Analysis of Energy-Efficiency Improvements in Single-Family Dwellings in Concepcion, Chile

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Garcia Alvarado ◽  
Jaime Soto ◽  
Cristian Muñoz ◽  
Ariel Bobadilla ◽  
Rodrigo Herrera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Environmental Improvement ◽  
Energy Simulations

The current depletion of fossil fuels and environmental degradation are requiring greater energy efficiency in buildings, particularly in the residential sector. However, environmental improvement actions for dwellings are usually based on general considerations, without identifying the most appropriate measurements to be taken in each case, or reviewing their application with stakeholders. This article puts forward a strategy to propose effective and feasible modifications in the design or refurbishment of single-family homes to reduce energy use while maintaining indoor comfort. The improvements proposed are based on dynamic energy simulations of individual models adapted to local realities that can be carried out by regular professionals. The process includes the review of studies and information on the geographic area, and compilation of the constructive features and occupancy data of each house to create a proper energy behaviour model. Possible improvements to the building are then simulated separately in each model and the results recorded. Subsequently, a budgetary analysis of these alternatives according to construction costs and financial projections is carried out in order to identify retrofit packages and consult the opinions of residents and builders. The application of this strategy is demonstrated in the study of several houses in Concepción, Chile, where different sets of measures have been identified to achieve high reductions in energy demand while having low cost and being highly appreciated by the participants. This provides a methodology for developing and validating effective solutions for the environmental improvement of existing dwellings and new housing projects.

scholarly journals Minimal Monitoring of Improvements in Energy Performance after Envelope Renovation in Subsidized Single Family Housing in Madrid

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 235
Author(s):  
Fernando Martín-Consuegra ◽  
Fernando de Frutos ◽  
Ignacio Oteiza ◽  
Carmen Alonso ◽  
Borja Frutos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Nineteen Fifties ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Urban Complex

This study quantified the improvement in energy efficiency following passive renovation of the thermal envelope in highly inefficient residential complexes on the outskirts of the city of Madrid. A case study was conducted of a single-family terrace housing, representative of the smallest size subsidized dwellings built in Spain for workers in the nineteen fifties and sixties. Two units of similar characteristics, one in its original state and the other renovated, were analyzed in detail against their urban setting with an experimental method proposed hereunder for simplified, minimal monitoring. The dwellings were compared on the grounds of indoor environment quality parameters recorded over a period covering both winter and summer months. That information was supplemented with an analysis of the energy consumption metered. The result was a low-cost, reasonably accurate measure of the improvements gained in the renovated unit. The monitoring output data were entered in a theoretical energy efficiency model for the entire neighborhood to obtain an estimate of the potential for energy savings if the entire urban complex were renovated.

Field study of the effect of low-cost weatherstripping devices on energy use in single-family (San Diego) residences

Energy ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 465-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Brambley ◽  
E.M. Kennedy ◽  
S.J. Romelczyk ◽  
S.S. Penner
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
San Diego ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Single Family

scholarly journals Development of a Low-Cost Instrumentation System Applied to an Electrolytic Cell

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Gemírson de Paula dos Reis ◽  
Saulo Neves Matos ◽  
Alan Kardek Rêgo Segundo ◽  
Elisângela Martins Leal ◽  
Robson Lage Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Electrolytic Cell ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Feasible Alternative ◽  
Term Energy

Humanity’s growing long-term energy demand will be the opportunity for new energy generation sources. In this scenario, the use of hydrogen as an energy source has become an interesting alternative to energy production, as the use of fossil fuels can lead to harmful consequences, such as the emission of greenhouse gases. This paper presents the development of a low-cost instrumentation system for monitoring the temperature, current, voltage, and gas flow rate of a dry electrolytic cell. Through the electrolysis process, the cell generates a hydrogen-rich gas which is used as an additive in an internal combustion engine to reduce pollutant gas emissions and primary fuel consumption. The measured variables are presented as a function of the time to analyze the behavior of the electrolyzer. The main advance reported in this work is related to the use of a low-cost sensor for a hydrogen-rich gas flow measurement, in which calibration was performed indirectly using a rotameter as a reference. The calibration curve adjusted to the experimental data by linear regression presented a coefficient of determination of 0.9957. Thus, the use of the low-cost sensor is a feasible alternative for measuring the electrolysis gas generated by the cell.

scholarly journals Energy Use Efficiency Past-to-Future Evaluation: An International Comparison

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Nan Wang ◽  
Thi-Duong Nguyen ◽  
Min-Chun Yu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
Energy Efficiency Evaluation

