Systems In Residential Buildings Research Articles

Features of creating comfortable housing in the reconstruction of typical residential buildings

The article analyzes typical residential buildings in Ukraine and European countries. The article highlights the main shortcomings in the architectural and planning solutions of residential buildings of the industrial period. It is proved that the houses built in 1955-1990 are morally obsolete. To provide recommendations for the renovation of the existing standard housing stock of Ukraine, the author analyzed the reconstruction of European countries: Czech Republic, France, and Germany, and found that the main purpose of the reconstruction was to improve the volumetric-spatial, architectural and planning solutions and focus on energy saving. The main methods chosen for the reconstruction were the extension and addition of additional volumes. To achieve energy efficiency, the facades were insulated, but over time it was discovered that this technique was not enough and new ways were needed to obtain an energy-independent residential building system. Each residential building, when reconstructed, should be considered as an independent system in terms of functional planning, energy efficiency, but should be an integral compositional element in the volumetric and spatial solutions in the system of the street, neighborhood and city. The main indicator of the quality of a residential building is the comfort of housing for different segments of the population, which is manifested in: cost-effectiveness - reduction of utility costs, convenience and accessibility in architectural and planning solutions, three-dimensional expressiveness in the architectural system of the city.

The indoor environmental quality and energy savings potential of room ventilation units compared to exhaust-only ventilation systems in France

Humidity-controlled mechanical exhaust ventilation (RH-MEV) has been widely used in France for over 35 years, demonstrating high durability and robustness. This exhaust-only ventilation strategy is widely used as an energy-saving measure, replacing constant mechanical exhaust ventilation (Constant-MEV) systems in residential buildings. It demonstrates energy savings due to the restricted airflows, but as a downside, the building’s indoor air quality (IAQ) often deteriorates. Moreover, it is impossible to recover heat with exhaust-only ventilation systems, which means that energy consumption for space heating is still quite significant and cold supply air temperatures are frequently introduced to the heated spaces. Room ventilation units (RVUs) with heat recovery represent an alternative ventilation solution allowing simple installation through the façade and providing fresh outdoor air and exhaust ventilation to each room. This study investigates these units’ energy saving potential and indoor environmental quality performance as an alternative solution to centralized exhaust-only ventilation systems. The dynamic simulations were performed for a reference residential building under various French climatic conditions for a heating season. The three ventilation strategies investigated were Constant-MEV, RH-MEV and room-based ventilation with RVUs. The results demonstrated 61–85% savings in space heating demand with the RVUs, compared to Constant-MEV under all climatic conditions. Compared to RH-MEV, the RVUs saved 44–75% energy for space heating while the CO2 concentration and relative humidity levels were decreased due to RVUs’ constant air exchange rate. In all cases, RVUs provided considerably higher supply air temperatures due to the implemented heat recovery, which can potentially improve indoor thermal comfort.

Net Zero Energy Buildings in Bangladesh: An Investigation of Solar Panel Feasibility and Potential

This research aims to investigate the feasibility and potential of using solar panels to achieve net zero energy consumption in buildings in Bangladesh. The study will focus on the technical, economic and environmental factors that influence the implementation of solar panel systems in residential buildings in Bangladesh. The findings of this research will provide valuable insights for architects, engineers, building owners and policy makers in Bangladesh, in their efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and carbon footprint of buildings and promote energy sustainability. The research will also contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop cost-effective, reliable and sustainable energy solutions for buildings in Bangladesh. This study will include a proposed design of a building that has been integrated with solar panels to achieve net zero energy consumption. This model design will provide a detailed analysis of the installation, cost calculation, performance and maintenance of the solar panel system. Additionally, the research will also examine the potential of energy storage systems, such as batteries and thermal storage, in enhancing the performance of the solar panel systems and achieving net zero energy consumption.

