Energy Reduction Potential of Biomimetic Building Facades for Different Building Typologies in Different Climate Zones

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Webb
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Reduction Potential ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Energy Reduction ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Building Facades ◽  
Operational Energy ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption

Abstract Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions leading to anthropogenic global warming continue to be a major issue for societies worldwide. One opportunity to reduce emissions is to improve the effectiveness of building envelope, leading to a decrease in operational energy consumption. Improving the performance of a building's thermal envelope can substantially reduce energy consumption from heating, ventilation and air conditioning while maintaining occupant comfort. In previous work, a computational model of a biomimetic building façade design was found to be effective in temperate climates in an office context. This paper tests the hypothesis that biomimetic building facades have a broader application through a case study example based on animal fur and blood perfusion. Using mathematical modelling and digital simulation methods, the energy reduction potential of the biomimetic façade was tested in a set of operational applications (office, school and aged care) and across different climate zones (tropical, desert, temperate, and cool continental). Results indicated that the biomimetic façade has potential to reduce energy consumption for all building applications, with the greatest benefit shown in residential aged care (67.1% reduction). Similarly, the biomimetic building façade showed potential to reduce operational services energy consumption in all climate zones, with the greatest energy reductions achieved in the tropical (55.4% reduction) and humid continental climates (55.1% reduction). Through these results the hypothesis was confirmed, suggesting that facades engineered to mimic biological functions and processes can improve substantially decrease building operational energy consumption and can be applied in different building classifications and different climate zones. Such facades can contribute to the further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in a broad range of contexts. This study also exemplified a method by which other biomimetic building envelope features may be assessed. Further work is suggested to assess economic viability and constructability of the proposed facades.

scholarly journals Comparative thermal performance of static sunshade and brick cavity wall for energy efficient building envelope in composite climate

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 925-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghana Charde ◽  
Sourabh Bhati ◽  
Ayushman Kheterpal ◽  
Rajiv Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Combined Effect ◽  
Cavity Wall ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Efficient Building

Energy efficient building technologies can reduce energy consumption in buildings. In present paper effect of designed static sunshade, brick cavity wall with brick projections and their combined effect on indoor air temperature has been analyzed by constructing three test rooms each of habitable dimensions (3.0 m ? 4.0 m ? 3.0 m) and studying hourly temperatures on typical days for one month in summer and winter each. The three rooms have also been simulated using a software and the results have been compared with the experimental results. Designed static sunshade increased indoor air temperature in winter while proposed brick cavity wall with brick projections lowered it in summer. Combined effect of building elements lowered indoor air temperature in summer and increased it in winter as compared to outdoor air temperature. It is thus useful for energy conservation in buildings in composite climate.

scholarly journals High performance envelope design for the modular building system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hawkins David
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Demand Reduction ◽  
Air Tightness ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
Building System ◽  
Hygrothermal Analysis

The best way to reduce energy consumption in homes is to reduce air infiltration and increase thermal resistance of the building envelope. This research aimed to develop four envelope systems for the modular building system that are super insulated and designed for maximum air tightness. Rigid sheathing with taped seams is a superior air sealing strategy compared to existing air barrier systems used in barrier systems used in the modular building industry. Connection details were developed for vulnerable connection locations using long lasting air sealing methodologies. Connection interfaces were modeled with THERM software and two connections had bridging more than Ψ 0.01[W/m⋅k]. Hygrothermal analysis revealed that the moisture content of the structural sheathing layer of the assemblies maintained at safe levels. Annual heating demand reduction of 64-69% was simulated using the proposed four assemblies compared to an OBC 2012 building code baseline envelope assembly.

scholarly journals Influence of Population Income on Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions in Buildings of Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10230
Author(s):  
Irene M. Zarco-Soto ◽  
Fco. Javier Zarco-Soto ◽  
Pedro J. Zarco-Periñán
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Residential Sector ◽  
Thermal Origin ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. A large part of the emissions and energy consumption corresponds to buildings, both in the residential sector and in the service sector. This means that a large part of the measures taken by governments to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are focused on this sector. With this background, this paper studies energy consumption in city buildings and the CO2 emissions they produce. It only makes use of publicly available data. The analysis is made from the point of view of income per inhabitant, and the results are obtained per inhabitant and household. To facilitate the analysis of the results, an index has been defined. The main contributions of this work are to analyze energy consumption and emissions due to buildings, study them from the point of view of the income of their inhabitants, and consider cities individually. The proposed methodology has been applied to the case of Spain. A total of 145 Spanish cities that have more than 50,000 inhabitants have been studied. The results show that the higher the income, the higher the consumption and emissions. Electricity consumptions are almost inelastic, while those of thermal origin are greatly influenced by the level of income. Regarding CO2 emissions, the percentage of emissions of electrical origin with respect to total emissions is higher than that of thermal origin. In addition, the lower the income, the higher the percentage of emissions of electrical origin.

