A case study on the individual energy use of personal computers in an office setting and assessment of various feedback types toward energy savings

Energy cost is significant in many of the manufacturing activities. The efficiency of energy use is quiet low as there are substantial visible and hidden losses. Visible losses can be easily identified and corrective action can be taken. However hidden and indirect losses form a sizeable portion of the losses. Identifying these losses is not easy and requires an integrated approach which includes thorough study of process, operations and their interactions with energy use. Industries across sectors have implemented lean management principles which target various wastes occurring in the plant. This paper discusses case studies which highlight the exploitation of lean tools as a means for unearthing hidden energy saving potential that often go unnoticed. In addition to the energy savings which results in improved profits and competitiveness, the approach also aids the industry to pursue a path of sustainable manufacturing.

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Sustainability and cost assessment of coastal vacation homes for energy retrofits

Built Environment Project and Asset Management ◽

10.1108/bepam-08-2016-0034 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 185-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kamalesh Panthi ◽

Kanchan Das ◽

Tarek Abdel-Salam

Keyword(s):

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Building Envelope ◽

Energy Usage ◽

Water Heater ◽

Content Type ◽

Modeling Software ◽

Energy Use Intensity

Purpose Vacation rental homes, in general, have different energy usage characteristics than traditional residential homes mainly because of the occupancy pattern that changes on a weekly basis. These homes, predominantly larger in size, offer a greater scope for energy savings also because of the wasteful habits of their seasonal occupants. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes of energy inefficiencies prevalent in these homes so that appropriate retrofit choices can be offered to homeowners. Design/methodology/approach This research presents a case study of a vacation rental home whose energy consumption was investigated in depth and energy inefficiencies identified through modeling using energy modeling software, eQUEST. Simulations were performed to identify viable retrofit scenarios. Findings While improvement in the building envelope such as providing shades/overhangs on the windows, reducing infiltration and increasing insulation of the exterior wall did not show promising results for savings on energy cost, other improvements such as use of highly efficient lamps, tank-less water heater system and occupancy sensors showed viable investment options with shorter payback periods. It was also found that energy use intensity of sampled houses was about half of the average of US residential buildings, which could primarily be attributed to the seasonal nature of occupancy of these houses. Originality/value There is a dearth of literature pertaining to energy efficiency-related retrofits of coastal vacation homes. This research fills that gap to some extent by addressing this issue with an ultimate aim of assisting homeowners in retrofit decision-making.

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Targeting Residential Energy Assistance

ASME 2007 Energy Sustainability Conference ◽

10.1115/es2007-36080 ◽

2007 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Gregory Raffio ◽

Ovelio Isambert ◽

George Mertz ◽

Charlie Schreier ◽

Kelly Kissock

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Specific Energy ◽

Low Income ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Weather Data ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Fuel Type ◽

Step Method

This paper describes a four-step method to analyze the utility bills and weather data from multiple residences to target buildings for specific energy conservation retrofits. The method is also useful for focusing energy assessments on the most promising opportunities. The first step of the method is to create a three-parameter changepoint regression model of energy use versus weather for each building and fuel type. The three model parameters represent weather independent energy use, the building heating or cooling coefficient and the building balance-point temperature. The second step is to drive the models using typical TMY2 weather data to determine Normalized Annual Consumption (NAC) for each fuel type. The third step is to create a sliding NAC with each set of 12 sequential months of utility data. The final step is to benchmark the NACs and coefficients of multiple buildings to identify average, best and worst energy performers, and how the performance of each building has changed over time. The method identifies billing errors, normalizes energy use for changing weather, prioritizes sites for specific energy-efficiency retrofits and tracks weather-normalized changes in energy use. The principle differences between this method and previously defined ones are that this method seeks to use inverse modeling proactively to identify energy saving opportunities rather than retroactively to measure energy savings, it tracks changes in building performance using sliding analysis, and it uses comparisons between multiple buildings to extract additional information. This paper describes the method, then demonstrates the method through a case study of about 300 low-income residences. After applying the method, targeted buildings were visited to determine the accuracy of the method at identifying energy efficiency opportunities. The case study shows that over 80% of the targeted buildings presented at least one of the expected problems from each type of retrofit.