Potential global warming impact of 1 kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system for residential buildings on operation phase

This study established global warming potential(GWP) emission factors through a life cycle assessment on the operation phases of two different 1 kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems for residential buildings (NG-PEMFC, fed with hydrogen from natural gas reforming; WE-PEMFC, fed with hydrogen from photovoltaics-powered water electrolyzer). Their effectiveness was also compared with conventional power grid systems in Korea, specifically in the area of greenhouse gas emissions.The operation phases of the NG-PEMFC and the WE-PEMFC were divided into burner, reformer, and stack, and into water electrolysis and stack, respectively. The functional unit of each fuel cell system was defined as 1 kWh of electricity production. In the case of NG-PEMFC, the GWP was 3.72E-01 kg-CO2eq/kWh, the embodied carbon emissions due to using city gas during the life cycle process was about 20.87 %, the carbon emission ratio according to the reformer's combustion burner was 6.07 %, and the direct carbon emission ratio of the air emissions from the reformer was 73.06 %, indicating that the carbon emission from the reformer contributed over 80 % of the total GWP. As for the WE-PEMFC, the GWP was 1.76E-01 kg-CO2eq/kWh, and the embodied carbon emissions from photovoltaic power generation during the life cycle process contributed over 99 % of the total GWP.

A new optimized demand management system for smart grid-based residential buildings adopting renewable and storage energies

Demand Side Management (DSM) implies intelligently managing load appliances in a Smart Grid (SG). DSM programs help customers save money by reducing their electricity bills, minimizing the utility’s peak demand, and improving load factor. To achieve these goals, this paper proposes a new load shifting-based optimal DSM model for scheduling residential users’ appliances. The proposed system effectively handles the challenges raised in the literature regarding the absence of using recent, easy, and more robust optimization techniques, a comparison procedure with well-established ones, using Renewable Energy Resources (RERs), Renewable Energy Storage (RES), and adopting consumer comfort. This system uses recent algorithms called Virulence Optimization Algorithm (VOA) and Earth Worm Optimization Algorithm (EWOA) for optimally shifting the time slots of shiftable appliances. The system adopts RERs, RES, as well as utility grid energy for supplying load appliances. This system takes into account user preferences, timing factors for each appliance, and a pricing signal for relocating shiftable appliances to flatten the energy demand profile. In order to figure out how much electricity users will have to pay, a Time Of Use (TOU) dynamic pricing scheme has been used. Using MATLAB simulation environment, we have made effectiveness-based comparisons of the adopted optimization algorithms with the well-established meta-heuristics and evolutionary algorithms (Genetic Algorithm (GA), Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSO), and Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) in order to determine the most efficient one. Without adopting RES, the results indicate that VOA outperforms the other algorithms. The VOA enables 59% minimization in Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR) of consumption energy and is more robust than other competitors. By incorporating RES, the EWOA, alongside the VOA, provides less deviation and a lower PAR. The VOA saves 76.19% of PAR, and the EWOA saves 73.8%, followed by the BPSO, GA, and CSO, respectively. The electricity consumption using VOA and EWOA-based DSM cost 217 and 210 USD cents, respectively, whereas non-scheduled consumption costs 273 USD cents and scheduling based on BPSO, GA, and CSO costs 219, 220, and 222 USD cents.

The method of multi-objective parametric design of magnetic field active canceling robust system for residential multy-story buildings closed to double-circuit overhead power lines

Aim. Development the method of multi-objective parametric design for robust system of active canceling of magnetic field based on binary preference relations of local objective for multi-objective minimax optimization problem. Methodology. Spatial location coordinates of the compensating winding and the current in the shielding winding were determined during the preference-based multi-objective parametric design of systems of active canceling based on solution of the vector minimax optimization, in whith the vector objective function calculated based on Biot-Savart's law. The solution of this vector minimax optimization problem calculated based on nonlinear Archimedes algorithm. Components of Jacobi matrix and Hesse matrix calculated based on multi-swarm multi-agent optimization. Results. Theoretically and experimentally confirmed the effectiveness of reducing the level of the magnetic field in residential multy-storey old building of a double-circuit overhead power transmission lines with a barrel-type arrangement of wires by means of active shielding with two compensation winding. Originality. The method of multi-objective parametric design for robust system of active canceling of magnetic field based on binary preference relations of local objective for multi-objective minimax optimization problem is developed. Practical value. It is shown the possibility to reduce the level of magnetic field in residential multy-storey old building closed to double-circuit overhead power transmission lines with a barrel-type arrangement of wires by means of system of active canceling with two canceling winding to a level safe for the population with an induction of 0.5 μT.

