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The conservation of historic libraries can be referred towards both the ancient book collections and the buildings themselves. Heritage collections made of paper are threaten by climate-induced deterioration risks such as cellulose hydrolysis. Several studies have investigated the microclimate inside historic libraries but comparisons are difficult due to the lack of long-term microclimate observations and uniformity in the use of standards and risk assessment methods. For the first time, the long-term microclimate observations collected in three historic libraries in Italy were comparatively studied to outline differences and similarities of their microclimates in terms of paper preservation. A multidisciplinary approach was applied to assess the building performance (a) and the deterioration risks for the collections (b). As for a), a common feature of the libraries was the high thermal inertia and low indoor-outdoor air exchanges. As for b), the Time Weighted Expected Lifetime (TWEL) was defined to account for an average chemical risk on a seasonal and yearly basis. TWEL allowed to highlight the impact of the most adverse conditions on the overall chemical risk for acidic paper preservation (e.g., temperatures above 20 °C reached naturally in summer/artificially in winter). It resulted that the measured microclimate conditions in the libraries would lead to the loss of their acidic collections in less than 300 years. Demographic plots were finally used to inform about the risk resulting from the synergy between handling and microclimate as well as to explore the effectiveness of possible preservation measures such as the deacidification of 10% of the collections. [Display omitted] • The long-term microclimate data in three historic libraries in Italy are comparatively studied. • The investigation includes microclimate characterisation and conservation risk assessment. • A multidisciplinary approach is used to evaluate building performance and paper deterioration. • The current microclimate in the libraries reduces the expected lifetime of acidic collections. • Restoration interventions might not be effective if the current microclimate is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: With the rapid development of civil engineering, the traditional low rise building model can no longer meet the needs of urbanization, and high-rise building structure has become the future development direction. In recent years, earthquake disasters occur frequently in China, which has caused huge losses to high-rise buildings. Therefore, we must strengthen the relevant research of high-rise building structures, which can make the high-rise building structural columns meet the requirements of safety performance. Therefore, the health detection and seismic performance evaluation of high-rise buildings will be of great significance. Research method: Through static elastic-plastic evaluation, we can calculate the dissipated strain energy of the structural column, which will further obtain the damage index of the structural column and obtain relevant data. Through this calculation method, we can complete the seismic performance evaluation of high-rise buildings, which is a calculation mode different from the traditional finite element software analysis. Through static elastic-plastic analysis, the seismic performance evaluation of high-rise buildings will have higher accuracy, which will build a damage index. Therefore, this paper uses a variety of research methods, mainly literature survey and empirical analysis. Through literature analysis, this paper can fully and correctly understand the methods of health detection and seismic performance evaluation of high-rise building structures at home and abroad, which will further clarify the current research level at home and abroad. Through empirical research, this paper analyzes specific examples, which can obtain more accurate results. Conclusion: In this paper, the seismic performance of high-rise buildings is comprehensively evaluated according to the damage index value of building structural columns. The simulation results show that more ideal seismic evaluation results can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the growing limelight on digital revolution and sustainability in the maritime industry, this paper aims to investigate the overlaps and interconnectedness of these two significant topics. Anchored on resource-based view and organisational ambidexterity theories, this study investigates the influence of key technical and social digital resources on exploratory and exploitative innovation capabilities and sustainable performance of maritime companies. This study also analyses the direct effects of innovation constructs and the indirect effects of digital resources on sustainable performance. Survey data were collected from 164 maritime professionals from various functions and sectors in the maritime industry. The structural equation modelling analysis revealed that all identified digital resources have a significant, positive correlation with innovation constructs, as well as a positive indirect effect on sustainable performance. Furthermore, as compared to exploitative innovation, exploratory innovation generates a greater positive effect on sustainable performance. This study enriches theoretical research by enhancing the understanding of resource-based view and organisational ambidexterity. It also explores the tensions between exploratory and exploitative innovation, as well as the definition of sustainable performance. It offers managerial implications by recommending how the management can utilise technical and social digital resources and innovation to improve sustainable performance via better long-term planning and corporate decisions. In addition, this study also enables firms to prioritise their allocation of resources where finances or manpower are scarce. • Impact of digital resources on exploratory and exploitative innovation are analysed. • Resource-based view and organisational ambidexterity theories are applied. • Redefines sustainable performance via ESG and triple bottom line frameworks. • Digital culture and digital leadership impact exploratory and exploitative the most. • Exploratory innovation exerts a greater positive effect on sustainable performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated extraction of polygonal building contours from high-resolution remote sensing images is important for various applications. However, it remains a difficult task to achieve automated extraction of polygonal buildings at the level of human delineation due to diverse building structures and imperfect image conditions. In this paper, we propose Line2Poly, an end-to-end approach that uses feature lines as geometric primitives to achieve polygonal building extraction by recovering topological relationships among these lines within an individual building. To extract building feature lines with precision, we adopt a two-stage strategy that combines Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and transformer architectures. A CNN-based module extracts preliminary feature lines, which serve as positional priors for initializing positional queries in the subsequent transformer-based module. For polygonal building contour reconstruction, we devise a learnable polygon topology reconstruction module that predicts adjacency relationships among discrete lines, and integrates lines into building polygons. The resultant building polygons, based on feature lines, exhibit inherent regularity that aligns with manual labeling standards. Extensive experiments on the Vectorizing World Buildings dataset, the WHU aerial building dataset and the WHU-Mix (vector) dataset validate Line2Poly's impressive performance in building feature line extraction and instance-level building detection. Moreover, Line2Poly's predictions exhibit the highest level of concurrence with manual delineations, with over 83% agreement on the WHU aerial building test set and 68.7/59.7% on the WHU-Mix (vector) test set I and II, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disaster Recovery (DR) providers define the main services as backup and restore, both with critical data and applications. Most clients of data and application backup, fully rely on DR's services to restore them in the disaster events. Furthermore, in the normal conditions, DR provider backs up data, sometimes with application in routine or regular basis. Thus, providers should deliver the services in sophisticated way through several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In this paper, development of KPIs is focused on performance and assurance, which a laboratory testing simulates backup and restore services. On the other hand, experimental data such as network and system parameters are analysed to build performance and assurance framework. Meanwhile, interdependence among each performance and assurance of DRCs was used to build a relationship model. It is acted as a part of service level agreement, that a DR providers can present services dynamically. They also should adapt the computing resources to deliver services to meet SLA (Service Level Agreement) in flexible strategy. In turn, they can negotiate SLA with the customers based on this new approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ADA learns preferences from market data and predicts price of newly generated building design. • Integrate ADA with 3D building simulation to study price gain and value at risk. • Changes to Visual Capital identify the exposure and financial sensitivity to land-use change. • Blueprint for integrating economic evaluation within site-selection, design optimization. Uncertainty of spillover effects – including property devaluation - from proposed land-use change elicits opposition to local development. This hinders cities' ability to implement land-use policy aimed at housing affordability and environmental sustainability. The uncertainty arises from the limitation of current methods to quantify both the physical exposure and financial sensitivity to changes in urban environmental characteristics and amenities. Hence, this paper introduces an integrated approach to quantify the direct and indirect effects of a proposed urban development, using parametric modeling, building performance simulation and automated design appraisal (ADA). ADA, a novel aspect of this study, predicts the market price of a