A critical analysis of Building Services Engineering as a learning environment

This paper addresses the issues of study support, programme alignment and feedback for directed learning within the Building Services Engineering Programmes delivered at Northumbria University. The author draws on experience both as a past student on the course and subsequent recent teaching experience in order to reflect critically upon the teaching methods used and also the student experience. Project work is a focal aspect of the programme and can, the author believes, be supported more effectively by the active encouragement of study support. Issues of programme alignment and the consequences of programme miss-alignment are discussed. The work of Biggs [2003] supports the author’s observations and belief that students must both expect to succeed and also see clear value in succeeding if they are to be well motivated. The issue of the correct sequencing of the delivery of the learning activities within different modules is discussed. The importance of providing effective feedback for directed learning material is also discussed as a key issue since without effective feedback students engagement with directed learning diminishes

A critical appraisal and development of assessment strategy

Factors effecting student motivation are important and must be considered if the performance of future student cohorts is to be improved. Theories regarding the interaction of ‘expectancy and value’ have been set out. Because the relationship is multiplicative it is necessary to ensure that both ‘expectancy and value’ are present within the psyche of each and every student for each and every task assigned. This work critically appraises the delivery of a level 5 module over two successive academic years and demonstrates the application of ‘expectancy-value’ theory in module improvement. A formative course work was modified to align the outcomes with the summative coursework which resulted in significantly improved student motivation due to the addition of previously lacking ‘value’. Ideas are presented for the final summative coursework which could also bring significant benefits. However, these have not yet been adopted due to the real difficulties associated with group working. Both ‘value’ and ‘expectancy’ were initially lacking from different course works and were resulting in reduced student motivation

Optimal performance characteristics of mortar incorporating phase change materials and silica fume

This paper examines, the thermal performance of 20 different mortar mixes, which were prepared in order to study the behaviour of mortar incorporating Phase Change Materials (PCM). The PCM were was used at a rate of 10, 20 and 30% by weight of total solid materials. Silica fume was added to the mixes by 10, 20, 30 and 50% by weight of cement to enhance the mortar properties. Mortars which incorporate phase-change materials (PCM) have the capability to help regulate the temperature inside buildings, contributing to the thermal comfort while decreasing the amount of mechanical heating and cooling energy required, therefore they have the potential to reduce building carbon emissions. The mechanical characteristics and physical properties of the mortar with PCM were studied. The results show that mortar with Phase Change Materials up to PCM20% can be used with an optimal compressive strength. Silica fume (SF), up to a 20% SF addition, enhanced the mechanical properties of the mortar

Effectiveness of using phase change materials on reducing summer overheating issues in UK residential buildings with identification of influential factors

The UK is currently suffering great overheating issues in summer, especially in residential buildings where no air-conditioning has been installed. This overheating will seriously affect people’s comfort and even health, especially for elderly people. Phase change materials (PCMs) have been considered as a useful passive method, which absorb excessive heat when the room is hot and release the stored heat when the room is cool. This research has adopted a simulation method in Design Builder to evaluate the effectiveness of using PCMs to reduce the overheating issues in UK residential applications and has analyzed potential factors that will influence the effectiveness of overheating. The factors include environment-related (location of the building, global warming/climate change) and construction-related (location of the PCM, insulation, heavyweight/lightweight construction). This research provides useful evidence about using PCMs in UK residential applications and the results are helpful for architects and engineers to decide when and where to use PCMs in buildings to maintain a low carbon lifestyle

Occupant adaptive behaviour: an effective method towards energy efficient buildings

Energy efficient buildings play an important role in achieving a sustainable society. Conventional methods achieving energy efficient buildings mainly focus on upgrading the physical properties of the building, such as increasing their thermal insulations, neglecting the occupants who are using the building. This study justifies the potential contribution of a new method, i.e. selecting offices for occupants with a consideration of their behavioural preferences and the building’s physical properties, to the building’s energy efficiency. Dynamic building performance simulation has been adopted for the justification, based on a case study building with a simple rectangular shape. The occupant window behavioural model was developed from field measured data in an office building and the up-to-date stochastic approach was used to predict the state of windows for the simulation. Simulation results clearly reflect that 1) building’s physical properties, such as window orientation, have impact on the thermal performance of the building; 2) occupant behaviour can also affect the thermal performance of the building; and 3) considering both occupant behavioural preference and building’s physical properties can promote building’s thermal performance, without requirement of changing occupant behaviour

Energy waste in buildings due to occupant behaviour

Occupants’ behaviour has a significant impact on the energy performance of buildings. A good understanding of how occupants use a building provides a possibility of promoting the building’s energy efficiency through changing occupant behaviour. Building simulation has been adopted as a useful method by building engineers for quantifying the effects of changing occupant behaviour on the building’s energy consumption and indoor environment. However, due to the lack of real measured data with respect to how occupants use the building, such simulation work has relied on assumed behavioural patterns, which significantly reduces the reliability of the predicted results. This paper describes a longitudinal study monitoring occupants’ heating, window opening and cooling behaviour in an office building throughout summer, transitional and winter periods. These behavioural data were then used to drive dynamic building performance simulation to predict the energy saving potential of changing behaviour. Comparison with predicted results by assumed behavioural patterns reflected that improperly assumed behavioural patterns may either overestimate or underestimate the energy saving potential of changing behaviour, especially for unextreme behaviours

Are we significantly oversizing domestic water systems?

There is growing dissatisfaction with the DCWS volume flow rates predicted by the UK sizing methods, particularly for sizing incoming mains and pressure boosting sets. The consequences of oversizing include increased heat loss from domestic hot water systems, thus reducing their energy efficiency, and difficulties in avoiding domestic cold water reaching unacceptably warm temperatures particularly in high rise buildings due to the slower throughput. The aim of this paper is to present measured domestic water volume flow rates and compare them with those obtained by calculation in order to investigate the magnitude of oversizing. The study revealed that the measured flow rates are on average just 20% of those calculated however BS EN 806-3 is by far the most accurate of the three methods

A comparison of UK domestic water services sizing methods with each other and with empirical data

Evidence suggests that DCWS sizing methods in many countries around the world tend to overestimate the actual peak water volume flow rate. Oversizing DWS systems does waste materials and money, but it also increases the length of time that it takes for water to pass through the system which can increase water temperatures with the associated risks that presents. This paper compares the three commonly used UK DCWS sizing methods and reveals variance in the methods, the design flow rates calculated and the amount of diversity applied by each method. BS EN 8061 returns the lowest design flow rates of the three methods and also applies significantly greater diversity. Empirical DCWS volume flow rate data from two case study buildings revealed that all three UK sizing methods significantly overestimated the peak water volume flow rates but that BS EN 8061 was the closest. Additional empirical data from seven more buildings has been used to validate the data from this study and add confidence to the findings. This research provides useful evidence to help engineers select the most appropriate UK DCWS sizing method and to anticipate the likely range and fluctuation of DCWS flow rates