Indoor environmental quality in non-residential buildings - experimental investigation

This paper presents the part of the research that has been done at the Universities both in Belgrade and Thessaloniki, Greece, taking into account indoor environmental quality in office buildings and classrooms. The measurements that are presented were done in Process Equipment Design Laboratory at Aristotle University Thessaloniki, during March 2015. Indoor environmental quality regarding air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration in two representative offices is observed. The similar offices are located one on the north-east and the other one on the south-west side of the University building, so as to be representative of the orientation's impact. Furthermore, the impact of natural ventilation on CO2 concentration and temperature is monitored, together with the offices' occupancy. Recommended parameters for indoor air quality are compared and discussed on the base of several standards: SRPS EN 15251:2010, ASHRAE standards 55 and 62.1, and ISO 7730. The main objectives, as set from these standards are discussed, together with the investigation results

Indoor environmental quality in non-residential buildings - experimental investigation

This paper presents the part of the research that has been done at the Universities both in Belgrade and Thessaloniki, Greece, taking into account indoor environmental quality in office buildings and classrooms. The measurements that are presented were done in Process Equipment Design Laboratory at Aristotle University Thessaloniki, during March 2015. Indoor environmental quality regarding air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration in two representative offices is observed. The similar offices are located one on the north-east and the other one on the south-west side of the University building, so as to be representative of the orientation's impact. Furthermore, the impact of natural ventilation on CO2 concentration and temperature is monitored, together with the offices' occupancy. Recommended parameters for indoor air quality are compared and discussed on the base of several standards: SRPS EN 15251:2010, ASHRAE standards 55 and 62.1, and ISO 7730. The main objectives, as set from these standards are discussed, together with the investigation results

Development of an Integrated, Personalized Comfort Methodology for Office Buildings

Despite the significant progress observed over the last decades, the European building stock still consumes significant amounts of energy (39% of the total final energy), whilst it does not always provide the conditions required for occupants’ well-being and thermal comfort sensation. In order to achieve the goal of nearly or even zero energy buildings, a deep refurbishment of the building stock is imperative. As the literature indicates, a firm evaluation of indoor conditions is essential, while having at the epicenter the occupants’ comfort perception, with emphasis on their individual characteristics. In this respect, a methodological framework is developed and a preliminary implementation is performed. The main goal of the methodological approach is the consideration of both the classical comfort parameters along with the occupants’ socioeconomic and personalized characteristics that affect their perception and can differentiate their needs even under the same conditions. Among other important findings this preliminary implementation achieved some very promising results, highlighting that occupants’ individual characteristics such as recycling and exercising can affect the occupants’ comfort perception

Selection and Dimensioning of Energy Storage Systems for Standalone Communities: A Review

The European Union’s energy and climate policies are geared on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and advancing sustainable energy, focusing on a faster propagation of renewable energy sources to decarbonize the energy sector. The management of locally produced energy, which can be implemented by a microgrid capable of either being linked to the main grid or operating independently, is equally crucial. Additionally, it seems that electricity storage is the only practical way to manage energy effectively within a microgrid. Energy storage is hence one of the main technological parameters upon which future energy management has to be based. Especially during crisis periods (such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the ongoing energy crisis), storage is a valuable tool to optimize energy management, particularly from renewables, in order to successfully cover demand fluctuation, hence achieving resilience, while at the same time reducing overall energy costs. The purpose of the paper is to analyze and present, in brief, the state-of-the-art of the energy storage systems that are available on the market and discuss the upcoming technological improvements of the storage systems and, in particular, of batteries. The analysis will focus on the storage systems that can be used within a stand-alone community such as a microgrid, but not limited to it. In the analysis, short- and long-term storage options are discussed, as well as varying storage capacities of the different technologies. The analysis is based on contemporary optimization tools and methods used for standalone communities. Understanding the state-of-the-art of energy storage technology is crucial in order to achieve optimum solutions and will form the base for any further research

Selection and Dimensioning of Energy Storage Systems for Standalone Communities: A Review

The European Union’s energy and climate policies are geared on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and advancing sustainable energy, focusing on a faster propagation of renewable energy sources to decarbonize the energy sector. The management of locally produced energy, which can be implemented by a microgrid capable of either being linked to the main grid or operating independently, is equally crucial. Additionally, it seems that electricity storage is the only practical way to manage energy effectively within a microgrid. Energy storage is hence one of the main technological parameters upon which future energy management has to be based. Especially during crisis periods (such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the ongoing energy crisis), storage is a valuable tool to optimize energy management, particularly from renewables, in order to successfully cover demand fluctuation, hence achieving resilience, while at the same time reducing overall energy costs. The purpose of the paper is to analyze and present, in brief, the state-of-the-art of the energy storage systems that are available on the market and discuss the upcoming technological improvements of the storage systems and, in particular, of batteries. The analysis will focus on the storage systems that can be used within a stand-alone community such as a microgrid, but not limited to it. In the analysis, short- and long-term storage options are discussed, as well as varying storage capacities of the different technologies. The analysis is based on contemporary optimization tools and methods used for standalone communities. Understanding the state-of-the-art of energy storage technology is crucial in order to achieve optimum solutions and will form the base for any further research

Monitoring energy poverty in Northern Greece: the energy poverty phenomenon

The last two decades’ scientists have become increasingly interested in the aspects of energy poverty. In order to study the dynamics of energy poverty in Northern Greece a field study was carried out. The evidence presented is based on a comprehensive study of 350 questionnaires mainly for Western (47%) and Central Macedonia (45%), in Northern Greece. The questionnaire focused on the household’ and users’ characteristics, allowing for regional specific effects. Additionally, in an effort to study and quantify the relation between households’ net-income and the most common indicators of energy poverty a Chi-square test was estimated. At the same time six temperature and humidity loggers have been distributed to selected participants to record real-time data. Overall, the results of the survey unveiled that various characteristics of the domestic demand for heating are linked with the household’s net-income