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19 pages, 4612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neighborhood Energy Modeling and Monitoring: A Case Study

by Francesco Causone, Rossano Scoccia, Martina Pelle, Paola Colombo, Mario Motta and Sibilla Ferroni

Energies 2021, 14(12), 3716; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123716 - 21 Jun 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2906

Abstract

Cities and nations worldwide are pledging to energy and carbon neutral objectives that imply a huge contribution from buildings. High-performance targets, either zero energy or zero carbon, are typically difficult to be reached by single buildings, but groups of properly-managed buildings might reach [...] Read more.

Cities and nations worldwide are pledging to energy and carbon neutral objectives that imply a huge contribution from buildings. High-performance targets, either zero energy or zero carbon, are typically difficult to be reached by single buildings, but groups of properly-managed buildings might reach these ambitious goals. For this purpose we need tools and experiences to model, monitor, manage and optimize buildings and their neighborhood-level systems. The paper describes the activities pursued for the deployment of an advanced energy management system for a multi-carrier energy grid of an existing neighborhood in the area of Milan. The activities included: (i) development of a detailed monitoring plan, (ii) deployment of the monitoring plan, (iii) development of a virtual model of the neighborhood and simulation of the energy performance. Comparisons against early-stage energy monitoring data proved promising and the generation system showed high efficiency (EER equal to 5.84), to be further exploited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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14 pages, 5597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Data and Simulations of Performance and Thermal Comfort in a Typical Mediterranean House

by Víctor Pérez-Andreu, Carolina Aparicio-Fernández, José-Luis Vivancos and Javier Cárcel-Carrasco

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3311; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113311 - 04 Jun 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1572

Abstract

The number of buildings renovated following the introduction of European energy-efficiency policy represents a small number of buildings in Spain. So, the main Spanish building stock needs an urgent energy renovation. Using passive strategies is essential, and thermal characterization and predictive tests of [...] Read more.

The number of buildings renovated following the introduction of European energy-efficiency policy represents a small number of buildings in Spain. So, the main Spanish building stock needs an urgent energy renovation. Using passive strategies is essential, and thermal characterization and predictive tests of the energy-efficiency improvements achieving acceptable levels of comfort for their users are urgently necessary. This study analyzes the energy performance and thermal comfort of the users in a typical Mediterranean dwelling house. A transient simulation has been used to acquire the scope of Spanish standards for its energy rehabilitation, taking into account standard comfort conditions. The work is based on thermal monitoring of the building and a numerical validated model developed in TRNSYS. Energy demands for different models have been calculated considering different passive constructive measures combined with real wind site conditions and the behavior of users related to natural ventilation. This methodology has given us the necessary information to decide the best solution in relation to energy demand and facility of implementation. The thermal comfort for different models is not directly related to energy demand and has allowed checking when and where the measures need to be done. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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16 pages, 4544 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and CFD Investigation on the Application for Aerogel Insulation in Buildings

by Santu Golder, Ramadas Narayanan, Md. Rashed Hossain and Mohammad Rofiqul Islam

Energies 2021, 14(11), 3310; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113310 - 04 Jun 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3202

Abstract

Reducing building energy consumption is a significant challenge and is one of the most important research areas worldwide. Insulation will help to keep the building’s desired temperature by reducing the heat flow. Additionally, proper insulation can provide an extended period of comfort, leading [...] Read more.