Use of Solar Energy for Heat Supply of Rural Residential Buildings with Personal Subsidiary Farming in Siberia

An experimental solar heat supply system of an individual (rural) residential building with an attached greenhouse is considered. The amount of thermal energy produced by the solar heat supply system under the climatic conditions of the Krasnoyarsk suburb, evaluated taking into account the solar collector efficiency and the NASA website data has been determined. Based on the study results, the following conclusions have been drawn: - it has been found in the course of the accomplished research that the use of a solar heating system for heating individual residential buildings and attached greenhouses under the climatic conditions of Siberia is technically possible and expedient; - according to the numerical assessment data, the annual amount of thermal energy produced by the experimental solar heat supply system from three solar collectors is 7903 kWh; - owing to the use of solar collectors in the solar heat supply system, the consumption of solid fuel in the boiler was decreased by 25–30% in comparison with the previous heating periods.

Modeling Tree Damages and Infrastructure Disruptions under Strong Winds for Community Resilience Assessment

Tree failures under extreme gusts could exacerbate storm damages to critical infrastructures, including the power delivery system, transportation network, or residential buildings. Nevertheless, the effects of tree damages have largely been excluded in existing community resilience assessment frameworks. To this end, presently, a model integrating tree failure consequences with community-level resilience evaluation is proposed for improved damage and recovery projections, considering the interconnected transportation, power delivery, and residential building systems. Tree failure probabilities are estimated based fragility analysis of the tree structural response under gusts. Proximity analysis is conducted to quantify the threat of trees striking critical infrastructures. The tree and wind risk assessments are integrated with fragility analysis of the power distribution system timber utility poles and the vulnerability analysis of low-rise wooden residential buildings. The methodology is carried out on a case study of a community in the northeastern US. The results indicate utility pole failures and roadway debris accumulations and blockages initiate when wind speeds reach around 40 m/s (90 mi/h). Although the inclusion of tree failures increase pole failure probability failure, tree-induced damages to residential buildings were found minimal due to the relatively lower heights of the sparser trees in the studied suburban region. Storm impacts are linked to the household level, including structural damages and their restoration times, increases in travel time to the main road, and probability of losing power. Vegetation management strategies are found to effectively reduce the building and powerline damages and debris buildup on roads.

Performance Analysis of Solar Assisted Ground Source Heat Pump to Supply Heating Load and Domestic Hot Water

Algeria’s geographical location offers several advantages related to the extensive use of renewable energy sources such as solar and geothermal. Owing to the vast Algerian territory, the need for isolated areas to be supplied with energy by autonomous systems using sustainable energy. In this study, we propose a hybrid renewable energy system to provide heating systems for residential buildings and domestic hot water (DHW). Four different solar-assisted ground source heat pump (SAGSHP) combinations are being studied, with the aim of satisfying the energy needs of a building located in Batna, Algeria. The TRNSYS software allowed us to study the different effects of the parameters on their performance. It turned out that a 7.7 kW ground source heat pump system combined with flat solar collectors is a feasible choice that satisfies our objective. The extreme annual average values of the heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) obtained are 3.48 and 4.55. In the system, with recharging the borehole, the net energy extracted from the ground is decreased by 30.4% compared to the reference case (GSHP). This can reduce the ground thermal imbalance problem, which positively affects the stability of the operational system.

