scholarly journals ENERGY CERTIFICATION AND ENERGY AUDIT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS A METHODOLOGICAL TOOL TO IMPROVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE UNIVERSITY

Management ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-25
Author(s):  
Liudmyla Hanushchak-Yefimenko
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
Certification Program ◽  
Energy Audit ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
University Buildings

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Improving the energy performance of buildings is one of the least expensive ways to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Building energy performance certification increases public knowledge about energy conservation and allows consumers and other decision makers to compare buildings based on their lifetime performance. In addition, energy performance certifications are an incentive for owners to improve the efficiency of existing buildings.METHODS. It is proposed to use in the process of energy certification and energy audit of university buildings collection and evaluation of basic information (including information about local climate, method of use, value of thermal conductivity coefficient and building envelope area, orientation) to determine the level of energy efficiency of the building on a generally accepted scale. In the Certificate of energy efficiency to take into account the calculated results from the assessment of the energy performance of the building.FINDINGS. It is suggested that the results of the energy certification of university buildings be presented in a simple, clear form, to ensure clarity, ease of use and comparability. For the energy certification of university buildings, a comparative labeling from A to G is proposed for use. The scale, on which the current national building standard is at "C," provides ample room for improving the rating of both new and existing buildings. If necessary, the scale should be expanded to add a label such as A1, A2, or A+, A++ when it comes to high-performance buildings.CONCLUSION. Accurate and reliable energy performance certification is a necessary foundation that will help ensure consumer confidence and the success of the certification program. The certification program must be clearly coordinated to ensure a smooth transition of the construction industry to the new rules.

scholarly journals Application of Urban Scale Energy Modelling and Multi-Objective Optimization Techniques for Building Energy Renovation at District Scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11554
Author(s):  
Fahad Haneef ◽  
Giovanni Pernigotto ◽  
Andrea Gasparella ◽  
Jérôme Henri Kämpf
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Multi Objective Optimization ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Nearly-zero energy buildings are now a standard for new constructions. However, the real challenge for a decarbonized society relies in the renovation of the existing building stock, selecting energy efficiency measures considering not only the energy performance but also the economic and sustainability ones. Even if the literature is full of examples coupling building energy simulation with multi-objective optimization for the identification of the best measures, the adoption of such approaches is still limited for district and urban scale simulation, often because of lack of complete data inputs and high computational requirements. In this research, a new methodology is proposed, combining the detailed geometric characterization of urban simulation tools with the simplification provided by “building archetype” modeling, in order to ensure the development of robust models for the multi-objective optimization of retrofit interventions at district scale. Using CitySim as an urban scale energy modeling tool, a residential district built in the 1990s in Bolzano, Italy, was studied. Different sets of renovation measures for the building envelope and three objectives —i.e., energy, economic and sustainability performances, were compared. Despite energy savings from 29 to 46%, energy efficiency measures applied just to the building envelope were found insufficient to meet the carbon neutrality goals without interventions to the system, in particular considering mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Furthermore, public subsidization has been revealed to be necessary, since none of the proposed measures is able to pay back the initial investment for this case study.

scholarly journals University training in energy efficiency to respond to European EPBD objectives. USE Efficiency Project

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Penalvo-López ◽  
F. Javier Cárcel-Carrasco ◽  
Joaquín Montañana-Romeu ◽  
Vicente León-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Future Market ◽  
Improve Energy Efficiency ◽  
Technological Level ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
University Buildings ◽  
The University ◽  
University Training

