Data on thermal sensation, perception and microclimatic parameters in a city with Mediterranean climate

© 2019 The Authors This data article presents the data collected through an extensive research work conducted in urban areas in the city of Athens (Greece) during the period 2010–2012. Data concerns 2287 questionnaires and microclimatic data collected through interviews to the visitors of the examined areas with parallel monitoring of the urban microclimatic characteristics. The field surveys carried out occasionally throughout the year covering as much as possible the different seasons under Mediterranean climate conditions. These data are related to the research articles with the titles: Seasonal differences in thermal sensation in the outdoor urban environment of Mediterranean climates–the example of Athens, Greece (Tseliou et al., 2017) and Outdoor thermal sensation in a Mediterranean climate (Athens): The effect of selected microclimatic parameters (Tseliou et al., 2016)

From indoors to outdoors and in-transition; thermal comfort across different operation contexts

This paper focuses on the investigation of thermal comfort conditions in three very different operational contexts using meta-analysis of different studies within a similar climatic context in the UK. This includes extensive surveys indoors from offices, outdoors from urban areas, as well as indoors from airport terminals. Recent research in airport terminal buildings has highlighted that there are very different user groups, with diverse requirements for thermal comfort in such facilities. The paper investigates the hypothesis that staff working in the different areas have needs more similar to those of staff working in offices, while passengers use the building as a transition area with very different requirements and hence closer to the outdoor environment. Analysing and comparing the thermal comfort conditions from the different contexts, it explores the role of adaptation for thermal comfort attainment and satisfaction with the environment and the similarities of very different operational contexts in terms of their thermal comfort characteristics. Finally, the paper highlighted techniques for the potential transformation of thermal comfort scales, which can enable comparison between different types of surveys and inform the wider thermal comfort debate

An Assessment To Evaluate Potential Passive Cooling Patterns For Climate Change Adaptation In A Residential Neighbourhood Of A Mediterranean Coastal City (Athens, Greece)

This study investigates the potential for passive cooling patterns inside the urban fabric in the Mediterranean climate city of Athens (Greece), especially with regard to quantify air temperature reduction and thermal comfort amelioration at the neighbourhood scale. Using both field measurements and an urban microclimate simulation model, we assessed cooling and warming patterns in various sites of an Athens residential neighbourhood. Results show that, under Mediterranean climate conditions, urban design elements such as wooded courtyards and appropriately oriented urban design elements such as galleries have a considerable cooling effect and can be used as cool places inside the neighbourhood for occupants\u27 comfort amelioration and also as passive cooling tools for buildings to reduce summer energy consumption. They may then function as passive design strategies to adapt the urban site form to different climate change scenarios

An assessment to evaluate potential passive cooling patterns for climate change adaptation in a residential neighbourhood of a Mediterranean coastal city (Athens, Greece)

© 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. This study investigates the potential for passive cooling patterns inside the urban fabric in the Mediterranean climate city of Athens (Greece), especially with regard to quantify air temperature reduction and thermal comfort amelioration at the neighbourhood scale. Using both field measurements and an urban microclimate simulation model, we assessed cooling and warming patterns in various sites of an Athens residential neighbourhood. Results show that, under Mediterranean climate conditions, urban design elements such as wooded courtyards and appropriately oriented urban design elements such as galleries have a considerable cooling effect and can be used as cool places inside the neighbourhood for occupants\u27 comfort amelioration and also as passive cooling tools for buildings to reduce summer energy consumption. They may then function as passive design strategies to adapt the urban site form to different climate change scenarios

Data on verbal expressions for thermal sensation and comfort in the Greek language

This article presents data collected during a web-based survey on expressions used to describe thermal sensation and comfort in the Greek language. The survey used a structured questionnaire and delivered through Google Forms. The survey was promoted through social networks and conducted in spring 2019. The data presented herein comprise of the participants’ responses to the questionnaire. A total of 359 questionnaires were completed. The participants were Greek speakers, older than 12, with at least a basic knowledge of the English language. The participants were asked to: (a) select the most appropriate translation, from English to Greek, of the nine-point ISO 10551 scale of perceptual judgment on personal thermal state, (b) formulate five, seven and nine-point thermal sensation scales, (c) report the category of the thermal sensation scale that signifies thermal comfort and (d) to assess the relative distances between the thermal sensation categories of the five, seven and nine-point thermal sensation scales. For the translation of the ISO 10551, the respondents were allowed to choose from a list of 30 Greek wordings. The data have been analysed in the research article entitled “Native influences on the construction of thermal sensation scales” [1]