Cовременные требования по противопожарной защите многоквартирных жилых зданий с применением конструкций из перекрестноклееной древесины

Introduction. Widespread and effective introduction of cross-laminated timber structures into construction of residential buildings substantiates the need to develop modern requirements for the design of fire protection systems for these buildings to limit the spread of fire, ensure safe evacuation and rescue of people from these buildings, increase the effectiveness of firefighters performing rescue operations and fire suppression, and optimize the cost of space-planning and design solutions. Goals and objectives. The purpose of the article is to substantiate modern requirements for the design of fire protection systems of residential buildings having not more than four storeys, if their structures are made of cross-laminated timber, and to develop engineering solutions to implement these requirements in compliance with provisions of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation dated July 22, 2008 No. 123-FZ “Technical regulations on fire safety requirements” (hereinafter — No. 123-FZ). Methods. An analytical method is used to substantiate and formulate requirements for the design of fire protection systems for residential buildings whose structures are made of cross-laminated timber, as well as the engineering solutions needed to implement these requirements for buildings having up to 4 floors in compliance with provisions of No. 123-FZ, the design experience, results of ire resistance and fire hazard testing of building structures and analysis of the influence of the fire resistance factor of building structures on human safety in case of fire. Results. The results of the work, if integrated into standards of corporate entities and codes of practice, allow for the mass construction of residential buildings having structures made of cross-laminated timber. Conclusions. This research project substantiated modern fire safety requirements for space-planning and design solutions, fire resistance limits and fire hazard classes of cross-laminated timber structures of residential buildings, as well as requirements for emergency exits and evacuation routes, composition of active fire protection systems and the functional efficiency of these systems. The results of the work allow for the mass construction of 4-storey residential buildings whose structures are made of cross-laminated timber.

Investigation and thermo-economic analysis of solar condensation refrigeration

Abstract Today, the use of solar energy is expanding and developing because this energy is easily available and there are various technologies for producing thermal and electrical energy and cooling. One of the most energy-consuming parts is heating and cooling systems in residential buildings, which include the major part of energy consumption in buildings. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to produce thermal energy for the cooling system using solar energy, which was used for analysis using Trnsys software. The purpose of the simulation is to check the thermodynamic parameters of the fluid and economic analysis, taking into account biological pollutants. The environment of the system has been considered. One of the important results of this research is the return on investment of 4 years, in which the required amount of energy supply through the solar system is 0.94.

A bottom‐up modeling of metabolism of the residential building system in China toward 2050

AbstractThis study predicted the metabolic process of the residential building system in China toward 2050 by addressing the detailed provincial patterns and urban–rural disparity and the characterizing metabolisms of building materials in detail. The results show that after a rapid growth during 1980–1990, the in‐use stocks of residential buildings in China are expected to slow down in around 2030, reaching 75 billion m2 in 2050. Urban regions will account for 80% of total stocks, and provinces in the eastern and southern coastal areas will have the largest share. As demolition lags construction, the end‐of‐life residential buildings will continue to grow steadily with huge urban–rural and provincial differences, reaching 1.4 billion m2 by 2050. Regarding the metabolism of building materials, the inflow of most materials will decrease after 2030, while the outflow will increase steadily toward inflow. Based on the recycling outlook of construction and demolition waste and the corresponding environmental benefit, it is indicated that under the Chinese government's ambitious planning and vigorous promotion, prior to the middle of the century, the building system has the potential to transition to a sustainable future that meets residents’ housing needs with a remarkable decreasing input of raw materials thereby notably decreasing pressures on the environment, which will significantly benefit the goal of carbon neutrality in China.

Noise from mechanical ventilation systems in residential buildings

Modern people spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Therefore, the research aimed to identify noise sources from engineering equipment, and developing recommendations for their elimination was an urgent scientific task. The paper considers the problem of noise pollution from mechanical ventilation systems in residential buildings. One of the most common errors in conducting acoustic calculations is the exclusion of noise generated by regulating devices, which significantly contribute to the final sound pressure levels at the outlet of the ventilation grate. The results of field studies are presented; they prove the need to normalize permissible noise levels in non-residential premises of an apartment and develop a legislative framework for measuring noise in hybrid ventilation systems. Practical recommendations for designing exhaust ventilation systems with a prefabricated vertical duct have been developed. It has been found that the replacement of throttle valves with iris diaphragms and the installation of silencers on prefabricated channels and apartment withdrawals, given the influence of the vortex zone from control devices, reduce the overall noise level from the ventilation system.