generated building design concept within a local urban context. To demonstrate its practical utility, this paper examines property value at risk due to nearby development associated with changes to visual landscape quality. The results shed light on the importance and spatial variability of the price-amenity gradient, identifying properties that are financially at risk to the visual impacts of local development. Beyond building-specific risk modeling for the development planning stage, this work serves as a blueprint for architectural design optimization procedures, in which economic performance is evaluated based on learned preferences derived from financial market data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector is responsible for around 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with building envelopes playing a significant role in this carbon footprint. This is particularly relevant for building facades with large window-to-wall ratios (WWR), because higher proportions of glass increase both operational and embodied carbon. In light of the contemporary demand for such glazed envelopes, there is an emerging legislative trend that measures not only operational carbon, but also embodied via utilizing life-cycle assessment tools (LCA). To this effect, there is a great demand for techniques that can effectively lower the former carbon without increasing the latter. To contribute to this effort, this paper presents a whole LCA across seven cities for standard and advanced glazing solutions, including Water-Filled Glass (WFG). WFG is a novel technology that utilizes water in the cavity of insulated glass units (IGU), to improve thermal comfort, energy and acoustic performance of buildings. The paper utilizes energy simulation modelling through TRNSYS, and provides a comparative analysis of different glazing techniques. The significance of this paper is that a comprehensive cradle-to-grave LCA analysis of standard and advanced glass techniques is presented here for the first time, across all major Köppen-Geiger climates. The results show that WFG presents considerable carbon savings against all other options e.g., 31–53% compared to double glass, underlining the possibility of reducing operational and embodied carbon simultaneously. A second novel outcome of the paper is introducing the Glass Viability Index (GVI) for the first time, which presents the 'carbon payback' period required to offset an embodied carbon increase with operational savings. This is because the short lifespan of glass makes embodied carbon a large driver in LCA, and as such the prioritisation of operational carbon when selecting a technique can lead to a unsustainable practice. • Glass options should be ranked on LCA instead of just operational energy. • Paper presents life-cycle carbon for seven glass options across all major climates. • Viability of advanced glass options is affected by their high embodied carbon. • Glass option ranking depends on length of representative study period (RSP). • Glass Viability Index is created, which ranks carbon impact independently of RSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) plays a critical role in creating Thermal Resilient Communities (TRCs) by mitigating the adverse climate change impacts and enhancing thermal resilience. In this paper, we consider a range of UGI types, from street trees, urban parks, green spaces, and building-integrated UGI components, such as green roofs and green walls. It is intended that the thermal/aerodynamic effects of UGI be analyzed and the influence of UGI at three spatial scales within urban communities be provided; more specifically: microclimate scale, building scale, and individual scale. The study discusses the findings of 218 papers published since 2010 to elaborate on recent progress in this field. This review delves into three fundamental aspects related to UGI: a) the underlying mechanisms allowing UGI to affect the environment and human health, b) the modeling efforts undertaken to simulate these effects, and c) measurement studies providing empirical data and verifying the models. Additionally, the effects of UGI across the three scales and related aspects are discussed, and the importance of integrative mechanisms and coupled modeling approaches is emphasized. Key methodologies for integrating microclimate and building simulations are summarized, highlighting the data exchange protocols and software tools. In contrast to previous reviews, this study has analyzed major measurement studies, categorizing them into full-scale and sub-scale studies. As a conclusion, several potential directions for future research are identified, including advanced physical and data driven UGI models, enhanced coupled simulations for indoor-outdoor interactions, establishment of measurement datasets for benchmarking both UGI modeling and coupled simulations. • Reviewed 218 post-2010 Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) studies for Thermal Resilient Communities (TRC). • Analyzed UGI effects on three spatial scales of microclimate, building and individual. • Discussed UGI effects in terms of mechanism, modeling and measurement. • Summarized co-simulation methods for microclimate and buildings with UGI. • Outlined and compared full-scale and sub-scale measurements studies with UGI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A pipeline is formulated to extract window to wall ratios from building façades. • A grammar based and learning based method are compared for performance efficacy. • The learning-based method shows higher accuracy than the grammar-based method. • A hybrid method combining the strengths of the methods achieves higher accuracy. • An algorithm utilizing the learning-based method extracts detailed building heights. Urban feature extraction methods have presented multiple opportunities in the field of environmental building performance studies, and urban assessments. With reference to façade features, window size and position are key parameters that influence occupant perception and environmental performance of indoor spaces. A myriad of methods have been proposed to automatically detect façade window layouts from street view images yet it is still unclear how to assess the strengths and limitations of these methods or how they can be combined for higher detection performance. This paper aims to add clarity for those aiming to use computer vision techniques for façade layout extraction for urban level sustainability assessments. An automated pipeline to enable the extraction and detection of WWRs (Window to Wall ratios) is introduced that is based on two fundamentally different computational approaches; a grammar-based edge detection framework (Method 1) and a learning-based method (Method 2) that utilizes CNNs (Convolutional Neural Networks). The paper then compares the detection efficacy of both methods, focusing on WWR accuracy, in New York and Lisbon, including their ability to extract more detailed façade properties such as floor-to-floor heights. The study finds that the learning-based method shows lower error scores across the two cities. In Lisbon, 69 % of conditions were detected within the 10 % error range and 91 % were within the 20 % range under Method 1. Under Method 2, 82.5 % of conditions were within the 10 % error range and 95 % were within the 20 % range. In New York, 66 % of conditions were within the 10 % error range and 90 % were within the 20 % range under Method 1 while 77.5 % of conditions were within the 10 % error range and 93 % were within the 20 % range under Method 2. Finally, a hybrid method is proposed to leverage the strengths of the two models, and higher accuracies are obtained in both the New York and Lisbon dataset. In New York, 96.5 % are now detected within the 20 % error range and 81.5 % within the 10 % error range. In Lisbon, 96 % are now detected within the 20 % error range and 83.5 % within the 10 % error range. With reference to the total building height extraction formulated under Method 2, the results show a relative error of 3.5 % in height estimation in the sample set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the irreversibility of building structures in the construction process, unreasonable construction methods are likely to cause economic losses and great negative social impacts. Therefore, the study of scientific and efficient intelligent construction methods for building structures has become a research hotspot in recent years, mainly including intelligent building design, construction control and safety analysis methods. Therefore, it is very meaningful and necessary to carry out research on intelligent construction technology based on BIM technology. By applying BIM technology to the process of intelligent construction of structures, this paper intends to achieve six major objectives such as building performance analysis and parametric design of structures, and independently develop a BIM construction process management platform, which combines construction progress, quality, safety, cost and green construction through BIM technology for information management of projects, making it more convenient for owners and construction unit staff to software application, thus greatly improving the communication and use efficiency, and providing important guidance for the construction process control and progress control of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU has set itself demanding objectives to achieve complete decarbonisation by 2050. The building sector plays an important role for this purpose, hence monitoring its progress towards decarbonisation is essential to identify measures that work and to readjust policies when necessary. However, collecting information to monitor the building sector is a complex task due to the scarcity and low quality of available data. The European digital building logbook (DBL) has great potential in this regard because it allows the collection of data at the building scale, which could be combined at a national level. Thus, this paper proposes a new functionality for the DBL -as an enabler for the collection of data for the assessment of the progress of the main EU policy objectives related to the building sector decarbonisation-, and it evaluates the potential of the DBL for it. To do so, the main policy objectives were associated to a set of progress indicators –mandatory and optional- and matched to DBL indicators. Mandatory indicators are for all Member