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Purpose: Physical environments, especially the sound environments of ILSs on a university campus, have become increasingly important in satisfying the diverse needs of students. Poor sound environments are widely acknowledged to lead to inefficient and underutilised spaces and to negatively influence students' learning outcomes. This study proposes two hypotheses to explore whether students' sound environment perceptions are related to their individual characteristics and whether students' preferences for the type of ILS are related to their sound environment sensitivities. Design/methodology/approach: An investigation through a questionnaire survey has been conducted on both students' individual characteristics affecting their sound environment perceptions in informal learning spaces (ILSs) of a university campus and their sensitivities to the sound environments in ILSs affecting their preferences for the type of ILSs. Findings: The research findings indicate that students' sound environment perceptions are associated with some of their individual characteristics. In addition, the results show that students' sound environment sensitivities affect their preferences for the type of ILS they occupy. Originality/value: This study could help architects and managers of university learning spaces to provide better sound environments for students, thereby improving their learning outcomes. The article contributes valuable insights into the correlation between students' individual characteristics, sound environment perceptions and preferences for ILSs. The research findings add to the existing knowledge in this field and offer practical implications for enhancing design and management of university learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The university property management department has been facing a challenge with the strategic management of campus spaces due to the need for informal learning spaces (ILSs) to facilitate students' independent studies. However, there's limited research on how these ILSs perform, particularly concerning human-made sounds. This study delves into the impact of human-made sounds on students, considering their individual differences and positive experiences in various types of ILSs within an Australian university campus. The investigation includes open-ended questions to delve deeper into students' positive experiences with human-made sounds across different ILSs. The research findings demonstrate that the impact of humanmade sounds on students is influenced by certain individual characteristics. Additionally, the study identifies three types of positive experiences regarding human-made sounds in ILSs for students: a sense of relaxation induced by human-made sounds, the sound-masking effect, and increased motivation for learning. This study could assist university property managers in understanding students' perceptions of human-made sounds and aid in strategic management of campus space that aligns with students' needs and preferences for ILSs, improving the overall learning environment and support student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impermeable infrastructure such as traffic causeways can reduce the natural hydrodynamic flushing of an estuary, resulting in reduced water quality and increased incidence of harmful algal blooms (HABs). A series of cuts through the three causeways spanning Old Tampa Bay, FL, (OTB) are being considered to help restore the natural circulation of the region, but the number of possible location combinations is computationally challenging to fully assess. A prototype genetic algorithm (GA) was developed to identify the optimal configuration of these cuts through one of the bridge sections that maximizes flushing as represented in a numerical ocean circulation model of OTB. Flushing was measured by integrating the trajectories of over 21,000 passive Lagrangian "particles" using the model velocity fields. The rate of loss of particles initialized near Feather Sound (a region subject to frequent HABs) was used to quantify the "fitness" over which the configurations were optimized. The highest-scoring solution produced a 42% increase in net flushing compared to a no-change baseline. Six independently initialized applications of the GA were conducted. All converged to the same solution within no more than 7 generations. The small population size of the prototype allowed testing of the complete solution space, and verification the found solution was optimal. Elitism (preservation of the highest-ranking solution) was required for convergence. The GA also identified configurations that had similar, but slightly slower, flushing rates. These results will help area managers prioritize or rank combinations of causeway modifications to improve overall water quality conditions in Tampa Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As energy storage systems are typically not installed with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, any "excess" solar energy exceeding the house load remains unharvested or is exported to the grid. This paper introduces an approach towards a system design for improved PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency. As a result, a polyvalent heat pump, offering heating, cooling and domestic hot water, is considered alongside water storage tanks and batteries. Our method of system analysis begins with annual hourly thermal loads for heating and cooling a typical Australian house in Geelong, Victoria. These hourly heating and cooling loads are determined using Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) software. The house's annual hourly electricity consumption is analysed using smart meter data downloaded from the power supplier and PV generation data measured with a PV system controller. The results reveal that the proposed system could increase PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency to 41.96% and 86.34%, respectively, resulting in the annual imported energy being reduced by about 74%. The paper also provides sensitivity analyses for the hot and cold storage tank sizes, the coefficient of performance of the heat pump, solar PV and battery sizes. After establishing the limits of thermal storage size, a significant impact on self-efficiency can be realised through battery storage. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using a polyvalent heat pump together with water storage tanks and, ultimately, batteries to increase PV self-consumption and self-sufficiency. Future work will concentrate on determining a best-fit approach to system sizing embedded within the TRNSYS simulation tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship wakes generated by vessels moving through ecologically sensitive areas, or near poorly-protected infrastructure, can negatively impact these systems. This is especially true in regions hosting large seaports. Ship wakes in Tampa Bay, Florida, were calculated during two time periods using vessel movement data reported through the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The first period was for the years 2015-2017 using data from a government database. The second was during part of 2018 obtained by local monitoring. Only vessels operating at low Froude numbers were examined. Wake heights were estimated from each AIS record using an empirical equation and partitioned by functional vessel class. The largest estimated wakes were produced by the Passenger class. Cargo class vessels had the largest number of ships estimated to produce high wakes. Egmont Key, a long-eroding barrier island at the mouth of the Bay, was potentially subjected to the highest number of ship wakes and the highest cumulative wake energy. Differences in vessel representation in the two sets of AIS data yielded different distributions of wake energy by vessel class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater utilities in many coastal regions are under threat from extreme climate events, and are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR) and storm surge as they are often located in regions of flat, low-lying topography. Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) may become more common due to SLR. A logistic regression model (LRM) was trained using precipitation and coastal water levels as predictor variables to compute the probability of an SSO due to compound flooding in southern Pinellas County, FL. The LRM was then modified to include future SLR. The rate of SSOs was found to roughly double with every 10 cm of SLR. Subtracting SLR in the original LRM reduced the probability of recent SSOs, indicating that climate change is already increasing the rate of SSOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The architectural and construction professions are in a state of major transition. While wooden structures are known to have superior energy saving properties as compared with RC structures, this study establishes that hybrid refurbished structures in which RC beams and columns are retained, while floors and walls are replaced by new timber laminates, results in lighter, cheaper buildings, with energy performance superior to the replaced fully RC structures, yet only marginally less efficient than full wooden buildings. The fifth paper, "Automatically creating HVAC control strategies based on building information modeling (BIM)", Ref. [[6]] presents a method for optimizing building heating using BIM data. The imperative that the industry must embrace is "sustainability", and with that imperative is the requirement to develop applications that make buildings energy-efficient, eco-friendly, resilient, inclusive, and overall "greener". [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse privacy and interaction preferences in the social dimension of individual learning students and how the spatial configuration affects individual learners' choices of learning spaces. Design/methodology/approach: This empirical survey study was conducted in an Australian university's informal learning spaces. Space syntax theories are applied to construct a four-quadrant theoretical framework. Findings: The research findings indicate that based on the differences between students in their individual characteristics, there are significant differences in their needs for privacy and interaction. This study reveals that the spatial configuration affects individual learners' choices of learning spaces. Originality/value: This study could assist universities in providing students with more effective and diverse informal learning spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime transportation network is a global system connected to most major cities. This network is relatively unexamined as a Iiral transmission route. An essential step in understanding the risk of maritime transmission is characterizing linkages between seaports. Records of ship arrivals in Florida were obtained for the first half of 2020. during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 45.000 individual vessel calls to 17 Florida ports were recorded. including over 9.600 large ships capable of long-distance voyages. The prior