Efficient Building Research Articles

Using BIM and LCA to Calculate the Life Cycle Carbon Emissions of Inpatient Building: A Case Study in China

Hospital buildings provide healthcare services at the costs of significant amounts of energy consumption and carbon emissions, further exacerbating the environmental load. Because of the limited research on the life cycle carbon emissions of Chinese hospitals, this study conducted a detailed carbon-accounting and comparative study. Firstly, BIM and LCA were used to quantify the carbon emissions of the inpatient building in each stage of the life cycle. Secondly, the differences in carbon emissions by stage were compared on the basis of 20 cases of public buildings. The results show that the whole-life carbon emissions of the inpatient building was 10,459.94 kgCO2/m2. The proportion of operational carbon emissions was 94.68%, with HVAC (52.57%), equipment (27.85%), and lighting (10.11%) being the main sources. Embodied carbon emissions accounted for 4.54%, and HRB400 steel and C30 concrete were the main sources of carbon emissions. Hospitals are second only to emporiums in terms of operational carbon intensity, being 1.71 and 1.41 times that of schools and office buildings, with inpatient buildings being 3 and 1.7 times that of medical complexes and outpatient buildings, respectively. The future sustainable development of hospital buildings should promote efficient building performance and good environmental quality, both in terms of energy efficiency and carbon reduction.

The benefits of integrating industrial hydrogen production with district heating in Cold Climates with different building renovation levels

Green hydrogen has a significant potential in decarbonizing the energy system, and avoiding deforestation by replacing biomass fuels, meanwhile, implementing waste heat recovery from its production process can boost decarbonization in district heating networks. However, since hydrogen-consuming industries are often distant from district heating networks, waste heat recovery from electrolysis plants may cause additional cost of transferring hydrogen. This contribution investigates this systematic challenge by evaluating the possible benefits of integrating hydrogen production process into district heating networks and considering the additional cost of transferring hydrogen. In addition, this study quantifies the expected national system-level benefits of efficient building renovation strategies and the additional progress that coupling with hydrogen production could bring. Based on the results, while the economic benefits of importing waste heat from electrolysis plants into the district heating networks is relatively small (annually 100 M€, constituting roughly 0.4 % of the Finnish energy system annual costs), this study demonstrates its notable potential to reduce biomass consumption by 7 %. However, the required cost for transporting hydrogen in Finland is projected to be 0.1–0.2 €/kg. Moreover, the results reveal that buildings renovation in two levels of low-renovation and high-renovation can decline biomass consumption in the heating sector by 29 % and 40 %, respectively.

Analysis of the necessity of revising the building energy efficiency certificate for non-residential buildings in South Korea

The Building Energy Efficiency Certification (BEEC) program is a crucial government policy aimed at reducing building energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in numerous countries, including South Korea. This study aims to evaluate the achievable BEEC level by designing a typical building with a construction permit and analyze the appropriateness of the awarded BEEC level. We collected 327 samples of non-residential buildings from South Korea's architectural administration system and established reference building models from these samples. The buildings were categorized into four use types (office, educational, retail, or cultural) and large or small sizes. We evaluated the energy consumption of the reference buildings and assigned them a BEEC level. Retail buildings exhibited the highest energy consumption, followed by office, cultural, and educational buildings. All reference buildings had an energy consumption of less than 260 kWh/m2/yr and were awarded a BEEC level of 1 to 1++, indicating energy efficient buildings. Non-residential buildings, reflecting common design trends, achieved a BEEC level of at least level 1 without additional efforts to enhance energy efficiency. We recommend the South Korean government should revise the current BEEC rating criteria and review the certification evaluation methodology. The results of this study strongly advocate for continuous improvement of the BEEC certification system. This study is expected to enhance the effectiveness of energy efficiency policies for buildings and advance related policies.

