothing insulation as one of the most important parameters that affect thermal comfort is studied in this research. A field study is conducted in the rural areas of Lankao, China. A total of 384 valid samples were acquired. 54.97% researched houses suffered extreme cold indoor temperatures between 2°C and 6°C. Clothing insulation value of researched population is significantly larger than in other research. Clothing insulation value of female is significantly larger than that of male. It was also found that clothing insulation value correlates positively with age, that clo grow with the increase of age significantly. 7-days running mean outdoor temperature was selected from four temperature indices to predict clothing insulation value. Clo value is negatively correlated with 7-days RM outdoor temperature. But, the slope is quite small in such an extreme cold condition. A case study was conducted to estimate influence of adaptive clothing insulation on heating energy consumption (from Nov. to Mar.). Results show that 863 heating hours are reduced by using adaptive clothing insulation model. The total Heating Degree Hours (HDH) is reduced from 6445 to 1367 by 78.8% which means the same percentage of heating energy conservation. Besides, this case study also concluded that “adaptive clothing insulation model” has higher influence on heating energy consumption in transition season.
Residential building energy performance evaluation for different climate zones
Authors: Albogami S M , Boukhanouf R 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
The building sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accounts for a large proportion of energy consumption. This paper investigates energy consumption in residential type A villa buildings constructed by the Ministry of Housing. The study specifically investigates energy consumption of a case building in three climate zones of the country identified in the KSA Building Code (SBC-602E). The software package IES-ve was used to simulate power consumption of the case building taking into account the climate characteristics of each zone. In total 6 cities were considered from the three zones to evaluate and compare annual and monthly power consumption loads of the building. It was found that there is some distinction of energy consumption for heating and cooling in the three zones (e.g., peak monthly power energy consumption for cooling varied from 6.371 MWh in Riyadh (zone1) to 1.663 MWh in Abha (zone3) and no heating requirement for Jaddah (zone 1) while Turaif (zone 3) heating consumption is 23.835 MWh) however, further work is required to identify clearer the climate specifications within each zone to address the excess energy consumption of this type of buildings.
A Review of the Existing Residential Building Retrofit in Tianjin, China
Authors: Liu Y S , Liu C H , Li W 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Tianjin, situates 120 km southeast of the capital city Beijing, is the largest open coastal city in northern China and has high economic status. From the beginning of the 20th century, the municipal government has done a lot on residential building retrofit. In China, the policies as well as standards of local governments play an important role in guiding and supporting the building industry. This paper clarify the characteristics of the existing residential buildings, and attempts to review the policies, standards and retrofit pilot projects implemented by governments since the beginning of 20th century in Tianjin. Four stages of retrofit process toward residential buildings in Tianjin are indicated: reconstruction of shanty housing, retrofit of basic function including building facade beautification, outdoor environment update and balcony reinforce, energy saving retrofit and comprehensive retrofit based on sustainable conception. In each stage, policies, retrofit principles and typical cases are analysed. We also shows that lots of retrofit technologies have been applied which can reduce energy consumption effective and make living environment more comfortable. But it also has many problems of residential retrofit, such as lack of local standards and financial strategy. Meanwhile, the trend of retrofit is predicted, which is based on sustainable concept, aimed at building performance, integrated with environmental protection, energy saving and high efficiency. At last, some suggestions are also presented for existing residential buildings retrofit in Tianjin.
A parametric analysis of the influence of wind speed and direction on the thermal comfort performance of a Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) system – field measurements from a Saudi Arabian library
Authors: Alshenaifi M A , Sharples S 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Building energy consumption in the desert climate of Saudi Arabia is dominated by cooling demand. Electricity for this cooling is generated predominantly from finite fossil fuel reserves. To improve resource efficiency and decrease carbon emissions, reducing this demand by using more passive cooling approaches is desirable. One system is the passive downdraught evaporative cooling (PDEC) tower. PDEC captures hot, dry winds at the top of a tower and then cools the air by passing it through or over water. This cooler air then flows out from the base of the tower into the building. In this study, a PDEC system in a small Saudi public library was monitored for two summer months. A key aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between local wind speed and direction and the performance of the PDEC towers. A thermal comfort analysis investigated the acceptability limits of indoor temperature using the adaptive thermal comfort model. A parametric analysis of the wind effects was conducted by grouping wind data in to ranges of wind speed and direction and then correlating them against environmental conditions in the library. The results indicated that the PDEC towers could deliver significant cooling for library users. However, the towers’ effectiveness was influenced by changes in wind speed, and in a counter intuitive way – stronger wind speeds tended to reduce the tower cooling efficiency.
