Lighting characterization of a new coating for window retrofit

The present paper describes a new high-performance coating used for the retrofit of existing glazing systems. The easy application of this new coating on the internal side of the glazing makes possible to reduce quickly the solar heat gain coefficient of an existing window. A full laboratory characterization both from the thermal and light transmissibility point of views is presented. Moreover, the paper reports the results of long-term studies aiming at assessing the risks of aging and related performance reductions for the investigate coating

Modern Technologies in Acoustics and Lighting Teaching and Practice

With the promise that new technologies, and in particular smartphones and virtual reality, may make everyday life easier, numerous apps have been created over the last years for the architectural lighting and acoustic assessments of buildings. This trend opens new opportunities for teaching acoustics and lighting. Meanwhile, the possibilities of augmented and virtual reality are still largely unexplored. The pedagogical aim of exploring new pedagogical approach is to allow students to engage beyond the traditional building physics approach to these subjects and to get a better quantitative and experiential understanding of light and sound parameters. First, the possibility of massive use of auralization is described. Then, the present paper discusses some opportunities for introducing building acoustics and lighting assessments through apps in both courses and architectural studios. The goal is to support experiential learning opportunities for concepts such as the warmth or the enveloping of a space from both an acoustic and lighting perspective. Many questions raised from the first few years of experiences in using smartphone apps are discussed. Comparing different apps on the same or on different smartphones resulted in significant fluctuations in the observed quantities. Since illuminance or sound levels were better detected with professional tools than by smartphones, several challenges of using these apps are discussed. Knowing the limits of current smartphone apps, this paper reflects on how much apps could be integrated into both university teaching and practice approaches. The experience confirmed that smartphone apps cannot yet replace professional measurement tools, while there is evidence about the benefits that modern technologies and in particular virtual reality, can provide to architectural acoustic and lighting teaching and practice

Performance evaluation of a highly insulated wall to withstand mould

In this paper, the performance to withstand mould growth of a highly insulated wall is evaluated by applying a probabilistic-based methodology that accounts for the involved uncertainties and investigates their significance. A sensitivity analysis according to the Morris method is conducted to understand the influence of each parameter and simplify the system representation. Deficiencies in terms of moisture and air leakages are accounted for. The mould growth outcome is evaluated by integrating different mould models and assessment criteria. The study demonstrates that a probabilistic-based methodology enables a more systematic approach to evaluate wall constructions since it accounts for the involved uncertainties, provides a clear association of the microbial growth to its likelihood, and enables the identification and significance of the dominant parameters; hence, it delivers a more comprehensive assessment of a building envelope

Experimental investigation of latent heat thermal energy storage for highly glazed apartments in a continental climate

The high solar heat gains in highly glazed buildings are a major thermal discomfort factor leading to higher energy consumption for space cooling. Higher window to wall ratios (WWR) also entail large temperature fluctuations due to heat loss and temperature extremes in buildings. Passive latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is a potential solution to regulate the indoor thermal environment in buildings through mitigating the indoor surface temperatures. In this study, the effectiveness of phase change materials (PCMs) in the context of a highly glazed apartment unit with 80% WWR is investigated for internal wall and ceiling applications. To provide thermal energy storage across the year, a composite PCM system with two melting temperatures is proposed, comprised of two PCM products, one with a melting temperature of 21.7 oC and the other with a melting temperature of 25 oC. To test the performance of this PCM, experimental tests were performed using test cells placed under climate conditions of Toronto to monitor changes in the phase change cycles of the PCMs and their impact on indoor air and surface temperatures. The results indicate improved thermal performance of the test cell containing the PCM system compared to a baseline cell in lowering peak indoor air and surface temperatures up to 6 oC. A relation was observed between the peak solar gain periods and the PCM behavior during the melting and solidification processes. This paper shows the potential of using PCMs as retrofit applications in highly glazed buildings by targeting specifically annual LHTES with two melting temperatures in one zone in a continental climate