States and they have been included in the 2023 amended version of the proposal for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive recast. Optional indicators are considered country-specific in this paper and are sourced from various literature references. Here we have studied the optional progress indicators for the case of Spain. Results show that the DBL has great potential to contribute to the collection of more than half of the mandatory indicators and a very high share of the optional ones for Spain. • Monitoring the decarbonisation progress of national building sectors is crucial. • Mandatory and optional indicators are needed to monitor buildings decarbonisation. • The DBL has great potential for monitoring national building stocks decarbonisation. • The DBL will provide the majority of the decarbonisation progress indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban building layout has an important influence on the formation of shadows on building façades, and photovoltaic (PV) power generation performance is greatly affected by shadows. However, there is limited research on detailed modeling of the power generation of photovoltaic systems on facades with different building layouts. In this paper, according to different urban building layouts, an annual dynamic shadow model of the building and a mathematical model of PV array power generation were established and validated. Then the model was used to calculate the annual power generation hour by hour, optimize the PV array topology, and analyze the shadow shading ratio and PV power generation performance of different building layouts. The results show that 95 % of the best topologies of all partially shaded façades in the four layouts are Total-Cross-Tied (Vertical and Horizontal); the highest annual shading ratio is layout 4 with a value of 60.161 %, the largest annual power generation is layout 3, but layout 4 has the highest broad generation efficiency, with layouts 1, 2, and 3 lower than it by 4.29 %, 0.20 %, and 0.11 %, respectively. This paper provides new ideas for the early design of building layouts and the performance research of PV systems. • Yearly dynamic shadow and detailed PV models developed for urban layouts. • Optimized PV topologies under year-round dynamic shading. • 95 % optimal topologies are Total-Cross-Tied (Vertical and Horizontal). • Compared annual PV output and broad efficiency across building layouts. • Layout 4 excels in broad generation efficiency, leading by 4.29 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy simulations are extensively employed by researchers and designers to assess strategies aimed at enhancing the thermal performance or energy efficiency of buildings. However, the methodologies for conducting these simulations and analyzing their outcomes vary according to regional standards and among research groups. This work aims to investigate the methods for evaluating the thermal performance of buildings through energy simulations, through a systematic literature review. Initially, the authors surveyed articles published between 2011 and 2022 on Scopus and Web of Science. From an initial pool of 1463 articles that met the research criteria, a refined list of 158 papers were read completely. The authors examined prevalent trends in the methods and identified future research directions. Most publications originated from authors in Northern Hemisphere, with only Brazil showing expressive numbers in the Southern Hemisphere. The results revealed the three most employed methods: Thermal Load (94 %), Degree-Hour (or Degree-Day) (9 %), and Design Days (5 %). EnergyPlus stands out as the widely preferred software (65 % of studies), and 62 % of them incorporate some form of validation or calibration. Articles often lack complete simulations parameters and/or clarity in their presentation. In response to the identified gaps, this study introduces a checklist of best practices for presenting the simulation steps. As such, this work serves as a valuable theoretical framework for future assessments of building thermal performance through computer simulation. • We reviewed 185 papers on methods to evaluate therm. Perform. Via energy simulations. • Thermal Load (94 %), Degree-Hour (9 %) and Design Days (5 %) are the most used methods. • EnergyPlus and ASHRAE are the most used software and standard, respectively. • Literature gaps include comparative studies and conversion strategies among methods. • Standardized protocols for model calibration and validation are still limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined phase change material (PCM) and thermal insulation is a crucial practical opportunity to improve thermal inertia and resistance for energy-effective and nearly-zero energy buildings. To this aim, the current paper quantitatively investigated the role of traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS) thermal insulation of different thicknesses to improve the thermal performance of building envelope integrated PCM under harsh summer months. The improvement in indoor temperature was studied considering the maximum indoor temperature reduction (MITR), time lag (TL), average temperature fluctuation reduction (ATFR) and average operative temperature reduction (AOTR). Thereafter, the average heat gain reduction (AHGR) was introduced to quantify the thermal enhancement of envelope elements. Simulation results revealed that building envelope integrated with PCM-EPS demonstrated better thermal performance than incorporating PCM alone. Compared with the PCM room, the indoor temperature of PCM-EPS rooms was improved by a maximum of 143 %, 177.2 %, 35 % and 8.5 % in terms of MITR, TL, ATFR and AOTR, respectively, along with enhanced envelope resistance by up to 103.8 % concerning the AHGR. Increasing EPS layer thickness by up to 2 cm has increased the PCM room thermal performance during the daytime. However, the EPS thickness of 1 cm showed better performance considering the ATFR and AOTR during full thermal cycles. • Building envelope-enhanced PCM/EPS is investigated numerically towards NZEBs. • Installing the EPS layer next to PCM near the indoor side guarantees complete melting and solidification. • Increased EPS thickness in the PCM room has improved MITR and extended TL by up to 142.8 % and 3.2 h, respectively. • Installing EPS with 1 cm thickness into the PCM room attained ATFR and AOTR by 35 % and 8.5 %, respectively. • Increasing EPS thickness has increased the AHGR of the PCM room by up to 135 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An experimental rig of a novel bubble pump with diffusion gas has been built. • The refrigerant generating and pumping performance of bubble pump were tested. • The influences of 5 independent variables on bubble pump performance were studied. • The diffusion gas affected significantly on the performance of bubble pump. A closed experimental system has been built to explore the performance of refrigerant generating bubble pump (used in diffusion absorption heat transformer), in which the refrigerant generation is based on a diffusion generation process and the absorbent solution is lifted by vapor mixture of diffusion gas and refrigerant. In experiments, R134a, H 2 O and HCOOK solution were employed as diffusion gas, refrigerant and absorbent for refrigerant, respectively. The influences of concentrations (the mass fraction of HCOOK), system pressures, motive heads, generating temperatures and diffusion gas flow rates on the refrigerant generating and solution pumping performance were investigated. The refrigerant flow rate was used to evaluate the refrigerant generating performance, while the solution flow rate and pumping ratio were used to evaluate the solution pumping performance. The experimental results showed that: (1) the increase of generating temperature and diffusion gas flow rate or the decrease of concentration and system pressure led to the increase of refrigerant flow rate; (2) the solution flow rate and pumping ratio were remarkably impacted by the motive head and diffusion gas flow rate; (3) the solution flow rate and pumping ratio increased with the increase of motive head or the decrease of diffusion gas flow rate. The results obtained in the paper will helpful to the design and optimization of the refrigerant generating bubble pump in the diffusion absorption heat transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As passive control technology advances and building forms become increasingly diversified, traditional axial and shear dampers may no longer meet diverse structural application requirements. This paper introduces a novel rotational metallic damper, i.e. rotational steel rod damper (RSRD), as an alternative engineering solution. The RSRD comprises three steel plates rotating around a central pin and four low yield point steel rods as energy dissipators. The input seismic energy can be dissipated in the form of plastic rotation of the RSRD. Initially, the structural form, working mechanism, and design approach of the RSRD are presented. Subsequent cyclic quasi-static tests on two RSRD specimens under varied loading protocols demonstrated satisfactory energy dissipation capacity, with an equivalent viscous damping ratio exceeding 0.47. The cyclic behavior, rotational strength, and cumulative plastic deformation capacity are discussed following the tests. A finite element (FE) analysis on the RSRD using ABAQUS is conducted to further investigate its performance. A comparison between the hysteretic behavior and failure mode of tested and simulated results is presented to validate the FE model. Additionally, two new structural forms, with linear and arc-shaped weakening on the steel rod, are simulated and compared with the original. FE results indicate that the arc-shaped weakening of the steel rod effectively avoids plastic strain concentration, showcasing superior low-cycle-fatigue performance. Finally, nonlinear time history analyses on two RC frames, with and without RSRD, reveal that structural and non-structural damage can be controlled under the maximum considered earthquake (MCE) by utilizing RSRDs. • The rotational steel rod damper was proposed to enhance the seismic performance of buildings. • Cyclic behavior of the rotational steel rod damper was investigated through quasi-static tests and numerical simulations. • The proposed damper exhibits superior energy dissipation capacity with an equivalent viscous damping ratio exceeding 0.47. • Nonlinear