Residential Dwellings Research Articles

Evaluating Energy Storage Systems for Renewable Energy Integrated Urban Community Microgrids

Energy Storage Technologies (ESTs) play an important role in the ever-increasing reliance of renewable energy technologies, especially in deregulated energy grids. There are many promising stationary ESTs in the market or in development. However, not all are suitable for an urban community microgrid (UCM) primarily because of resource constraints, such as land requirements. A UCM is characterized as a completely off-grid microgrid installed in a city environment connected with its community through physical placement and owned by said community. This research explores available, and developing, ESTs from an academic and industrial perspective to find those viable for a UCM in the United Kingdom. Technologies are evaluated on their technical suitability, environmental fairness, cost efficiency, and market readiness. This evaluation finds, a combination of ESTs, with Lithium-ion batteries installed in communal areas for electricity and hot-water energy storage tanks in residential dwellings for heat energy, as the most suitable option.

Evaluation of a Polyester Filter and UV Light (PFUV) Dehumidifier to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality: Preliminary Results

Older residential dwellings in New Zealand frequently suffer from poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) due to an ageing housing stock. Recent New Zealand surveys indicated around 50% of children live in houses that do not meet acceptable standards for thermal comfort. Children in these houses frequently experience respiratory conditions caused by dampness and mould during winter. New regulatory standards requiring a fixed heating source in the main living room of rental houses can increase rents and may result in the heating source not being utilized. This study evaluates an alternative low-cost portable air filter/sterilizer (PFUV) dehumidifier device for improving IEQ within the building envelope using Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and a polyester filter (dual-10 30/30). This paper compares the effectiveness of the PFUV dehumidifier device and a conventional heat pump in terms of measured particulate matters as well as fungal profiles using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. The PFUV dehumidifier successfully reduced the relative humidity to within a healthy range of (44–49%) compared to not running the device (54–60%), thereby reducing the suitability of the environment for mould growth. Additionally, the PFUV device achieved a reduction in average particulate matter (PM2.5) to within the range of 0.16 to 0.53 µg/m³ compared to the range of 1.06 to 2.42 µg/m³ before using the device.

Investigating the suitability of GIS and remotely-sensed datasets for photovoltaic modelling on building rooftops

Rising energy demands and net-zero targets have led to development and implementation of renewable technologies. Rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar panels offer a viable solution while minimising complex construction or excessive infrastructure development. However, critical physical factors influence building suitability to maximise cost-benefit requirements. This research adopted a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to identify building suitability by analysing and comparing Digital Surface Models (DSM) derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and orthophotography data using UK standardised PV formulas. Geospatial workflows processed rooftop features and modelled outputs for solar irradiation, panel type, kWh, CO2, payback and costs while 3D models and solar web applications were used to validate results. Both models suggested a range of between 14.2 and 15.2 GWh potential for an installed capacity of between 21.1 and 22.3 MW. Residential models met between 62.1% (LiDAR) and 66.6% (orthophotography) of average consumer demand with PV potential exceeding 94% of residential dwellings. LiDAR and orthophotography models had strong agreement with existing PV installations. The methodology can be scaled to a regional level and expanded for larger PV capacity. Moreover, the process can assist policymakers with informed decisions on renewable technologies alongside developments such as Peer to Peer (P2P) solar trading.

Wildfire-resilient mechanical ventilation systems for single-detached homes in cities of Western Canada

The increasing prevalence and severity of wildfire events around the world have emphasized the importance of wildfire resiliency in indoor environmental design. This study focuses on developing wildfire-resilient mechanical ventilation systems and ventilation strategies for application in single-detached residences in western Canada. Outdoor PM2.5 concentration datasets during wildfire conditions were used in conjunction with indoor air quality (IAQ) mathematical models to assess the impact of ventilation and building-related input variables on indoor PM2.5 levels. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted to compare the cost of ventilation retrofit options with regional estimates of reasonable monetary contributions per resident towards health risk mitigation. Ventilation retrofit options were recommended based on IAQ simulations, model sensitivity, and cost-benefit analysis results. It was recommended that residential ventilation systems increase the minimum filter efficiency from MERV6 to MERV11 or MERV13 during wildfire operation and implement higher recirculation ratios during peak exposure scenarios. Multi-filter mechanical ventilation system configurations were recommended for residential dwellings located in regions prone to severe PM2.5 exposure. This study provides insight into the integration of wildfire-resiliency in existing residential mechanical ventilation systems for indoor air quality improvement. This work sets the foundation for future experimental verification of the performance of ventilation strategies to improve urban safety, health and wellness in wildfire conditions.

Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis of heavy metal contamination in church graveyards with contrasting soil types

Human remains have been interred in burial grounds since historic times. Although the re-use of graveyards differs from one country, region or time period to another, over time, graveyard soil may become contaminated or enriched with heavy metal elements. This paper presents heavy metal element soil analysis from two UK church graveyard study sites with contrasting necrosols, but similar burial densities and known burial ages dating back to the sixteenth century and some possibly older than 1,000 years. Portable X-ray fluorescence element laboratory-based analyses were undertaken on surface and near-surface soil pellets. Results show elevated levels of Fe, Pb, Mn, Cr, Cu, Zn and Ca in both necrosols when compared with background values. Element concentration anomalies remained consistently higher than background samples down to 2 m, but reduced with distance away from church buildings. Element concentration anomalies are higher in the clay-rich necrosol than in sandy necrosol. Study result implications suggest that long-used necrosols are likely to be more contaminated with heavy metal elements than similar soil outside graveyards with implications for burial grounds management, adjacent populations and where burial grounds have been deconsecrated and turned to residential dwellings.

How residential energy consumption has changed due to COVID-19 pandemic? An agent-based model.

Integrating occupant behavior with residential energy use for detailed energy quantification has attracted research attention. However, many of the available models fail to capture unseen behavior, especially in unprecedented situations such as COVID-19 lockdowns. In this study, we adopted a hybrid approach consisting of agent-based simulation, machine learning and energy simulation techniques to simulate the urban energy consumption considering the occupants’ behavior. An agent-based model is developed to simulate the in-home and out-of-home activities of individuals. Separate models were developed to recognize physical characteristics of residential dwellings, including heating equipment, source of energy, and thermostat setpoints. The developed modeling framework was implemented as a case study for the Central Okanagan region of British Columbia, where alternative COVID-19 scenarios were tested. The results suggested that during the pandemic, the daily average in-home-activity duration (IHD) increased by approximately 80%, causing the energy consumption to increase by around 29%. After the pandemic, the average daily IHD is expected to be higher by approximately 32% compared with the pre-pandemic situation, which translates to an approximately 12% increase in energy consumption. The results of this study can help us understand the implications of the imposed COVID-19 lockdown with respect to energy usage in residential locations.

Investigating the role of risk perception in place-based responses: case studies of the 2003 Bam and 2017 Ezgeleh-Sarpol Zahab earthquakes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to clarify changes in people-place interrelationship and hidden layers of survivors psychological challenges in the reconstructed housing environment, the 2003 Bam and 2017 Ezgeleh-Sarpol Zahab earthquakes occurred in Iran, because perception of earthquake risk in residential dwellings and traumatic experiences during and after its occurrence are among stressful events making communities face with various spectrum of emotional and cognitive consequences. Such events shape memory “traumascapes” and cause changes in mental schemas and as a result, altering decisions and behavioral responses in long-term familiar environments. Because, in the disaster-affected communities, psychological recovery will be greatly influenced by residential experiences. Design/methodology/approach The current research was performed with a qualitative and multicase study design, and data were collected using deep and semistructured private interviews and discussions in focus groups with participation of 33 people by narrative technique. Findings According to findings, people are facing enduring cognitive disruptions regarding home concept and its location as a safe and secure paradigm. Findings showed that there are a considerable amount of behavioral responses and emotional consequences in the form of protective behaviors, severe sensitivity to environmental stimuli, fears, phobias in residential dwellings and disturbances in place attachments. Originality/value It is noteworthy that despite all time and place differences, the two studied communities had significant similarities in earthquake traumatic experiences and perceptions and also resulting conscious and subconscious responses.

Prototyping Roof Mounts for Photovoltaic (PV) Panels: Design, Construction and CFD Validation

Many countries have committed to using renewable energy and increasingly encourage the use of solar panels in residential dwellings part of achieving sustainability goals. However, building regulations and standards are often slow to catch up. In New Zealand, there is no specified standard for the mechanical structure when mounting the solar panels to the roof. Solar panel mounts can cause significant damage to the roof in the presence of environmental stressors, such as heavy rain and high-speed wind gusts. This paper presents the process of designing a novel mounting unit for solar panels using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools to prototype the unit. The prototype unit is easy to install and can accommodate a range of solar tiles manufactured by leading manufacturers. The proposed mount design addresses issues identified with current mounts, such as roof leaks, tilting of the tiles, and corrosion of mounting units by design optimization and proper material selection. Additionally, we compare the maximum temperature for each part of the unit to the CFD results and come up with an average error of 3.14-3.82%.

