SUSTAINABILITY OF ENERGY IN UNIVERSITIES: THE UNIVERSITY OF ALMERIA AS A CASE OF STUDY.

Tesis doctoral en período de exposición públicaDoctorado en Tecnología de Invernaderos e Ingeniería Industrial (RD99/11) (8909

Bibliometric Maps of BIM and BIM in Universities: A Comparative Analysis

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is increasingly important in the architecture and engineering fields, and especially in the field of sustainability through the study of energy. This study performs a bibliometric study analysis of BIM publications based on the Scopus database during the whole period from 2003 to 2018. The aim was to establish a comparison of bibliometric maps of the building information model and BIM in universities. The analyzed data included 4307 records produced by a total of 10,636 distinct authors from 314 institutions. Engineering and computer science were found to be the main scientific fields involved in BIM research. Architectural design are the central theme keywords, followed by information theory and construction industry. The final stage of the study focuses on the detection of clusters in which global research in this field is grouped. The main clusters found were those related to the BIM cycle, including construction management, documentation and analysis, architecture and design, construction/fabrication, and operation and maintenance (related to energy or sustainability). However, the clusters of the last phases such as demolition and renovation are not present, which indicates that this field suntil needs to be further developed and researched. With regard to the evolution of research, it has been observed how information technologies have been integrated over the entire spectrum of internet of things (IoT). A final key factor in the implementation of the BIM is its inclusion in the curriculum of technical careers related to areas of construction such as civil engineering or architecture

Benchmarking Energy Use at University of Almeria (Spain)

Several factors impact the energy use of university campus buildings. This study aims to benchmark the energy use in universities with Mediterranean climates. The University of Almeria campus was used as a case study, and different types of buildings were analyzed. The second goal was to model the electricity consumption and determinate which parameter correlate strongly with energy use. Macro-scale energy consumption data during a period of seven years were gathered alongside cross-sectional buildings information. Eight years of daily outdoor temperature data were recorded and stored for every half hour. This dataset was eventually used to calculate heating and cooling degree-days. The weather factor was recognized as the variable with the greatest impact on campus energy consumption, and as the coefficient indicated a strong correlation, a linear regression model was established to forecast future energy use. A threshold of 8 GWh has been estimated as the energy consumption limit to be achieved despite the growth of the university. Finally, it is based on the results to inform the recommendations for decision making in order to act effectively to optimize and achieve a return on investment

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Energy Use at the University of Almeria (Spain)

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos in many sectors and industries. In the energy sector, the demand has fallen drastically during the first quarter of 2020. The University of Almeria campus also declined the energy consumption in 2020, and through this study, we aimed to measure the impact of closing the campus on the energy use of its different facilities. We built our analysis based upon the dataset collected during the year 2020 and previous years; the patterns evolution through time allowed us to better understand the energy performance of each facility during this exceptional year. We rearranged the university buildings into categories, and all the categories reduced their electricity consumption share in comparison with the previous year of 2019. Furthermore, the portfolio of categories presented a wide range of ratios that varied from 56% to 98%, the library category was found to be the most influenced, and the research category was found to be the least influenced. This opened questions like why some facilities were influenced more than others? What can we do to reduce the energy use even more when the facilities are closed? The university buildings presented diverse structures that revealed differences in energy performance, which explained why the impact of such an event (COVID-19 pandemic) is not necessarily relevant to have equivalent variations. Nevertheless, some management deficiencies were detected, and some energy savings measures were proposed to achieve a minimum waste of energy

Benchmarking Energy Use at University of Almeria (Spain)

Several factors impact the energy use of university campus buildings. This study aims to benchmark the energy use in universities with Mediterranean climates. The University of Almeria campus was used as a case study, and different types of buildings were analyzed. The second goal was to model the electricity consumption and determinate which parameter correlate strongly with energy use. Macro-scale energy consumption data during a period of seven years were gathered alongside cross-sectional buildings information. Eight years of daily outdoor temperature data were recorded and stored for every half hour. This dataset was eventually used to calculate heating and cooling degree-days. The weather factor was recognized as the variable with the greatest impact on campus energy consumption, and as the coefficient indicated a strong correlation, a linear regression model was established to forecast future energy use. A threshold of 8 GWh has been estimated as the energy consumption limit to be achieved despite the growth of the university. Finally, it is based on the results to inform the recommendations for decision making in order to act effectively to optimize and achieve a return on investment

Monitoring energy consumption of vending machines in university buildings

Vending machines are a convenient source of food and drinks, but they can also be a significant source of energy consumption in public buildings. To reduce energy waste and improve energy efficiency, a low-cost sensor network was used to monitor the energy usage of vending machines. The sensor network consists of small, wireless sensors that are placed inside the vending machines, and a central hub that is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi. The sensors are able to collect data on the energy usage of the vending machines, including when they are idle, in use, or in a standby mode. This data is then transmitted to the central hub, where it is processed and made available to users through a web-based interface or mobile app. With this information, users can identify patterns in energy usage and make changes to reduce overall energy consumption. In a university in southern Spain, 53 vending machines of three types were monitored: snack, cold drinks, and hot drinks. The average monthly consumptions of these types of vending machines were snack (250 kWh), cold drinks (200 kWh), and hot drinks (100 kWh). By using a sensor network to monitor the energy usage of vending machines, it is possible to identify areas where energy is being wasted and make adjustments to reduce this waste. This can help to reduce the environmental impact of the vending machines, by reducing the amount of energy that is consumed and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, by making the vending machines more energy efficient, it is possible to improve their overall productivity and cost-effectiveness. Overall, the use of a low-cost sensor network to monitor vending machines energy usage can be seen as a form of cleaner production, because it promotes the use of more sustainable and efficient industrial processes