response history analysis on two RC frames with and without the dampers was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the challenges of climate change, energy sovereignty and urban densification, operation of local resources and available areas remains an important issue. Integration of photovoltaic components on building envelope is therefore an essential solution to produce manage energy flexibility and obtain Nearly Zero Energy Building. In order to optimize permanently their electrical and thermal performances facing building needs, photovoltaic facades functionalities should adapt and evolve with weather conditions. Bio-inspired design is a breakthrough approach to provide adaptability to physical, mechanical and optical properties of photovoltaic envelope. Therefore, this paper presents the thermal modelling and numerical parametric studies in the case of a photovoltaic bifacial ventilated facade realized with the purpose to identify properties that should acquire adaptive features. Physics related to the identified parameters allow paving the way for the search and the selection of suitable biological adaptive mechanisms. The results of this study indicate that radiative and optical properties of the photovoltaic ventilated facade are the most influential and conflict-inducing parameters on both its electrical and thermal performances. Thus, to provide adaptability to those properties, biological search should be led on live species dealing with extreme heat and radiation and developing adaptive functions aiming to control solar radiation intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings are typically integrated with multiple distributed energy resources (DERs), enabling them to act as building prosumers engaged in both energy production and consumption. Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading among building prosumers is crucial to improve their benefits. However, further exploration is required to balance the benefits between building prosumers and the system operator (e.g., the integrated community energy system (ICES) operator) since they are different entities. In this context, this paper proposes a comprehensive network charge and energy sale pricing scheme for the ICES operator on heterogeneous building prosumers with P2P multi-energy trading. The interaction between the ICES operator and building prosumers is modelled as a bi-level optimization problem that belongs to the hierarchical structure, while considering the heterogeneity of thermal insulation performance of buildings. At the upper level, the ICES operator optimizes the electricity/heat network charge prices and electricity/heat sale prices to maximize its revenue. At the lower level, building prosumers with a parallel structure optimize the schedules including P2P multi-energy trading and buildings' heating loads to minimize their costs. Furthermore, to address the bi-level optimization problem with parallel and hierarchical coupling structures, an accelerated asynchronous distributed algorithm based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is developed, integrating a warm start strategy and a dual update accelerated iteration strategy for further improving computational efficiency. Finally, case studies demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively benefit both the ICES operator and building prosumers in P2P multi-energy trading at the same time. Meanwhile, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are validated. • An optimal pricing scheme for ICES operator on building prosumers is proposed. • A bi-level optimization is proposed for ICES operator and prosumers with P2P. • An accelerated asynchronous distributed algorithm based on ADMM is developed. • Benefits of ICES operator and prosumers through several scenarios are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of computer-based decisional tools for conservation-compatible energy retrofit. • Collaborative information-search methodology. • Three levels of action (single building component, whole building, district level). • Analysis of tools' structure, aim, limitations and link to EN16883 procedure. • Overview of potential future developments of the tools to enable the use of EN16883. The heterogeneity of historic buildings and environmental conditions, as well as the variety of possible technical solutions, introduce great challenges to the decision-making process for the definition and implementation of energy retrofit projects. The variety of stakeholders involved in the process, each bringing specific skills and goals, further add to this complexity. How can the decision be finalised when multiple and often conflicting objectives and different stakeholders are involved? In this context, the European Standard EN 16883:2017 provides guidelines to improve the energy performance of historic buildings while respecting their heritage significance. It presents a normative working procedure to select conservation-compatible retrofit solutions, which is based on a step-by-step investigation, analysis and documentation of the building. However, the recommendations provided in the Standard remain at a general level and it is the task for the stakeholders to tailor the intervention to the specific case. This paper investigates how the implementation of the EN 16883:2017 can be enabled by adopting a selection of existing computer-based tools to support the identification, assessment, and selection of retrofit solutions in historic buildings. To this end, a number of tools were analysed, highlighting their advantages, input data, outcomes and main limitations, in relation to their possible use in support of the implementation of the Standard procedure (or steps of it). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector has great potential for contributing to the 2030 EU goals of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing production from renewable sources. This is even more important considering the increasing cooling energy needs. Among the available technologies, solar cooling (SC) represents a good alternative to traditional electric chillers. However, its use in residential buildings is still limited. The aim of this paper is to analyse the potential of solar cooling system in multi-family buildings. A dynamic model of a complete SC system with auxiliary components was developed in TRNSYS to meet the energy demand of a representative nearly zero energy multi-family building in Italy. The performance of different system design alternatives was analysed in eight different climates with special focus on energy storages. The results show how solar cooling should be optimally designed and provide quantification of achievable renewable energy ratios and related costs in the different climates. • Weather is a determining factor for the design of Solar Cooling (SC) systems. • Solar Cooling represent a valuable alternative for nZEB space cooling. • Dynamic modelling for optimization of thermal storage is crucial to ensure SC performance. • Global design choices should include cost-optimal analysis. • A best design scenario has been identified economically and energetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimental study identifying the limit states of rammed earth walls. • Four RE walls were tested under bi-axial loading. • Cracking evolution recorded by the digital image correlation technique. • Four limit states proposed for RE walls based on the damage evolution. Rammed earth (RE) is a construction material manufactured from the soil. This material attracts the attention of numerous scientific investigations during the past decade due to its sustainable properties. The performance of RE buildings under horizontal loadings remains an important topic to be investigated. This paper presents an experimental study which identifies the limit states for the in-plane seismic assessment of RE walls. Four RE walls were tested under bi-axial loading: first a vertical force was applied on the top of the wall to simulate the dead and live loads in a building; then a horizontal force pushed at the top the walls to simulate a seismic action. The cracking evolution was recorded by using the DIC (digital image correlation) technique in which the displacement fields were determined by comparing the images taken after and before the loading. Based on the damage evolution observed during the tests and on a similar approach of unreinforced masonries, the present paper proposed four limit states for RE walls corresponding to the inter-storey drift δ: no damage (before LS1) and slight damages (before LS2): δ < 0.1%; moderate damages (before LS3): 0.1% ≤ δ < 0.3%; extensive damage (before LS4): 0.3% ≤ δ < 0.6%; compete damage or collapse (after LS4): δ ≥ 0.6%. This is the first time these limit states are proposed for RE walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Switchable insulation is an effective means of regulating heat through envelopes. • Current research on switchable insulation is fragmented across multiple domains. • We review existing technologies systematically and propose a classification system. • We assess their performance and improvement opportunities for building applications. Switchable thermal insulation, in the form of an opaque panel that alternates between thermally conductive and insulated states, can be an effective means of regulating the thermal environment by selectively transferring heat between the indoor and outdoor environments. Pioneering work has been undertaken by researchers to develop switchable insulation technologies intended for applications in the built environment, automotive, and aerospace, where conventional space heating and cooling technologies are either too bulky or too energy consuming to meet design requirements. Switchable insulation technologies are in their infancy and the emerging research on this topic is unstructured and fragmented across disparate application sectors and very few of the adaptive insulation concepts and technologies are actively being pursued by the buildings research community. The aim of this paper is therefore to advance the understanding of switchable insulation for possible applications in the building envelope, by reviewing and classifying the existing technologies systematically, with a particular focus on their working principles, theoretical performance and improvement opportunities. The paper provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the most promising