11 research outputs found
Evaluation of a case-based Reasoning Energy Prediction Tool for Commercial Buildings
This paper presents the results of an energy
predictor that predicts the energy demand of
commercial buildings using Case Based Reasoning
(CBR). The proposed approach is evaluated using
monitored data in a real office building located in
Varennes, Quebec. The energy demand is predicted
at every hour for the following three hours using
weather forecasts. The results show that during
occupancy, 7:00 to 17:00, the coefficient of
variance of the root-mean-square-error (CVRMSE)
is below 12.3%, the normalized mean bias
error (NMBE) is below 1.3% and the root-meansquare-
error (RMSE) is below 16.6 kW. When the
statistical criteria are calculated for all hours of the
day, the CV-RMSE is 13.9%, the NMBE is 2.7%
and the RMSE is 17.9 kW. The case study
demonstrates that CBR can be used for energy
demand prediction and could be implemented in
building operation systems
Evidence-based assessment of energy performance of two large centrifugal chillers over nine cooling seasons
Note to Editor: Microalgae cultivation for wastewater treatment and biofuel production: a bibliographic overview of past and current trends
Virtual flow meter for chilled and condenser water for chillers: Estimates versus measurements
Recycling nutrients contained in human excreta to agriculture: Pathways, processes, and products
New Uses of Treated Urban Waste Digestates on Stimulation of Hydroponically Grown Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.)
Valorisation of human excreta for recovery of energy and high-value products : a mini-review
The current approach to managing waste is one of the major reasons for ecosystem imbalances. In many parts of the world, human excreta is indiscriminately dumped in the environment, leading to the entry of high concentrations of nutrients and pathogens. In urban sanitary systems, nutrients are often not recovered, but large amounts of natural resources (e.g. water) are used for treating wastes at the expense of the environment. These practices are unsuitable and pose risks to human health and the environment, as such current efforts are geared towards providing on-site sanitation and opportunities for nutrient and resource recovery. This mini-review summarises the efforts to valorise human waste and process routes for the recovery of value-added products. These involve a review of ecological sanitation, systems that safely collect and treat human waste in situ and advanced waste-to-energy systems to convert recovered materials to fuels, heat and/or electricity. Focus is given to low-cost technological solutions that offer ecological benefits and opportunities to recover useful products. The barriers and opportunities to the adoption of on-site sanitation and appropriate technologies are discussed, considering current limitations and potential benefits. There are opportunities to recover useful products from human wastes; however, further research is needed to ascertain the value and impact of recovered products