scholarly journals Assessment of energy-saving potential, associated costs and co-benefits of public buildings in Albania

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1387-1407
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Novikova ◽  
Zsuzsa Szalay ◽  
Miklós Horváth ◽  
Johannes Becker ◽  
Gjergji Simaku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Public Building ◽  
The Public

Abstract The paper presents the public building typology, energy demand estimations and retrofit scenarios, as well as associated costs and benefits for energy-saving measures in the public building stock of Albania. First, representative building types were identified to estimate their energy performance, and define retrofit packages. Second, this information was used to analyse the costs and benefits of the different thermal efficiency retrofits. Apart from specific benefits due to cost savings in the use phase, co-benefits were estimated to understand their dimension and influence on decision-making. Finally, energy efficiency supply curves were developed to show the priority sequence of retrofits and building types. It was found that due to the growing wealth in Albania, user behaviour will change a lot in the future. Energy usage in the public building sector will increase and mitigate savings resulting from energy-saving measures making saved energy costs invisible. However, if other benefits beyond energy savings are considered, the cost efficiency of the measures remain obvious. The recommended approach can be used to assist decision-making and allocate funds.

Energy Saving Policies for Housing Based on Wrong Assumptions?

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-83
Author(s):  
Henk Visscher ◽  
Dasa Majcen ◽  
Laure Itard
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Energy Saving Potential ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
New Buildings

The energy saving potential of the building stock is large and considered to be the most cost efficient to contribute to the CO2 reduction ambitions. Severe governmental policies steering on reducing the energy use seem essential to stimulate and enforce the improvement of the energy performance of buildings with a focus on reducing the heating and cooling energy demand. In Europe the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is a driving force for member states to develop and strengthen energy performance regulations for new buildings and energy certificates for the building stock. The goals are to build net zero energy new buildings in 2020 and to reach a neutral energy situation in the whole stock by 2050. More and more research projects deliver insight that the expected impact of stricter regulations for newly built houses is limited and the actual effects of energy savings through housing renovations stay behind the expectations. Theoretical energy use calculated on base of the design standard for new houses and assessment standards for Energy Performance Certificates of existing dwellings differ largely from the measured actual energy use. The paper uses the findings of some Post Occupancy Evaluation research projects. Is the energy saving potential of the housing stock smaller than expected and should we therefore change the policies?

Energy Savings Opportunities of an Integrated Facility and Production Line

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Brundage ◽  
Qing Chang ◽  
Dongmei Chen ◽  
Victor Yu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Production Line ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Manufacturing Plant ◽  
Hvac System ◽  
Modern Manufacturing ◽  
Integrated Facility

In modern manufacturing facilities there are many energy saving opportunities (ESO) that are wasted by the lack of integration between the facility and the production system. This paper deals with an integrated production line and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and explores the different energy saving opportunities of the two largest energy consumers in the manufacturing plant. The energy opportunity window of each machine is utilized to allow for energy savings for the production line without throughput loss on the floor. This opportunity window is synced with the peak periods of energy demand for the energy demand of the HVAC system. The integration of these two systems allows for the maximum energy cost savings. These systems are modeled and tested using simulation case studies.

scholarly journals Experimental Data and Simulations of Performance and Thermal Comfort in a Typical Mediterranean House

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3311
Author(s):  
Víctor Pérez-Andreu ◽  
Carolina Aparicio-Fernández ◽  
José-Luis Vivancos ◽  
Javier Cárcel-Carrasco
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Thermal Characterization ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Dwelling House ◽  
Account Standard

The number of buildings renovated following the introduction of European energy-efficiency policy represents a small number of buildings in Spain. So, the main Spanish building stock needs an urgent energy renovation. Using passive strategies is essential, and thermal characterization and predictive tests of the energy-efficiency improvements achieving acceptable levels of comfort for their users are urgently necessary. This study analyzes the energy performance and thermal comfort of the users in a typical Mediterranean dwelling house. A transient simulation has been used to acquire the scope of Spanish standards for its energy rehabilitation, taking into account standard comfort conditions. The work is based on thermal monitoring of the building and a numerical validated model developed in TRNSYS. Energy demands for different models have been calculated considering different passive constructive measures combined with real wind site conditions and the behavior of users related to natural ventilation. This methodology has given us the necessary information to decide the best solution in relation to energy demand and facility of implementation. The thermal comfort for different models is not directly related to energy demand and has allowed checking when and where the measures need to be done.