Energy efficiency in buildings is one of the main challenges in EU policy, since it is difficult to find common strategies and policies among Member States.  This article describes the USE Efficiency project, an initiative to create a common training framework for energy efficiency systems in buildings based on the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD), through university actions. Universities and students are proposed as shining examples both for energy efficiency solutions and for energy efficiency behaviour.  Moreover, involving university students guarantees acting on closest future market players and most convincing actor in diffusion of public opinions. The project aims to improve energy efficiency in university buildings and to establish training program for students around European countries.  In fact, this activity involves 9 Universities (Technology Faculties and Faculties of Engineering) and 4 technological and market players from widespread countries in EU.Initially, a mapping of the methodologies used for evaluating energy efficiency at the different countries is carried out. Students are trained in energy efficiency methods and strategies, having real work experience implementing these Energy Performance Assessment (EPA) methodologies in their own buildings. The wide geographical coverage of the consortium allows an important crossover of methodologies to achieve technical results even to a professional and technological level. Then, the analysed buildings at each university are monitored in order to collect data, which are then used to plan solutions to improve energy performance of the university buildings. This paper describes this innovative training initiative, which involves students as main actors, working and interacting together with professors and technicians in order to improve energy efficiency in their educational centres.

scholarly journals Refurbishment of a house in a historical building: energy saving, electrification and flexibility

2020 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 02010
Author(s):  
Giada Romano ◽  
Elisa Pennacchia ◽  
Sofia Agostinelli
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Automation Systems ◽  
Architectural Constraints ◽  
Current Energy

Buildings with architectural constraints and recognized historical values require a careful design process, aiming to combine the needs of conservation and the adaptation of the buildings to the modern use and its accessibility. The feasible interventions consist in improving the energy performance of the building envelope, in inserting efficient technological systems and using renewable energy sources where possible. The compatibility between the architectural constraints of the building and its more sustainable future use represents a crucial challenge. This work presents the interventions designed and realized on a small villa located in the Prati district, in Rome. Starting from the requests of the client, the primary objective was to create a comfortable house both in the winter and in the summer season, with widespread use of automation systems for managing the utilities. In line with the current energy scenario, the interventions were oriented to energy efficiency, the reduction of polluting emissions, the electrification of utilities and the use of renewable energy sources. The proposed solutions showed high gains in terms of energy saving even if the changes to the building envelope were limited by the desire to preserve the values of the cultural heritage. Therefore, a virtuous refurbishment can effectively respond to current energy efficiency goals.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITTING IN MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-136
Author(s):  
Chaitali Basu ◽  
Virendra Kumar Paul ◽  
M.G. Matt Syal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
A Priority

The energy performance of an existing building is the amount of energy consumed to meet various needs associated with the standardized use of a building and is reflected in one or more indicators known as Building Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs). These indicators are distributed amongst six main factors influencing energy consumption: climate, building envelope, building services and energy systems, building operation and maintenance, occupants' activities and behaviour, and indoor environmental quality. Any improvement made to either the existing structure or the physical and operational upgrade of a building system that enhances energy performance is considered an energy efficiency retrofit. The main goal of this research is to support the implementation of multifamily residential building energy retrofits through expert knowledge consensus on EnPIs for energy efficiency retrofit planning. The research methodology consists of a comprehensive literature review which has identified 35 EnPIs for assessing performance of existing residential buildings, followed by a ranking questionnaire survey of experts in the built-environment to arrive at a priority listing of indicators based on mean rank. This was followed by concordance analysis and measure of standard deviation. A total of 280 experts were contacted globally for the survey, and 106 completed responses were received resulting in a 37.85% response rate. The respondents were divided into two groups for analysis: academician/researchers and industry practitioners. The primary outcome of the research is a priority listing of EnPIs based on the quantitative data from the knowledge-base of experts from these two groups. It is the outcome of their perceptions of retrofitting factors and corresponding indicators. A retrofit strategy consists of five phases for retrofitting planning in which the second phase comprises an energy audit and performance assessment and diagnostics. This research substantiates the performance assessment process through the identification of EnPIs.

scholarly journals A Sustainable Solution for Energy Efficiency in Italian Climatic Contexts

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2817
Author(s):  
Valeria Annibaldi ◽  
Federica Cucchiella ◽  
Marianna Rotilio
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Reference Scenario ◽  
Life Cycle Cost Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Optimal Thickness ◽  
Hemp Fiber ◽  
Sustainable Solutions

