scholarly journals Learning from Precedent

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranald Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Robert Venturi ◽  
Modern House

This paper argues that precedent should play a fundamental role in the development of sustainable homes. It will describe how the design of two energy efficient family homes in Winchester, England, adopt a distinctive approach to environmental precedent. The modern house is substantially a product of numerical calculation, such as the modelling of performance data and cost-benefit analysis. Construction (materials, u-values) and processes (energy use, assembly, airtightness) are quantified and assessed to ensure they achieve design objectives based on recognised standards of performance (Energy Performance Certificate: A; Code for Sustainable Homes: level 4). However this technical analysis alone cannot inform the initial creative idea. The design of these houses was informed by intuitive reference to a range of diverse precedents, including the work of Alvar Aalto, Sverre Fehn, Robert Venturi and Roelof Uytenbogaardt. The asymmetric roofs of Aalto’s Housing for ex-service men in Tampere (1941) define thresholds to front and side doors, and a sheltered private space to the back overlooking the garden. Fehn’s Villa Norrköping (1964) was designed around circadian rhythms, with day and night-time spaces defined by glazed corners (’eyes’) and alcoves, animated by daylight and shadow. Venturi’s Mother’s House (1964) symbolises in its idiosyncratic form and modest material treatment the pragmatic and egalitarian promise of a home and identity of one’s own. House Uytenbogaardt (1993) exploits solar orientation and the topography of its location to the utmost, framing views of the horizon and sunsets over the ocean. The house is part fortified tower house, part bespoke wooden cabinet, responding to the unique atmosphere and light of the Western Cape coastline. This paper will describe how these two subtly different Winchester houses borrow from each of these examples to reconcile technical requirements with the poetic possibilities inherent in imagining other environments, informed by the specific climate and conditions of the site.

scholarly journals A cost-benefit analysis of using Rooikrans as biomass feedstock for electricity generation: A case study of the De Hoop nature reserve, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 788-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shepherd Mudavanhu ◽  
James Blignaut ◽  
Nonophile Nkambule ◽  
Tshepo Morokong ◽  
Thulile Vundla
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Woody Biomass ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Biomass Feedstock ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Case Scenario

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) like Rooikrans (Acacia Cyclops) have several undesirable effects on both the natural environment and the social, economic and cultural wellness of society in the De Hoop nature reserve of the Western Cape Province. A few of these negative effects are: the change in coastal sediment dynamics, the change in seed dispersal dynamics, and the fact that it is overtaking native plants. However, Rooikrans can also potentially be used as biomass feedstock for electricity generation. Following a system dynamics modelling approach, the feasibility of using woody biomass from Rooikrans was investigated. The RE-model used data obtained from the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) Natural Resource Management (NRM) division, consulted with experts and conducted literature reviews with respect to the subject matter. Three scenarios were tested and the RE-model results showed that all scenarios have a positive cumulative Net Present Values (NPVs), with the exception of the baseline case scenario. This study shows that the production of electricity using Rooikrans woody biomass is a viable and feasible option in comparison with electricity production by diesel generators.

scholarly journals Increasing Building Energy Efficiency Through Advances in Materials

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Judkoff
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
System Component ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Innovative Materials

AbstractMaterials advances could help to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of buildings. Globally, buildings use about 20% of primary energy and account for 20% of atmospheric emissions. Building energy consumption emanates from a variety of sources, some of which are related to the building envelope or fabric, some to the equipment in the building, and some to both. Opportunities for reducing energy use in buildings through innovative materials are therefore numerous, but there is no one system, component, or material whose improvement alone can solve the building energy problem. Many of the loads in a building are interactive, and this complicates cost/benefit analysis for new materials, components, and systems. Moreover, components and materials for buildings must meet stringent durability and cost/performance criteria to last the long service lifetimes of buildings and compete successfully in the marketplace.

scholarly journals The energy retrofit of building façades in 22@ innovation district of Barcelona: energy performance and cost-benefit analysis.

2019 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. 072067
Author(s):  
Manca Mauro ◽  
Prochazkova Zuzana ◽  
Berardi Umberto ◽  
Flores Larsen Silvana ◽  
Pich-Aguilera Felipe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Energy Retrofit ◽  
Building Facades

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Net Zero Energy Campus Residence

Solar Energy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Raffio ◽  
George Mertz ◽  
Kelly Kissock
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero Energy ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Inside Out

In response to both global and local challenges, the University of Dayton is committed to building a net-zero energy student residence, called the Eco-house. A unique aspect of the Ecohouse is its cost effectiveness. This paper discusses both the design and cost-benefit analysis of a net-zero energy campus residence. Energy use of current student houses is presented to provide a baseline for determining energy savings. The use of the whole-system inside-out approach to guide the overall design is described. Using the inside-out method, the energy impacts of occupant behavior, appliances and lights, building envelope, energy distribution systems and primary energy conversion equipment are discussed. The designs of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems to meet the hot water and electricity requirements of the house are described. Ecohouse energy use is compared to the energy use of the existing houses. Cost-benefit analysis is first performed on house components and then on the whole house. At a 5% discount rate, 5% borrowing rate for a 20 year mortgage, a 35 year lifetime, and an annual fuel escalation rate of 4%, the Ecohouse can be constructed for no additional lifetime cost.