Reducing building energy consumption is a significant challenge and is one of the most important research areas worldwide. Insulation will help to keep the building’s desired temperature by reducing the heat flow. Additionally, proper insulation can provide an extended period of comfort, leading to reduced building energy requirements. Encapsulated air is the major aspect of most thermal insulation materials. Low thermal conductivity is a good characteristic of thermal insulation materials. Aerogel has low thermal conductivity, so it is suitable for glazing and insulation purposes. This research paper investigates the effectiveness of aerogel as an insulation material in buildings by incorporating a translucent aerogel-glazing system in the window and aerogel insulation in the wall of a building. Experimental investigation of a 10 mm thick aerogel blanket surrounded box was conducted to assess its performance. Additionally, a CFD simulation was conducted, and the results of temperature degradation for the wall showed good agreement with experimental results. Additionally, the CFD simulation of temperature decay was compared between the aerogel-glazed window and argon-glazed window. It was found that the aerogel-glazed window has slower temperature decay compared to the argon-glazed window. The results showed that integrating aerogel in the glazing system and wall insulation in a building has the potential to reduce the building’s energy consumption. Moreover, a numeric simulation was conducted, and showed that the building’s annual energy consumption is reduced by 6% with the use of aerogel insulation compared to fiberglass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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15 pages, 4820 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring the Indoor Air Quality: A Case Study of Passive Cooling from Historical Hypogeal Rooms

by Eleonora Laurini, Mariangela De Vita and Pierluigi De Berardinis

Energies 2021, 14(9), 2513; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092513 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1494

Abstract

Attaining a good level of internal comfort is possible by controlling various parameters. Among all, the thermo-hygrometric comfort and the indoor air quality are of fundamental importance. This research is developed with the aim of verifying the indoor air quality following the installation [...] Read more.

Attaining a good level of internal comfort is possible by controlling various parameters. Among all, the thermo-hygrometric comfort and the indoor air quality are of fundamental importance. This research is developed with the aim of verifying the indoor air quality following the installation of a passive cooling device in a historic building located in the province of L’Aquila in the municipality of Poggio Picenze in climatic zone E. This research aims to verify the functioning of a ventilation duct installed between the hypogeal and the second level of the structure that was installed to obtain air recirculation by exploiting the inertial potential of the hypogeal room. The first phase of the research was aimed at thermo-hygrometric monitoring using sensors installed on-site and controlled remotely in order to verify the operation of the device. The second-phase object of this text was useful in investigating the acquired indoor air quality level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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18 pages, 8375 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Thermal Performance Detection Method for Building Envelope Based on 3D Model Generated by UAV Thermal Imagery

by Haichao Zheng, Xue Zhong, Junru Yan, Lihua Zhao and Xintian Wang

Energies 2020, 13(24), 6677; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13246677 - 17 Dec 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3028

Abstract

The evaluation and renovation of existing building envelope has important practical significance for energy conservation and emission reduction in the field of architecture. With the development of digital cities, 3D models with rich temperature information can realize the comprehensive and accurate detection and [...] Read more.

The evaluation and renovation of existing building envelope has important practical significance for energy conservation and emission reduction in the field of architecture. With the development of digital cities, 3D models with rich temperature information can realize the comprehensive and accurate detection and evaluation of the existing building envelope. However, the 3D model reconstructed from thermal infrared images has only relative temperature distribution and no temperature value of each location, so it is impossible to quantify the extent of the defect from it. To solve this issue, this paper develops a method to establish a 3D point cloud model with temperature information at selected points. The proposed 3D model is generated based on the thermal infrared images acquired by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with an infrared camera. In the generated 3D thermal infrared model, we can not only get the relative temperature distribution of the building’s full envelope structure, but also obtain the exact temperature value of any selected point. This method has been verified by field measurements and the result shows that the deviation is within 5 °C. In addition to temperature information, the generated 3D model also has spatial and depth information, which can reflect the appearance information and 3D structure of the monitoring target more realistically. Thus, by using this method, it is possible to achieve a comprehensive, accurate, and efficient on-site assessment of the building envelope in the urban area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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21 pages, 6747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Thermal Condition of a Traditional Cold-Lane in Summer in Subtropical Humid Climate Region of China

by Hui Chen, Yin Wei, Yaolin Lin, Wei Yang, Xiaoming Chen, Maria Kolokotroni, Xiaohong Liu and Guoqiang Zhang

Energies 2020, 13(24), 6602; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13246602 - 14 Dec 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1707

Abstract

A Chinese traditional narrow street, named Cold-Lane, can create a microclimatic zone that provides pedestrian thermal comfort under hot and humid climate conditions. This phenomenon was observed through experimental measurement during the summer of 2016. The heat transfer rate over the pedestrian body [...] Read more.