In the European Union, about 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions come from buildings; therefore, the improvement of their energy performance is a strongly focused issue. In particular, the energy efficiency of the building envelope is a very important element to pay attention to. Many studies have been conducted on this field of research, and the study illustrated in this paper also belongs to this topic. In particular, this article presents a multidisciplinary method to find sustainable solutions for energy efficiency in Italian climatic contexts using the Life Cycle Cost Analysis approach. In detail, this paper defines the reference scenario and then deepens the methodology used to determine the economically optimal thickness of a specific insulating material—hemp fiber—applied to a specific type of wall—uninsulated cavity walls made of hollow bricks, which are very widespread in Italy. The analysis is developed in relation to three different regions—Piedmont, Abruzzo, and Campania. The results show that the economically optimal thickness is different for each region analyzed and demonstrates how energy efficiency strategies must be carefully weighed according to the specific conditions of the site.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study: Energy Performance Analysis of Conventional Office Buildings at Lucknow

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
Farheen Bano ◽  
Vandana Sehgal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Time Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Energy Audit ◽  
Energy Usage ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Using Data

In this study, the energy consumption of three government and three private office buildings in Lucknow was investigated, and the energy performance index (EPI) for each building was determined. The main purpose of this research was to assess the energy usage of the buildings and identify factors affecting the energy usage. An analysis was performed using data from an energy audit of government buildings, electricity bills of private office buildings, and an on-site visit to determine building envelope materials and its systems. The annual energy consumption of buildings has been evaluated through EPI. The EPI, measured in kilowatt hour per square meter per year, is annual energy consumption in kilowatt hours divided by the gross floor area of the building in square meters. In this study, the energy benchmark for day-time-use office buildings in composite climate specified by Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) has been compared with the energy consumption of the selected buildings. Consequently, it has been found that the average EPI of the selected buildings was close to the national energy benchmark indicated by ECBC. Moreover, factors causing inefficient energy consumption were determined, and solutions for consistent energy savings are suggested for buildings in composite climate.

scholarly journals Energy Efficient Improvements of Existing Buildings through Building Envelope Upgrade Case Study of High Rise Block of Flats on 76, Boulevard Partizanski Odredi in Karpos IV, Skopje

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-180
Author(s):  
Katerina Petrushevska
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Living Room ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Class B

AIM: This research examines the important issue of energy efficient improvements to the existing building stock through building envelope upgrade. To facilitate this, the energy performance characteristics of the existing building stock were identified with a view to establishing an existing building stock type, where building envelope upgrades can contribute to a higher level of energy efficiency improvements. The literature review along with the selected building precedents was used to establish the best current practice for building envelope upgrades.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Established building precedents and identified best practice for building envelope upgrade, a high rise block of flats was identified and used as a case study, with the current and predicted, following building envelope upgrade, energy performance of the building calculated. This has allowed us to identify the possible energy efficiency improvements for this type of building following the building envelope upgrade. RESULTS: In the projected case, the building with energy class - "D" become class "B". In addition, increased quality of the living room in the attic was enabled. It was possible to obtain a decrease of the heating energy from 130.76 kWh/m²a to 37.73 kWh/m²a or to jump in the class "B" of energetic passport.CONCLUSION: This research contributes to the local implementation of the global agenda for sustainable development, design and construction, and it demonstrates the possible way and level of energy efficiency improvements to the least efficient building stock through existing building envelope upgrade.

