Energy and architecture — An overview

G Sonetti

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20135402004

Abstract

Summary. — This paper aims to provide a short overview on the complex aspects and growing concern about energy in architecture by gradually zooming into it, starting from a macro-scale analysis of building contribution in the total EU energy consumption, related policies, user behaviour’s impacts and vernacular architecture techniques; then looking at the meso scale of building energy performance during its use, dynamic simulations of heat transfer and insights from a whole life cycle analysis of the energy involved during construction and disposal phases; finally, at the building element micro-scale, describing local heat transfer and human thermal comfort measurements. Conclusions gather recommendations and further scenarios where different stakeholders and techniques can play their part for a wiser and more sustainable energy use, and a better built environment for us and those to come.

Highlights

1. – Introduction If a system can be modelled as composed by 3 parameters, and each parameter can assume “n” number of states, we know that the total combination of possible configurations is 3n
What happens with buildings is that even if the number of parameters that can be observed regarding energy issues could be relatively low, the “n” always prompts very large, and — to make things harder — to weigh key parameters in a hi
A building is characterized by several thermodynamics equations each one of which may interact by a non-linear law with the others, to not mention the repercussion that each singular variation can have on the total energy consumption, or the transportation and maintenance costs, or the disposal scenario: “n” variations correspond to incredibly high cascade results

Summary

Introduction

If a system can be modelled as composed by 3 parameters, and each parameter can assume “n” number of states, we know that the total combination of possible configurations is 3n. What happens with buildings is that even if the number of parameters that can be observed regarding energy issues could be relatively low, the “n” always prompts very large, and — to make things harder — to weigh key parameters in a hi-. A building is characterized by several thermodynamics equations (air movement, radiation exchange, noise transmission, moisture flow, electrical power flow, degree of insulation, etc.) each one of which may interact by a non-linear law with the others, to not mention the repercussion that each singular variation can have on the total energy consumption, or the transportation and maintenance costs, or the disposal scenario: “n” variations correspond to incredibly high cascade results

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion