scholarly journals The Energy Saving Potential of Wide Windows in Hospital Patient Rooms, Optimizing the Type of Glazing and Lighting Control Strategy under Different Climatic Conditions

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Cesari ◽  
Paolo Valdiserri ◽  
Maddalena Coccagna ◽  
Sante Mazzacane
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Hospital Patient ◽  
Lighting Control ◽  
Positive Effects

If not properly designed, the adoption of large windows can sometimes have a negative impact on building energy demand. For this reason, aggravated by the outdated building envelope of the healthcare building stock, large fenestration systems are usually avoided in hospitals, especially in old structures. However, with appropriate glazing specifications, the adoption of wider openings can result into significant energy savings, lower costs and strong positive effects on patients and staff well-being. The present study investigates how different window sizes and types of glazing affect heating, cooling and lighting energy demand in a hospital patient room. The objective is to evaluate the energy savings that may be obtained when installing larger windows and to identify the glazing properties allowing one to reach the maximum energy reductions. Simulations were carried out using nine diverse glazing systems, already available on the market, and their energy performance was evaluated in relation to two different window areas: a common size opening, characterized by a 25% Window-to-Wall Ratio (WWR), and a floor to ceiling window, with 77% WWR. The analysis was conducted taking into consideration four different orientations in four Italian cities, supposing two artificial lighting control strategies. The results highlighted how the adoption of wider windows with appropriate glazings and a daylight-linked dimming lighting control strategy may lower the primary energy demand up to 17%.

scholarly journals A Supervisory Control Strategy for Improving Energy Efficiency of Artificial Lighting Systems in Greenhouses

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Gianluca Serale ◽  
Luca Gnoli ◽  
Emanuele Giraudo ◽  
Enrico Fabrizio
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategy ◽  
Light Emitting Diode ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Lighting System ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Lighting Control ◽  
Lighting Systems ◽  
Power Densities

Artificial lighting systems are used in commercial greenhouses to ensure year-round yields. Current Light Emitting Diode (LED) technologies improved the system efficiency. Nevertheless, having artificial lighting systems extended for hectares with power densities over 50W/m2 causes energy and power demand of greenhouses to be really significant. The present paper introduces an innovative supervisory and predictive control strategy to optimize the energy performance of the artificial lights of greenhouses. The controller has been implemented in a multi-span plastic greenhouse located in North Italy. The proposed control strategy has been tested on a greenhouse of 1 hectare with a lighting system with a nominal power density of 50 Wm−2 requiring an overall power supply of 1 MW for a period of 80 days. The results have been compared with the data coming from another greenhouse of 1 hectare in the same conditions implementing a state-of-the-art strategy for artificial lighting control. Results outlines that potential 19.4% cost savings are achievable. Moreover, the algorithm can be used to transform the greenhouse in a viable source of energy flexibility for grid reliability.

scholarly journals Energy Performance Assessment of Innovative Building Solutions Coming from Construction and Demolition Waste Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Construction And Demolition Waste ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demolition Waste ◽  
The Impact

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.

scholarly journals Transformation of an Office Building into a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB): Implications for Thermal and Visual Comfort and Energy Performance

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Ballarini ◽  
Giovanna De Luca ◽  
Argun Paragamyan ◽  
Anna Pellegrino ◽  
Vincenzo Corrado
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Efficiency Measures

Directive 2010/31/EU promotes the refurbishment of existing buildings to change them into nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs). Within this framework, it is of crucial importance to guarantee the best trade-off between energy performance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The implications of a global refurbishment scenario on thermal and visual comfort are assessed in this paper pertaining to an existing office building. The retrofit actions applied to achieve the nZEB target consist of a combination of envelope and technical building systems refurbishment measures, involving both HVAC and lighting. Energy and comfort calculations were carried out through dynamic simulation using Energy Plus and DIVA, for the thermal and visual performance assessments, respectively. The results point out that energy retrofit actions on the building envelope would lead to significant improvements in the thermal performance, regarding both energy savings (−37% of the annual primary energy for heating) and thermal comfort. However, a daylighting reduction would occur with a consequent higher electricity demand for lighting (36%). The research presents a detailed approach applicable to further analyses aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency measures in order to reduce the imbalance between visual and thermal comfort and to ensure the best performance in both domains.

The Statistical Verification of Significance of Airtightness and Energy Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 789-790 ◽  
pp. 1181-1184
Author(s):  
Michal Kraus ◽  
Kateřina Kubeková ◽  
Darja Kubečková
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
Energy Efficient Buildings ◽  
Statistical Verification ◽  
Low Energy Consumption

The main objective of the paper is to confirm or exclude a statistically significant impact of airtightness on the energy performance of buildings. Energy performance of buildings is characterized by a specific energy demand for heating and specific total primary energy. Airtightness is one of the key factors of energy efficient buildings. The quality of airtight building envelope except for low energy consumption also minimizes the risk of damage to the structure associated with the spread of the heat and water vapor in the structure.

scholarly journals Assessing the Energy Demand Reduction in a Surgical Suite by Optimizing the HVAC Operation During Off-Use Periods