port calls o fall vessels were back-traced up 10 2 months before they arrived in Florida. We identified 19.579 prior calls to countries on 6 continents and many island nations anci territories. The inost common (66%) previous port regions were in the Aniericas and the Caribbean. western Europe (8.5%). and eastern Asia (5.0%). Cargo class vessels had the largest number and most interconnected set of prior port visits compared to large Tanker. Passenger. and Personal craft. The history of incoining vessels varied between Florida ports. w'ith some receiving a majority of vessels from U.S. prior ports. but most receiving a majority with non-US priors. Some implications of these findings for vessel tracking and the development of protection measures at ports are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rogue waves are a recognized but not fully comprehended hazard of major concern to the maritime industry. There is not one agreed-upon unified model that explains the formation of such waves and little is known about their frequency of occurrence. This study used in situ data from a wave buoy located at the entrance of Tampa Bay, Florida, to assess conditions that could lead to the development of these potentially destructive waves. Tampa Bay is a major commercial and transportation hub on the east coast of the United States. Wave buoy data from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed in this study. While more than 7000 individual waves that significantly exceeded median values were recorded, only 32 exceeded 4 m, thereby imposing risks to local navigation. The largest rogue wave that was recorded was 8.46 m high. Parameters in the time and frequency domains were calculated, local wind and surface current data were correlated, satellite synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and vessel traffic data were analyzed, and the local bathymetry was considered. Based on our results, the narrow directional wave spreading that was found on the selected rogue waves was recognized as an important indicator of extreme waves. The parameters: surface elevation kurtosis, Benjamin–Feir Index (BFI), wave steepness, broadness, and narrowness factors, wind speed and direction, can be considered together, as a part of a local extreme-wave warning package. The selected individual rogue waves could not be identified using SAR imagery. Regional disturbances from ship wakes were analyzed but yielded no connections to the local formation of rogue waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vessel handling guidelines in Tampa Bay have been developed and refined over many years to prevent vessel groundings, collisions, and other maritime incidents. These guidelines restrict navigation based upon vessel characteristics such as vessel length, draft, displacement, and destination, often in conjunction with tidal levels and current speeds. A numerical circulation model of the Tampa Bay estuary was used to examine the occurrence frequency of the most common limiting current speeds within the main shipping channel under four sea level rise (SLR) scenarios ranging from 0.25 to 2 m. Near the bay mouth, the occurrence of limiting speeds generally decreased with SLR, but farther up the channel it increased, mostly due to changes in the M2 tide, with contributions from other primary tides. The relative occurrence of slack water, the lowest of the limiting speeds, was most sensitive to SLR, with absolute changes in occurrence ~50%. Higher speed limits had smaller relative changes. A methodology is developed using data from the Automatic Identification System that identifies vessel traffic potentially impacted by SLR and changing tidal currents. Some implications of reduced tidal currents for port and vessel traffic management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tampa Bay, FL, is a large, ecologically rich estuary that hosts one of the largest commercial ports in Florida. Automatic identification system (AIS) records from 2015 to 2017 were used to determine the number, size, speed, type, and transits of vessels in Tampa Bay. The AIS vessel types were grouped into 10 general classes based on function. The cargo and tanker classes had the highest number of unique vessels transiting the estuary. The tug class had the highest number of individual transits, followed by cargo class. The most common vessel lengths were 165–200 m. Typical drafts were 9–11 m, and ship speeds were almost all <10 m/s. Froude numbers calculated from these data indicated that ships were generally underway in displacement mode. Overall, <0.1% of the AIS records reported speeds >10 m/s. These were identified as smaller passenger and recreational vessels operating in planing mode. The AIS navigational status and speed were often inconsistent, therefore, the combination of speed and duration was used to define individual transits. The average tidal dependency (TD) parameter for all vessels transiting into the bay was −0.02, and 0.10 for combined cargo and tanker vessels. Proper evaluation of the TD required inclusion of the phase lag between the entrance position and the tide gauge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Heritage buildings are a crucial part of the UK built sector. They perpetuate a sense of identity, prestige and community. Many heritage buildings however tend to be energy inefficient and the scope for retrofitting such buildings is paramount. Heritage buildings require ratification from planning bodies in order to undertake any alteration on the building. This tends to create a bottleneck in the retrofitting of heritage office buildings. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approach This study utilises a case study building in Scotland to evaluate the potential for retrofitting in a UK heritage office building. Building energy simulation software is used to generate the energy data in different retrofit options. A scenario analysis on the heritage status of the building is also undertaken.Findings The costs, energy consumption and carbon emission levels are evaluated and compared. It was found that the differential in annual energy savings achieved, based on the proportion of capital cost to operational cost, is 14.6 per cent in the heritage building, compared to 24.6 per cent in the non-heritage building.Originality/value The study suggests that government and other stakeholders should seek for ways of incentivising retrofit investments in heritage buildings. This will provide an effective way of minimising the contributions of the built environment to global warming and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meyers, S.D.; Moss, A.J., and Luther, M.E., 2017. Changes in residence time due to large-scale infrastructure in a coastal plain estuary. The alteration of residence time in a coastal plain estuary due to dredging and building of barrier-type structures is found to vary with freshwater conditions. Two identical 3-year simulations with realistic boundary conditions were performed using numerical circulation models of Tampa Bay, Florida, that differ only in their bathymetry. The first simulation used present-day bathymetry. The second used bathymetry based on depth soundings from the preconstruction year 1879. Both models were seeded evenly with over 456,000 passive tracers at the beginning of three separate 90-day time periods. These times were initially chosen according to the relative change in subtidal circulation but found to correspond to different vertical mixing conditions. Two types of Lagrangian residence time were studied: The first, baywide residence time ( TR), is based on the total number of particles in the bay. The largest change in TR was found during a weakly mixed time period with strong baroclinic circulation. In other time periods best described as well- or partially mixed, TR was relatively unaffected. The second, grid scale residence time (), is based on the total number of particles in each model grid cell. Increased was found near bridges and causeways, and decreased was found where relatively deep dredging has occurred. Some regions within the estuary experienced increased in well-mixed conditions but decreased in weakly mixed conditions. The Lagrangian method reveals a rapid, largely transverse redistribution of particles that indicates the results are not sensitive to the initial particle distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the dilemma faced by the stakeholders of existing buildings in regards to a decision making process for energy retrofitting. This paper also identifies the missing stage viewed as the "integrity audit "which can lead to substantial savings in the area of building operation. The methodology is centered on identifying energy waste first, reducing the overall peak electrical demand and then retrofitting for energy-efficiency. A proposed "integrity audit" leads to the classification of three main energy culprits: the identification of waste, missed opportunities, and rescheduling the operation of equipment use. A case study indicating the financial advantages of applying this methodology for a commercial building are presented. The energy retrofitting strategy is divided into two main categories, namely building control improvements and building component implementation. The payback periods are often within months if not immediate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale human-built infrastructure is shown to alter the salinity and subtidal residual flow in a realistic numerical simulation of hydrodynamic circulation in a coastal plain estuary (Tampa Bay). Two model scenarios are considered. The first uses a modern bathymetry and boundary conditions from the years 2001-2003. The second is identical to the first except that the bathymetry is based on depth soundings from the pre-construction year 1879. Differences between the models' output can only result from changes in bay morphology, in particular built infrastructure such as bridges, causeways, and dredging of the shipping channel. Thirty-day means of model output are calculated to remove the dominant tidal signals and allow examination of the subtidal dynamics. Infrastructure is found to steepen the mean axial salinity gradient $$ \partial \overline{s}/ dx $$ by ~40% when there is low freshwater input but flatten $$ \partial \overline{s}/ dx $$ by ~25% under more typical conditions during moderate freshwater inflow to the estuary. Deepening of the shipping channel also increases the magnitude of the residual Eulerian circulation, allowing for larger up-estuary salt transport. Local bathymetry and morphology are important. Some regions within the estuary show little change in residual circulation due to infrastructure. In others, the residual circulation can vary by a factor of 4 or more. Major features of the circulation and changes due to infrastructure can be partially accounted for with linear theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the societal importance of reliable and accurate ocean observations, the wave monitoring community (including academic researchers, agency scientists, resource managers, and representatives from wave instrument manufacturers) came together to develop a set of protocols for the test and evaluation of wave measurement systems in support of the 2009 National Operational Wave Obser-vation Plan, These protocols are focused on a wide range of wave measurement instruments and their respective performance in successfully recovering the "First-5" Fourier components of the incident wave field. Performance is deter-mined by comparing each system's output with a verifiable reference method over a predetermined range of wave frequencies. It is recommended that perma-nent wave test facilities are created on the West Coast (Monterey Bay, CA--deep water) and the East Coast (Duck, NC--shallow water) for continued evaluations of existing and new technologies. It was recognized that no absolute standard exists for the determination of the "First-5" across all spatial domains. Therefore, it was agreed that the Directional Wave rider DWR-Mklll system was the best available reference/standard for the deep and intermediate water wave evaluations as ver-ified by the laser array (LASAR) at the ConocoPhillips Ekofisk offshore platform complex in the North Sea. The long linear array at the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers' Field Research Facility could be used as the standard for shallow water wave evaluations. Finally, given the significance of wave measurements, an appro-priate level of quality assurance and quality control procedures must be included as part of any test and evaluation effort. The details of the proposed protocols for the verification of wave measurement systems are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building profession is increasingly becoming more demanding with respect to building environmental performance. Intentions are to provide best practices into our buildings. In part, this is a response due to the Australian government and other independent organisations that have developed policy on rating tools and performance ranking measures, all with the intention of accomplishing environmentally sustainable buildings. With rating systems endorsing innovative environmental design solutions, it could be asked: Are our buildings really operating as rated? Do we know whether our designs are in compliance with what was calculated or simulated? Is there a feedback loop informing the design process on successes or failures in our designs or mechanical services?. While ratings continue to focus on 'by design' or 'as built' rewards, few tools acknowledge perhaps the more crucial bottom line: 'as performing'. With the exception of an AGBR (Australian Green Building Rating) scheme on actual annual energy consumption, there appears to be no 'as performing' assessment. Furthermore, practically every building is a prototype (a one-off) and requires commissioning, programming and scheduling of its services. It would certainly appear that as stakeholders (the procurers, owners, facilities managers and users) of the newly built environment, that what we really want to know is actual on-site confirmation of performance. It is the objective of the Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL), to provide such a service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lagrangian retention and flushing are examined by advecting neutrally buoyant point particles within a circulation field generated by a numerical ocean model of Tampa Bay. Large temporal variations in Lagrangian residence time are found under realistic changes in boundary conditions. Two 90-day time periods are examined. The first (P1) is characterized by low freshwater inflow and weak baroclinic circulation. The second (P2) has high freshwater inflow and strong baroclinic circulation. At the beginning of both time periods, 686,400 particles are released uniformly throughout the bay. Issues relating to particle distribution and flushing are examined at three different spatial scales: (1) at the scale of the entire bay, (2) the four major regions within the bay, and (3) at the scale of individual model grid cells. Two simple theoretical models for the particle number over time, N(t), are fit to the particle counts from the ocean model. The theoretical models are shown to represent N(t) reasonably well when considering the entire bay, allowing for straightforward calculation of baywide residence times: 156 days for P1 and 36 days for P2. However, the accuracy of these simple models decreases with decreasing spatial scale. This is likely due to the fact that particles may exit, reenter, or redistribute from one region to another in any sequence. The smaller the domain under consideration, the more this exchange process dominates. Therefore, definitions of residence time need to be modified for "non-local" situations. After choosing a reasonable definition, and removal of the tidal and synoptic signals, the residence times at each grid cell in P1 is found to vary spatially from a few days to 90 days, the limit of the calculation, with an average residence time of 53 days. For P2, the overall spatial pattern is more homogeneous, and the residence times have an average value of 26 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws from recent workshops held by the Alliance for Coastal Technologies to summarize the present status of sensors and sensor platforms for making physical oceanographic observations. Technologies reviewed include those for current measurements, HF Radar, wave sensors, drifting buoys, profiling floats, surface meteorological observations, and automated vessel-based systems, as well as related issues of data telemetry and biofouling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residual (time-average) salinity and circulation in a numerical ocean model of the Tampa Bay estuary are shown to experience significant temporal variation under realistic forcing conditions. A version of the Estuarine Coastal Ocean Model developed for Tampa Bay with 70 by 100 horizontal grid points and 11 sigma levels is examined for the years 2001-2003. Model output variables are averaged over the entire time of the simulation to generate long-term residual fields. The residual axial current is found to be dominated by the buoyancy-driven baroclinic circulation with an outflow (southwestward) at the surface and to the sides of the shipping channel, and an inflow (northeastward) usually occurring subsurface within or above the shipping channel. Averages over 30 d are used to examine variations in the residual fields. During the simulation the average surface salinity near the head of Tampa Bay varies with the freshwater inflow, from 12‰ to 33‰. At the bay mouth salinity varies from 30‰ to 36‰. A localized measure of the baroclinic circulation in the shipping channel indicates the residual circulation can vary strongly, attaining a magnitude triple the long-term mean value. The baroclinic circulation can be disrupted, going to near zero or even reversing, when the buoyancy-driven flow is weak and the surface winds are to the northeast. Three time periods, representing different environmental conditions, are chosen to examine these results in detail. A scaling argument indicates the relative strength of buoyancy versus wind as ΔρgH²(LCDw²)-1, where Δρ is head-to-mouth density difference across the bay, g is gravitational acceleration, H is depth, L is bay length, CD is the surface wind drag coefficient, and w is wind speed. Tampa Bay is usually in the buoyancy dominated regime. The importance of winds in the weak-buoyancy case is demonstrated in an additional simulation without wind stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consideration of the dependence of various components of the sea-surface heat and momentum fluxes on sea surface temperature (SST) leads to an explanation for the observed reduction in the horizontal temperature gradients in the uppermost layer of the ocean (a few to 10 m in depth). Horizontal temperature gradients within the mixed layer can be masked by a near-surface layer of warm water. This camouflage of horizontal temperature gradients has importance for the remote sensing of SST used by the fishing industry, for the estimation of acoustic transmission, and for the forecasting of hurricane development, among many uses of SST data. Diurnal warming conditions in the Straits of Florida are examined by a simulation calculation and by analysis of observations obtained on moorings deployed on the south-east Florida shelf. When there is net heating (i.e., the solar input is stronger than the combined latent, sensible and longwave radiative heat losses) the originally warmer water experiences less heating than the colder water, leading to a weakening of the horizontal SST gradients as seen by surface buoys or satellites. The warmer water also experiences more mixing and therefore less increase in temperature. The strongest effect of the diurnal heating on wind stress occurs when the SST starts out cooler than the air temperature and the atmosphere is stably stratified. Diurnal warming can then rapidly increase the SST above the air temperature because of reduced wind stress and reduced upper-ocean mixing. After that the wind stress increases as convectively driven turbulence contributes to the atmospheric exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural variability in the myriad of physical processes that impact and control estuaries occurs at time scales that typically may exceed or partly exceed many monitoring programs. With respect to documenting and monitoring impacts of human influences­ on estuaries, it is therefore important to frame the results of short-term monitoring programs within the context of longer term natural variability in the environment. In the Tampa Bay, Florida area, climate variability strongly influences seasonal precipitation, stream flow, and salinity. In particular, El Niño-Southern Oscillation impacts during the winter have the potential to influence both the availability of surface water for water supply withdrawal and the evaluation of the impacts of surface water withdrawals on the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes how El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions influence seasonal rainfall, salinity and stream discharge patterns in the Tampa Bay, Florida region. Resulting variability in freshwater input to Tampa Bay; Seasonal salinity distribution; Dry conditions and depressed stream discharge that characterize La Nina winters and springs.

Characterizes the coastal ocean environment at the South Florida Ocean Measurement Center, using observations from very high frequency (VHF) radar. Background on the concept of using high frequency and VHF radar pulses to probe surface ocean currents; Description of the experimental design using the VHF radar; Surface current observations.

