scholarly journals Near Zero-Energy Buildings in Lebanon: The Use of Emerging Technologies and Passive Architecture

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama Omar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Decision Supporting ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Architecture always aims to find solutions for problems around the world. One of the major trends at present relates to energy consumption and climate change. Construction is responsible for 18% of CO2 emissions. However, continuing to use fuel as a main source of energy consumption for economic reasons, as it is the cheapest raw material and most easily available material for most of the Arab countries, results in a negative environmental impact on the quality of life in these countries. This paper investigates a new design concept and decision-supporting tools for zero-energy buildings. Based on critical thinking as a new mechanism to create a hierarchy of designing a building, the research presents the experience of the author in teaching architecture courses for postgraduates for five years (ARCH 662: Architecture Design and Decision-Supporting Tools and Arch 663: Advanced Sustainable Architecture). The result of this research could be new methodologies that help and guide the architect in creating more zero-energy buildings in their countries. In addition, the spread of knowledge in the future generation of architects in architecture schools will mean that new designers believe in protecting and taking care of their environment, which will increase awareness of environmental issues and improve the quality of life in these countries.

scholarly journals Optimization of Performance Parameter Design and Energy Use Prediction for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Xu ◽  
Guohui Feng ◽  
Dandan Chi ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Baoyue Dou
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Maximum Relative Error ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Saving Ratio ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

Optimizing key parameters with energy consumption as the control target can minimize the heating and cooling needs of buildings. In this paper we focus on the optimization of performance parameters design and the prediction of energy consumption for nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB). The optimal combination of various performance parameters and the Energy Saving Ratio (ESR)are studied by using a large volume of simulation data. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are applied for the prediction of annual electrical energy consumption in a nearly Zero Energy Building designs located in Shenyang (China). The data of the energy demand for our test is obtained by using building simulation techniques. The results demonstrate that the heating energy demand for our test nearly Zero Energy Building is 17.42 KW·h/(m2·a). The Energy Saving Ratio of window-to-wall ratios optimization is the most obvious, followed by thermal performance parameters of the window, and finally the insulation thickness. The maximum relative error of building energy consumption prediction is 6.46% when using the artificial neural network model to predict energy consumption. The establishment of this prediction method enables architects to easily and accurately obtain the energy consumption of buildings during the design phase.

scholarly journals Data on energy consumption and Nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs) in Europe

Data in Brief ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 2470-2474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia D'Agostino ◽  
Livio Mazzarella
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

scholarly journals Investigation of Ventilation Energy Recovery with Polymer Membrane Material-Based Counter-Flow Energy Exchanger for Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miklos Kassai ◽  
Laith Al-Hyari
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Polymer Membrane ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Sensible Heat ◽  
Membrane Material ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Counter Flow ◽  
Flow Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

The usage of energy recovery ventilation units was extended in European countries. Air-to-air heat and energy recovery is an effective procedure to reduce energy consumption of the ventilation air. However, the material of the core significantly influences the performance of the exchangers, which is becoming an extremely important aspect to meet the energy requirements of nearly zero-energy buildings. In this study, the performance of two counter-flow heat/enthalpy energy exchangers are experimentally tested under different operating conditions, and the values of the sensible, latent, and total effectiveness are presented. Moreover, the effects of the material of two exchangers (polystyrene for the sensible heat exchanger and polymer membrane for the energy exchanger) on the energy consumption of ventilation in European cities with three different climates (in Reykjavík in Iceland as a cold climate, in Budapest in Hungary as a temperate climate, and in Rome in Italy as a warm climate) are evaluated. The results show that the energy recovery of ventilation air with a polymer membrane material-based counter-flow energy exchanger performs better than using a polystyrene sensible heat recovery unit.

Research on the Design and Construction of Zero-Energy Building

2014 ◽  
Vol 587-589 ◽  
pp. 224-227
Author(s):  
Zhi Jun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
Zero Net Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

A zero-energy building, also known as a zero net energy (ZNE) building, net-zero energy building (NZEB), or net zero building, is a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. Buildings that produce a surplus of energy over the year may be called “energy-plus buildings” and buildings that consume slightly more energy than they produce are called “near-zero energy buildings” or “ultra-low energy houses”. Traditional buildings consume 40% of the total fossil fuel energy in the US and European Union and are significant contributors of greenhouse gases. The zero net energy consumption principle is viewed as a means to reduce carbon emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and although zero energy buildings remain uncommon even in developed countries, they are gaining importance and popularity.