switchable insulation technologies for building envelopes and identifies the opportunities for further research in each of the technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper proposes a numerical approach for optimizing living wall design. • A case study is developed for a typical Mediterranean climate. • The west exposure and the grass plants assure the best yearly performance. • The optimal configuration reduces the cooling need of around 7.0%. • In summer, the operative temperature can be reduced by more than 1.0 °C. Living walls have a great potential for the improvement of the building energy performances and the indoor comfort as well as for positive changes in dense urban areas. Despite this evidence, the design criteria have not be discussed in the available literature. This paper proposes a complete numerical approach for selecting the optimal living wall package in the Mediterranean climate areas. With a parametric analysis, the incidence of plants' type, substrate's materials, air-gap and thickness of the main materials on energy performance, thermal comfort and polluting emissions is evaluated. A multi-objective optimization is applied to a subset of solutions and for the optimal configurations the thermal field is studied by means of the computational fluid dynamic approach. The advantage of proposed method is the combined evaluations of multiple variables with simplicity in execution; for this reason it could be repeated for studying other innovative solutions. Results indicate that the better exposure for the living wall is the west one. The minimization of the cooling energy demand requires the adoption of grass species while the minimization of the heating energy demand the sedum plantings. Moreover, simulations show that the main advantage is the great incidence on the passive control of indoor microclimate with a reduction of operating hours of air-conditioning systems and of energy costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have demonstrated the capability of data-driven modelling based on on-site measurements to characterise the thermal performance of building envelopes. Currently, such methods include steady-state and dynamic heating experiments and have mainly been applied to scale models and unoccupied test buildings. Nonetheless, it is proposed to upscale these concepts to characterise the thermal performance of in-use buildings based on on-board monitoring (OBM) devices which gather long-term operational data (e.g., room temperatures, gas and electricity consumption...). It remains, however, to be proven whether in-use data could be a cost-effective, practical and reliable alternative for the dedicated tests whose more intrusive measurements require on-site inspections. Furthermore, it is presently unclear what the optimal experimental design of the OBM would be and which data analysis methods would be adequate. This paper presents a first step in bridging this knowledge gap, by using on-board monitoring data to characterise the overall heat loss coefficient (HLC) [W/K] of an occupied, well-insulated single-family house in the UK. With the aid of a detailed building physical framework and specifically selected data subsets a sensitivity analysis is carried out to analyse the impact of the measurement set-up, the duration of the measurement campaign and the applied data analysis method. Although the exact HLC of the building is unknown and no absolute errors could hence be calculated, this paper provides a new understanding of the decisions that have to be made during the process from design of experiment to data analysis. It is demonstrated that such judgements can lead to differences in the mean HLC estimate of up to 89.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Affordable and adaptable VIP based internal and external retrofitting solutions. • Implementation of VIP based integral retrofitting solutions in two tertiary buildings. • Space heating energy saving analysis before and after VIP based retrofit. • Envelope heat loss coefficient reduction analysis before and after retrofitting. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) represent a huge opportunity to achieve nearly zero energy buildings, especially in the retrofitting of existing buildings. VIPs can be applied in conjunction with façade cladding elements, considerably reducing the heat losses or gains from the building by means of very slim wall construction systems or retrofit solutions. However, the fact that VIPs cannot be cut on-site, can be easily damaged during their handling, installation and use and have an envelope that can cause thermal bridging in the junction between panels or when combined with other materials, has hindered their penetration in the construction market. This paper presents two innovative façade retrofitting solutions, a rear ventilated façade and a stud mounted internal solution, that have tackled all these issues and provide thermal transmittances of 0.28 and 0.14 W/m2 K in relatively slim insulation systems of 10 cm widths. Solutions have been installed on the entire façade of two existing buildings located in Bilbao (Spain) and Malmö (Sweden) subjected to an integral rehabilitation process, covering 2100 m2. Buildings energy use have been monitored before and after the renovation, showing energy cuts of around 35% from pre-intervention status. This paper presents the lessons learnt during the design and installation process of the vacuum insulation integrating solutions in the façade of two existing buildings and the thermal performance results achieved after their retrofitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Presented a model-predictive control strategy for radiant floor systems. • Developed data-driven building models with solid prediction accuracy. • Deployed a robust optimization formulation that achieves good solution quality. • Implemented the developed smart operation strategy in an actual building. • Presented a realistic evaluation and demonstrated significant energy savings. Abstract This paper introduces a smart operation strategy based on model predictive control (MPC) to optimize the performance of hydronic radiant floor systems in office buildings and presents results from its implementation in an actual building. Our MPC approach uses dynamic estimates and predictions of zone loads and temperatures, outdoor weather conditions, and HVAC system models to minimize energy consumption and cost while meeting equipment and thermal comfort constraints. It includes data-driven building models estimated and validated using data from an actual building, and deploys an optimizer based on constraint linear/quadratic programming with hard comfort bounds that yields a global minimum with predicted exogenous disturbances. The MPC results show 34% cost savings compared to baseline feedback control during the cooling season and 16% energy use reduction during the heating season. Also, the radiant floor system with the predictive controller shows 29–50% energy savings when compared with a baseline air delivery system serving two identical thermal zones located in the same building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Application of fractal geometry in damage quantification of cracking and crushing of rectangular RC shear walls is presented. • A database including 236 images of 72 concrete shear walls at various drift ratios are collected and the crack pattern is extracted. • Predictive equations to assess the damage of RC shear walls using the crack pattern. • Fragility curves are proposed directly based on the parameters of crack patterns. • Fragility curves subsequently provide an estimation of the loss, repair cost and time. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the extent of damage of rectangular reinforced concrete shear walls after an earthquake using surface crack patterns. One of the most important tasks after an earthquake is to assess the safety and classify the performance level of buildings. This assessment is usually performed by visual inspection that is prone to significant errors. In this research, an extensive database on the images of damaged rectangular reinforced concrete shear walls is collected from the literature. This database includes more than 200 images from experimental quasi-static cyclic tests. Using the concept of fractal geometry, several probabilistic models are developed by extracting and regenerating the surface crack patterns of the collected walls. These models can estimate the peak drift ratio that the structure has experienced. The peak drift ratio predicted by the proposed models of this paper can be used to calculate the probability of exceedance of different damage states using existing fragility models. Furthermore, new fragility models are directly developed using the images of the damaged walls of the collected database. The proposed fragility curves calculate the probability of exceedance of damage states using the crack pattern of the damaged shear walls and consequently provide an estimation of the loss, repair cost, and repair time of the walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of hysteretic damper has gained major attention in seismic resistant design of buildings. It provides an efficient and cost-effective solution to reduce the level of damage induced on the building due to seismic excitations. The efficiency of the damper is influenced by parameters such as yield strength, yield displacement and brace-damper assembly system stiffness. The premise of this paper is to investigate the effect of the uncertainty associated with the hysteretic damper design parameters on the probabilistic seismic performance of steel buildings. Two steel buildings which are designed in accordance with the European Standard design code are evaluated. The uncertainties associated with the damper design parameters are incorporated using the Optimised Latin Hypercube sampling method for different confidence levels. The building response is obtained by conducting nonlinear time history analyses in OpenSEES. The annual frequency of exceeding a damage limit state, which is quantified by integrating the seismic fragility curves and hazard curves, is computed for the steel buildings with and without consideration of the design parameter uncertainties. • This paper provides a detail seismic performance assessment of steel building with hysteretic steel damper. • The effect of uncertainty in damper parameters on seismic demand on