Rockfall Activity Rates Before, During and After the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence

AbstractThe effects of strong ground shaking on hillslope stability can persist for many years after a large earthquake, leading to an increase in the rates of post earthquake land sliding. The factors that control the rate of post‐earthquake land sliding are poorly constrained, hindering our ability to reliably forecast how landscapes and landslide hazards and risk evolve. To address this, we use a unique data set comprising high‐resolution terrestrial laser scans and airborne lidar captured during and after the 2010–2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, New Zealand. This earthquake sequence triggered thousands of rock falls, and rock and debris avalanches (collectively referred to as “rockfall”), resulting in loss‐of‐life and damage to residential dwellings, commercial buildings and other infrastructure in the Port Hills of Christchurch, New Zealand. This unique data set spans 5 years and includes five significant earthquakes. We used these data to (a) quantify the regional‐scale “rockfall” rates in response to these earthquakes and the postearthquake decay in rockfall rates with time; and (b) investigate the site‐specific factors controlling the location of seismic and nonseismic rockfalls using frequency ratios and logistic regression techniques. We found that rockfall rates increased significantly in response to the initial earthquake that generated the strongest shaking in the sequence—The MW 6.2 22 February 2011 event—Compared to the long‐term background rates derived from the dating of pre‐2010 talus piles at the toe of the slopes. Non seismic rockfall rates also increased immediately after the 22 February 2011 earthquake and decayed with time following a power‐law trend. About 50% of the decay back to the pre‐earthquake rockfall rates occurred within 1–5 years after the 22 February 2011 earthquake. Our results show that the short‐term decay in rockfall rates over time, after the initial earthquake, was attributed to the subsequent erosion of seismically damaged rock mass materials caused by environmental processes such as rain. For earthquake‐induced rockfall at the regional‐scale, the peak ground accelerations is the most significant variable in forecasting rockfall volume, followed by the relative height above the base of the slope. For both earthquake and non‐seismic conditions at the site‐specific scale, the probability of rockfall increases when the adjacent areas have failed previously, indicating that accrued damage preconditions localized areas of the slope for subsequent failure. Such preconditioning is a crucial factor driving subsequent rockfalls; that is, future rockfalls are likely to cluster near areas that failed in the past.

KONDISI FISIK RUMAH (JENIS DINDING, JENIS LANTAI, PENCAHAYAAN, KELEMBABAN, VENTILASI, SUHU, DAN KEPADATAN HUNIAN) MEMPENGARUHI KEJADIAN PENYAKIT TUBERKULOSIS DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS KRIAN SIDOARJO TAHUN 2021

Pulmonary Tuberculosis is a direct infectious disease caused by TB bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). In the Krian Health Center Work Area, the number of pulmonary TB patients has increased every year. Based on the profile of the Krian Health Center, Tuberculosis data for the last 3 years in 2017 - 2019 has increased with a percentage of 15% - 56.5% of cases. The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationship between the physical condition of the house and the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in the working area of ​​the Krian Health Center in 2021. This type of research is analytic with a case control approach. Collecting data using observation sheets. The research variable is the physical condition of the house including the types of walls, floors, lighting, humidity, ventilation, temperature and density of residential dwellings with a total sample of 47 patients and 47 non-patients using purposive sampling method. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test to determine the relationship. The value of the test results from the chi square of X2 statistical test results obtained p value = 0.037, then Ha is rejected. It can be concluded that the respondent's house category is related to the incidence of pulmonary TB disease but the odd ratio calculation is obtained a value of 2,424 (CI: 1,047 – 5,611), so respondents who have a house category are quite at risk of pulmonary TB disease 2,424 times greater than respondents with a house category that is good. It is recommended for health workers to increase their role as motivators and counselors for the community in order to increase knowledge about the importance of the physical condition of houses that meet the requirements for health by scheduling periodic counseling about healthy homes.