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2233
Author(s):  
Antón Cacabelos-Reyes ◽  
José Luis López-González ◽  
Arturo González-Gil ◽  
Lara Febrero-Garrido ◽  
Pablo Eguía-Oller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
International Consensus ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Demand Reduction ◽  
Spanish Hospital ◽  
Ventilation Strategies ◽  
Surgical Suite

Hospital surgical suites are high consumers of energy due to the strict indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions. However, by varying the ventilation strategies, the potential for energy savings is great, particularly during periods without activity. In addition, there is no international consensus on the ventilation and hygrothermal requirements for surgical areas. In this work, a dynamic energy model of a surgical suite of a Spanish hospital is developed. This energy model is calibrated and validated with experimental data collected during real operation. The model is used to simulate the yearly energy performance of the surgical suite under different ventilation scenarios. The common issue in the studied ventilation strategies is that the hygrothermal conditions ranges are extended during off-use hours. The maximum savings obtained are around 70% of the energy demand without compromising the safety and health of patients and medical staff, as the study complies with current heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) regulations.

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 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.

Effective Mixed-Mode Ventilation System With Intermittent Personalized Ventilation for Improving Thermal Comfort in an Office Space

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvire Katramiz ◽  
Nesreen Ghaddar ◽  
Kamel Ghali
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance Simulation ◽  
Office Space ◽  
Personalized Ventilation

Abstract The mixed-mode ventilation (MMV) system is an energy-friendly ventilation technique that combines natural ventilation (NV) with mechanical air conditioning (AC). It draws in fresh air when the outdoor conditions are favorable or activates otherwise the AC system during occupancy hours. To improve performance of the MMV system, it is proposed to integrate it with an intermittent personalized ventilation (IPV) system. IPV delivers cool clean air intermittently to the occupant and enhances occupant thermal comfort. With the proper ventilation control strategy, IPV can aid MMV by increasing NV mode operational hours, and improve the energy performance of the AC system by relaxing the required macroclimate set point temperature. The aim of this work is to study the IPV+MMV system performance for an office space application in terms of thermal comfort and energy savings through the implementation of an appropriate control strategy. A validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an office space equipped with IPV is used to assess the thermal fields in the vicinity of an occupant. It is then coupled with a transient bio-heat and comfort models to find the overall thermal comfort levels. Subsequently, a building-performance simulation study is performed using Integrated Environmental Solutions-Virtual Environment (IES-VE) for an office in Beirut, Lebanon for the typical summer month of July. An energy analysis is conducted to predict the savings of the suggested design in comparison to the conventional AC system. Results showed that the use of IPV units and MMV significantly reduced the number of AC operation hours while providing thermal comfort.

Analytical, Performance and Prescriptive Measures for Life Cycle Assessment of Sustainability or Energy Efficiency Projects

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Om Taneja
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Analytical Performance ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Occupant Comfort ◽  
Lack Of Commitment

Sustainability goals for buildings are highly acclaimed as public and private sector’s contributions to environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well-being. All too often a building’s performance does not meet design expectations, particularly a new building’s energy savings projection that overstates achievable performance. Across the high-performing building industry, these unrealistic energy performance goals have come from, among other things, inadequate modeling and benchmarking practices, unreliable monitoring and equipment controls systems, and significant changes in space usage and tenant improvements. There is still lack of commitment to include operations staff in goal setting and provide adequate budgets for periodic benchmarking, commissioning, and tuning of buildings’ mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. This paper provides the analytical, performance & prescriptive measures for life cycle assessment of energy efficiency projects which can help in making adaptive changes to buildings systems to suit changing uses, or other internal and external factors that directly or indirectly affect performance.

scholarly journals Energy Monitoring in a Heating and Cooling System in a Building Based on the Example of the Turówka Hotel

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Borowski ◽  
Piotr Mazur ◽  
Sławosz Kleszcz ◽  
Klaudia Zwolińska
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
And Control

The energy consumption of buildings is very important for both economic and environmental reasons. Newly built buildings are characterized by higher insulation and airtightness of the building envelope, and are additionally equipped with technologies that minimize energy consumption in order to meet legal requirements. In existing buildings, the modernization process should be properly planned, taking into account available technologies and implementation possibilities. Hotel buildings are characterized by a large variability of energy demand, both on a daily and a yearly basis. Monitoring systems, therefore, provide the necessary information needed for proper energy management in the building. This article presents an energy analysis of the Turówka hotel located in Wieliczka (southern Poland). The historical hotel facility is being modernized as part of the project to adapt the building to the requirements of a sustainable building. The modernization proposal includes a trigeneration system with a multifunctional reverse regenerator and control module using neural algorithms. The main purpose is to improve the energy efficiency of the building and adapt it to the requirements of low-energy buildings. The implementation of a monitoring system enables energy consumption to be reduced and improves the energy performance of the building, especially through using energy management systems and control modules. The proposed retrofit solution considers the high energy consumption, structure of the energy demand, and limits of retrofit intervention on façades.

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