A Chinese traditional narrow street, named Cold-Lane, can create a microclimatic zone that provides pedestrian thermal comfort under hot and humid climate conditions. This phenomenon was observed through experimental measurement during the summer of 2016. The heat transfer rate over the pedestrian body surface was calculated to reveal why pedestrians experience a cool sensation, and computational flow dynamics (CFD) simulation was carried out to study the influence of the street aspect ratio on the shading effect. It was found that the perception of thermal comfort can be attributed mainly to the radiation between the relatively cool surrounding walls and the human body, and the wind velocity has little effect on sensible heat dissipation. The cool horizontal and vertical surfaces in the street canyon are mainly due to the shading effect as a result of the small aspect ratio, which is a typical characteristic of the traditional Chinese street. The shading effect of the high walls on both sides creates the cooling effect of this narrow street. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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20 pages, 6164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Marek Borowski, Piotr Mazur, Sławosz Kleszcz and Klaudia Zwolińska

Energies 2020, 13(8), 1968; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13081968 - 16 Apr 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3362

Abstract

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 [...] Read more.

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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Review

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47 pages, 6917 KiB

Open AccessReview

Thermal Monitoring and Simulation of Earthen Buildings. A Review

by Ariadna Carrobé, Lídia Rincón and Ingrid Martorell

Energies 2021, 14(8), 2080; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14082080 - 08 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2778

Abstract

Since ancient times, raw earth has been used worldwide as a construction material. Today, it is well known for its good environmental properties of recyclability and low embodied energy along the production process. Earthen walls regulate the interior temperature of the buildings, providing [...] Read more.

Since ancient times, raw earth has been used worldwide as a construction material. Today, it is well known for its good environmental properties of recyclability and low embodied energy along the production process. Earthen walls regulate the interior temperature of the buildings, providing comfortable temperatures with a very low carbon footprint. As a result of those advantages, earthen building techniques have been revived and used for contemporary architecture. The aim of this paper is to review the state of the art about the thermal behaviour of earthen building, including all the monitoring and simulation analysis of real earthen constructions up to now. The paper presents the different earthen techniques known nowadays, analysing the most important thermal parameters and the thermal comfort achieved with each technique. Regardless the wide differences among the analyzed cases, the authors conclude that earth building is a suitable solution in hot and arid climates, since it preserves the indoor temperature within the thermal comfort limits most part of the time without any active system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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30 pages, 3185 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Road to Developing Economically Feasible Plans for Green, Comfortable and Energy Efficient Buildings

by Seyedeh Farzaneh Mousavi Motlagh, Ali Sohani, Mohammad Djavad Saghafi, Hoseyn Sayyaadi and Benedetto Nastasi

Energies 2021, 14(3), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14030636 - 27 Jan 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2764

Abstract

Owing to the current challenges in energy and environmental crises, improving buildings, as one of the biggest concerns and contributors to these issues, is increasingly receiving attention from the world. Due to a variety of choices and situations for improving buildings, it is [...] Read more.

Owing to the current challenges in energy and environmental crises, improving buildings, as one of the biggest concerns and contributors to these issues, is increasingly receiving attention from the world. Due to a variety of choices and situations for improving buildings, it is important to review the building performance optimization studies to find the proper solution. In this paper, these studies are reviewed by analyzing all the different key parameters involved in the optimization process, including the considered decision variables, objective functions, constraints, and case studies, along with the software programs and optimization algorithms employed. As the core literature, 44 investigations recently published are considered and compared. The current investigation provides sufficient information for all the experts in the building sector, such as architects and mechanical engineers. It is noticed that EnergyPlus and MATLAB have been employed more than other software for building simulation and optimization, respectively. In addition, among the nine different aspects that have been optimized in the literature, energy consumption, thermal comfort, and economic benefits are the first, second, and third most optimized, having shares of 38.6%, 22.7%, and 17%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Buildings Thermal Monitoring)

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