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency Measures Applied to Heritage Retrofit Buildings: A Simulated Student Housing Case Study in Vienna

Heritage ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 3919-3937
Author(s):  
Essam Elnagar ◽  
Simran Munde ◽  
Vincent Lemort
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Energy Status ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Energy Efficiency Measures ◽  
Efficiency Measures

One pavilion was selected for deep retrofitting from the Otto Wagner area situated in the west of Vienna. The retrofitting process involves sustainable and energy-efficient construction to improve the energy performance and energy production potential of the building while preserving the cultural heritage and significance. This four-story pavilion was re-designed according to the proposed regulations of a net positive energy university building to become a student residence. Architectural, building envelope, and engineering interventions along with various changes were simulated through the Sefaira tool in the SketchUp model. These included: optimization of the U-values of the roof, walls, and floor; the addition of different layers of sustainable energy-efficient insulation materials to decrease the overall energy demand. The specific energy demands for heating, cooling, and lighting were decreased in the proposed model to reduce the total energy use intensity from 248.9 kWh/(m2 year) to 54.3 kWh/(m2 year) resulting in a 78.2% reduction. The main goal of this study is to try and achieve a net positive energy status building as part of the Otto Wagner area by improving the building envelope and integrating renewable energies. A total of 22.5% of the annual energy consumption was generated by the designed PV system. The selected building achieved the passive house standards in Austria by optimizing the energy performance with the proposed energy efficiency measures.

scholarly journals Modeling of Energy Efficiency for Residential Buildings Using Artificial Neuronal Networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Antonio Álvarez ◽  
Juan Ramón Rabuñal ◽  
Dolores García-Vidaurrázaga ◽  
Alberto Alvarellos ◽  
Alejandro Pazos
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Behavior ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Strategic Objective ◽  
Artificial Neuronal Networks ◽  
Ann Models ◽  
Artificial Neural Network Ann

Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is a strategic objective in the European Union, and it is the main reason why numerous studies have been carried out to evaluate and reduce energy consumption in the residential sector. The process of evaluation and qualification of the energy efficiency in existing buildings should contain an analysis of the thermal behavior of the building envelope. To determine this thermal behavior and its representative parameters, we usually have to use destructive auscultation techniques in order to determine the composition of the different layers of the envelope. In this work, we present a nondestructive, fast, and cheap technique based on artificial neural network (ANN) models that predict the energy performance of a house, given some of its characteristics. The models were created using a dataset of buildings of different typologies and uses, located in the northern area of Spain. In this dataset, the models are able to predict the U-opaque value of a building with a correlation coefficient of 0.967 with the real U-opaque measured value for the same building.

scholarly journals Evaluating the potential energy savings of residential buildings and utilizing solar energy in the middle region of Saudi Arabia – Case study

2020 ◽  
pp. 014459872097514
Author(s):  
AbdulRahman S Almushaikah ◽  
Radwan A Almasri
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Middle Region

Lately, with the growth in energy consumption worldwide to support global efforts to improve the climate, developing nations have to take significant measures. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) implemented meaningful policy actions towards promoting energy efficiency (EE) in several sectors, especially in the building sector, to be more sustainable. In this paper, various EE measures and solar energy prospects are investigated for the residential sector, in two locations in the middle region of the KSA. An energy performance analysis of pre-existing residential buildings with an overall design is performed using simulation programs. However, installing EE measures in the building envelope is important to achieve an efficient sector regarding its energy consumption. The findings showed that applying EE measures for the building envelope, walls, roof, and windows should be considered first that makes the energy conservation possible. In Riyadh, EE measures are responsible for reducing energy consumption by 27% for walls, 14% for roof, and 6% for window, and by 29%, 13%, and 6% for walls, roof, and windows, respectively, for Qassim. However, the most impactful EE solution was selecting a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system with a high energy efficiency rate (EER), which can minimize the energy consumption by 33% and 32% for Riyadh and Qassim, respectively. The study's feasibility showed that the number of years needed to offset the initial investment for a proposed roof PV system exceeds the project's life, if the energy produced is exported to the grid at the official export tariff of 0.019 $/kWh. However, the simple payback time was 13.42 years if the energy produced is exported to the grid at a rate of 0.048 $/kWh, reflecting the project's economic feasibility.

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