Low-Cost Insulation for Energy Efficient Buildings in Terai Region of Nepal

There is a huge amount of energy savings potential in public building sector that has yet to be realized.By prioritizing energy efficiency in its own buildings and thus promoting the development of required knowledge in terms of new technology and construction methods,the public sector will lead the way in efforts to increase the rate of renovations.The low-cost insulation strategies and a comparison of cost with existing insulation materials has been described in this study.We have repeatedly faced energy crises and will continue to do so in the future if appropriate action is not taken in a timely manner.Properly implementing energy-saving initiatives in for achieving thermal comfort in buildings as well as reducing the energy costs would undoubtedly inspire the residential sector,resulting in significant reductions in energy usage.Simulations were carried out to study insulation layers on various building components like exterior walls,floor and roofs,generating different scenarios for a building as a base model,which were then compared and analysed to verify the literature used to develop the cases.The proposed recommendations,which have been validated,are certain to increase building energy efficiency,achieve thermal comfort in low cost than what is currently being used.

Assessment of Compliance to Building Energy Efficiency Strategies in the Development of Housing Estates in FCC, Abuja Nigeria

Compliance to local energy efficiency strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings and promote sustainability. However, Nigeria Building Energy Efficiency Code (BEEC) seems to be just paper work without enforcement or compliance. Assessment of Compliance to Green Building Energy Efficiency Strategies in the Development of Housing Estates in FCC, Abuja Nigeria was carried out. The compliance of estate buildings to BEEC in the study area was assessed;and the aspects of the building energy efficiency strategies with more compliance were determined. Data were mainly from primary sources such as questionnaire survey, interview with key informants and observation. The study population included all estate developers and building construction professionals. Data were gathered from one hundred and fifty (150) building professionals through questionnaire administration. Data collected were analysed using Z score and ANOVA and presented in tables. Results show that only 18% of respondents agreed that building complied with BEEC, and the Z score for positive affirmation is below average score. There is a significant difference in the integration of different energy efficient management strategies in the estates’ construction at 95% confidence level. The integration of measures such as window to wall ratio and window shading’ were significantly higher than other BEEC strategies such as roof insulation and minimal air condition unit (≤EER/COP of 2.8). Thus, the development of estates in FCC Abuja did not achieve energy efficiency.

Weighting indicators of building energy efficiency assessment taking account of experts' priority

Analytic hierarchy process(Group AHP) is combined with two different methods of assigning experts' priority to weight indicators in building energy efficiency assessment.One is to assign the experts' priority averagely,and the other is to use cluster analysis to assign experts' priority.The results show that,1) Different expert's priority assigns result in great different weights of indicators in building energy efficiency assessment,therefore,the method of assigning experts' priority should be taken into account carefully while weighting indicators of building energy efficiency assessment using Group AHP;2) Three indicators are found to be overwhelmingly important in residential building energy efficiency assessment in the hot summer and cold winter zone in China.They are 'Outdoor & indoor shadow','Heating & air-conditioning facilities' and 'Insulation of envelope';3) The method combining cluster analysis with Group AHP to weight indicator of building energy efficiency assessment has the advantage of finding overwhelming important indicator,whereas,some less important indicators have a tendency to be ignored.A useful reference is provided for building energy conservation including policy revision and energy efficient residential building design.

Promoting energy efficiency reconstruction for existing buildings based on comprehensive benefit evaluation

The purpose of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy saving renovation project is to promote the healthy development of the energy saving reconstruction. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect the value and function of incentive and restraint. The concrete embodiment is that: improving energy saving standard renovation of existing buildings, promoting the construction of energy efficiency labeling system, and strengthening the construction of government supervision system by the comprehensive benefit evaluation.

