scholarly journals Quantifying the aggregate thermal performance of UK holiday homes

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Johnston ◽  
David Farmer ◽  
Dominic Miles-Shenton
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
Design Intent ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way ◽  
A Performance

In the UK, there are approximately 330,000 holiday homes spread across a large number of mainly privately owned sites. These homes are often sited in exposed locations, are poorly insulated and are generally heated using expensive fuels, such as electricity or LPG. There is also a lack of empirical evidence available on the in situ energy performance of these homes. Consequently, it is not possible, given the existing evidence base, to determine whether these homes suffer from the same scale of building fabric thermal ‘ performance gaps’ (between assumed and realised in situ performance) that have been documented for newbuild UK housing. This paper presents the results obtained from undertaking detailed in situ thermal fabric tests on five new holiday homes. Whilst the size reported here is small, the results indicate that a ‘ performance gap’ exists for all of these homes. Results obtained indicate that this gap appears narrower than that documented for newbuild UK housing. The results also suggest that the scale of the ‘ gap’ may be more a consequence of the way in which the design intent of these homes has been determined, i.e. a ‘ prediction gap’. Practical application: This paper presents the results obtained from undertaking detailed building fabric thermal performance tests on a small sample of new holiday homes. The results of these tests indicate that although a building fabric thermal performance ‘ performance gap’ exists in all of the holiday homes tested, the results suggest that the ‘ gap’ is much smaller than that documented for new build UK housing and may be more of a consequence of the way in which the design intent of these homes has been determined, i.e. a ‘ prediction gap’, rather than a ‘ performance gap’ between assumed and realised in situ performance. These results could be used by industry to develop more appropriate prediction tools that are relevant to holiday homes.

scholarly journals Integrated Testing of Building Fabric Thermal Performance for Calibration of Energy Models of Three Low-Energy Dwellings in the UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2784
Author(s):  
Rajat Gupta ◽  
Matt Gregg
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Thermal Imaging ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
In Situ Tests ◽  
Building Regulations ◽  
Energy Models ◽  
Integrated Testing ◽  
The Uk

This paper presents the methodology and results of in situ testing of building fabric thermal performance to calibrate as-built energy models of three low-energy dwellings in the UK, so as to examine the gap between as-designed and as-built energy performance. The in situ tests included repeat testing of air permeability (AP) integrated with thermal imaging survey and heat flux measurements of the building fabric elements, along with concurrent monitoring of indoor temperature during the pre-occupancy stage. Despite being designed to high thermal standards, wall and roof U-values were measured to be higher than expected. Thermal imaging surveys revealed air leakage pathways around door/window openings, penetrations and junctions between walls and ceilings, indicating poor detailing and workmanship. AP was found to have increased after the initial test due to post-completion alteration to the building fabric. Though the results did not meet design expectation, they were within the UK Building Regulations. Calibration of energy models with temperature monitoring provided a less extreme energy performance gap than simply replacing the designed values with test results. Insights from this study have reinforced the need for building regulations to require integrated testing of building fabric as part of housing delivery to ensure performance targets are realised.

scholarly journals A RCT for assessment of active human-centred learning finds teacher-centric non-human teaching of evolution optimal

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loredana Buchan ◽  
Momna Hejmadi ◽  
Liam Abrahams ◽  
Laurence D. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Effective Pedagogy ◽  
Primary School Curriculum ◽  
In Series ◽  
Lower Ability ◽  
The Uk

AbstractCurrent educational discourse holds that effective pedagogy requires engagement through active student participation with subject matter relating to them. The lack of testing of lessons in series is recognized as a potential weakness in the evidence base, not least because standard parallel designs cannot capture serial interaction effects (cf. drug interactions). However, logistic issues make large-scale replicated in situ assessment of serial designs challenging. The recent introduction of evolution into the UK primary school curriculum presents a rare opportunity to overcome this. We implemented a randomised control 2 × 2 design with four inexpensive schemes of work, comparable to drug interaction trials. This involved an initial test phase (N = 1152) with replication (N = 1505), delivered by teachers, after training, in their classrooms with quantitative before-after-retention testing. Utilising the “genetics-first” approach, the schemes comprised four lessons taught in the same order. Lessons 1 (variation) and 3 (deep-time) were invariant. Lesson 2 (selection) was either student-centred or teacher-centred, with subject organism constant, while lesson 4 (homology) was either human-centred or not, with learning mode constant. All four schemes were effective in replicate, even for lower ability students. Unexpectedly, the teacher-focused/non-human centred scheme was the most successful in both test and replicate, in part owing to a replicable interaction effect but also because it enabled engagement. These results highlight the importance of testing lessons in sequence and indicate that there are many routes to effective engagement with no “one-size fits all” solution in education.