the building was quantified using probabilistic approach. • Seismic fragility curves were developed for steel buildings with and without dampers and variability in drift hazard curves were derived. • Uncertainty of damper properties affect the annual probability of exceedance significantly for immediate occupancy limit state up to 24%. • The effect of damper parameter uncertainty is less conclusive for variability up to 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Digitalised models can play a key role in the management of building life-cycle. This paper focuses on the challenges connected to the operation phase of buildings, when the adoption of BIM can make information retrieval and management easier and more efficient. More specifically, a BIM-based cyber-physical system for the automated monitoring of buildings during their regular operation is proposed and tested by means of a customised simulator. The system automatically works out key performance indicators based on the overall throughput effectiveness (OTE) metric, assessing both the overall efficiency and the efficiency of every sub-system integrated in the building. Thus, assessments of the contribution of every sub-system to the operation of the building are performed in real-time. In addition, the metric proposed can help manage multi-objective real-time control. The system is self-reconfigurable thanks to the self-similarity assumption of the computational structure that is designed as a holarchy of holonic systems. The first application reported in this paper shows that when intelligence is embedded at both lower and higher levels, it is possible to generate information that is then used to update the digital model, developed as a BIM. As a result, the digital model becomes the mirror of the physical system and stores the actual performances recorded by the building to support facility managers in making decisions. Highlights • A cyber-physical system (CPS) for the automated assessment of building performances and potential improvements in their life-cycle was developed • The CPS integrates the OTE/OEE approach and self-configuration and adaptation capabilities thanks to its holonic architecture • The CPS is directly linked to the building information model (BIM) to support facility managers in the management and long-term improvement of the operational phase of the building [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, especially in a building envelope, parametric design provides a method of continuous deformation of façade patterns until the architect finds interesting patterns or shapes that satisfy the desired aesthetics. However, these new design methods pose a question regarding the reasoning behind them, and sometimes the aesthetic interest dominates the true function of the envelope system and contrasts it. In opposite, too much engineering in the envelope system creates a problem with the identity of the façade. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to integrate two different performances, quality and quantity, into one measurable goal. Using an existing building's facade as a case study, the building's facade was analyzed to understand the architect's logic behind its design. Then the found logic was programmed into the tool that allowed for the morphing of the façade into a different configuration, which can be evaluated by both quality and quantity performance to find the better solution to satisfy both goals. For the purpose of this paper, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms were considered to find solutions. For a quantitative objective, the indoor daylight availability was used as a measurement to allow for the best daylighting performance envelope system. For a qualitative objective, a matrix was developed to find the user's design preference and used it to evaluate and find a quantitative performance goal. The proposed method provides building facades that satisfy daylighting performance, and most importantly, it allows users to match their aesthetic sensibilities with the design preference. • Developed a method to evaluate qualitative and quantitative performance. • Adapted an expert system to find user's design preference. • Multi-objective optimization was conducted to find high-performance design. • The optimized solution shows close appearance to initial design preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new ground water source heat pump with a pre-conditioner (GWHP-FAP) is proposed. • The ground water (GW) is used twice in the GWHP-FAP system. • GW is used firstly to cool fresh air and secondly to remove the condensation heat. • GWHP-FAP can maximally use the low-grade energy stored in the GW. • The energy saving performance of the GWHP-FAP is proven to be excellent. Abstract From the perspective of cascade utilization of low-grade energy stored in the ground water, a new type of ground water-source heat pump (GWHP) system with a fresh air pre-conditioner using the ground water (abbreviated to GWHP-FAP) is proposed in this paper. For the GWHP-FAP, the ground water will be firstly used to cool/heat the fresh air in a pre-conditioner, and then enters the condenser/evaporator of heat pump (HP) unit for the secondary utilization. Thus the low-grade energy stored in the ground water is maximally used, and the energy consumption of the whole HP system and buildings is reduced. The working principle and the air treatment schemes of the GWHP-FAP are described in detail in this paper. To evaluate the performance of the GWHP-FAP, an office building is taken as an example to apply the system, and six typical cities distributed in three different climatic areas in China, i.e., Beijing, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Changde, Guangzhou, are selected to preliminarily discuss the applicability. The results show that the energy saving performance of the GWHP-FAP is very good. The GWHP-FAP compared with the conventional GWHP, its seasonal energy saving rates are respectively 39.2%, 34.2%, 30.1%, 36.7%, 28.4% and 16.6% for the six typical cities during the cooling mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Neighbourhood form imposes complex effects on the local microclimate. The overlook of neighbourhood microclimate will lead to miscalculation of building energy performance. In this paper, a neighbourhood-scale building simulation coupled between building energy simulation and CFD is proposed to assess the impact of external convective heat transfer coefficient (CHTC) to the building thermal performance. The co-simulation is run for different types of buildings inside the neighbourhood with different combinations of neighbourhood form parameters. The developed simulation scheme allows the iterations of neighbourhood design parameters and simulation model generation in CFD and EnergyPlus. Five empirical methods are used to predict CHTC, and the results of CHTC values, heating and cooling load intensity are compared in detail with the proposed CFD coupled method. The results suggest that the orientation and multiplier are crucial to the building load intensity in Chicago and the neighbourhood form can affect the thermal load of residential building up to about +27.1% and −18.6%, and +17.2% and −7.7% for office buildings. The proposed method and framework in this paper is capable of generating design guidelines for the optimal energy performance of the buildings in the neighbourhood. Highlights • Neighbourhood-scale building block energy simulation coupled with CFD. • Iterated various neighbourhood design parameters and building model generation. • Empirical methods in evaluating CHTCs are evaluated and compared with CFD method. • Neighbourhood form can affect certain type of building's energy use up to ± 20%. • Neighbourhood design guideline for optimal building thermal load is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a building is a collaborative process among experts from multiple disciplines. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), a model is developed through multiple refinement stages to satisfy various design and engineering requirements. Such refinements of geometric and semantic information are described as levels of development (LOD). Thus far, there is no method to explicitly define an LOD's requirements nor to precisely specify the uncertainties involved. Furthermore, despite the insufficient information in the early design stages, a BIM model appears precise and certain, which can lead to false assumptions and model evaluations, for example, in the case of energy efficiency calculations or structural analyses. Hence, this paper presents a multi-LOD meta-model to explicitly describe an LOD's requirements, incorporating the potential fuzziness of both, geometric and semantic information of individual elements. The explicitly defined fuzziness can be taken into account when applying simulations or analyses for assessing the performance of different building design variants. To support the continuous elaboration of a building from the conceptual to the detailed design stages, the multi-LOD model makes it possible to ensure the consistency of the geometric and semantic information as well as the topological coherence across the different LODs. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by its prototypical implementation as a web-server and user-interface, providing a means for managing and checking the exchange requirements both at the meta-level and for concrete building model instances. The paper is concluded with a case study of a real-world construction project that demonstrates the use of the meta-model to support model analysis and the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recently developed generation of high-performance skins greatly leads to the emersion of innovative manufactures integrating real-time environmental response, enhanced materials, dynamic automation with built in microprocessors, wireless sensors and actuators, and design-for-manufacture techniques. This application has basically alter the thinking way of architects in the early design stages of the building with a shifting in importance from form to performance, from structure to envelope. In the field of high-performance buildings, the envelope begins to be the setting of research and development. The aim of the paper is to discuss the design of three strategies used in constructing adaptive building envelopes of multistory buildings, integrating improved energy performance and architectural innovation, in order to Control the physical environmental factors (heat, light, sounds), as well as improving occupants' comfort. Finally, three case studies are analyzed to unveil the implementation of these strategies on constructing structures and study their effects on the building energy savings. Scope and objective The objective of this paper is to illustrate and discuss new conceptual ways of designing adaptive building envelopes of multistory structures that respond to environmental changes in the surrounding climate of different places in the world, and how the usage of such adaptive envelopes can help reduce the energy consumption of the building. Methodology The literature survey will first discuss the characteristics and properties of high performance facades. After that, the paper present and analyze existing examples and ideas of adaptive envelopes, gaining an overall understanding of the concept of three adaptive building envelopes. In addition, at the same time develop knowledge of the materials commonly used and how they perform. Finally, three case studies are presented to analyze the implementation of the three adaptive envelopes strategies and observe their effects on the building energy savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper aims to find the impact of geometric parameters on the energy performance of buildings, to using them to identify types regarding major geometric characteristics of a target area. Conventional approaches to control energy efficiency of buildings mainly focus on materials and capacity of insulation, but rarely consider urban and building geometries. By examining energy impacts on urban blocks by urban geometric forms, this paper seeks to identify urban geometric types and energy patterns on urban blocks. To achieve the aims of this study, this paper follows two steps: First, significant indicators for analyzing energy performance are identified in urban geometries; second, the types that capture urban geometry of a real city are categorized. As a result, as a reference for urban planning and design, the paper identifies 13 types that represent the characteristics of urban geometries regarding energy performance. The geometric indicators are carefully measured and their significance to energy performance of buildings is examined through regression analysis. According to these indicators, the 13 types are categorized using a hierarchical clustering algorithm, a machine learning method. Additionally, the 13 types are discussed for implementation as references in urban planning and design, particularly in block planning for a city. Highlights • A novel method was proposed to analyze large-scale, vector-based urban forms. • 13 urban geometric types were established as energy performance patterns. • Effects of changes in building insulations on urban geometric forms were demonstrated regarding energy performances. • Urban geometric types were examined for planning photovoltaic panels in urban areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The quality of buildings can be assessed in terms of the indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting quality, acoustic comfort afforded the occupants, collectively referred to as Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). A major barrier to a more thoroughly representative audit of actual IEQ performance are the expense and complexity of the measurement instrumentation required. Rapid developments in sensor technology in recent years present the opportunity for continuous and pervasive IEQ monitoring to deliver truly representative characterisations of building performance at a modest cost. The last remaining obstacle to realising these developments seems to be a concern about instrument accuracy. In this paper we test the performance of a low-cost IEQ monitoring system (SAMBA) introduced in an earlier paper. Calibration data from 100 devices was analysed to calculate the standard error of the estimate as a measure of equipment accuracy. Those performance specifications were used in a Monte Carlo simulation based on measurements of thermal comfort parameters from 24 office buildings. Performance measures suggests the low-cost system, whilst not as accurate as laboratory equipment, is more than sufficient for building IEQ diagnostics and compliance assessments. Furthermore, the results of the Monte Carlo simulation show that continuous monitoring systems are better at characterising long-term performance than ad hoc measurement strategies using precision equipment. Low-cost pervasive monitoring technologies therefore offer a unique opportunity to improve our quantitative understanding of, and response to, indoor environmental quality issues. Highlights • Reviews standards for instrument specifications and IEQ measurement protocols. • Evaluates the performance of 100 low-cost continuous IEQ monitoring systems. • Monte Carlo methods test the performance of different sensors for continuous monitoring. • Show continuous monitoring is better than spot measurements for long-term comfort assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • To our knowledge this is the first journal paper to include in-depth thematic analysis of expert interviews regarding the use of building performance simulation in Australia, with a particular focus on lower quality office buildings. • In this paper, the typical simulation and upgrade process operating in practice in Australia is compared with a previously outlined optimal strategy, and a 'Revised Systematic Approach' to sustainable building retrofits is proposed. • The thematic analysis of interview responses identified many of the drivers and barriers influencing the user of building simulation tools. • Several practices employed by practitioners that are likely to greatly increase the uncertainty associated with simulation results were identified. • The lack of reliable and accurate data was highlighted as a key issue facing this sector, and the implications of the uncertainty introduced by the necessary use of assumptions, particularly concerning innovative financing initiatives, is discussed. Abstract Building Performance Simulation (BPS) has become an important tool in the upgrading of the existing commercial building stock. It allows a user to predict energy savings from upgrades, and thereby optimise the energy, financial or other benefits of an energy efficiency upgrade. The current paper presents the findings from a qualitative investigation into the use of BPS in the Australian commercial building retrofitting industry. The interviews had a particular focus on challenges for lower quality (known as secondary grade or mid-tier) office buildings. Twelve semi-structured interviews were undertaken with stakeholders in the building energy retrofitting industry, including consultants, government administrators and building managers. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed numerous challenges for BPS users, primarily related to the lack of reliable, accessible data regarding building operations and energy use in Australia. The poor data availability encouraged the use of simulation to inform decisions but required the modeller to use assumptions and heuristics to develop the model. This, in turn, necessitated a reliance on the expert knowledge of the simulation user, and made the interrogation of a building model by a third party problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • New method for generating and using BIM for energy retrofitting of old buildings. • The proposed method comprises 3 interrelated tasks: Anamnesis, Diagnosis, Therapy. • Templates help to fill in modeling gaps in the needed system identification cycle. • A variation model enables the use of templates for retrofitting design variants. • The developed framework can be reused in other domains such as bridge retrofitting. Abstract Building Information Modeling (BIM) is rapidly advancing as an efficient new approach to cooperative building design and construction. However, BIM methodology is still mainly developed and applied for new building projects. The strong societal needs to improve the quality and the overall performance of the existing building stock, especially with regard to energy use, are yet insufficiently supported by BIM. In this paper we propose a structured approach towards the creation of a building information model of an existing building and its use for the purpose of retrofitting or renovation, based on the standard IFC specification (ISO 16739). It implies a process we define as BIMification. This process undergoes two major stages: (1) Anamnesis, dedicated to the survey and collection of facts about the building, and (2) Diagnosis, dedicated to the analysis and interpretation of the collected facts to obtain the necessary understanding of the building and its performance and prepare for the retrofitting design. The paper outlines the broader research aim that triggered the development of the suggested approach and presents the overall concept and methodology, the ICT platform under implementation and the current state of the work. Discussed are also the scope of the approach, envisaged perspectives and further development efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A multiple power-based building energy management system (MPBEMS) is proposed for effective energy management in building. • We propose a power distribution method for multiple power source and a power consumption device control method based on consumption prediction. • We proposes an Adaptive Energy Consumption Prediction (AECP) algorithm and the performance of the algorithm is evaluated. • We calculate the cost function and analyze the performance of the proposed system in a building in Seoul where the system is installed. • The result of the efficiency analysis using the proposed system shows an annual electricity rate reduction efficiency of 5%. Abstract As the significance of increased power consumption in modern society is emphasized, the need for technology to enhance energy efficiency is also increasing. The power consumption of buildings comprises a large proportion of the total energy consumption and systematic methods are needed in order to manage it effectively. This paper proposes a multiple power-based building energy management system (MPBEMS) for the efficient management of building energy. MPBEMS means a system that integrates and manages multiple power produced in one or more