Electrical demand aggregation effects on the performance of deep learning-based short-term load forecasting of a residential building

Modern power grids face the challenge of increasing renewable energy penetration that is stochastic in nature and calls for accurate demand predictions to provide the optimized power supply. Hence, increasing the self-consumption of renewable energy through demand response in households, local communities, and micro-grids is essential and calls for high demand prediction performance at lower levels of demand aggregations to achieve optimal performance. Although many of the recent studies have investigated both macro and micro scale short-term load forecasting (STLF), a comprehensive investigation on the effects of electrical demand aggregation size on STLF is minimal, especially with large sample sizes, where it is essential for optimal sizing of residential micro-grids, demand response markets, and virtual power plants. Hence, this study comprehensively investigates STLF of five aggregation levels (3, 10, 30, 100, and 479) based on a dataset of 479 residential dwellings in Osaka, Japan, with a sample size of (159, 47, 15, 4, and 1) per level, respectively, and investigates the underlying challenges in lower aggregation forecasting. Five deep learning (DL) methods are utilized for STLF and fine-tuned with extensive methodological sensitivity analysis and a variation of early stopping, where a detailed comparative analysis is developed. The test results reveal that a MAPE of (2.47–3.31%) close to country levels can be achieved on the highest aggregation, and below 10% can be sustained at 30 aggregated dwellings. Furthermore, the deep neural network (DNN) achieved the highest performance, followed by the Bi-directional Gated recurrent unit with fully connected layers (Bi-GRU-FCL), which had close to 15% faster training time and 40% fewer learnable parameters.

Radiological assessment of 222Rn, 220Rn, EERC, and EETC in residential dwellings of district Palwal, Southern Haryana, India

Radiological assessment of 222Rn, 220Rn, EERC, and EETC in residential dwellings of district Palwal, Southern Haryana, India

A building bio-climatic design tool incorporating passive strategies in residential dwellings design of composite climate of India

A building bio-climatic design tool incorporating passive strategies in residential dwellings design of composite climate of India

A building bio-climatic design tool incorporating passive strategies in residential dwellings design of composite climate of India

A building bio-climatic design tool incorporating passive strategies in residential dwellings design of composite climate of India

Prototyping a low-cost residential air quality device using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) light

Many New Zealand residential dwellings suffer from dampness and fungi during the winter, which can cause respiratory health problems. This can be due to poor insulation and ventilation, and the situation worsens when residents cannot afford to heat the dwelling. The main aim of this paper is to modify an existing dehumidifier so that it can remove moisture, heat the living space and reduce fungi growth and bacteria. To achieve that, we installed ultraviolet germicidal lights (UVGI) in an existing dehumidifier with a total cost of USD $150.7 (NZD $213.76). The UVGI lights are known to be efficient in destroying the DNA of fungi and bacteria. The results show that the device reduced the fungi growth and did increase the room temperature because the dehumidifier captured two litres of water over 24 h of testing. The proposed device did achieve a reduction in particulate matters, from 0.9 μg/m3 to 0.14 μg/m3 and an acceptable range of relative humidity below 50%, which reduces the favourable conditions for fungi growth. Therefore, our proposed low-cost device does improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the living space.

Co-simulation and energy management of photovoltaic-rich residential communities for improved distribution voltage support with flexible loads

One of the major obstacles for deeper solar photovoltaic (PV) utilization is associated with its adverse impact on distribution voltage regulation. This paper presents a co-simulation platform for PV-rich residential communities to facilitate development and analysis of new voltage regulation strategies leveraging the flexible residential loads. The platform achieves co-simulation of high-fidelity EnergyPlus models for residential dwellings, a solar PV model and a power flow model for distribution networks to accommodate holistic assessments of different voltage control approaches. Community-level control strategies are proposed to coordinate the operations of air conditioners and hot water heaters across different households to provide proactive voltage support against volatile solar generation. The control strategies were evaluated with five simulation test cases of a community with 100 residential dwellings, under different control settings and distribution infrastructure. Simulation test results have shown that the voltage regulation strategies using flexible building loads could help reduce operations of step voltage regulators, from 15 tap changes per day to 4. For distribution grids without voltage regulation devices, flexibility of building loads can be leveraged to maintain feeder voltage within limits set forth by ANSI standards, and voltage excursions can be almost fully eliminated through relaxation of thermostat setpoints.