scholarly journals Thermal analysis and post construction verification

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67
Author(s):  
Cormac Flood ◽  
Lloyd Scott
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thermal Transmittance ◽  
Standard Calculation

Purpose The residential sector in Ireland accounted for 25 per cent of energy related CO2 emissions in 2016 through burning fossil fuels, a major contributor to climate change. In support of Ireland’s CO2 reduction targets, the existing housing stock could contribute greatly to the reduction of space-heating energy demand through retrofit. Approximately 50 per cent of Ireland’s 2m dwellings pre-date building regulations and are predominantly of cavity and solid wall construction, the performance of which has not been extensively investigated at present. Although commitment to thermal upgrade/retrofit of existing buildings may increase under future government policies, the poor characterisation of actual thermal performance of external walls may hinder the realisation of these targets. Thermal transmittance (U-values) of exterior walls represents a source of uncertainty when estimating the energy performance of dwellings. It has been noted in research that the standard calculation methodology for thermal transmittance should be improved. Implementing current U-value calculation methods may result in misguided retrofit strategies due to the considerable discrepancies between in situ measurements and calculated wall U-values as documented in the case studies carried out in this research. If the method of hygrothermal analysis were to be employed as a replacement for the current standard calculation, it could have significant implications for policy and retrofit decision making. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This research project analysed a case study situated in Dublin, Ireland. The case studies offer an account of the in situ thermal transmittance of exterior walls and link these to hygrothermally simulated comparisons along with more traditional design U-values. Findings The findings of this research identify discrepancies between in situ and design U-values, using measurement, hygrothermal simulation and standard method U-value calculations. The outcomes of the research serve as an introduction to issues emanating from a larger research project in order to encourage researchers to understand and further explore the topic. Originality/value It has previously been highlighted that moisture content is linked to the increase in thermal conductivity of building materials, thus reducing the thermal effectiveness and increasing the elemental U-value. Therefore, it is vital to implement reliable prediction tools to assess potential thermal performance values. This paper presents the findings of a critical instance case study in Dublin, Ireland in which an existing west facing external wall in a semi-detached dwelling was analysed, simulated and measured to verify the elemental wall assembly and quantify thermal transmittance (U-value) incorporating the major criteria required for building performance simulation.

scholarly journals Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions Analysis of a Vernacular Palafitic Timber Building in Portuguese Coastline Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10484
Author(s):  
Jorge Fernandes ◽  
Ricardo Mateus ◽  
Helena Gervásio ◽  
Sandra Monteiro Silva ◽  
Jorge Branco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Subjective Analysis ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Condition Evaluation ◽  
Timber Constructions ◽  
U Value ◽  
The Difference

The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context of environmental awareness and climate change, it is relevant to understand their features/strategies and how they perform. This work analyses the energy performance and thermal condition evaluation of a vernacular timber building–palheiro–from Praia de Mira, through in situ measurements, subjective analysis and energy simulation provided by DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus. The results show a good or satisfactory thermal performance during most of the seasons by passive means only. Despite, it was not possible to guarantee thermal comfort conditions for the occupants during winter. In the energy performance analysis, five scenarios, with different external walls, were compared. In the two scenarios that satisfy the maximum U-value for the climate zone, the current conventional building had a slightly better performance on heating and cooling (less 1.1 and 1.4 kWh/m2, respectively) than the timber building. However, the difference between the two construction solutions is not substantial in the annual energy demand (2.5 kWh/m2, 7.3%), indicating that timber structures are suitable in this mild climate area.

