Decision making processes and the adoption of energy saving techniques in social housing

Many innovative techniques and large policy measures have been introduced to reduce energy consumption. Despite the high ambitions and societal pressures, the adoption rate of energy measures is still low. Using adoption theories this paper provides a framework to analyse the adoption process of energy saving techniques in building processes. The stakeholders in the adoption process of energy measures are analysed during every phase of a building project. This framework is used to analyse four projects of a social housing corporation. The low rate of adoption of energy saving techniques can be explained by the large number and variety of stakeholders involved

Evaluation of financial aspects and energy performance indicators of residential real estate in the Netherlands

The introduction of the concept of sustainable building in the construction industry has led to different measures to reduce the environmental impact of building objects in the past decades. Because the built environment accounts for more than 40% of the total energy consumption in Europe (EC, 2002), energy saving techniques receive much attention. In the Netherlands the overall energy performance of houses can be calculated by three different indicators. In order to compare these Energy Performance Indicators (EPI) seven residential objects are evaluated. This study reflects on the financial efficiency of energy saving measures, techniques or technologies by introducing a new variable for the gains related to the value increase of houses. It is found that the energy performance of houses has gradually improved during the last century. The results of the financial analysis point out that the return on investments is high in Dutch real estate

Luchtdoorlatendheid van woningen (deel 1)

Het zogenaamde luchtdicht bouwen krijgt steeds meer aandacht. Er zijn in het verleden door het toenmalige SenterNovem in kader van het E’novatie programma al veel luchtdichtheidsmetingen uitgevoerd. Na circa twee decennia zijn het nu steeds vaker de opdrachtgevende en uitvoerende partijen zelf die om de zogenaamde ‘blower door tests’ vragen om de luchtdichtheid van gebouwen te testen. De 3TU.Bouw heeft financiering toegekend aan het onderzoeksvoorstel ‘Impenetrable Infiltration’: een onderzoek naar de stand van zaken van de luchtdoorlatendheid van Nederlandse woninge

Exact duality in the string effective action

We formulate sigma-model duality transformations in terms of spin connection, This allows one to investigate the symmetry of the string action including higher order alpha' corrections. An important feature of the new duality transformations is a simple homogeneous transformation rule of the spin connection (with torsion) and specifically adjusted transformation of the Yang-Mills field. We find that under certain conditions this duality is a symmetry of the full effective string action in the target space, free of alpha' corrections. We demonstrate how the exact duality generates new fundamental string solutions from supersymmetric string waves.</p

Confinement of relativistic runaway electrons in tokamak plasmas

x+183hlm.;24c

Assessing energy techniques and measures in residential buildings: a multidisciplinary perspective

Many Energy Techniques and Measures (ETMs) are available to reduce the fossil energy use of residential buildings. However, the rate at which these ETMs are implemented is relatively low. Bram Entrop (1980) addresses, in this design-oriented research, the influence that ETMs have on the energy performance of dwellings, what financial impact they have, how decisions regarding their implementation are taken in residential building projects, and what is required for a new ETM to be implemented in such projects.\ud It was found that although an ETM has an effect on the actual energy use of a dwelling and its residents, this is not necessarily shown through an improved theoretical energy performance, or vice versa. It was also found that although the energy use of a dwelling and its residents is reduced by implementing an ETM, the residents do not necessarily benefit financially from its implementation.\ud This thesis offers developers and manufacturers of ETMs an assessment framework that makes it possible to assess the implementation potential of an ETM by means of its effects on actual energy use and on the theoretical EPI, its financial impact on investment costs and annual cash flows, and its compliance with the interests of the stakeholders involved. \ud Furthermore, the insight is offered that it is almost impossible for a novel ETM to be implemented in residential building projects due to at least five barriers. These barriers are the complexity of how the energy use of dwellings and their residents is constituted and influenced, the required government-stipulated minimum energy performance, that incentives are split among stakeholders, the composition of energy costs, and that the underlying mechanisms of the preceding four barriers are frequently changed.\ud To improve the implementation of ETMs, efforts by all stakeholders are needed. More data are needed on what effects ETMs will have when applied in a specific dwelling with all its characteristics. In order to achieve this in the construction industry, it is recommended that the government initiates and stimulates pilot projects

Duurzaam bouwen

In 1989 is in Nederland het Duurzaam Bouwen, of kortweg DuBo, geintroduceerd. Het is een manier van bouwen met extra aandacht voor duurzaamheid, zoals dat door de Brundtland commissie in de rapportage Our common future (1987) van deVN is gedefinieerd. Al enkele jaren worden voor nieuwbouw maatregelen aangedragen die bijvoorbeeld het comfort verhogen en de energieverbruiken verlagen. Er is echter een groeiend besef dat de bestaande voorraad nog vele uitdagingen op dit gebied biedt, maar dat de financiële prikkels voor het aanpakken van deze bestaande objecten nog ontbreken. In dit artikel zal daarom ingegaan worden op de link tussen bouwtechnologische duurzaamheid enerzijds en financiën anderzijds

Phase change materials in betonvloeren - deel I

Er is een experiment uitgevoerd met vier betonnen vloeren in een semiadiabatische omgeving. Twee vloeren bevatten PCMs en, ter referentie, twee vloeren geen PCMs. De opstelling moest op schaal een woning voorstellen met een raam op het zuiden. De omgevingscondities en de temperatuurontwikkelingen in de vloeren en boxen werden gemonitord. Het experimenn moest aantonen in hoeverre PCMs kunnen worden gebruikt voor het passief verwarmen van Nederlandse woningen

Stadsverwarming in Nederland; aspecten voor de (her)waardering van warmtelevering

In circa veertig Nederlandse steden wordt aan huishoudens en bedrijven warmtelevering aangeboden ten behoeve van ruimteverwarming en warmtapwater. Meerdere malen is de warmtelevering in een slecht daglicht komen te staan vanwege de vermeende hoge kosten bij deze manier van verwarmen in vergelijking tot de levering en het gebruik van aardgas. In dit artikel worden enkele aspecten aangehaald die warmtelevering in een ander daglicht kunnen plaatsen.\u