Understanding occupancy pattern and improving building energy efficiency through Wi-Fi based indoor positioning

Detailed visualisation and data analysis of occupancy patterns including spatial distribution and temporal variations are of great importance to delivering energy efficient and productive buildings. An experimental study comprising 24-h monitoring over 30 full days was conducted in a university library building.Occupancy profiles have been monitored and analysis has been carried out. Central to this monitoring study is the Wi-Fi based indoor positioning system based on the measured Wi-Fi devices' number and locations and data mining methods. Distinct from traditional occupancy and energy studies,more detailed informationrelated to the indoor positions and number of occupants has offered a better understanding of building user behaviour. The implication of the occupancy patterns for energy( e. g. lighting and other building services) efficiency is assessed,assisted with data from lighting sensors where needed. It is found occupancy patterns change dramatically with time. Also,the energy waste patterns have been identified through the method of data association rule mining. If the identified energy waste is removed,the total energy consumption can be reduced by 26. 1%. The indoor positioning information also has implications for optimizing space use,opening hours as well as staff deployment. The work could be extended to more rooms with diverse functions,other seasons and other types of non-domestic buildings for a more comprehensive understanding of building user behaviour and energy efficiency.

A New Type of Paper-frame Cavernous Material and Its Application in Energy Efficiency in Buildings

This paper introduces a new type of paper-frame cavernous material, which is a made-up hollow material, by using silicate-cinder size to drench and daub. It possesses excellent performances such as light-weight, high-intensity, fire-resistance, sound-insulation, heat-insulation and no-pollution. Composed with concrete materials, a new type of bearing and energy-efficient block can be gained, which is kind of excellent wall materials and has a wide application prospect.

Model Establishment of Whole Life Cycle for Energy Efficiency of Rural Residential Buildings in Northern China

The building energy efficiency is determined by the climatic region and the energy-saving measures. In this paper an assessment model for energy efficiency of the rural residential buildings in the northern China was established by the method of whole life cycle. The energy consumption of the rural residential buildings in different stages was analyzed through quantitative method in this model. At the same time, the corresponding energy efficiency assessment system was developed.

Optimisation of Direct Expansion (DX) Cooling Coils Aiming to Building Energy Efficiency

Efficient Air Conditioning (A/C) system is the key to reducing energy consumption in building operation. In order to decrease the energy consumption in an A/C system, a method to calculate the optimal tube row number of a direct expansion (DX) cooling coil for minimizing the entropy generation in the DX cooling which functioned as evaporator in the A/C system was developed. The optimal tube row numbers were determined based on the entropy generation minimization (EGM) approach. Parametric studies were conducted to demonstrate the application of the analytical calculation method. Optimal tube row number for different air mass flow rates, inlet air temperatures and sensible cooling loads were investigated. It was found that the optimal tube row number of a DX cooling coil was in the range of 5 - 9 under normal operating conditions. The optimal tube row number was less when the mass flow rate and inlet air temperature were increased. The tube row number increased when the sensible cooling load was increased. The exergy loss when using a non-optimal and optimal tube row numbers was compared to show the advantage of using the optimal tube row number. The decrease of exery loss ranged from around 24% to 70%. Therefore the new analytical method developed in this paper offers a good practice guide for the design of DX cooling coils for energy conservation.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies Using Smart Grids: Study Case on NIPE Building at UNICAMP Campus

In its broadest interpretation, the smart grid vision sees the future of power industry transformed by the introduction of intelligent two-way communications, ubiquitous metering and measurement. This enables much finer control of energy flows and the integration and efficient use of renewable forms of energy, energy efficiency methodologies and technologies, as well as many other advanced technologies, techniques and processes that wouldn’t have been practicable until present. The smart grid vision also enables the creation of more reliable, more robust and more secure power supply infrastructure, and helps optimize the enormous investments required to build and operate the physical infrastructure required. The smart grid promises to revolutionize the electric power business that has been in place for the past 75 years. This work discusses the efficiency, targeted at the consumer units of electricity, with a view to sustainability and potential for technological innovation. The issue is addressed from two perspectives: the systems for generation and power distribution, and the design of a building “smart energy”. Because of the novelty of the subject in our country, the concepts presented and treated throughout this work come from material obtained at events and specialized sites on electric power system in Brazil and worldwide, being accompanied by information and data from NIPE’s building at University of Campinas’s campus case study in which it exemplifies the applicability of the techniques and recommended technologies.