The importance of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on regional-scale climate variability is well recognized although the associated effects on local weather patterns are poorly understood. Little work has addressed the ancillary impacts of climate variability at the community level, which require analysis at a local scale. In coastal communities water quality and public health effects are of particular interest. Here we describe the historical influence of ENSO events on coastal water quality in Tampa Bay, Florida (USA) as a test case. Using approximate randomized statistics, we show significant ENSO influences on water quality particularly during winter months, with significantly greater fecal pollution levels during strong El Niño winters and significantly lower levels during strong La Niña winters as compared to neutral conditions. Similar significant patterns were also noted for El Niño and La Niña fall periods. The success of the analysis demonstrates the feasibility of assessing local effects associated with large-scale climate variability. It also highlights the possibility of using ENSO forecasts to predict periods of poor coastal water quality in urban region which local agencies may use to make appropriate prepations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve Australia's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, a majority of the existing residential building stock in Australia will require retrofitting in favour of energy-efficient solutions. This paper considers retrofitting for conditioning to be one of the most straightforward and offers the greatest potential to deliver significant comfort and energy-saving results. Radiant conditioning systems are not new, yet some game-changing innovations have taken place over the last decade that may require an entire paradigm shift in the manner we condition our buildings. The reiteration of the principle 'thermally active systems' suggests that our buildings need to accommodate these systems into the fabric of building components. However, extremely few products and/or innovative solutions for doing such seem to be provided by the industry. We seem incompetent with solutions that are not costing the Earth, insulating, lightweight, and offering an instant response time to conditioning. We still have the concept embedded in our minds that radiative systems consist of heavy 'combat' construction with time lags of a day or two and that they are very costly to implement, especially if we are to retrofit a project. The purpose of this paper is to rectify and change our understanding of radiant systems, namely through a review of the existing technology and its recent advancements. It intends to introduce the fact that radiant systems can become highly reactive, responsive, and thermally dynamic conditioning systems. Lightweight radiant systems can be 40% more energy-efficient than common air conditioners and can respond in less than 15 min rather than in the hours required of heavy radiant systems. Thus, an insulated, lightweight radiant system is ideal for retrofitting residential buildings. Furthermore, this paper supports and introduces various systems suited to retrofitting a residential building with hydronic radiant systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low elevation coastal zones (LECZ) are extensive throughout the southeastern United States. LECZ communities are threatened by inundation from sea level rise, storm surge, wetland degradation, land subsidence, and hydrological flooding. Communication among scientists, stakeholders, policy makers and minority and poor residents must improve. We must predict processes spanning the ecological, physical, social, and health sciences. Communities need to address linkages of (1) human and socioeconomic vulnerabilities; (2) public health and safety; (3) economic concerns; (4) land loss; (5) wetland threats; and (6) coastal inundation. Essential capabilities must include a network to assemble and distribute data and model code to assess risk and its causes, support adaptive management, and improve the resiliency of communities. Better communication of information and understanding among residents and officials is essential. Here we review recent background literature on these matters and offer recommendations for integrating natural and social sciences. We advocate for a cyber-network of scientists, modelers, engineers, educators, and stakeholders from academia, federal state and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, residents, and the private sector. Our vision is to enhance future resilience of LECZ communities by offering approaches to mitigate hazards to human health, safety and welfare and reduce impacts to coastal residents and industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the advantages of high construction efficiency, prefabricated residential buildings have been of increasing interest in recent years. Against the background of global heating, designing low-carbon facades for prefabricated residential buildings has become a focus. The main challenge for this research is in designing windows for prefabricated residential buildings that can lead to the best performance in carbon emissions. The purpose of this paper is to summarize window design advice for prefabricated residential building facades with low-carbon goals. This paper adopts the single control variable research method. Building energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions under different conditions comprise the primary data used in the study. In the process of achieving the research aim, this study firstly extracts the window design elements of prefabricated residential facades. Secondly, objective function formulas are established and a basic model is built for obtaining data. Thirdly, data results are analyzed and window design advice is put forward under the condition of a low-carbon goal. This paper discusses that the optimal window-to-wall ratio (WWR) with a low-carbon orientation is