scholarly journals High performance envelope design for the modular building system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hawkins David
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Demand Reduction ◽  
Air Tightness ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
Building System ◽  
Hygrothermal Analysis

The best way to reduce energy consumption in homes is to reduce air infiltration and increase thermal resistance of the building envelope. This research aimed to develop four envelope systems for the modular building system that are super insulated and designed for maximum air tightness. Rigid sheathing with taped seams is a superior air sealing strategy compared to existing air barrier systems used in barrier systems used in the modular building industry. Connection details were developed for vulnerable connection locations using long lasting air sealing methodologies. Connection interfaces were modeled with THERM software and two connections had bridging more than Ψ 0.01[W/m⋅k]. Hygrothermal analysis revealed that the moisture content of the structural sheathing layer of the assemblies maintained at safe levels. Annual heating demand reduction of 64-69% was simulated using the proposed four assemblies compared to an OBC 2012 building code baseline envelope assembly.

scholarly journals The impact of building envelope retrofit measures on postwar MURBS in Toronto

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Damyar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Current Standards

Building envelope retrofits is one of the options available to reduce energy consumption of postwar MURBs in Toronto. This study evaluates the impact of building envelope retrofits that meet current standards on energy consumption of a Toronto postwar MURB; utilizing eQUEST energy simulation software. Further upgrades also take place to evaluate how the impact of building envelope retrofits on energy use can be increased and optimized for all assemblies of building envelope and airtightness. Moreover, the retrofit strategies are ranked based on cost and energy-saving effectiveness. The results of the analysis reveal that building envelope retrofit based on OBC-2012 standards can reduce the energy consumption by up to 44%. Furthermore, the optimal RSI values of all building envelope components were found to be equal or less than code requirements which outcomes significant energy savings. Lastly, the ranking of the strategies helps to identify the best option according to the priorities of a project.

scholarly journals Chromogenic Technologies for Energy Saving

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-475
Author(s):  
Alessandro Cannavale
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Spectral Properties ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Building Facades ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption ◽  
External Stimuli

Chromogenic materials and devices include a wide range of technologies that are capable of changing their spectral properties according to specific external stimuli. Several studies have shown that chromogenics can be conveniently used in building façades in order to reduce energy consumption, with other significant effects. First of all, chromogenics influence the annual energy balance of a building, achieving significant reductions in consumption for HVAC and artificial lighting. In addition, these technologies potentially improve the indoor level of visual comfort, reducing the risks of glare and excessive lighting. This brief review points to a systematic discussion—although not exhaustive and mainly limited to recent results and investigations—of the main studies that deal with building-integrated chromogenics that have appeared, so far, in the scientific literature.

scholarly journals An Exhaustive Search Energy Optimization Method for Residential Building Envelope in Different Climatic Zones of Kazakhstan

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 633
Author(s):  
Mirzhan Kaderzhanov ◽  
Shazim Ali Memon ◽  
Assemgul Saurbayeva ◽  
Jong R. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Average Energy ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Energy Reduction ◽  
Estimation Model ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Estimation

Nowadays, the residential sector of Kazakhstan accounts for about 30% of the total energy consumption. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the energy estimation model for residential buildings in Kazakhstan so as to reduce energy consumption. This research is aimed to develop the Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV) based Building Energy Simulation Model (BESM) for the reduction of energy consumption through the envelope of residential buildings in seven cities of Kazakhstan. A brute force optimization method was adopted to obtain the optimal envelope configuration varying window-to-wall ratio (WWR), the angle of a pitched roof, the depth of the overhang shading system, the thermal conductivity, and the thicknesses of wall composition materials. In addition, orientation-related analyses of the optimized cases were conducted. Finally, the economic evaluation of the base and optimized cases were presented. The results showed that an average energy reduction for heating was 6156.8 kWh, while for cooling it was almost 1912.17 kWh. The heating and cooling energy savings were 16.59% and 16.69%, respectively. The frontage of the building model directed towards the south in the cold season and north in the hot season demonstrated around 21% and 32% of energy reduction, respectively. The energy cost savings varied between 9657 to 119,221 ₸ for heating, 9622 to 36,088 ₸ for cooling.

scholarly journals Should You Put Your Energy Into Green Roofs to Reduce Energy Consumption in Your Building

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad Bass
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Root Penetration ◽  
Environmental Technology ◽  
Drainage Layer ◽  
Growing Medium ◽  
Reduce Energy Consumption

Green roofs are touted as an environmental technology for urban areas due to their many benefits (Lundholm et al. 2008). Although the design and the benefits have been reported in many reports and articles, they are reviewed here for those who are unfamiliar with this technology. Green roofs, or more formally, green roof infrastructure, is a technology that allows for the growth of vegetation on a roof while protecting the building envelope from leakage and root penetration. A green roof is more than a layer of soil piled on the roof, planted in the way that you might plant a garden. The technology consists of multiple layers that include the plants and growing medium or substrate, but also a drainage layer for storing water that was not used by the plants and a waterproof, root-repellent membrane (Figure 1).

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