412 research outputs found
The importance of communication in concept design simulation
The European Union has taken a strong leadership role in promoting energy efficiency in buildings. This is among other things highlighted by the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, which is designed to promote the improvement of energy performance of buildings in member states. One of the benefits of this directive is that it provides an integrated approach to different aspects of buildings energy use, which until now only a few member states were doing, and that all aspects are expressed in simple energy performance indicators. In order to achieve such reductions of the energy use in new buildings it will require development of new construction solutions, new types of building envelopes, and development of new building materials. It will also require the development of more holistic building concepts, sustainable buildings where an integrated design approach is needed to ensure a system optimization and to enable the designer(s) to control the many design parameters that must be considered and integrated. It is therefore important to understand how this design process works and how the architect can be enabled to integrate sustainable design solutions. Computer-based modeling and simulation is becoming more and more significant for the prediction of future energy and environmental performance of buildings and the systems that service them. Modeling and simulation can and should play a vital role in building and systems design, commissioning, management and operation. Although most practitioners will be aware of the emerging building simulation technologies, yet few are able to claim expertise in its application. In the design of sustainable buildings it is therefore necessary to identify the most important design parameters in order to develop more efficiently alternative design proposals and/or reach optimized design solutions. This can be achieved by applying sensitivity analysis early in the design process. Previously, environmental simulation of building performance was only done by engineers at the end of the design process. Any weak points in the performance of the design could then be ‘fixed' by adding heating, cooling, shades, vents, fans, panels, etc ... However, at the end of the design process it is too late. The decisions made early on in the design process have the largest impact. In addition, environmental issues are becoming more important, the complexity of the building design is increasing, and simulation tools are becoming more architects friendly. Therefore, in the design of sustainable buildings it will be very beneficial to be able identify the most important design parameters in order to develop more efficiently alternative design proposals and/or reach optimized design solutions. Communication between architects and engineers paper will become more common but also more important. Digital architecture has to take these challenges into account and develop a common language for architects that enable integrated design in order to tackle the problems stated above
Implementation of positive energy district concepts and energy master plans for decarbonization of districts
In order to achieve a holistic approach to community energy planning for neighbourhoods and districts, it is crucial to provide planners, decision makers, and stakeholders with the necessary methods and instruments. However, there is a research gap in terms of planning and implementation strategies and models. To address this gap, our research used literature and document analysis as well as qualitative interviews to identify implementation models and energy supply options for Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), and to determine which market actors are needed for PEDs. We also discussed the consequences of scaling up the PED concept.
Our analysis highlights the importance of integrated energy planning, which is critical for reducing energy consumption, securing the location of energy infrastructure (generation, distribution, storage), and achieving long-term sustainable development and climate neutrality. Therefore, understanding the different dimensions of sustainable development in combination with energy supply and consumption is more important than ever for planning and realizing settlements.publishedVersio
Implementation of positive energy district concepts and energy master plans for decarbonization of districts
In order to achieve a holistic approach to community energy planning for neighbourhoods and districts, it is crucial to provide planners, decision makers, and stakeholders with the necessary methods and instruments. However, there is a research gap in terms of planning and implementation strategies and models. To address this gap, our research used literature and document analysis as well as qualitative interviews to identify implementation models and energy supply options for Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), and to determine which market actors are needed for PEDs. We also discussed the consequences of scaling up the PED concept.Our analysis highlights the importance of integrated energy planning, which is critical for reducing energy consumption, securing the location of energy infrastructure (generation, distribution, storage), and achieving long-term sustainable development and climate neutrality. Therefore, understanding the different dimensions of sustainable development in combination with energy supply and consumption is more important than ever for planning and realizing settlements
Optimizing the configuration of a façade module for office buildings by means of integrated thermal and lighting simulations in a total energy perspective
The building enclosure plays a relevant role in the management of the energy flows in buildings and in the exploitation of solar energy at a building scale. An optimized configuration of the façade can contribute to reduce the total energy demand of the building.
Traditionally, the search for the optimal façade configuration is obtained by analyzing the heating demand and/or the cooling demand only, while the implication of the façade configuration on artificial lighting energy demand is often not addressed.
A comprehensive approach (i.e. including heating, cooling and artificial lighting energy demand) is instead necessary to reduce the total energy need of the building and the optimization of the façade configuration becomes no longer straightforward, because non-linear relationships are often disclosed.
The paper presents a methodology and the results of the search for the optimal transparent percentage in a façade module for low energy office buildings. The investigation is carried out in a temperate oceanic climate, on the four main orientations, on three versions of the office building and with different HVAC system’s efficiency. The results show that, regardless of the orientations and of the façade area of the building, the optimal configuration is achieved when the transparent percentage is between 35% and 45% of the total façade module area. The highest difference between the optimal configuration and the worst one occurs in the north-exposed façade, while the south-exposed façade is the one that shows the smallest difference between the optimal and the worst configuration.© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. This is the authors' accepted and refereed manuscript to the article, post-print. Released with a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License. The final publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.02.063acceptedVersio
LexOnto: A Model for Ontology Lexicons for Ontology-based NLP
Cimiano P, Haase P, Herold M, Mantel M, Buitelaar P. LexOnto: A Model for Ontology Lexicons for Ontology-based NLP. In: Proceedings of the OntoLex07 Workshop held in conjunction with ISWC’07. 2007
Monitoring a deep energy renovated building
A typical residential building from 1937 located near Wurzburg in Germany, was deep retrofitted in 2013. The energy use and costs could be drastically reduced compared to the old building. However, increase in energy costs can thread economic success. Therefore, it is important to monitor also the performance of the different technical systems. A measurement campaign of a real building with energy consumption and production (“prosumer model”) proves the concept of prosumer over time. The total energy costs were 387 € in 2018 and have increased to 839 € in 2021. This is an increase of 217%., changes in energy prices and tariff structures might influence the lifetime energy costs as well as the savings. Electricity use of the compact unit was measured, share of ventilation and heat (heating and DHW) was calculated based on standard models. Electricity use is illustrated and contrasted with electricity production from a 7.95 kW solar PV system
Case study of an NZEB (renovation) with 7 years measurement data – what can a designer learn from it?
A typical residential building from 1937 located near Wuerzburg in Germany, was deep retrofitted in 2013. The simulations of energy balance and load profiles (in IDA ICE) match well with measurements. Selfconsumption and export of electricity to the grid was monitored. The results show variations in selfconsumption. Monthly self-consumption varied between 6% and 25.5%
Implementation strategies for renovation concepts based on participative planning
The potential for reducing Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by district renovation is largely untapped. It not only requires a thorough Energy Master Planning (EMP) of the district but also support of the decision-making processes. This can not only contribute significantly to reducing energy consumption and securing the location of energy infrastructure (generation, distribution, storage), but also to long-term sustainable development and climate neutrality. Understanding the different solutions for district renovation which include combinations with energy supply and consumption is important in districts. A technical as well as economical analysis is proposed that combines reduction of GHG emissions potential with an economic appraisal. A district near Winterthur, Switzerland was analyzed in respect to the aforementioned aspects. Site visits and structured interviews with key stakeholders were used to collect data which was then analyzed. Different renovation options were simulated, and investment and energy costs were calculated. The results show that the technical potential for a decarbonization is large. However, financial and social aspects are significant and lead to a delay in implementation
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