Evaluating the Impact of Energy Efficiency Building Codes for Residential Buildings in the GCC

In arid climates, almost half of the urban peak load of energy demand is used to supply cooling and air-conditioning in the summertime. The pressure placed on energy resources to satisfy inhabitants’ indoor comfort requirements is mounting due to accelerated urbanisation rates in developing countries and has led countries such as those in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) to establish sustainable building codes to enhance their environmental performance. Using the extensive parametric energy simulations provided by DesignBuilder, this study addresses the potential of applying different GCC energy efficiency measures to reduce annual energy consumption and carbon emissions in a typical residential dwelling in the Kingdom of Bahrain. To do so, first, a base case validation simulation model was generated, followed by four design scenarios addressing the minimum requirements for Bahrain’s Energy Conservation Code, Abu Dhabi’s ESTIDAMA 1, Saudi Arabia’s code, and Kuwait’s building code. Then, a feasibility study was conducted using the simple payback period (SPP) and lifecycle cost (LCC) analysis. Overall energy and carbon emission (CO2) reduction showed the potential for building sustainable codes to improve building environmental performance throughout the year. In terms of energy performance and CO2 reduction, Abu Dhabi’s ESTIDAMA 1 code recorded the best energy savings at a 24.4% and a 26.3% reduction in carbon emissions, followed by the Saudi code with a 14.6% annual energy savings and 12.3% less carbon emissions. Regarding the economic analysis, although the SPP indicates the Bahraini code offered payback in just under two years for subsidised energy and half a year for unsubsidised, the LCC analysis suggests that applying Abu Dhabi’s ESTIDAMA 1 code was the most feasible, followed by the Saudi building code. Consequently, the study suggests a comprehensive evaluation of the relationship between the sustainable building codes and their economic feasibility in order to enhance and promote the wide application in the GCC based on the code’s capabilities and their benefits for residential households and the overall economy.

Selection of Energy Upgrades for Canadian Single-Detached Residential Households Based on Occupancy Profile

The use of energy efficient building systems can play a key role in reducing energy consumption and the adverse impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The occupancy profile of residential dwellings has a notable influence on the effectiveness of selecting appropriate energy upgrade retrofits. Building simulation models can be integrated to determine the impact of independent occupancy profile in realizing a building’s carbon mitigation target. In this paper, the most desirable energy upgrade retrofits are suggested for three different occupancy profiles by considering important economic parameters, such as the initial investment, payback period and environmental parameter such as GHG emissions. The three occupancy profiles considered were a single adult, couple without children and couple with children. For this purpose, a calibrated energy model was developed for a single-detached family household in British Columbia, Canada, which was equipped with power sensors for monitoring the real time energy data. From the calibrated energy model, three different energy upgrade retrofits (solar, window, and wall/roof insulation) were modelled for the occupancy profiles chosen and the most suitable energy upgrades were suggested. The results show that solar panels contributed the most in energy cost reduction and upgraded windows had the least GHG emission. With suitable financial initiative, the combination of all the three energy upgrades can be the best option in terms of environment and economy.

The scramble for cheap green hydrogen. Tough competition to produce more efficient electrolysers

Finite fossil fuel reserves and the ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have led to a renewed interest in alternative and sustainable forms of energy generation. Hydrogen from solar energy is a promising technology, producing energy from an abundant source. The storability of hydrogen is attractive, because it helps to overcome the intermittent nature of most renewable forms of energy. But how does solar hydrogen compare economically to other forms of solar energy? This study identified photoelectrochemical hydrogen technology to have potential to be used as part of a distributed energy resource and provide combined heat and power to residential customers via fuel cells. Since the conversion chain via hydrogen is less efficient than direct use of photovoltaic electricity or heat from solar thermal sources, the technical advantage rests with the storability and subsequently higher utilisation of hydrogen energy. In order to answer the question “under which conditions solar hydrogen may be economically viable”, a techno-economic model has been developed. Temporal resolution of thermal and electrical demand for a residential dwelling throughout the year is used to assess the level to which solar energy can be used to displace grid electricity and natural gas. It has been found that storing hydrogen can indeed add value to a solar based installation, if the installed capacity is sufficiently large. Further, the model established the highest economic value for a combination of photovoltaic, solar thermal and solar hydrogen, giving rise to the suggestion that solar hydrogen devices should not be developed as pure hydrogen generators, but that a poly-generation approach, including some electrical and thermal output, may be favourable. The optimum mix depends on a range of parameters, including the total size of the installation.

Partition control model and application to an electrically heated residential house

With the increasing environmental problems, the problem of high heating energy consumption in residential dwellings in winter is urgent to solve. To fulfill the requirements of energy-saving and thermal comfort simultaneously, this paper proposed different partition heating schemes and simulated their energy consumptions with DeST and TRNSYS. The results indicated that the partition-controlled heating program that preheating 1 h in advance was the most energy-saving, with an energy-saving rate of 14.13%.