Training for democratic therapeutic community practitioners, and workers in therapeutic and enabling environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Pearce ◽  
Oliver Dale
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
General Increase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Environment ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

Purpose Training in therapeutic community and related approaches has not been widely available, and there is debate about the form this should take. This has had a negative impact on the field. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The authors consider the history of training in democratic therapeutic community methods in the UK in particular, and trace some of the reasons for its lack of development. Findings With the expansion of TC methodology into new areas, such as therapeutic and enabling environments, the ability to provide training in DTC approaches and techniques is increasingly important. The developing evidence base, and the increasing detail in which the method has been described, make dedicated TC training increasingly important. Originality/value Training in therapeutic community methods, and enabling and therapeutic environment approaches, provides a grounding in technique and theory that would otherwise be impossible to acquire for most workers, and can lead to a general increase in the level of competence and confidence in the way these environments operate.

scholarly journals Rethinking research in breast-feeding: a critique of the evidence base identified in a systematic review of interventions to promote and support breast-feeding

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 726-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Renfrew ◽  
H Spiby ◽  
L D'Souza ◽  
LM Wallace ◽  
L Dyson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Practice Change ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Breast Feed ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjectiveTo appraise critically the relevance and value of the evidence base to promote and support the duration of breast-feeding, with a specific focus on disadvantaged groups.DesignA systematic review was conducted of intervention studies relevant to enhancing the duration of breast-feeding; topics included public health, public policy, clinical issues, and education, training and practice change. A systematic search was conducted. Eighty studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were systematically extracted and analysed. Full results and recommendations are reported elsewhere. Here a critique of the evidence base – topics, quality and gaps – is reported.ResultsMany studies were substantially methodologically flawed, with problems including small sample sizes, inconsistent definitions of breast-feeding and lack of appropriate outcomes. Few were based on relevant theory. Only a small number of included studies (10%) were conducted in the UK. Very few targeted disadvantaged subgroups of women. No studies of policy initiatives or of community interventions were identified. There were virtually no robust studies of interventions to prevent and treat common clinical problems, or of strategies related to women's health issues. Studies of health professional education and practice change were limited. Cost-effectiveness studies were rare.ConclusionsPolicy goals both in the UK and internationally support exclusive breast-feeding until 6 months of age. The evidence base to enable women to continue to breast-feed needs to be strengthened to include robust evaluations of policies and practices related to breast-feeding; a step change is needed in the quality and quantity of research funded.

scholarly journals Mean Operating Temperature (MOT) of Commercial Roof Assembly and Its Impact on the Energy Performance

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Sudhakar Molleti ◽  
Logan Carrigan ◽  
David van Reenen
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Resistance ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Thermal Design ◽  
The Other ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
The Mean

In the thermal design of low sloped roofing assemblies, two parameters are overlooked, one is the surface temperature of the roof assemblies which provides the required temperature gradient for heat flow, and the other is the mean operating temperature of the roof assembly, which has direct implications on the thermal performance of the insulation. An in situ field study was conducted in collaboration with Alberta Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) on their headquarters building located in Calgary, to generate data on the mean operating temperature of the roof assemblies and to determine whether the thermal design of roofing assemblies using conventional methods is an accurate portrayal of in-service thermal performance. For the present study, two roof assemblies insulated with polyisocyanurate insulation, one with a white reflective roof membrane and the other with the black membrane were selected and instrumented. During the monitoring period, the mean operating temperature (MOT) of the roof assembly whether it is calculated as the average of interior and exterior ambient (MOTAIR,) or the average of surface temperatures (MOTSurface), was found to be below 24 °C (75 °F), which opposes the current roof thermal designs that are being designed using label R-value (thermal resistance) of the insulation reported at the mean temperature of 24 °C (75 °F) rather than temperature-dependent thermal resistance. The comparison of two energy transfer theoretical models, QConvention and QMOT, with the measured data indicated that the conventional approach of roof thermal design underestimates the energy performance of the roof assembly on average by 30%. The use of roof surface temperatures and the corresponding temperature-dependent thermal resistance of the insulation as in QMOT has been demonstrated to improve predictions of the energy performance. In addition the loss in thermal resistance due to blowing agent diffusion in polyisocyanurate was evaluated after two years of in situ installation.

scholarly journals Towards a framework to evaluate the ‘total’ performance of buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 609-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Taylor ◽  
Yanchen Liu ◽  
Borong Lin ◽  
Esfand Burman ◽  
Sung-Min Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
Total Performance ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