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

The global construction industry significantly contributes to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating immediate action for sustainable development. Recognizing the impact of buildings on emissions, the United Nations has set ambitious energy-related goals for 2030. Retrofitting buildings emerges as a strategic method for reducing energy consumption, offering lower environmental impact and life cycle costs. However, retrofitting is a complex process influenced by diverse factors such as policies, available resources, techniques, building-specific data, and uncertainties. Thus, this paper reviews the existing literature on retrofitting strategies for tropical and humid climates to identify effective approaches for enhancing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and overall building performance in these regions. Through comprehensive analyses, including bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer version 1.6.18 and systematic assessments, this study investigates various retrofitting strategies. This study categorizes tropical climates into Af (Tropical Rainforest Climate) and Aw (Tropical Savanna Climate) based on the Köppen climate classification. It reveals distinct emphases, with Af climates concentrating on office buildings and Aw climates prioritizing residential structures. Passive strategies were predominantly favored in office buildings, with glazing being the most commonly implemented approach. Residential structures, on the other hand, adopted a combination of passive strategies such as phase change materials along with active methods like appliance replacement. Educational buildings tended to rely on passive strategies, including roof covers, shading, and glazing. The absence of specific cost values underscores the importance of establishing baseline metrics, revealing significant challenges in retrofit techniques. This study further highlights an opportunity to explore passive methods in educational buildings, stressing the need for comprehensive guidelines, especially in institutional settings. Moreover, it emphasizes the urgency for ambitious regulations to address carbon emissions and optimize energy efficiency in tropical climates.

Application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the Planning and Construction of a Building

This paper aims to introduce Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology into the process of construction to achieve more efficient buildings, considering sustainability, economic improvements, reduced waste, and time optimization. The study involves the design, 3D modeling, planning, and monitoring of the work to assess the advantages and limitations of BIM through a real simulation. The methodology comprises theoretical foundations, 3D modeling, budgeting, and work monitoring. The project commenced with a 2D blueprint using Autodesk AutoCAD, followed by 3D modeling in Autodesk Revit. The resultant building, serving as an information system with a database and 3D modeling, allows for automated budgeting. The advantages of BIM encompass an interface between project and program, an interface between software, realistic renderings, precise material specifications, and family modeling. Limitations include the absence of material families, reformatting of Autodesk Revit tables when transferred to the Microsoft Excel program, generic family models with distorted renderings of reality, and heavy files. Despite these limitations, the implementation of BIM in buildings proves beneficial for projects. Collaborative work among stakeholders, optimization of project stages, and the reduction of expenses and rework can be achieved.

A Proposal for Utilization of Vaults as Floor-slab Structures in Contemporary Architecture

Abstract Vaults are among the oldest known engineering structures, and have escorted the history of architecture through thousands of years. Nowadays, construction industry rarely uses them, and doesn’t consider them as a general option to be used for floorslab structures, although they offer several opportunities. The presentation aims to re-introduce vaults into everyday usage, emphasizing their efficient shape, building technology and aesthetic values. The following aspects are featured in the paper: -mathematical definition of vaults, -main technical terms considering vault constructions, -main features of the statics of vaults, -connection of the force-trajectory and the central core, -importance of shape for ideal material distribution, -a proposal for a contemporary floorslab structure featuring beams and narrow vaultzones, -pros and cons of the proposed floorslab structure

Phase Changing Material (PCM) based envelope materials for energy efficient buildings

Phase Changing Material (PCM) based envelope materials for energy efficient buildings

Architecting sustainability performances and enablers for grid-interactive efficient buildings

Today, grid-interactive, efficient buildings are gaining popularity due to their potential sustainability performances through their ability to learn, adapt, and evolve at different scales to improve the quality of life of their users while optimizing resource usage and service availability. This is realized through various practices such as management and control measures enabled by smart grid technologies, interoperability, and human-cyber-physical security. However, despite their great potential, the research of those technologies still faces various challenges. These include a lack of communication and control infrastructure to address interpretability, security, cost barriers, and difficulties balancing occupant needs with grid benefits. Initially, system modelling and simulation are promising approaches to address those challenges ahead of time. It involves consideration of complex systems made up of components from various research domains. This paper addresses the above practices, highlighting the value of integrating technology and intelligence in the planning and operation of buildings, both new and old. It provides a way to educate architects and engineers about this emerging field and demonstrates how these practices can help in creating efficient, resilient, and secure buildings that contribute to occupant comfort and decarbonization.

Geospatial Analysis of Energy Poverty and Accessibility to District Heating Systems

This research paper undertakes a comprehensive geospatial analysis to investigate the relationship between energy poverty and district heating accessibility in Estonia. Utilizing ArcGIS Pro and statistical software, the study maps district heating systems, evaluates the energy efficiency of apartment buildings, and examines socioeconomic factors influencing energy poverty. By integrating GIS data with socioeconomic and building energy performance indicators, the research identifies areas where district heating is either absent or inefficient and correlates these findings with instances of energy poverty. Preliminary data may indicate a significant correlation between the lack of accessible district heating and increased energy expenses among lower-income households. The study also evaluates the impact of building energy efficiency on heating needs, revealing that older, less efficient buildings contribute disproportionately to energy poverty. Recommendations include policy interventions to expand and optimize district heating networks, alongside building renovation programs to enhance energy efficiency. This research contributes to the broader understanding of sustainable urban heating solutions and their role in mitigating energy poverty.

Innovations in architectural and environmental design: From methodologies to technology and cultural sensitivity

This comprehensive paper delves into the multifaceted world of contemporary architectural and environmental design, exploring an array of methodologies that emphasize sustainability, technological innovation, and socio-cultural integration. It begins by discussing the Integrated Design Process (IDP), which fosters early-stage collaboration across various disciplines, illustrated by the example of Seattles Bullitt Center. The paper then explores the principles of Biophilic Design, highlighting its positive impacts on human health and well-being, as seen in Singapores Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. The concept of Adaptive Reuse is explored next, emphasizing its role in sustainable urban development, with the Tate Modern in London serving as a case study. Further, the paper examines Green Building Technologies, Digital Design and Simulation Tools like BIM, and Smart Building Systems, showcasing their contributions to sustainable and efficient building management. The final sections discuss the importance of Community Engagement, Cultural Sensitivity in Design, and Inclusive Design, stressing the need for architecture that resonates with community values and is accessible to all. Through these discussions, the paper provides an insightful look into the current trends and future directions in architecture and environmental design, advocating for a holistic approach that balances functionality, sustainability, and cultural relevance.

Large-scale simulation-based parametric analysis of an optimal precooling strategy for demand flexibility in a commercial office building

Grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) optimize their operations by using flexible load techniques, such as precooling, to reduce peak electricity demand. However, precooling effectiveness depends on factors like building properties, weather, and utility rates. Therefore, investigating the impacts of these condition-specific factors is crucial, especially when considering precooling strategies that utilize thermal mass in commercial buildings. In this paper, we first devised a novel heuristic control approach that incorporates parameterized optimal precooling thermostat schedules to enhance demand flexibility in a commercial office building. Subsequently, we conducted a thorough performance evaluation of this control strategy. Utilizing the DOE medium-sized office building as the virtual testbed, we showed that the parameterized schedule effectively approximates model predictive control and requires drastically reduced computational overhead. On top of that, we investigated the impact of building thermal mass, outdoor air conditions, and energy price profiles on the optimal precooling strategy. Our results show substantial cost savings and peak load reduction potential in buildings with heavy thermal mass, with some energy penalty. Although the potential for cost savings is lower in buildings with low and medium thermal mass, the energy penalty remains consistent in all three thermal mass scenarios. Furthermore, the results highlight that while outdoor air conditions play a role in cost and energy performance, the cooling load exerts a more immediate and substantial influence on cost savings in precooling strategies. In addition, the duration of peak pricing and the ratio between peak and off-peak times exhibit clear correlations with cost savings, peak load reduction, and energy consumption, aligning with intuitive expectations. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing precooling strategies in office buildings.

Amine-Terminated Phenanthroline Diimides as Aqueous Masking Agents for Am(III)/Eu(III) Separation: An Alternative Ligand Design Strategy for Water-Soluble Lanthanide/Actinide Chelating Ligands.

Selective actinide coordination (from lanthanides) is critical for both nuclear waste management and sustainable development of nuclear power. Hydrophilic ligands used as masking agents to withhold actinides in the aqueous phase are currently highly pursued, while synthetic accessibility, water solubility, acid resistance, and extraction capability are the remaining problems. Most reported hydrophilic ligands are only effective at low acidity. We recently proved that the phenanthroline diimide skeleton was an efficient building block for the construction of highly efficient acid-resistant hydrophilic lanthanide/actinide separation agents, while the limited water solubility hindered the loading capability of the ligand. Herein, amine was introduced as the terminal solubilizing group onto the phenanthroline diimide backbone, which after protonation in acid showed high water solubility. The positively charged terminal amines enhanced the ligand water solubility to a large extent, which, on the other side, was believed to be detrimental for the coordination and complexation of the metal cations. We showed that by delicately adjusting the alkyl chain spacing, this intuitive disadvantage could be relieved and superior extraction performances could be achieved. This work holds significance for both hydrophilic lanthanide/actinide separation ligand design and, concurrently, offers insights into the development of water-soluble lanthanide/actinide complexes for biomedical and bioimaging applications.