Bidirectional Synchronous H6 Inverter for Hybrid AC/DC Distribution System With Improved Light Load Efficiency

The overall efficiency of DC distribution systems may be impacted by the operation of the bidirectional inverter connected to the grid; one of its most critical components. When compared to high-demand industries, the typical load profile of such system in residential buildings is highly variable, including several periods of light-load. Therefore, this paper presents a method to overcome the reduced efficiency at light-load of bidirectional inverters integrated into a DC distribution system powered by renewable energy. Existing topologies are evaluated for obtaining optimal efficiency as well as an investigation of loss breakdown at light-load using analytic models and PSIM simulation. A novel synchronous H6 transformer-less topology is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed topology can achieve an efficiency of 96.5% under full load and 98.3% under light-load. Efficiency improvements over a standard H6 topology are 4.5% under light-load and 1.5 % at full load. This is mostly due to reduced conduction and switching ON loss of MOSFETs used to replace diodes. When using the rectifier mode, similar levels of improvement are observed, with a 4% increase under light-load and a 1.2% improvement under full load conditions, respectively. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed topology, showing nearly the same trend in improvement vs. the standard H6.

Noise Pollution from Ventilation Systems in Residential Buildings

Noise Pollution from Ventilation Systems in Residential Buildings

A Smart Energy Management System for Residential Buildings Using IoT and Machine Learning

The Smart Energy Management System (SEMS) for Residential Buildings using IOT-based back propagation with ANN is a novel approach to optimize energy consumption in buildings by leveraging data from internet of things (IOT) devices. This system collects data on energy consumption, weather conditions, occupancy patterns, and sensor data from IOT devices such as motion sensors, temperature sensors, and smart appliances. The collected data is then preprocessed and used to train an artificial neural network (ANN) using back propagation algorithm. The trained model can then predict future energy demands, leading to cost savings and reduced environmental impact by optimizing energy consumption in a residential building. The proposed algorithm can be used as a foundation for building an effective SEMS using IOT-based back propagation with ANN.

Exploring Hydrogen-Based Energy Storage Systems for Canadian Residential Buildings: An Energy Evaluation Methodology

In recent years, integrating solar energy systems and hydrogen-based energy storage systems into residential buildings has shown promise in reducing urban greenhouse gas emissions and achieving clean energy supply. However, there is a lack of evaluation on the application potential of hydrogen-based energy storage systems in urban residential buildings. Therefore, a comprehensive energy evaluation method that considers urban building energy differences was implemented in 20 Canadian cities to evaluate the net-zero energy building status. The simulations were based on a typical residential building in North America. The results indicate that, for selected cities, the hydrogen-based energy storage system effectively addresses the seasonal energy mismatch and improves the energy self-sufficiency rate of urban residential buildings. These cities are classified as net-zero energy cities, nearly zero-energy cities, and non-net-zero energy cities based on their energy self-sufficiency rate. It is recommended to adopt hydrogen-only energy storage systems, hydrogen-electricity energy storage systems, and diverse renewable energy resources as integrated solutions to achieve net-zero emission buildings. The proposed energy analysis method can provide technical references for Canadian planners to plan a reasonable hydrogen roadmap for urban residential buildings.

A simulation-based study to evaluate the cooling potential of nocturnal radiative cooling systems for residential buildings in Egypt