Parents’ perceptions of raising children with autism spectrum disorders in the United States and Arab countries: A comparative review

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1645-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal M Al Khateeb ◽  
Louise Kaczmarek ◽  
Muna S Al Hadidi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Us Studies

Four databases were searched to identify studies published by Arab researchers on parents’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder and studies conducted by US researchers and published in systematic reviews of this topic. The electronic search resulted in 14 studies published by Arab researchers and 55 studies published by US researchers. The results showed that autism spectrum disorder has many of the same effects on Arab and American families. Six major areas were identified in the results. Financial difficulties associated with raising children with autism spectrum disorder were mentioned more in Arab studies than in US studies. Arab studies had more emphasis on gender than US studies. The results related to quality of life of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Arab studies were equivocal. US studies included comparisons with families without a child with autism spectrum disorder, and addressed factors that were associated with quality of life indicators. More health, educational, and social services were available in United States than in Arab countries, but some frustration was reported by US parents in obtaining appropriate services in some studies. A higher percentage of Arab studies mentioned the role of religious faith than US studies. Finally, social stigma was evidenced in both cultures, but not much research was available.

scholarly journals Research on psychosocial aspects of asthma in the Arab world: a literature review

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas J. Al-Khateeb ◽  
Jamal M. Al-Khateeb
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Bronchial Asthma ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Psychosocial Aspects ◽  
Arab Countries

The importance of psychosocial factors in the management of bronchial asthma has long been recognized. This paper offers a review of research published in the English language related to psychosocial aspects of bronchial asthma in Arab countries. Several databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Springer Link, ERIC, and PsychInfo) were searched using the following keywords: bronchial asthma, Arab countries, Algiers, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (West Bank, Gaza), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Sudan, Somalia; United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Thirty-two studies were conducted in 9 Arab countries. Almost all studies found were published in the last fourteen years with an apparent increasing rate in the last five years. In descending order, these studies addressed: knowledge of and attitudes toward asthma, quality of life, behavioral and emotional problems and factors related to academic achievement. The main results of the studies reviewed were: (a) physicians’, school staff’s, and parents’ knowledge of and attitudes toward asthma were generally unsatisfactory, (b) in-service asthma education programs significantly impacted parent and staff knowledge and attitudes, and asthma management practices, (c) quality of life in children and adolescents was significantly adversely affected by asthma, (d) asthma was a common cause of school absenteeism, and had a significant negative impact on academic achievement of students, and (e) students with asthma had significantly higher rates of behavioral and emotional difficulties compared to students without asthma. The paper concludes with a discussion about the implications of these results and a call for further research in this area.

scholarly journals Tactical Innovation to Incorporate Post-Consumer Expanded Polystyrene in Artisanal Chains for the Doping of Products

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 12963
Author(s):  
Nayeli Montalvo-Romero ◽  
Aarón Montiel-Rosales ◽  
Gregorio Fernández-Lambert ◽  
Fabiola Sánchez-Galván ◽  
Horacio Bautista-Santos
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Expanded Polystyrene ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Short Life ◽  
Subjective Analysis ◽  
Contour Graph ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact

In its original manufacturing purpose, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is an industrial product with a short life cycle and waste with high negative environmental impact. Given this externality, this article contributes to the state of the art by proposing reuse EPS as a raw material valuable to the process of manufacturing hats in a Mexican company. The SCAMPER technique is used to formulate a hardener, which is optimized with a Taguchi design. Statistically, there is no difference between the quality of the conventional hardener and the mixture based on post-consumer EPS to make hats based on the standards defined by the company; a subjective analysis supported by the judgment of experts validates the quality of the hats. A contour graph and response surface reflect different combinations of solute and solvent to formulate the glue for the doping of the hat, with the same hardness results. This allows the artisan to assess the formulation from an economical point of view, as well as with respect to the arrangement of materials. These results specifically propose the sustainable alternative of integrating waste from the post–consumer EPS chain into the artisanal hat value chain, and are replicable to other similar products.

scholarly journals Smart Outlet: Smart Electrical Outlet With Device Identification Using NFC

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Sergio Henrique Monte Santo Andrade ◽  
João M. S. Alves ◽  
Johan S. L. Barbosa ◽  
Rafaela R. Souza
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Environment Management ◽  
Device Identification ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
Residential Electricity ◽  
Residential Electricity Consumption

The residential electricity consumption tends to expand further and, consequently, stimulates the development of technological tools that allow to establish greater control of energy consumption. Embedded technology systems play an important role in the efficiency of a smart home by providing to users ways to optimize environment management. The implementation of technologies in the residential environment offer to residents a better quality of life and reduce expenses. Therefore, this paper proposes the development of smart electrical outlets able to identify the apparatus connected to them and make available to the user the detailed consumption of each device that was used through a database.

scholarly journals Research on a Systematical Design Method for Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Li ◽  
Wei Xu ◽  
Ping Cui ◽  
Biao Qiao ◽  
Siyang Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Performance Based Design ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Heat Sources ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Zero Energy Buildings

As a result of the impact of energy consumption, research on ultra-low energy, nearly zero-energy, and zero energy buildings has been conducted in China. However, the design of the nearly zero-energy building is flexible; the traditional architectural design method is not fully applicable to nearly zero-energy buildings. The paper proposed a performance-based design method based on overall energy consumption and progress for the nearly zero-energy building. The design process of the relevant cases was also analyzed. The factors of cold and heat sources, environment, and renewable energy were combined to make a comprehensive analysis to get the optimal scheme of the nearly zero-energy building in the case. In general, the performance-based design method has a certain guiding significance for the design of nearly zero-energy buildings and certainly promotes the expansion of the nearly zero-energy building industry in China.

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