The Urban Heat Island Effect in the City of Toronto

AbstractThe increasing awareness of theurban heat island (UHI) effect has raised the attention for monitoring and evaluating the outdoor thermal comfort in cities worldwide. The urban microclimate is an important factor for pedestrians’ health, but it also affects the urban air quality, the energy use of buildings, citizen wellbeing, and urban sustainability. Issues related to the urban microclimate are becoming more acute in cities given the increasing rates of urban development and construction. In this paper, UHI mitigation strategies in the city of Toronto are assessed. This paper also compares different urban forms according to their orientations, height of wall enclosure, and use of vegetation. The effects of cool surfaces (on the roofs, on the street pavements, or by additional vegetation) are evaluated through numerical simulations using the software ENVI-met. After having obtained the surface temperature, outdoor air temperature, and mean radiant temperature, this study compares three urban areas according to the possible mitigation of net surface radiation and thermal radiative power. The results demonstrate that the duration of direct sun and the mean radiant temperature, which are strongly influenced by the urban form especially in denserareas of the city, play a significant role over the urban thermal comfort. This research supports a sustainable urban developmentin a cold climate, such as that of Toronto. The final scope of this paper isto suggest design strategies for a more resilient urban planning

Aerogel-enhanced blankets: state-of-the-art, market readiness, and future challenges

Aerogel-enhanced products are often indicated as promising materials for increasing the thermal resistance of the building envelope. In particular, aerogel-enhanced blankets have already showed their effectiveness in several retrofitting projects. This paper aims to review the current state of the art regarding aerogel-enhanced blankets. In these materials, a fiber matrix bonds together the aerogel structure, compensating the low mechanical properties of the aerogels without reducing their exceptionally low thermal conductivity. This paper describes current aerogel-enhanced blankets existing worldwide and produced by different companies. Then, a new aerogel-enhanced blanket developed by the authors is presented. Thermal characterization tests confirm the superior performance of aerogel-enhanced blankets, which show a thermal conductivity as low as 0.013 W/(mK). Finally, future research challenges for aerogel-enhanced blankets are presented

Analyzing the thermal comfort conditions of outdoor spaces in a university campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The rapid urban expansion in East-Asian cities has increased the need for comfortable public spaces. This study presents field measurements and parametric simulations to evaluate the microclimatic characteristics in a university campus in the tropical climate of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study attempts to identify the thermally uncomfortable areas and their physical and design characteristics while debating on the circumstances of enhancing the outdoor comfort conditions for the campus users. Simulations in Envi-met and IES-VE are used to investigate the current outdoor thermal conditions, using classic thermal metric indices. Findings show high levels of thermal discomfort in most of the studied spaces. As a result, suggestions to improve the design quality of outdoor areas optimizing their thermal comfort conditions are proposed. The study concludes that effective re-design of outdoor spaces in the tropics, through adequate attention to the significant impacts of shading and vegetation, can result in achieving outdoor spaces with high frequency of use and improved comfort level

Thermal characterization of different graphite polystyrene

L

La misura del rumore prodotto da impianti eolici

Nel presente lavoro sono riportate le misure acustiche allâinterno ed allâesterno di alcune abitazioni che compongono due borghi rurali in prossimità di un parco eolico costituito da tre torri eoliche ciascuna di potenza nominale di 1 MW. Le torri eoliche con potenza nominale fino a 1 MW sono definite di media taglia e seguono per la loro installazione procedure autorizzative più semplici. Pertanto i promotori di impianti eolici spesso preferiscono installare torri eoliche di questa potenza data la procedura amministrativa autorizzativa semplificata. Le misure acustiche sono state eseguite collocando dei fonometri allâinterno ed allâesterno delle abitazioni, per i diversi valori della velocità del vento. Sono stati valutati gli effetti della rumorosità prodotta dal funzionamento delle torri in diverse abitazioni situate intorno al parco eolico con diversa velocità e direzione del vento

The essence of future smart houses: from embedding ICT to adapting to sustainability principles

In the context of intelligent environments, the smart houses are often pointed as one of the main constituents of smarter living environments. This study attempts to theoretically analyze case models of smart houses in order to identify their essence and characteristics. The results show that the most significant intelligent values embodied in smart houses embrace technologies of the functional automation. In fact, smart houses are substantially intertwined with integrated ICT technologies which aim to ensure comfortable living environments. Despite the identified challenges, the proliferation of smart houses into urban areas requires an integration of them in the city for creating intelligent environments. As a result, the promotion and integration of smart houses with other smarter elements of cities could archive a significant enhancement of the quality of life and a stronger urban sustainability