During the first years of the last decade, Egypt used to face recurrent electricity cut-offs in summer. In the past few years, the electricity tariff dramatically increased. Radiative cooling to the clear night sky is a renewable energy source that represents a relative solution. The dry desert climate promotes nocturnal radiative cooling applications. This study investigates the potential of nocturnal radiative cooling systems (RCSs) to reduce the energy consumption of the residential building sector in Egypt. The system technology proposed in this work is based on uncovered solar thermal collectors integrated into the building hydronic system. By implementing different control strategies, the same system could be used for both cooling and heating applications. The goal of this paper is to analyze the performance of RCSs in residential buildings in Egypt. The dynamic simulation program TRNSYS was used to simulate the thermal behavior of the system. The relevant issues of Egypt as a case-study are firstly overviewed. Then the paper introduces the work done to develop a building model that represents a typical residential apartment in Egypt. Typical occupancy profiles were developed to define the internal thermal gains. The adopted control strategy to optimize the system operation is presented as well. To fully understand and hence evaluate the operation of the proposed RCS, four simulation cases were considered: 1. a reference case (fully passive), 2. the stand-alone operation of the RCS, 3. ideal heating & cooling operation (fully-active), and 4. the hybrid-operation (when the active cooling system is supported by the proposed RCS). The analysis considered the main three distinct climates in Egypt, represented by the cities of Alexandria, Cairo and Asyut. The hotter and drier weather conditions resulted in a higher cooling potential and larger temperature differences. The simulated cooling power in Asyut was 28.4 W/m² for a 70 m² absorber field. For a smaller field area of 10 m², the cooling power reached 109 W/m² but with humble temperature differences. To meet the rigorous thermal comfort conditions, the proposed sensible RCS cannot fully replace conventional air-conditioning units, especially in humid areas like Alexandria. When working in a hybrid system, a 10% reduction in the active cooling energy demand could be achieved in Asyut to keep the cooling set-point at 24 °C. This percentage reduction was nearly doubled when the thermal comfort set-point was increased by two degrees (26 °C). In a sensitivity analysis, external shading devices as a passive measure as well as the implementation of the Egyptian code for buildings (ECP306/1–2005) were also investigated. The analysis of this study raised other relevant aspects to discuss, e.g. system-sizing, environmental effects, limitations and recommendations.

Development of Energy Management System for Micro Grid Operation

The introduction of several small and large-scale industries, malls, shopping complexes, and domestic applications has significantly increased energy consumption. The aim of the work is to simulate a technically viable and economically optimum hybrid power system for residential buildings. The proposed micro-grid model includes four power generators: solar power, wind power, Electricity Board (EB) source, and a Diesel Generator (DG) set, with solar and wind power performing as major sources and the EB supply and DG set serving as backup sources. The core issue in direct current to alternate current conversion is harmonics distortion, a five-stage multilevel inverter is employed with the assistance of an intelligent control system is simulated and the optimum system configuration is estimated to reduce harmonics and improve the power quality. The monthly demand for residential buildings is 13–15 Megawatts. So, almost 433 Kilo-Watts (KW) of electricity is required every day, and if it is used for 8 h per day, 50–60 KW of electricity is needed per hour. The overall micro-grid model’s operation and performance are established using MATLAB/SIMULINK software, and simulation results are provided. The simulation results show that the developed system is both cost-effective and environment friendly resulting in yearly cost reductions.

Analysis and evaluation of the thermal performance of roofing systems used in dry construction for residential buildings located in the city of Santiago de Cali and its area of influence

According to the decree 1285 (1), regulating the approaches of sustainable construction in Colombia as part of the inclusion of "Environmental Criteria for the Design and Construction of Urban Housing" of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the following research work is part of the management of passive measures for the improvement of the thermal condition of housing buildings. Under this approach, the analysis of envelopes (walls and roofing) is key to enriching the proposals for improving thermal comfort focused on light dry construction systems and their components. In the case of walls, described and expanded in the text "Analysis and Evaluation of thermal performance of the Light Dry Construction System in Residential Buildings” (2), factors that trigger heating inside the spaces due to heat transfer phenomena are detected. In this section we isolate the roof variable that is addressed in the current project, called "Analysis and evaluation of the thermal performance of roofing systems used in dry constructions for Residential buildings located in the city of Santiago de Cali and its area of influence", where different roofing solutions are tested in the field considering this variable as fundamental in the analysis, thermal comparison and evaluation, not including architectural management variables that can be simulated later (openings of gaps in specimens and arrangement of spaces). At the same time, they considered technical aspects that were successful in the previous study, being that they determined the behavior of the components of the construction system and their location; These mechanisms include ventilated chamber and well-performing thermal insulation such as glass wool and polyester foam