Internationally, buildings are a major contributor to carbon emissions. Despite significant advances in the technology and construction of energy-efficient buildings, in many cases a performance gap between designed and actual performance exists. While much research has investigated the drivers of the building energy performance gap – both static and transient– there has been considerably less research into the total performance gap, defined here as performance gaps in building energy use, occupant satisfaction and Indoor Environmental Quality parameters such as thermal comfort and air quality which may impact on occupant health and wellbeing. This paper presents a meta-analysis of building performance data from buildings in the UK and China – selected due to their contrasting development environments – which illustrate the presence of and complexities of evaluating total performance gaps in both countries. The data demonstrate the need for (1) high end-use, spatial granularity and temporal resolution data for both energy and Indoor Environmental Quality, and (2) developing methodologies that allow meaningful comparisons between buildings internationally to facilitate learning from successful building design, construction methodologies and policy environments internationally. Using performance data from a UK building, a potential forward path is illustrated with the objective of developing a framework to evaluate total building performance. Practical application: While much research has examined building energy performance gaps, Indoor Environmental Quality and occupant satisfaction gaps are rarely included despite their relationship to energy. We use a meta-analysis of energy, indoor environmental quality, and occupant satisfaction data from buildings in the UK and China to illustrating the presence of and complexities of evaluating total performance gaps for buildings in the two countries, and the need for high resolution dynamic buildings data and novel methodologies for comparison between buildings across different contexts. Illustrative case studies are used to demonstrate potential future directions for evaluating ‘total’ building performance.

scholarly journals Multiculturalism in Healthcare: A Review of Current Research into Diversity Found in the Healthcare Professional Population and the Patient Population

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Tan ◽  
Shuangyu Li
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professional ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Barriers To Healthcare ◽  
The Uk ◽  
And Training ◽  
Improve Access ◽  
The Way

Culture plays a key role in the way health is perceived and the way healthcare is used. It has been seen that there are many barriers to accessing healthcare, particularly for those who come to the UK with a different background language, religion and healthcare structure. A literature review and content analysis has been performed using 60 articles, selected from the databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, in order to expose how diverse the patient and healthcare professional population truly are, the number of barriers to healthcare and how one can improve access to become culturally competent. Although this is only a small sample of the material present, it is evident that at the present time physical amenities such as having a translator present, as well the training of the healthcare professionals to be able to make the most of the situation and see the patients in a holistic and biopsychosocial approach, reveal an important area to focus more on in practice as well as in research. Thus an increased availability of resources and training needs to be made available for both patients and healthcare professionals in order to ensure competence in accessing healthcare services

scholarly journals What is ‘the Problem’ of Singleness?

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Macvarish
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Single Women ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Single Woman ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Never Married ◽  
Women Literature ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

Over the past 30 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of people living alone; in the UK, the proportion of one-person households almost doubled between 1971 and 2000, rising from 17% to 31% of households (ONS, 2002). The research drawn on here explores the experience and representation of a rapidly growing sub-group of one-person households identified by Hall et al (1999) as female, metropolitan, managerial/professional, educated and mobile. The paper concentrates on questions surrounding the identity of those who have been termed the ‘new single women’ (Whitehead, 2003). In much of the specific ‘single women’ literature, the ‘problem’ of the single woman has been understood as residing in her social construction; her stigmatisation and marginalisation as an ‘other’, relative to the norms of heterosexual partnership and motherhood. It is argued here that significant contextual changes in the landscape of interpersonal relationships demand a reconsideration of the way in which singleness is understood sociologically. The paper draws on semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in London and the South-East with a small sample of women (15) fitting the characteristics identified by Hall et al. They were aged 34-50, never-married 1 , currently lived alone, were not in a relationship and had never had children. All who volunteered for interview were heterosexual. The women were recruited using a snowball method with the reasoning that ‘word-of-mouth’ would recruit a more varied range of individuals than might respond to a public call for those who self-identified as ‘single’ to come forward. Part of the interview schedule was constructed to elicit information concerning how the women negotiated their identity and the way in which they related themselves to the category of ‘single woman’. The women were asked how they defined themselves, what they thought of the term spinster, and when they felt their singleness mattered (to themselves and to other people). They were also asked about their relationship and employment history, their daily lives and their future plans.

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