scholarly journals Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

scholarly journals A Systematic Literature Review of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for Sustainable Selection of Insulation Materials in Buildings

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 737
Author(s):  
Indre Siksnelyte-Butkiene ◽  
Dalia Streimikiene ◽  
Tomas Balezentis ◽  
Virgilijus Skulskis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Insulation Materials ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Selection Of

The European Commission has recently adopted the Renovation Wave Strategy, aiming at the improvement of the energy performance of buildings. The strategy aims to at least double renovation rates in the next ten years and make sure that renovations lead to higher energy and resource efficiency. The choice of appropriate thermal insulation materials is one of the simplest and, at the same time, the most popular strategies that effectively reduce the energy demand of buildings. Today, the spectrum of insulation materials is quite wide, and each material has its own specific characteristics. It is recognized that the selection of materials is one of the most challenging and difficult steps of a building project. This paper aims to give an in-depth view of existing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) applications for the selection of insulation materials and to provide major insights in order to simplify the process of methods and criteria selection for future research. A systematic literature review is performed based on the Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA) framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. In order to determine which MCDM method is the most appropriate for different questions, the main advantages and disadvantages of different methods are provided.

scholarly journals Multi-Country Analysis on Energy Savings in Buildings by Means of a Micro-Solar Organic Rankine Cycle System: A Simulation Study

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Arteconi ◽  
Luca Del Zotto ◽  
Roberto Tascioni ◽  
Khamid Mahkamov ◽  
Chris Underwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
The North

In this paper, the smart management of buildings energy use by means of an innovative renewable micro-cogeneration system is investigated. The system consists of a concentrated linear Fresnel reflectors solar field coupled with a phase change material thermal energy storage tank and a 2 kWe/18 kWth organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system. The microsolar ORC was designed to supply both electricity and thermal energy demand to residential dwellings to reduce their primary energy use. In this analysis, the achievable energy and operational cost savings through the proposed plant with respect to traditional technologies (i.e., condensing boilers and electricity grid) were assessed by means of simulations. The influence of the climate and latitude of the installation was taken into account to assess the performance and the potential of such system across Europe and specifically in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, U.K., and Sweden. Results show that the proposed plant can satisfy about 80% of the overall energy demand of a 100 m2 dwelling in southern Europe, while the energy demand coverage drops to 34% in the worst scenario in northern Europe. The corresponding operational cost savings amount to 87% for a dwelling in the south and at 33% for one in the north.

scholarly journals Energy saving potential of occupancy sensors in intermittent-use space types.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Georgia Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
User Survey ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
Energy Saving Potential

<p>For decades, studies have been suggesting the idea of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces for energy savings. This work investigates the potential energy savings of occupancy sensors in hallways, stairwells, seminar rooms and lavatories of an education building. Lighting is one of the largest consumers of energy in the building industry and these space types are often fully illuminated for long periods of vacancy. Lighting is for the user, not the building. Discussions centre around light use habits, energy saving behaviours and sensor technology such as time delay and daylight sensors. The experiment uses wireless light sensors and PIR sensors to measure light energy use and occupant use of 20 intermittent use spaces. A user survey was planned to run alongside the experiment to investigate user perceptions of changes in lighting but was discontinued due to unresolved software issues. Results of the experiment encouraged the use of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces. Lavatories attained highest energy saving potential 54%, seminar rooms highest annual cost savings per fitting $15.47 and highest annual energy savings 482kWh and hallways calculated the quickest payback of 8.6 years. Hallways, stairwells, seminar rooms and lavatories all offer potential for energy savings, supporting the theoretical ideas and success of occupancy sensors in intermittent use spaces.</p>

scholarly journals Intelligent Edge-based Recommender System for Internet of Energy Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Nabeel Sayed ◽  
Faycal Bensaali ◽  
Yassine Himeur
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Recommender System ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Privacy Preservation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
End Users ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency

When investigating how people conserve energy, most researchers and decision-makers render a conceptual distinction between prevention (e.g. unplugging devices) and productivity measures. Nevertheless, such a two-dimensional approach is inefficient from both a conceptual and policy standpoint, since it ignores individual differences that influence energy-saving behavior. Preserving electricity in homes and buildings is a big concern, owing to a scarcity of energy resources and the escalation of current environmental issues. Furthermore, the COVID-19 social distancing policies have resulted in a temporary transition of energy demand from industrial and urban centers to residential areas, resulting in greater consumption and higher costs. In order to promote the sustainability and preservation of resources, the use of new technologies to increase energy efficiency in homes or buildings becomes increasingly necessary. Hence, the goal of the project is to provide consumers with evidence-based data on the costs and advantages of ICT-enabled energy conservation approaches, as well as clear, timely, and engaging information and assistance on how to realize the energy savings that are attainable, in order to boost user uptake and effectiveness of such techniques. End-users can visualize their consumption patterns as well as ambient environmental data using the Home-assistant user interface. More notably, explainable energy-saving recommendations are delivered to end-users in form of notifications via the mobile application to facilitate habit change. In this context, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt for developing and implementing an energy-saving recommender system on edge devices. Thus, ensuring better privacy preservation since data are processed locally on the edge, without the need to transmit them to remote servers, as is the case with cloudlet platforms.

scholarly journals Urban energy performance calculation based on EPBD standards. GIS4ENER tool

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gema Hernandez-Moral ◽  
◽  
Víctor Iván Serna-Gonzalez ◽  
Francisco Javier Miguel Herrero ◽  
César Valmaseda-Tranque
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Urban Energy ◽  
Performance Calculation

Climate change will have a strong impact on urban settings, which will also represent one of the major challenges (world’s urban population is expected to double by 2050, EU buildings consume 40% final energy and generate 36% CO2 emissions). A plethora of initiatives address this challenge by stressing the underlying necessity of thinking globally but acting locally. This entails the inclusion of a varied set of decision-makers acting at different scales and needing robust, comprehensive and comparable information that can support them in their energy planning process. To this end, this paper presents the GIS4ENER tool to support energy planners at different scales by proposing a bottom-up approach towards the calculation of energy demand and consumption at local scale that can be aggregated to support other decision-making scales. It is based on three main pillars: the exploitation of publicly available data (such as Open Street Maps, Building Stock Observatory or TABULA), the implementation of standardised methods to calculate energy (in particular the ISO52000 family) and the use of Geographic Information Systems to represent and facilitate the understanding of results, and their aggregation. The paper presents the context, main differences with other approaches and results of the tool in Osimo (IT).

scholarly journals Synergies and Trade-Offs Between Sustainable Development and Energy Performance of Exterior Lighting

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika K. Jägerbrand
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Trade Offs

The aim of this review was to map synergies and trade-offs between sustainable development and energy efficiency and savings regarding exterior lighting. Exterior lighting, such as public road and street lighting, requires significant amounts of energy and hinders sustainable development through its increasing of light pollution, ecological impact, and global climate change. Interlinkages between indicators in sustainability and energy that have positive interactions will lead to a mutual reinforcement in the decision-making process, and vice versa, interlinkages between trade-offs may lead to unwanted and conflicting effects. Very few studies have presented a clear vision of how exterior lighting should be contributing to, and not counteracting, the sustainable development of our planet. This study was conducted through a theoretical and systematic analysis that examined the interactions between sustainable development and energy performance based on a framework using indicators and variables, and by reviewing the current literature. Additionally, 17 indicators of energy efficiency and energy savings were identified and used in the analysis. Most interactions between variables for sustainable development and energy performance (52%) were found to be synergistic. The synergistic interactions were mostly found (71%) in the ecological and environmental dimension showing that environmental and ecological sustainability goes hand in hand with energy efficiency and savings. Trade-offs were found only in the economic and social dimensions accounting for 18% of the interactions identified. This review shows that the interactions between sustainable development and energy performance can be used to establish more efficient policies for decision-making processes regarding exterior lighting.

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