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Balancing preservation and energy efficiency in building stocks

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation ◽

10.1108/ijbpa-02-2019-0025 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 356-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Petra Eriksson ◽

Vlatko Milić ◽

Tor Brostrom

Keyword(s):

Energy Saving ◽

Policy Development ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Step Method ◽

Building Stock ◽

Historic Building ◽

Content Type ◽

Definition Of

Purpose Energy use in buildings needs to be reduced to meet political goals; however, reducing energy use can conflict with heritage preservation objectives. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a method that combines quantitative and qualitative analyses of the potential of energy savings in an historic building stock. Specifically, this study examines how requirements of historic building preservation affect the energy saving potential on a building stock level. Design/methodology/approach Using the World Heritage Town of Visby, Sweden as a case study, this paper illustrates a step-by-step method as a basis for implementing energy savings techniques in an historic building stock. The method contains the following steps: categorisation of a building stock, definition of restriction levels for energy renovation scenarios and life cycle costs optimisation of energy measures in archetype buildings representing the building stock. Finally, this study analyses how different energy renovation strategies will impact heritage values and energy saving potentials for different categories of buildings. Findings The outcome of the study is twofold: first, the method has been tested and proven useful and second, the results from the application of the method have been used to formulate differentiated energy renovation strategies for the case study. Originality/value The study shows that it is possible to integrate techno-economic analysis with assessment of heritage values in a given building stock in order to facilitate a strategic discussion balancing policies and targets for energy savings with policies for the preservation of heritage values. The findings will contribute to sounder policy development and planning for historic building stocks.

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A Visual Method for Detailed Analysis of Building Life Cycle Assessment Results

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.887.319 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 887 ◽

pp. 319-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Benedek Kiss ◽

Zsuzsa Szalay

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Detailed Analysis ◽

Energy Use ◽

Visual Method ◽

Complicated Geometry ◽

The Individual ◽

Building Life Cycle ◽

Family House

In the environmental analysis of buildings, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is gaining more and more interest. It is due to the fact, that LCA is very comprehensive in considering many impacts in all life-cycle phases of the examined building. Since buildings have a complicated geometry that is built up with numerous constructions that consist of many materials, and the life-cycle includes many phases, the results of an assessment are likely to be difficult to analyze in detail. In this paper we introduce a visual method to help architects and analysts to quickly understand the results of an environmental assessment. It includes the hierarchic visualization of the performance of the individual elements of the building. Both energy use and environmental impacts can be presented. Also the contribution of the different life-cycle phases in the overall impact is visualized.There are increasing efforts nowadays to find the most efficient way to improve the environmental performance of buildings. This can be supported with a detailed analysis of the results. The method is presented through a case study of a realized energy efficient one-family house.

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QUANTIFYING ENERGY SAVINGS FOR RETROFIT CENTRALIZED HVAC SYSTEMS AT SELANGOR STATE SECRETARY COMPLEX

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v77.6125 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 77 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Suhaidi Mohd Aris ◽

Nofri Yenita Dahlan ◽

Mohd Nasrun Mohd Nawi ◽

Tengku Ahmad Nizam ◽

Mohamad Zamhari Tahir

Keyword(s):

Linear Regression ◽

Regression Model ◽

Multiple Linear Regression ◽

Energy Saving ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽

Baseline Period

Objective of this study is to estimate building energy saving at Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah from a retrofit of Water Cooling Package Unit (WCPU) system. This research calculates energy savings as recommended by International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) using Option C-Whole Facility Measurement. In this study, the baseline period is defined from July 2012 to June 2013, the retrofit of WCPU was performed on July 2013 and the reporting period is from August 2013 to July 2014. The baseline energy use and the post retrofit energy use data are collected from utility bills. On the other hand, the energy governing factors other than the retrofit such as outdoor temperature or Cooling Degree Day (CDD), number of working days (NWD) and occupancy on the building are gathered corresponding to the pre-defined baseline and post-retrofit period. These non-retrofit energy governing factors are used to model adjusted baseline energy in calculating energy savings using regression analysis. Two types of energy saving analyses have been presented in the case study; 1) Single linear regression for each independent variable, 2) Multiple linear regression. Results show that number of occupancy has the highest coefficient regression, R2 followed by NWD and CDD. This indicates that occupancy has stronger correlation with the energy use in the building than NWD and CDD. Finding also shows that the R² for multiple linear regression model are higher than single linear regression model. This shows the fact that more than one component are affecting the energy use in the building.

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How to Encourage Energy Savings Behaviours? The Most Effective Incentives from the Perspective of European Consumers

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14238009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (23) ◽

pp. 8009

Author(s):

Sylwia Słupik ◽

Joanna Kos-Łabędowicz ◽

Joanna Trzęsiok

Keyword(s):

International Development ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Energy Price ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Research Procedure ◽