Responsive Skin Application Techniques in Energy-Efficient Buildings

Energy efficient buildings are those that consume less energy with the measures taken during the design process, meet the energy they need from renewable sources, and make a minimum environmental impact by using the energy obtained most effectively. Within the scope of this study, energy-efficient buildings were selected because they emphasize environmental sensitivity in the design, construction, and use phases. The study aims to analyze the sensitive volumes through algorithmic graphic programs and categorize them according to the application technique. The study is based on written sources, internet databases, and photographs. Visuals and examples are used to give details. In energy-efficient building design, responsive skin algorithmic application techniques provide optimum energy in a short time and make a great contribution to the national economy.

IMPACT OF SHADING DEVICES ON COOLING LOAD IN EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS

ABSTRACT This paper examines the influence of shading devices in non-residential buildings on enhancing cooling loads, mitigating environmental impact, and reducing energy consumption in semi-arid climates. The focus is on educational buildings as part of Algeria's national strategy to enhance sustainability and decrease energy usage. To achieve this, a comparative analysis was conducted, encompassing both numerical and experimental assessments of the effects of four indoor shading techniques and three outdoor shading techniques. Subsequently, the impact of the optimal shading combination on four main orientations was evaluated using dynamic building simulation software. The outcomes demonstrate that the optimal combination of shading devices substantially affects cooling loads, leading to noteworthy energy savings and a reduction in CO2 emissions. Notably, these savings can reach up to 7% in cooling load reduction and up to 32% in energy and CO2 emission reductions. Furthermore, the study concludes that distinct design considerations should be tailored to climate attributes and building orientations to achieve maximal cooling load reductions. This research enriches the existing knowledge concerning the optimization of shading devices for educational buildings with a focus on cooling load reduction. The findings emphasize the necessity for architects, builders, and proprietors to incorporate passive design alternatives that align optimally with energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall building sustainability.

Sustainable kiwi fruit derived carbon dots architected WO3 (KF-CDs@WO3) thin films based flexible electrochromic devices with improved stability for next generation smart windows applications

The design and development of new advanced materials or technologies are essential for the construction of high performance smart windows for the next generation of energy efficient buildings. Tungsten trioxide (WO3) based flexible electro-chromic devices f-ECDs have received extensive attention for the development of next generation f-ECDs. Here, we demonstrated the design and fabrication of kiwi fruit peel derived carbon dots (KF-CDs) decorated WO3 films under benign approaches. Furthermore f-ECDs were developed and their performance have been examined in terms of transmittance and coloration efficiency. The amount of KF-CDs in to the WO3 was varied and optimized f-ECDs exhibited the excellent optical contrast (ΔT) of 83.74 %, coloration efficiency of 86.2 cm2/C. The optimized f-ECDs exhibited excellent cyclic stability of 25000th cycles and retained more than 80 % optical contrast compared to the initial performance. This improved stability may be attributed to the presence of strong hydrogen bonding between the functional groups of KF-CDs and WO3.

BDHE-Net: A Novel Building Damage Heterogeneity Enhancement Network for Accurate and Efficient Post-Earthquake Assessment Using Aerial and Remote Sensing Data

Accurate and efficient post-earthquake building damage assessment methods enable key building damage information to be obtained more quickly after an earthquake, providing strong support for rescue and reconstruction efforts. Although many methods have been proposed, most have limited effect on accurately extracting severely damaged and collapsed buildings, and they cannot meet the needs of emergency response and rescue operations. Therefore, in this paper, we develop a novel building damage heterogeneity enhancement network for pixel-level building damage classification of post-earthquake unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and remote sensing data. The proposed BDHE-Net includes the following three modules: a data augmentation module (DAM), a building damage attention module (BDAM), and a multilevel feature adaptive fusion module (MFAF), which are used to alleviate the weight deviation of intact and slightly damaged categories during model training, pay attention to the heterogeneous characteristics of damaged buildings, and enhance the extraction of house integrity contour information at different resolutions of the image. In addition, a combined loss function is used to focus more attention on the small number of severely damaged and collapsed classes. The proposed model was tested on remote sensing and UAV images acquired from the Afghanistan and Baoxing earthquakes, and the combined loss function and the role of the three modules were studied. The results show that compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the proposed BDHE-Net achieves the best results, with an F1 score improvement of 6.19–8.22%. By integrating the DBA, BDAM, and MFAF modules and combining the loss functions, the model’s classification accuracy for severely damaged and collapsed categories can be improved.