The Cooling Efficiency of Urban Greenery Coverage in a High-density City
Authors: Ouyang Wanlu , Eniolu Morakinyo Tobi , Ng Edward 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Urban greenery especially trees has been identified as one of the most effective measures for urban climate moderation through the mechanism of evaporative cooling and shading. For subtropical high-density cities like Hong Kong, intense heat stress arises from the compact urban form, poor ventilation, and the high percentage of impervious urban cover. Thus, concerted actions are being taken to harness the cooling potential of urban greenery for improved microclimate. However, the cooling effects of urban greenery vary based on multiple factors, including background climates, urban morphology, anthropogenic heat emission, vegetation types and quantity, etc. This study aims at quantifying and comparing the cooling efficiency of different urban greenery coverage for a typical residential neighbourhood in Hong Kong. The questions guiding our research are: what is the relationship between tree coverage and ambient environment, including air temperature and thermal comfort during a typical summer day in the selected neighbourhood? To achieve this objective, we employed a previously validated ENVImet model setting of a typical summer day to conducted parametric studies of cooling benefit of variable tree coverage ratio from 0 to 30% at the interval of 2% on a typical summer day. The results verified the greenery had a higher cooling potential during period of maximum temperature than the whole diurnal time, 1 °C and almost 0.8 °C respectively for air temperature. This study also showed that increasing greenery coverage indeed lowers diurnal temperatures, but this relationship is logarithmic instead of linear. The ratio of change in cooling effects to greenery increase and then decreased gradually. Between the coverage ratio of 8%-35%, the cooling potential would be underestimated in a linear relationship. Greenery measures may lead to ineffective results if greening principles have not been comprehensive understood, such as greenery abundance, composition and types. The present study allows urban planners and managers to understand more in greenery amount for urban micro-climate in high-density cities.
Simulation-Informed Urban Design: Improving Urban Microclimate in Real-World Practice in a High Density City.
Authors: Huang Jianxiang , Hao Tongping , Shan Hou Shan , Jones Phil 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIn many dense cities, urban heat and the interaction of buildings with their immediate urban environment emerges as a pressing issue due to growing urban heat island effect and climate change. Informed evidence based design decisions to mitigate heat stress becomes a priority for urban planning and design practitioners. The aim of the study is to develop informed design and development decisions using computer simulation tools concerning urban microclimate performance. In this study, academic researchers have worked with industrial partners in an urban renewal project in Hong Kong’s high density urban area. In-house developed simulation software such as CityComfort+ and HTB2-Virvil were applied to assess urban microclimate conditions and risks of pedestrian thermal stress throughout key seasons. Simulation results were provided as feedback to project designers and managers at early stage, allowing timely design modification to improve performance while maintaining code compliance and design and fiscal priorities. The procedure is iterative until performance attributes converge. Preliminary results show that the informed design can deliver significant microclimate benefits compared with “business-as-usual scenarios”. By shaping building mass, orientation, and strategic placement of shading and vegetation, the improved design is expected to reduce summer-time outdoor heat stress by 1°C measured in UTCI equivalent temperature, thus bringing the average conditions for the hot season into the “comfort zone” for the local community. Energy simulation can predict overall energy demand and the potential for renewable energy supply at an urban scale. The simulation-designer workflow shows promising potentials to improve urban microclimate performance of design outcomes and the potential for zero carbon urban blocks. The early-stage action, forward-looking partnership, and computing efficiency of the simulation tools are the keys.
A feasibility study to evaluate the potential replication of an energy positive house in the UK
Authors: Li X , Patterson J , Coma Bassas E , Jones P 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
This paper presents an evaluation of the economic and technical feasibility of a renewable-led low carbon house in the UK. A holistic systems-based approach to achieve energy positive house has been taken. Long-term economic and technical feasibility analysis have been carried out based on a validated thermal and energy model of the house. The economic analysis employs the Return on Investment (ROI) method and considers changes to government financial support and technology progress over time. Results show that the extra investment on the house, compared with that for building a standard social house of similar size, can be paid back within the system lifespan under both the old Feed-in Tariff and its proposed replacement with reduced financial support. Variants examined in the technical feasibility analysis include housing type, orientation and location. Results show that the house can be replicated to achieve an energy positive performance for all variant combinations. Among the variants, location has the highest impact on building performance including annual electricity import, CO2 emission and electricity self-sufficient ratio, with South UK performing better than North UK. This implies that more efficient or advanced technologies would be needed to achieve similar building or system performance in areas of unfavourable climate. The outcome of the research has demonstrated the affordability of the energy positive house, and the technical feasibility of its replication with different housing types, orientations and locations in the UK. This study supports the wide scale replication of this affordable systems-based approach in domestic building design and construction when incorporating appropriate technologies.
Assessment of carbon foot print of Jaffna Town, Sri Lanka
Authors: Raveendran S , Srikaran V 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Jaffna town is one of the emerging urban centers in Northern Sri Lanka which attract more people, resources and activities in the post war scenario. This study assesses the carbon foot print of the town. Cities play a key role to top up greenhouse gases into the atmosphere worldwide which lead to global warming and consequent climate change and related impacts. The carbon footprint of Jaffna town has not been assessed yet and the awareness of low carbon development is not common in the development domain which are essential to make decisions to carry out development consistent with Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of the research to assess the gross carbon emission of Jaffna town and sectoral composition of the emission. The study shows that the city emits 312,096,821 Kg Co2e per day. More emission comes from domestic activities which account for 60%and second largest emission comes from transport sector. Nearly 60 %of the commuters are using private vehicles that account for nearly 20%of the total emission. Among the domestic emission, light and ventilation consume more energy than other uses. Solid waste management also contributes to emit nearly 6-10 %of the emission of the city. More houses consume relatively higher energy for light and ventilation because of the poor design of house that do not utilize the natural light and ventilation. The study suggest that the building design must adhere to the low carbon building designs which is not present in Jaffna. Appropriate building design that minimize the energy consumption need to formulated and implemented. Use of centralized air conditioning system in public building will minimize the energy consumption compared to distributed system. Integrated waste management system and sanitary land fill facilities will minimize the emission from solid waste disposal. Suitable urban design will encourage walking and cycling of residents and commuters. Deliberate planning of routes and facilities of public transport will promote the use of public transport between Jaffna and other suburban towns in the Northern Region.