Methodology to determine housing characteristics in less developed areas in developing countries: A case study of Quetta, Pakistan

peer reviewedThe province of Balochistan is one of the least developed areas of Pakistan, facing problems of energy shortage and rapid urbanization. On the other side the region has great potential for renewable energy sources and the development of sustainable housing concepts. However, a first barrier is the lack of data on the existing housing stock. This paper will discuss the methodology and results of collecting housing data in this context for Quetta city. Considering unsatisfactory law and order situation, a survey was conducted to identify safe areas for housing survey. More areas were included to make the survey more representative. In total 215 houses in 32 residential areas were then surveyed. It is found that housing in Quetta can be divided in 3 main types; i.e. R.C.C frame, brick masonry and sundried bricks and that the energy consumption is mainly determined by area of the house and household size.Methodology for the design of climate-responsive houses for improved thermal comfort in cold semi-arid climate

An Investigation of Thermal Comfort of Houses in Dry and Semi-Arid Climates of Quetta, Pakistan

In Pakistan, reinforced concrete frame houses are the most widely used and common construction technology. In a country that experiences extreme hot and cold seasons throughout the year, buildings need to be adaptable to the climate to improve the thermal comfort of the inhabitants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to improve thermal comfort in reinforced concrete frame houses using passive design and energy efficiency measures in Quetta, Pakistan. Thermal comfort of a representative house was investigated using a building performance simulation. The building model created in EnergyPlus was validated by comparing it with on-site monitored data in both summer and winter seasons. The model was calibrated using statistical methods. Then, the calibrated model was used to perform a whole year simulation in which various orientations, ventilation, passive design, and energy efficiency strategies were applied to perform parametric analysis for the improvement of thermal comfort. The best fit-to-context thermal comfort model was selected, and the potential of bioclimatic design strategies was quantified. The results indicate that by adopting passive design strategies comfort hours can be increased from 43% to 59%. The results of the study revealed many findings which could be useful for architects and building engineers to set a future direction for improvement of indoor comfort in Quetta as well as in many other areas of Balochistan Province in Pakistan.Methodology for the design of climate-responsive houses for improved thermal comfort in cold semi-arid climate

Optimisation of extremely low energy residential buildings

Doel van het onderzoek is het ontwikkelen van een methodologie die de optimale combinaties van passieve (gebouwschil) en actieve (installaties) maatregelen bepaalt voor (extreem) lage energie- en pollutiewoningen. Zowel energieverbruik, energiebesparing als milieu-impact en kosten worden in rekening gebracht binnen de randvoorwaarden voor thermisch comfort, binnenluchtkwaliteit en wettelijke vereisten voor de energieprestatie van gebouwen. De optimalisatiemethodologie combineert geavanceerde evolutionaire multi-objectieve optimalisatietechnieken, levenscyclusanalyse en kosten-batenanalyse en past dit toe op het niveau van gebouwen als geheel. Vertrekkend van niet geïsoleerde referentiewoningen verloopt het optimalisatieproces in twee fasen. Eerst wordt de netto energievraag geminimaliseerd door optimalisatie van de gebouwschil. In een tweede fase worden dan de meest optimale installatietechnieken gezocht die aan deze zeer lage energievraag kunnen voldoen. De ontwikkelde methodologie is gebruikt om de rendabiliteit van energiebesparende investeringen in nieuwe en bestaande Brusselse gebouwen te evalueren en om optimale concepten voor extreem lage energie- en pollutiewoningen te ontwikkelen voor Vlaanderen. Ook is met deze methodologie de economisch meest optimale combinatie van bouwkundige en installatietechnische maatregelen afgeleid, alsook een logische hiërarchie van energiebesparende investeringen.Introduction 1 PART ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW 3 Chapter 1: Evolutionary multi-objective optimisation 3 Chapter 2: Life cycle analysis 23 Chapter 3: Cost assessment 47 PART TWO: GLOBAL METHODOLOGY 65 Chapter 4: Model for optimisation 65 Chapter 5: Model for life cycle inventory 79 Chapter 6: Model for economic evaluation 113 PART THREE: APPLICATIONS 135 Chapter 7: BIM-project 135 Chapter 8: EL²EP-project 161 Chapter 9: Conclusions and further research 201 Samenvatting 207 Annexes: 225 References: 261 Curriculum vitae: 271status: publishe

Methodology for the design and development of sustainable house concept for Quetta, Pakistan

Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, Pakistan, is facing problems due to increasing population and shortage of energy and water. The aim of this PhD is to develop a methodology for the design of sustainable houses in Quetta, taking into account the best possible solutions for the energy and water shortage and maximizing the use of local materials. In the first phase of the PhD, an inventory of the existing housing stock is made. Due to the unsatisfactory law and order situation, a safety questionnaire was distributed online to identify the safe areas for the housing survey. The areas identified as safe were complemented with areas in which university students and staff, who helped with the housing stock survey, live, to get more representative data. Then 215 houses were surveyed in 32 residential areas of Quetta by filling in the questionnaire, taking pictures and drawing sketches. In the survey, demographic information, data on the energy consumption and systems, construction types and material use is gathered. Three common structural systems are identified, i.e. R.CC frame, brick masonry and sundried bricks. For each structural system, the main materials for the construction and finishing of walls, roof and floor are inventoried. The most common housing type is R.C.C frame structure for all income groups, with a plot size depending on household size and income. In phase-II, this type of houses will be further analyzed in detail for their energy performance, environmental impact, construction patterns, water and energy consumption and the household characteristics. In phase-III, a sustainable house concept has to be developed taking into account all the information collected in phase-I & II. It will be further validated by simulations of energy, comfort and water performance and discussion with experts and future occupants.Methodology for the design of climate-responsive houses for improved thermal comfort in cold semi-arid climate