Establishment of a Greek food database for palaeodiet reconstruction:Case study of human and fauna remains from Neolithic to Late Bronze Age from Greece

We review the stable isotopic data of recovered Greek bones from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze period in order to examine dietary changes over time. As an isotopic baseline we use the published fauna data of the periods. The analysis revealed a diet that included a significant proportion of foods based on C3 plants, and the bulk of the animal protein must have been provided by terrestrial mammals with a small but detectable proportion of marine protein for coastal and island populations. A more significant contribution of marine protein is observed for Bronze Age populations while the enrichment in both C and N isotopes is connected, for some areas, to the introduction of millet during the Bronze Age, and to freshwater consumption. An extensive database of Greek food sources is presented and compared to the fauna from the prehistoric periods (Early Neolithic to Late Bronze Age) of the literature. We propose that this database can be used in palaeodiet reconstruction studies

Stable isotopes (δ²Η, δ¹⁸Ο) in precipitation: analysis of isotopic signatures over Greece and climatological analysis over the area of central and eastern Mediterranean

This thesis studies the stable isotopes in precipitation over Greece. The geographical distribution is the one theoretically expected, while the temperature and altitude gradients, and the local meteoric line are consistent with the literature for the area. The influence of air mass trajectory is not clear due to the effect of local fractionation processes. Also, the composition of springs follows that of rain and is generally depleted compared to it. The suitability of existing central and eastern Mediterranean data, for climatological purposes is examined. Existing trends are spatially inconsistent and rarely significant. Thus, it is possible to calculate climatic values and obtain, using a combination of regression models and geostatistical methods, gridded isotopic climatologies and time series. Finally, the ability of synoptic classifications to provide isotopically distinct classes, while at the same time reproducing the observed isotopic variability, is assessed. Optimization classifications with a relatively large number of classes fulfill these criteria. Reconstruction of isotope time series using mean values weighted according to synoptic class frequency and rain amount is possible. The best results are obtained from seasonal classifications with classes representing the basic atmospheric circulations, even if this does not lead to optimized statistical indices.Η διατριβή αυτή μελετά τα σταθερά ισότοπα στον υετό της Ελλάδας. η γεωγραφική κατανομή τους είναι η θεωρητικά αναμενόμενη, ενώ οι βαθμίδες με τη θερμοκρασία και το υψόμετρο και η τοπική μετεωρική γραμμή συμφωνούν με τη βιβλιογραφία για την ευρύτερη περιοχή. Η επίδραση της πορείας της αέριας μάζας, δεν είναι ευδιάκριτη λόγω της επίδρασης τοπικών διεργασιών κλασμάτωσης. Επίσης, η ισοτοπική σύσταση των πηγών ακολουθεί την κατανομή της σύστασης του υετού και είναι γενικά απεμπλουτισμένη σε σχέση με αυτόν. Ελέγχεται η καταλληλότητα των δεδομένων για κλιματολογική θεώρηση των ισότοπων του υετού στην κεντρική και ανατολική Μεσόγειο. Οι υπάρχουσες τάσεις σπανίως είναι σημαντικές και δεν έχουν χωρικά οργανωμένες μορφές. Επομένως, έχει νόημα ο υπολογισμός κλιματικών τιμών και η ανάπτυξη, με χρήση συνδυασμού προτύπων παλινδρόμησης και γεωστατιστικών μεθόδων, πλεγματικών κλιματικών ισοτοπικών δεδομένων και πλεγματικών ισοτοπικών χρονοσειρών. Τέλος, ερευνάται η ικανότητα των συνοπτικών ταξινομήσεων να οδηγούν σε ισοτοπικά διακριτές κλάσεις, αναπαράγοντας, ταυτόχρονα, σημαντικό μέρος της παρατηρούμενης ισοτοπικής μεταβλητότητας. Γενικά οι ταξινομήσεις βελτιστοποίησης με σχετικά μεγάλο αριθμό κλάσεων ικανοποιούν τα ανωτέρω. επιχειρείται η ανασύσταση ισοτοπικών χρονοσειρών χρησιμοποιώντας μέσες τιμές, σταθμισμένες βάσει των συχνοτήτων εμφάνισης των συνοπτικών κλάσεων και των υψών υετού. Η βέλτιστη επίδοση επιτυγχάνεται από εποχικές ταξινομήσεις με κλάσεις που αναπαράγουν τις βασικές ατμοσφαιρικές κυκλοφορίες, ακόμα και αν αυτό δεν συνεπάγεται βέλτιστους στατιστικούς δείκτες