Government regulation practices and issues on building energy efficiency in China

This paper analyzes the government control of building energy efficiency in China from the aspects of policies and regulations, technical standards, pilot demonstration projects and economic means, and expounds the characteristics and problems of government regulation practice in China. It is found that the government regulation of building energy conservation in our country has some problems, such as imperfect system, weak incentive policy, imperfect management system, and the lack of public participation. Through the deep analysis of the existing problems, it is pointed out that the fundamental reason for the poor operation of China's building energy efficiency market lies in the lack of understanding of the building energy efficiency market, the lack of government administrative functions and the weak consciousness of the main body.

A Review of Building Energy Efficiency Technology

In China, there’s high energy consumption in buildings with less attention to building energy efficiency. All of these facts prove that there are great potentialities in energy conservation. On account of this, this paper introduces multiple building energy-saving technologies at home and abroad, including the technologies for innovative wall materials, exterior wall external insulation, heat insulation of window, utilization of solar energy, heat storage and recovery as well as the illumination energy saving technology. On the basis of new buildings, this paper gives five suggestions on building energy efficiency. Meanwhile it raises five suggestions on energy conservation based on the existing building, for which it presents purposely the technologies and measures about energy saving transformation from four aspects.

Indicators of Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Comparison with Standards in Force in Argentina

In this work we make a comparative study of the energy behaviour in different building types. We analyze three cases of office buildings and three residential buildings, and compare them with a previous sample. We seek to find correlations or differences in behavior in terms of potential energy losses and gains, and UL values compared with Argentinian Standards to verify the degree of efficiency. For energy analysis we used a software which allows the analysis of thermal and energy building performance at steady state on a monthly basis. This software is called EnergoCAD and it also determines formal indicators based on IRAM standards. We conclude that the indicators used are clear to energetically “grade” buildings and to facilitate comparisons. In turn, smaller buildings are relatively less energy efficient than larger ones. At the same time it is noteworthy that the energy inefficiency has been growing rapidly over the years. Finally it is noted that none of the cases analyzed meets the National Standards.

Supply and demand subject behavior of building energy efficiency in market fostering

Consumers and developers are the market transaction subjects which drive the development of building energy efficiency market. High energy prices, unreasonable heating system, information asymmetry of building energy suppress demand of energy efficiency construction; high technical risk and construction cost, nonstandard market restrict the supply of energy efficiency construction. To promote the development of building energy efficiency, we must set up effective incentive policies for both sides of the market transaction, improve the supervisory system, promote the technological progress, build the information sharing platform, so as to achieve the purpose of cultivating and improving the building energy efficiency market system, regulating the behavior of supply and demand subject, building the mutually beneficial and cooperative partnership, and realizing the balance of interests.

Evaluation and Simulation of the Effect of the Types of Glazing and the Choice of Materials on the Energy Efficiency of a Building

Tunisia is one of the pioneering developing countries in terms of energy efficiency policy initiated since the mid-1980s.Indeed,energy efficiency has become one of the main pillars of the country’s energy strategy,especially with the increase in energy prices.The main objective of this work is to give an idea of the impact that certain choices made during the design of a building can have on its energy balance,namely the orientation of the facades,the types of glazing and their surfaces,the choice of materials,etc.The calculation of the building’s energy requirement was determined using the transient systems simulation program TRNSYS(version 18)with a modular structure.

Operational mechanism of comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy efficient renovation project based on value-added life

The comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project cannot be separated from the scientific and effective evaluation mechanism.Based on the value-added life perspective,this paper analyzes the implementation subject,standard,system and principle of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project.It plans the process of comprehensive benefit evaluation,and builds a scientific and reasonable operation platform of evaluation system,with a view to promoting the effective implementation of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy-saving retrofits.

Energy Efficient Building Systems For Urban Transformation Projects:Case Study

In last decades uncontrolled rapid urbanization in Turkey led to existence of squatter areas and disaster-vulnerable building stocks.After 1999 Marmara earthquake urban renewal has become the base of urbanization politics and planning agenda in Turkey.Turkish building industry usually uses RC buildings in the urban renewal projects.In recent years cold formed steel CFS and 3D panel building systems due to its lightweight,fast constructed,energy efficient,and economy start to be used as an alternatives to reinforced concrete buildings especially in seismic areas.In this paper energy performance of three building systems were investigated on a case study school building.Analysis results shows that 3D panel and CFS buildings systems will established with 59%and 36%less energy requirements with respect to traditional reinforced concrete non-insulated buildings.