IoT based Efficient and Secure Building Architecture with Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP)

The Internet of Things (IoT), one of the newest technologies, has great potential for many industry businesses. Smart building technology is one of the biggest IoT industries. IoT is used on a regular basis in many different industries. It is used in a variety of contexts, including physical defense, e-health, smart buildings, grids, cities, homes, asset management, and transportation management. IoT-level, networked smart buildings offer affordable assistance. Comfort, accessibility, security, and energy management are necessary for commercial space. Naturally, IoT-based solutions can satisfy these requirements. With the depletion of the energy supply and the increase in demand for energy, there has been a growing focus on energy usage and building maintenance. This paper uses emerging IoT technology to demonstrate a smart building design that is both safe and energy-efficient. Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) is a crucial internet transmission protocol that assigns a unique address to every device. Data is transferred using this application layer protocol outside of secure channels. While there are several recommended techniques to protect sensitive data transfer, one likely way to improve the security aspect of CoAP for authentication and end-to-end security is through the use of Datagram Transport Layer Protection (DTLS).This paper propose a smart building design in which the Internet of Things is used to control the operation of all technological components. The simulation results show that compared to the situation of employing Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), adopting CoAP in a smart building saves energy use by around 34.86%. In order to increase security in a smart building, this article also explains how to include the DTLS protocol inside of CoAPutilising enhancements from the Certificate Authority (CA).Finally, using the ContikiCooja (CC) simulator to simulate system performance and data collecting in terms of latency, throughput, and resource consumption, CoAP is utilized to modify orderer and peer nodes for performance research in smart building.

HIGHLY EFFICIENT INVERTER BLOCKS IN QCA TECHNOLOGY

QCA technology presented as a new paradigm to replace CMOS technology in the nanoscale. QCA technology represents binary information by cell polarization, not as a voltage level. The basic blocks in QCA technology are the majority gate and inverter. Efficient building blocks are important to get whole efficient circuits. This article aims to present novel configurations for the inverter block that offer advantages in terms of temperature tolerance, cell count, and area efficiency. Moreover, a Repeater gate with high efficiency is proposed to demonstrate their versatility. The proposed inverter has efficient improvements by 2%, 4.4%, 11%, and 17.5% over the best-reported inverter block at 10 K, 100 K, 150 K, and 200 K, respectively. The circuits presented in this study were designed and validated using QCADesigner software v 2.0.3, and the energy consumption of the proposed designs was assessed using QCAPro tools.

Thermal performance of packed-bed latent heat storage tank integrated with flat-plate collectors under intermittent loads of building heating

Packed-bed latent heat storage (PBLHS) system has been widely studied in the solar energy application area due to its properties of solving the time-space mismatch of energy supply and demand. The paper delves into the cyclic thermal performance of PBLHS tanks, seamlessly integrated with flat-plate collectors, to manage building heat loads effectively. A 1D transient mathematic model of PBLHS integrated with the solar collector for a building is established using MATLAB which is validated with the experimental results from the literature. Based on this model, the effect of different sizes, flow rates, inlet temperature thresholds and different heating months are discussed. The results show that: 1). Building heat load can have a significant influence on the thermal performance of the PBLHS system. 2). The optimal size of the tank for a 96 m2 house is 1.0*1.0 m and the optimal flow rate is 0.05 kg/s 3). The weather data can significantly affect the thermal performance of PBLHS, the storage tank heating durations for one week in different heating months are 108.4h, 73.6h,70.8h and 81.7h. These insights are pivotal for the optimal design of PBLHS tanks, paving the way for more efficient building heating solutions.

Local Entropy Generation Analysis of the Counter-Flow Dew-Point Evaporative Coolers

Abstract A comfortable indoor working circumstance can be accomplished by a ventilation and air conditioning system. There are several factors influencing the quality of indoor air, with the insufficiency of ventilation accounting for over 50% of the overall considerations. While traditional air conditioner is able to fulfill the needs of ventilation and indoor temperature control, low-efficiency and high energy consumption no longer align with the current sustainable and energy-efficiency goals. Thus, the development of energy-saving and high-efficiency air conditioning systems is crucial for realizing green and efficient building practices. Evaporative cooling technology, specifically dew-point evaporative cooling, has garnered extensive attention as an efficient cooling method and a candidate for environmentally friendly and high-performance alternatives to traditional air conditioning systems. This article investigates the thermodynamic losses involved in a dew-point evaporative cooling system using the counter-flow design. Detailed mathematical models for the evaporative cooler along with the entropy generation in the channels are developed. The model facilitates calculations of (1) the entropy generation distribution in different layers within the system and (2) the entropy generation of each layer and the whole system under various input conditions. Approaching the system from the second law of thermodynamics perspective, this model serves as a guide for selecting the optimal operating conditions, thus promoting the widespread application and commercialization of dew-point evaporative cooling systems with the counter-flow structure.