On the Accuracy of Particle Image Velocimetry with Citizen Videos—Five Typical Case Studies

The application of image velocimetry to measure surface streamflow velocities requires meticulous preparation, including surveying and securing both the existence of floating features on the water surface, and, as in every hydrometry method, appropriate hydraulic conditions (e.g., uniform flow, turbulent velocity profile, etc.). Though these requirements can be easily satisfied when all stages involved in image velocimetry are prepared and executed by specialists, this is not guaranteed when the video footage is recorded by citizens. This kind of spontaneously obtained data are frequently the only available information of extreme flood events; therefore, and despite their non-scientific origin and standardization, these data are very important for hydrology. In this study, we evaluate image velocimetry under a variety of conditions, including conditions resembling citizen videos. Furthermore, we conclude on the manual analysis as a means of verification of the accuracy of the velocity estimations. An interesting finding from the case study with non-uniform flow conditions was that the surface velocities occurring at the middle section of the river, estimated using large-scale particle image velocimetry algorithms, exhibited a significant error, whereas the manual estimation was more accurate. This finding calls for further investigation and a more careful approach in similar conditions

On the Uncertainty of the Image Velocimetry Method Parameters

Image velocimetry is a popular remote sensing method mainly because of the very modest cost of the necessary equipment. However, image velocimetry methods employ parameters that require high expertise to select appropriate values in order to obtain accurate surface flow velocity estimations. This introduces considerations regarding the subjectivity introduced in the definition of the parameter values and its impact on the estimated surface velocity. Alternatively, a statistical approach can be employed instead of directly selecting a value for each image velocimetry parameter. First, probability distribution should be defined for each model parameter, and then Monte Carlo simulations should be employed. In this paper, we demonstrate how this statistical approach can be used to simultaneously produce the confidence intervals of the estimated surface velocity, reduce the uncertainty of some parameters (more specifically, the size of the interrogation area), and reduce the subjectivity. Since image velocimetry algorithms are CPU-intensive, an alternative random number generator that allows obtaining the confidence intervals with a limited number of iterations is suggested. The case study indicated that if the statistical approach is applied diligently, one can achieve the previously mentioned threefold objective

Baselines for Energy Use and Carbon Emission Intensities in Hellenic Nonresidential Buildings

This work exploits data from 30,000 energy performance certificates of whole nonresidential (NR) buildings in Greece. The available information is analyzed for 30 different NR building uses (e.g., hotels, schools, sports facilities, hospitals, retails, offices) and four main services (space heating, space cooling, domestic hot water and lighting). Data are screened in order to exclude outliers and checked for consistency with the Hellenic NR building stock. The average energy use and CO2 emission intensities for all building uses are calculated, as well as the respective energy ratings in order to gain a better understanding of the NR sector. Finally, in an attempt to determine whether these values are representative for the various Hellenic NR building uses, their temporal evolution is investigated. The average primary energy use intensity is 448.0 kWh/m2 for all NR buildings, while the CO2 emissions reach 147.5 kgCO2/m2. The derived energy baselines reveal that indoor sports halls/swimming pools have the highest energy use, while private cram schools/conservatories have the lowest, due to their operational patterns. Generally, from the four services taken into account, lighting is the most energy consuming, followed by cooling, heating and finally domestic hot water. For a total of 11 building uses, more data from the certificates will be necessary for deriving representative baselines, but, when it comes to buildings categories, more data are required