Save Energy ◽

The Individual ◽

External Stimuli

Ongoing climate change and increasing energy consumption are becoming a serious threat to international development efforts. To ensure a secure and sustainable future, local, national and regional authorities, as well as energy companies, need to be involved in improving energy efficiency and promoting rational energy use. The consumer is always at the centre of interest of policy and energy reduction strategies makers. It is their behaviour, motives and beliefs that can lead to optimised and economical energy management. This paper responds to the need to identify the individual preferences of energy consumers. The presented research fills an existing gap in the literature by analysing the strength of the influence of different types of instruments and external stimuli shaping pro-environmental attitudes of consumers of different behavioural types. The analysis presented in this paper is the result of the next stage of the authors’ research on energy consumers modelling, their segmentation and comprehensive characteristics. The analysis was conducted on a representative sample of N = 4332 respondents from 8 European countries (Czech Republic, France, Greece, Spain, Germany, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom). The study used multivariate statistical methods, such as: Correspondence Analysis, Factor Analysis and Kruskal-Wallis test. These methods are adequate to the assumptions of the research procedure and allowed for the identification of 4 latent factors that link the incentives into groups, where the motivation to save energy is based on: information (“Information and Knowledge”), social norms (“Social Influence”), investment funding (“Investments”) and energy price changes (“Energy Price”). In addition, the level of effectiveness of the studied incentives and motivators depends on the behavioural type of energy consumers and increases with rising levels of their intrinsic pro-environmental motivation.

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Energy-efficient retrofitting of multi-storey residential buildings

Facilities ◽

10.1108/f-08-2020-0094 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Michael C.P. Sing ◽

Venus W.C. Chan ◽

Joseph H.K. Lai ◽

Jane Matthews

Keyword(s):

Energy Saving ◽

Energy Use ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Baseline Scenario ◽

Content Type ◽

Energy Retrofit ◽

Energy Demands ◽

Research Findings

Purpose Sustainable retrofitting of aged buildings plays a significant role in reducing energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of energy retrofit measures (ERMs) for an archetype of aged multi-storey residential buildings. Design/methodology/approach The methodology consists of three parts, namely, a desktop study including the selection of a case-study building and identification of ERM options for the building; development of a computer model to simulate the building’s energy use in the baseline scenario and different scenarios of ERMs; and evaluation of the ERMs based on energy-saving rate. Findings Among the 13 ERMs tested, lighting-related ERMs were found to be optimal measures while window fin is the least suitable option in terms of energy saving. Based on the research findings, a two-level retrofitting framework was developed for aged multi-storey buildings. Research limitations/implications Future studies may take a similar approach of this study to develop retrofitting frameworks for other types of buildings, and further research paper can be extended to study retrofitting for buildings in a district or a region. Practical implications The findings of this study can serve as a reference for building owners to select effective ERMs for aged multi-storey buildings, which invariably exist in developed cities. Originality/value This study presents a pioneering work where an energy model and a building archetype were used to analyze the energy savings of a variety of ERMs that are applicable to aged multi-storey buildings.

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A GIS-Based Methodology for Speedy Energy Efficiency Mapping: A Case Study in Bologna

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13092230 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 2230 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jacopo Gaspari ◽

Michaela De Giglio ◽

Ernesto Antonini ◽

Vincenzo Vodola

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Energy Use ◽

Building Stock ◽

Energy Behavior ◽

Gis Environment ◽

The Individual ◽

The City

The paper reports a methodology developed to map energy consumption of the building stock at the urban scale on a GIS environment. Energy consumption has been investigated, focusing on the shift from the individual building scale to the district one with the purpose of identifying larger homogenous energy use areas for addressing policies and plans to improve the quality and the performance levels at the city scale. The urban planning zoning concept was extended to the energy issue to include the energy behavior of each zone that depends on the performance of its individual buildings. The methodology generates GIS maps providing a district scale visualization of energy consumption according to shared criteria. A case study in Bologna city (Italy) is provided. In the specific case, the last update of Emilia-Romagna regional urban planning regulation required a mapping action regarding energy efficiency of homogeneous urban portions defined by the General Urban Plan. The main achieved results are (a) a methodology to identify homogeneous areas for analyzing energy consumption; (b) an updated energy map of Bologna Municipality.

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The Development of Language-Training Programs for Postrubella Hearing-Impaired Children

Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders ◽

10.1044/jshd.3801.15 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 15-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Linda Lynch ◽

Annette Tobin

Keyword(s):

Hearing Impaired ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Individual Treatment ◽

Target Behaviors ◽

Systematic Fashion ◽

Development Of Language ◽

The Individual ◽

Impaired Children ◽

Hearing Impaired Children

This paper presents the procedures developed and used in the individual treatment programs for a group of preschool, postrubella, hearing-impaired children. A case study illustrates the systematic fashion in which the clinician plans programs for each child on the basis of the child’s progress at any given time during the program. The clinician’s decisions are discussed relevant to (1) the choice of a mode(s) for the child and the teacher, (2) the basis for selecting specific target behaviors, (3) the progress of each program, and (4) the implications for future programming.

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