Despite the many benefits that energy consumption brings to the economy, consuming energy also leads nations to expend more resources on environmental pollution. Therefore, energy efficiency has been proposed as a solution to improve national economic competitiveness and sustainability. However, the growth in energy demand is accelerating while policy efforts to boost energy efficiency are slowing. To solve this problem, the efficiency gains in countries where energy consumption efficiency is of the greatest concern such as China, India, the United States, and Europe, especially, emerging economies, is central. Additionally, governments must take greater policy actions. Therefore, this paper studied 25 countries from Asia, the Americas, and Europe to develop a method combining the grey method (GM) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) slack-based measure model (SMB) to measure and forecast the energy efficiency, so that detailed energy efficiency evaluation can be made from the past to the future; moreover, this method can be extended to more countries around the world. The results of this study reveal that European countries have a higher energy efficiency than countries in Americas (except the United States) and Asian countries. Our findings also show that an excess of total energy consumption is the main reason causing the energy inefficiency in most countries. This study contributes to policymaking and strategy makers by sharing the understanding of the status of energy efficiency and providing insights for the future.

scholarly journals Potential and Impacts of Cogeneration in Tropical Climate Countries: Ecuador as a Case Study

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5254
Author(s):  
Manuel Raul Pelaez-Samaniego ◽  
Juan L. Espinoza ◽  
José Jara-Alvear ◽  
Pablo Arias-Reyes ◽  
Fernando Maldonado-Arias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
High Dependency ◽  
Generation Capacity ◽  
Tropical Climates

High dependency on fossil fuels, low energy efficiency, poor diversification of energy sources, and a low rate of access to electricity are challenges that need to be solved in many developing countries to make their energy systems more sustainable. Cogeneration has been identified as a key strategy for increasing energy generation capacity, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improving energy efficiency in industry, one of the most energy-demanding sectors worldwide. However, more studies are necessary to define approaches for implementing cogeneration, particularly in countries with tropical climates (such as Ecuador). In Ecuador, the National Plan of Energy Efficiency includes cogeneration as one of the four routes for making energy use more sustainable in the industrial sector. The objective of this paper is two-fold: (1) to identify the potential of cogeneration in the Ecuadorian industry, and (2) to show the positive impacts of cogeneration on power generation capacity, GHG emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and the economy of the country. The study uses methodologies from works in specific types of industrial processes and puts them together to evaluate the potential and analyze the impacts of cogeneration at national level. The potential of cogeneration in Ecuador is ~600 MWel, which is 12% of Ecuador’s electricity generation capacity. This potential could save ~18.6 × 106 L/month of oil-derived fuels, avoiding up to 576,800 tCO2/year, and creating around 2600 direct jobs. Cogeneration could increase energy efficiency in the Ecuadorian industry by up to 40%.

Measuring electric energy efficiency in Portuguese households

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Weyman-Jones ◽  
Júlia Mendonça Boucinha ◽  
Catarina Feteira Inácio
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Time Series Data ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – There is a great interest from the European Union in measuring the efficiency of energy use in households, and this is an area where EDP has done research in both data collection and methodology. This paper reports on a survey of electric energy use in Portuguese households, and reviews and extends the analysis of how efficiently households use electrical energy. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate household electrical energy efficiency in different regions using econometric analysis of the survey data. In addition, the same methodology was applied to a time-series data set, to evaluate recent developments in energy efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the application to Portuguese households of a new approach to evaluate energy efficiency, developed by Filippini and Hunt (2011, 2012) in which an econometric energy demand model was estimated to control for exogenous variables determining energy demand. The variation in energy efficiency over time and space could then be estimated by applying econometric efficiency analysis to determine the variation in energy efficiency. Findings – The results obtained allowed the identification of priority regions and consumer bands to reduce inefficiency in electricity consumption. The time-series data set shows that the expected electricity savings from the efficiency measures recently introduced by official authorities were fully realized. Research limitations/implications – This approach gives some guidance on how to introduce electricity saving measures in a more cost effective way. Originality/value – This paper outlines a new procedure for developing useful tools for modelling energy efficiency.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Evaluation of a Landscape Fabric Based Solar Air Heater in a Pig Nursery

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 7258
Author(s):  
Li Yu ◽  
Sanjay B. Shah ◽  
Mark T. Knauer ◽  
Michael D. Boyette ◽  
Larry F. Stikeleather
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Solar Air Heater ◽  
Suction Velocity ◽  
Air Heater ◽  
Pig Performance ◽  
Change Material