around 0.15, and compares it innovatively with the optimal WWR under an energy-saving orientation at around 0.38. The research results of this paper can deepen the understanding of architectural low-carbon design and play a guiding role for architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is looking to reduce carbon emissions, prevent global warming, and become more energy sustainable. Despite the various strategies for mitigating climate change, the fact remains that 80% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to activities associated with the built environment, and this is where a concentrated focus is needed. Moreover, most buildings are residential, not commercial or industrial. In essence, ways must be found to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions from existing houses and apartments globally if sustainability is to be realised. The recognised way to achieve this is through the retrofitting of existing residential buildings. Studies in this area have increased in recent times, but the extent of the work remains unmapped and undescribed. If further progress is to be made in this field, researchers' knowledge domain so far must be documented. This literature review delivers that goal. A scientometric evaluation of research on residential retrofitting is here presented. VOSviewer, Gephi, and CiteSpace are the software packages used. Findings identify retrofitting as an emerging theme, taking off only as recently as 2017. The breadth of research is very limited, primarily concerned with calibrating trade-offs between energy costs and thermal comfort. Emerging and new opportunities to expand retrofitting research are identified. Finally, while several journals accommodate publications on this topic, analysis reveals Energy and Buildings to be the significant citation source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative mechanical services coupled with renewable energy systems are crucial for achieving a net zero energy goal for houses. Conventional systems tend to be vastly oversized because they lack the means to buffer energy flows and are based on peak loads. This paper presents an approach to achieve a net zero energy goal for houses by using a solar PV system, heat pumps, and thermal and electrical storage batteries, all off-the-shelf. Constraining one part of the system and then showing how to manage energy storage and flow is a paradigm shift in sizing. The design is for a modest-sized house built in Melbourne, Australia. The output of a solar photovoltaic array drives a small-scale heat pump to heat water, buffering its energy in a thermal battery to energise a radiant space heating system. Space cooling is provided by a separate heat pump. Through energy storage in electrical and thermal batteries, it is possible to meet the electricity, heating and cooling needs of the house for the Melbourne climate with a heat pump that draws less than 1 kW. The design methodology is detailed in an appendix and can be applied to similar projects. This paper contributes to similar work worldwide that aims to reinforce innovative renewable energy driven service design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat Pumps are becoming one of the most considered mechanical conditioning equipment in our buildings. While they are popular, there appears to be quite a vast range of system types and applications in building conditioning. This paper primarily reviews the literature on heat pumps, the various types, and the consideration of design end uses. The fact that there are different energy sources for heat pumps is considered, as well as the different sinks in which energy is stored or dissipated. It is evident that advanced heat pump systems cater well to the use of renewable energy resources. Therefore, in the move towards net-zero energy building operation, the correct selection of a heat pump can help to increase self-consumption of solar PV generation and even make use of direct solar energy heating. This paper reviews the technologies for heat pump selection, application, and design for residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine several real house cases as renewable energy resources are installed. It is an empirical study, based on first principles applied to measured data. In the first case presented, a PV solar system has been installed and a hybrid vehicle purchased. Battery storage is being considered. Smart Meter data (provided in Victoria, Australia) measures the electrical energy flowing to and from the grid in each half hour. Missing is the story about what the house is generating and what its energy requirements are through each half hour interval. We apply actual (on site) solar PV data to this study, resolving the unknown energy flows. Analysing energy flow has revealed that there are five fundamental quantities which determine performance, namely energy load, energy import, energy harvesting, energy export and energy storage. As a function of PV size these quantities depend on four parameters, easily derivable from the Smart Meter data, namely the house load, the night-time house load (no PV generation), the rating of the solar PV system and the tariffs charged. This reveals most of the information for providing advice on PV array size and whether to install a battery. An important discovery is that a battery, no matter what size, needs a PV system large enough to charge it during the winter months. The analysis is extended to two more houses located within 5 km for which detailed solar data is unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]