Zero Energy Houses and Embodied Energy: Regulatory and Design Considerations

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patxi Hernandez ◽  
Paul Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Base Case ◽  
Life Cycle Approach ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Building energy performance regulations and standards around the world are evolving aiming to reduce the energy use in buildings. As we move towards zero energy buildings, the embodied energy of construction materials and energy systems becomes more important, as it represents a high percentage of the overall life cycle energy use of a building. However, this issue is still ignored by many regulations and certification methods, as happens with the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which focuses on the energy used in operation. This paper analyses a typical house designed to comply with Irish building regulations, calculating its energy use for heating and how water with the Irish national calculation tool, which uses a methodology in line with the EPBD. A range of measures to reduce the energy performance in use of this typical house are proposed, calculating the reduced energy demand and moving towards a zero energy demand building. A life-cycle approach is added to the analysis, taking into account the differential embodied energy of the implemented measures in relation to the typical house base-case, annualizing the differential embodied energy and re-calculating the overall energy use. The paper discusses how a simplified approach for accounting embodied energy of materials could be useful in a goal to achieve the lowest life-cycle energy use in buildings, and concludes with a note on how accounting for embodied energy is a key element when moving towards zero energy buildings.

scholarly journals Energy use Efficiency and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Production in the Irrigated Central Clay Plain of Guneid Area - Sudan

2020 ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hassan Dahab ◽  
Elwaleed M. H. Basheeir ◽  
Omer Ahmed Abdallah
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Total Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Energy Use Efficiency ◽  
Use Efficiency

The main objectives of this study were to determine and analyze energy use efficiency in sugar beet production, and to make cost-benefit analysis in Guneid area - Sudan. An experiment was carried out using three tillage implements (disc plough, disc harrow and ridger) for land preparation, seven days irrigation interval and mechanical planter. The treatments were replicated four times in a completely randomized block design. The results showed that total energy consumption in sugar beet production was 35099.20MJha-1, out of which 52.33% of fertilizer energy, 18.0% water energy and 9.0% of diesel energy. The energy use ratio was 28.71 and energy productivity was 1.71kgMJha-1. The results also showed that 73.6% of total energy input was in non-renewable energy form, and only 26.4% was in renewable form, while 34.1% was in from of direct energy and 65.9% indirect energy. Cost-Benefit analyses showed that the total return, net return, benefit–cost ratio and productivity of crop were 2689.6 US$ha-1, 990.8 US$ha-1, 1.58. and 35.3kgUSD-1 respectively. Although large amounts of energy consumption for sugar beet production increased the yield, it also caused in problems related to environmental pollution, land degradation, nutrient loading and pesticide toxicity. Therefore, it is important to look for methods and systems that can reduce the negative effect of high energy inputs and to develop more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly agricultural production systems that increase energy use efficiency and crop yield.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the energy performance and cost-benefit of innovative technologies in butcher’s shops

2021 ◽  
Vol 246 ◽  
pp. 05003
Author(s):  
Jeroen Lippens ◽  
Saar Lokere ◽  
Wout Barbary ◽  
Hilde Breesch
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Reference Model ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Contribution ◽  
Tertiary Sector ◽  
Domestic Hot Water ◽  
Innovative Technologies

The CO2 emissions and energy use of SMEs in the tertiary sector (e.g. small food and non-food shops, restaurants, offices, pubs, etc.) are high and there are few initiatives to reduce because this target group is difficult to reach due to small scale and diversity. The Flemish-Dutch TERTS project wants (1) to make the sector aware of the potential of and (2) to demonstrate energy transition and energy efficiency of innovative technologies. This paper is focussing on butcher’s shops. A reference model is made based on data of 90 existing shops in Flanders (Belgium). The energy use of the building and systems is calculated according to DIN V 15 899. The cost-benefit of various measures is calculated and compared. Results show that the main energy consumers of a butcher shop are cooling, lighting and domestic hot water, whereas heating only has a rather small contribution. There are several cooling needs: product-cooling (in walk-in freezers, walk-in coolers and the cooling counter) and cooling of the workshop. The combination of the following measures is concluded to be the most favourable and leads to a reduction in final energy consumption of 60 %: a reflective coating on the flat roof and extra roof insulation, relighting with LED, air-to-water heat pump for the generation of domestic hot water and PV panels as local energy generation.

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