Supplementing fossil fuels with solar air tempering for brooding young livestock could reduce energy use and improve indoor air quality. Metal transpired solar collectors (TSC) are effective but too expensive for heating livestock buildings. An inexpensive 12.7 m2 dark grey landscape-fabric-based transpired solar collector (fTSC) was evaluated in a swine nursery with two herds of pigs. A fraction of the fTSC area was underlain with phase change material (PCM) to store excess heat. The Test room with the fTSC was compared with an adjacent identical Control room, each with 120 piglets. The fTSC provided supplemental heating, e.g., with a suction velocity (Vs) of 0.027 m/s during a 9 h period, air temperature was increased by 11.6 °C (mean irradiance of 592 W/m2). Between 4 pm and 9 pm that same day, the PCM increased air temperature by 3.9 °C. The fTSC did not reduce propane use or improve pig performance. Higher Vs, operational changes and controller modifications could improve system performance and reduce cost. Modeling could be used to optimize PCM use. Hence, this very low-cost fabric-based solar air heater offers potential for considerable reduction in heat energy use in livestock barns.

scholarly journals The adaptable energy platform

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eur Ing A J Blokland ◽  
I P Barendregt ◽  
C J C M Posthumus
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Green Technologies ◽  
Operational Energy

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued an Operational Energy Strategy (OES) with ambition targets for energy independence and improvement of energy efficiency during the life time of naval platforms. A target is given in 2030 of 20 % reduced dependence on fossil fuels and in 2050 of 70 % reduced dependence on fossil fuels, compared to 2010. More stringent environmental emission (NOx, CO2, etc.) requirements are to be expected as a result from IMO and (local) political regulations. In the last decades the power consumption on board of naval platforms increased substantially as well as the complexity of integrated energy systems. Market surveys shows that the evolution of commercial green technologies are promising but have to be demonstrated in the coming years on low power and energy levels. They will not be de-risked in depth or well proven to be successful in time to be selected for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) new naval projects (2019 – 2025). Furthermore, new technologies as energy resources and carriers (H2, LNG, methanol, power-to-liquid (PTL), etc.) or new system technologies (DC on high voltage level, fuel cell systems, waste energy recovery, etc.) require a new approach for integration aspects like hazard and safety cases and energy efficiency. This is because the energy demand on board of naval platforms in several military operational modes differ from the merchant and off-shore branch. In this paper an approach for an adaptable energy platform is described to design a new naval platform based on nowadays proven technology as fossil fuels that can be transformed during life time that can fulfill the expectations and requirements of the coming decades (non-fossil fuels, zero emission, improved energy efficiency). Aspects as a naval energy index as reference will be discussed as well as an evaluation of new technologies for new naval platform integration design parameters, such as power or energy demands, consequences of energy resources, energy control as well as build in ship construction safety measures.

scholarly journals Energy efficiency and economic analysis of retrofit measures for single-family residential buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3 Part B) ◽  
pp. 2071-2084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Harmathy ◽  
Danijela Urbancl ◽  
Darko Goricanec ◽  
Zoltán Magyar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Single Family

The research elaborates various solutions using detailed economic evaluation and energy efficiency calculation and simulation technology for formulating applicable, energy and cost-efficient retrofit solutions of single-family residential buildings located in temperate climate areas. Primarily the annual energy demand for a reference existing single-family residential building was determined. The economic analysis was performed for six formulated refurbishment scenarios in order to determine which of the scenarios will demonstrate optimal performance both in energy and cost efficiency. A feasibility study was performed for the most efficient scenario, which included an economic evaluation of low temperature radiant heating systems were three energy suppliers (oil, natural gas and electricity for air to water heat pump) were compared. According to financial analyses the optimal scenario includes the replacement of windows, installation of 15 cm expanded polystyrene thermal insulation, low temperature radiant floor heating, with a payback period of ten years.

scholarly journals Analysis of energy potential of biofuels obtained from camelina sativa

2020 ◽  
Vol 180 ◽  
pp. 02005
Author(s):  
Madalina Ghilvacs ◽  
Razvan Carlanescu ◽  
Maria Paraschiv ◽  
Malina Prisecaru
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Camelina Sativa ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Increase Energy Efficiency ◽  
The Common ◽  
Calorific Power

In a world where the energy demand is increasing daily, energy efficiency and renewable energy play a major role. Our research comes to help fighting the biggest problem that our world is facing today, global warming. This study aims to evaluate the energy potential of biofuels obtained from camelina sativa in order to reduce fossil fuel dependence, greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) is a cruciferous oilseed plant belonging to the Brassicaceae (mustard) family with the common name false flax and gold of pleasure. Since camelina can grow under different conditions without being a competitor of food land, this energetic plant can be used for production of both, firstand second-generation biofuels. In our study we determined the elemental analysis of the subproducts obtained from camelina sativa, through experimental tests, and we built a mathematical model to determine the calorific power and to simulate the burning of the biofuels into a steam generator in order to analyse the energy potential. The results show us that the biofuels obtained from camelina sativa can represent an alternative to fossil fuels and should be considered in the transition to green energy.

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