Betaalbaarheid en haalbaarheid van duurzaam wonen voor kwetsbare groepen

status: publishe

Personal Heating in Dwellings as an Innovative, Energy-Sufficient Heating Practice: A Case Study Research

Despite the efforts to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, the actual energy consumption decreased much less than expected in recent years. Therefore, energy sufficiency is gaining attention as a complementary approach to energy efficiency. It aims to reduce the actual energy consumption of buildings by providing thermal comfort to residents in a sufficient way. This demands for alternative heating practices, such as the application of personal heating systems. Although a review of past studies shows that, in office buildings, thermal comfort can be provided with less energy by using personal heating systems, the application in a residential context is much less explored. Our hypothesis is that an innovative, energy-sufficient personal heating practice also has potential to reduce the overall energy consumption in dwellings. Therefore, this paper presents the results of a one-week case study on personal heating as an energy-sufficient heating practice in three dwellings. During the case study, the ambient temperature was reduced to 18 °C, and residents were allowed to use active and passive personal heating systems to make themselves as comfortable as possible. They were also asked to evaluate their thermal sensation and thermal comfort. The results show that, despite a lower indoor temperature, residents are able to achieve thermal comfort by using personal heating at the locations where they effectively reside. Additionally, a significant energy saving potential was found. The case study proved our hypothesis, leading to the conclusion that an innovative, sufficient personal heating practice in dwellings can be a supplementary step to reduce the energy consumption to meet the global challenges

Potential of spatial use patterns for developing localized conditioning systems to reduce energy consumption

In this paper, the spatial use of three underused semi-detached dwellings in Belgium is discussed. The exact user patterns of residents within rooms have been monitored during one week. In the analysis, a distinction has been made between spaces where people move through and have a higher metabolic rate and places where residents stay or sit for a longer time. The analysis shows that residents use some of the rooms only partially and others only for circulation. Furthermore, residents stay only at particular places in the room for a longer period of time. These zones or places are linked to the common activities. Nowadays, most dwellings are heated by a single-zone heating system that heats multiple rooms completely at the same time. However, the spatial use of residents not only shows that particular places in a room are used, but also that they are used at different times. This research illustrates the potential of spatial use patterns for the development of heating systems that are better adapted to the effective spatial use, the activity patterns and corresponding required temperature in residential buildings. This could result in a lower overall ambient temperature and an improved energy efficiency of the building

The Comfort Tool: Assessment and Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Universal Design in Home Renovations

This article introduces a method for advancing environmental and social sustainability objectives in relation to home renovations laid out in European and Belgian policies. The comfort tool is an instrument that simultaneously addresses the energy efficiency and universal design aspects of a sustainable home renovation while being usable and meaningful to laymen homeowners and improving their communication with building professionals. It is based on recent research exploring a synergetic merging of energy efficiency and universal design in housing through the concept of indoor environmental comfort. It employs comfort as a way of intervening in the decision-making process for energy efficiency and universal design measures in home renovations. The comfort tool takes a user-centered approach and rests on an interdisciplinary set of theoretical constructs bringing together knowledge from psychology, nursing, design, and building sciences. Besides describing the method itself, the article lays out the theoretical underpinnings and motivations behind its development and discusses relevant future considerations for sustainable home renovations research and practice

Sensitivity Analysis of Passive Design Strategies for Residential Buildings in Cold Semi-Arid Climates

Buildings are significant drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Improving the thermal comfort of occupants in free-running buildings and avoiding active and fossil fuel-based systems is the main challenge in many cities worldwide. However, the impacts of passive design measures on thermal comfort in cold semi-arid regions are seldom studied. With the rapid urbanization and the widespread use of personalised heating and cooling systems, there is a need to inform building designers and city authorities about passive design measures that can achieve nearly optimal conditions. Therefore, in this study, a global sensitivity analysis of the impact of passive design parameters on adaptive comfort in cold semi-arid climates was conducted. A representative residential building was simulated and calibrated in Quetta, Pakistan, to identify key design parameters for optimal thermal comfort. The results list and rank a set of passive design recommendations that can be used widely in similar climates. The results show that among the investigated 21 design variables, the insulation type of roof is the most influential design variable. Overall, the sensitivity analysis yielded new quantitative and qualitative knowledge about the passive design of buildings with personalised heating systems, but the used sensitivity analysis has some limitations. Finally, this study provides evidence-based and informed design recommendations that can serve architects and homeowners to integrate passive design measures at the earliest conceptual design phases in cold semi-arid climates.Methodology for the design of climate-responsive houses for improved thermal comfort in cold semi-arid climate