ways. The analysis of the big-data based power usage measured in different types of buildings utilizes the power distribution method between multiplepower sources. The paper also suggests and verifies an energy prediction model for efficient building energy management, called the Adaptive Energy Consumption Prediction (AECP) algorithm. This paper proposes a building energy management method using an energy prediction model and analyzes its efficiency by applying it to actual buildings. The result of the efficiency analysis using the proposed system shows an annual electricity rate reduction efficiency of 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is necessary to evaluate the building's performance in order to formulate future design development after its utilisation. This paper evaluates indoor thermal performance, sound pressure level, and illuminance in a multipurpose auditorium by combining zoning and activity-based POE. The evaluation was done in three activities: (A) student graduation, (B) theater performance, and (C) public lecture with different types of clothing preferences. Three different zones were used to define the precise location of the building improvement. Field measurements were taken for thermal performance, including Operative Temperature (T op), Humidity (Rh), Sound Pressure Level (dB), and Illuminance (lux). User perceptions were collected from 171 respondents (89 men and 82 women). The field measurement showed that average operative temperature varied across the activities with 26.15–25.68 °C, 25.47–24.95 °C, and 23.74–23.17 °C on activities A, B, and C, respectively. Activity A's (1 clo) room's operative temperature showed that 65% of data are outside the ASHRAE standard, indicating that the room condition is unsuitable for 1 clo. Activity A's TSV shows a slightly warm sensation (0.21 to 0.93) and is still in the comfort range. With the same clothing value (0.6 clo), Activity B's T op indicates a more suitable condition than Activity C's. The average TSV in Activity B indicates slightly cool (-0.54 to −0.90), with the lowest TSV found in Activity C (-1.09 to −1.41). Although TSV positively correlates with PMV , Thermal Preference (TP) revealed that the occupant expects cooler conditions in all activities. Sound pressure level and illuminance performed well according to all activities. This paper recommends chiller setting adjustment in the multipurpose auditorium based on activity characteristics. Combined POE based on zoning and activity can indicate which aspects of the auditorium need to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes electricity use in buildings and explores key research questions related to assessing, rating, labeling, and benchmarking building energy use. The analysis reviews annual Energy Use Intensity (EUI) data from 3060 fully electric-powered buildings across six categories: residential, educational, offices, hospitals, hotels and restaurants, and wholesale and retail trade services. One-fifth of the analyzed buildings is derived from an energy dataset that offers a higher time-scale resolution, providing more detailed insights into energy usage patterns. The analysis employs various factors, including the seasonal variation factor (SVF), daily variation factor (DVF), monthly factor (M f), and hourly factor (H f), to gain a detailed understanding of actual energy usage at different time scales. The findings indicate that electricity use is less sensitive to seasonal variations than other energy carriers that provide heating and cooling. The paper provides hourly and monthly peak load percentages (PPL), which can indirectly assist in assessing hourly schedules for building energy performance simulations. The monthly energy use pattern varies between building categories, with high-energy months alternating between winter and summer. For non-residential buildings, high-energy hours correspond directly to the daytime, while for residential buildings, there is a shift towards the evening, and the daily amplitude is lower. Furthermore, the analysis of daily and monthly variability of heating energy carriers, even if non-electric, sheds light on the implications of electrification for these loads. • The study evaluates annual electricity data from 3060 fully electric-powered buildings. • Median EUIs are meaningful energy performance benchmarks by building category. • Residential and educational buildings exhibit EUIs of 90-120 kW h/m2. • Offices and hospitals demonstrate EUIs of 160-170 kW h/m2. • Monthly and hourly factors establish energy benchmarks for finer time resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building performance simulation is a powerful tool applied both in research and for building design including heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Several research studies have used this tool to investigate the potential of energy savings measures for swimming facilities. However, in these facilities the technical complexity is a considerable challenge in modelling since many complex phenomena occur in the various sub-systems. The building industry traditionally plans and design these complex buildings by heuristic rules of thumb, and these empirical design rules may lead to significant differences between real and predicted performance. Therefore, it's important to develop simplified models with acceptable accuracy for simulation-based design of swimming facilities. The scientific literature introduces different simplifications for the air handling unit modelling, but the impact of these simplifications is hardly analyzed. Therefore, the paper investigates the model complexity of the air handling unit in a Norwegian swimming facility by comparing a novel simplified model and a detailed model which serves as a digital replica of a real unit. The simplified decoupled model is found to have an acceptable accuracy for early-stage design, bearing in mind the overall uncertainty at this design stage. However, when carrying out a detailed investigation of a swimming facility, the detailed model should be applied, since this complex heuristic rule-based model, is taking into account phenomena like thermal-coupling effects between the swimming pool and the air handling unit and the control errors of the real internal controller. In conclusion, the paper derives useful guidelines for building performance simulation design of air handling unit, which is the main energy-intensive component in indoor swimming pool facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The refurbishment of existing buildings offers the greatest opportunity to maximise carbon reduction within the built environment. Although the conceptual framework of the refurbishment process incorporating various methods, tools, and systems to support decision making in reducing whole-of-life carbon emissions exists in the literature, empirical research reporting on how and why the decisions are made in current industry practice is lacking. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating the decision-making process of building refurbishment considering whole-of-life carbon reduction using three real-life case studies that incorporate decarbonisation decisions. The important findings emerged from an interactive analysis between theoretical propositions and cross-case synthesis. The study sheds a new insight into (1) the effective adoption of building rating systems, (2) the required whole-of-life carbon reduction targets, (3) the importance of establishing a dedicated financial budget for carbon-reduction refurbishment solutions, (4) the need for adaptable refurbishment designs and long-term strategies, (5) holistic design reports, (6) the promotion of early contractor involvement (ECI) approach, (7) government funding and incentives, and (8) the availability of supply chains and data. The originality of the paper is providing a new understanding of the decision-making practices and challenges faced in the refurbishment process, in which lessons learnt for improving the implementation of building refurbishment towards zero carbon are recommended. The research expands theoretical knowledge and practical experience in whole-of-life carbon analysis and performance estimation for building refurbishment. The insights gained from this study offer practitioners and researchers a streamlined interdisciplinary guide to better deliver refurbishment projects towards zero carbon. • An interactive analysis between theoretical propositions and cross-case synthesis. • Revealing the decision-making process towards zero carbon refurbishment. • Expanding knowledge in whole-of-life carbon reduction for building refurbishment. • Providing an interdisciplinary guide to better deliver zero carbon refurbishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Discusses the concept of building performance simulation versus new digital trends. • Reviews Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Digital Twins, Cyber-Physical Systems, Internet of Things, Data Mining. • Explores common notions about differences, similarities, strengths and limitations of each concept. • Reviews emerging work on the interface between these concepts. • New concepts enjoy traction and energize the building performance research area. In an increasingly digital world, there are fast-paced developments in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Digital Twins, Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things. This paper reviews and discusses how these new emerging areas relate to the traditional domain of building performance simulation. It explores the boundaries between building simulation and these other fields in order to identify conceptual differences and similarities, strengths and limitations of each of these areas. The paper critiques common notions about these new domains and how they relate to building simulation, reviewing how the field of building performance may evolve and benefit from the new developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overheating regulations and calculation methods in 26 European countries were compared. • Most of the existing calculation methods are outdated and do not fit climate-proof buildings. • France requires a mixed-mode operation of naturally ventilated households. • The UK developed a heatwave-based calculation approach. • Comfort-based, multi-zonal, and time-integrated calculation approaches are needed. With the ongoing significance of overheating calculations in the residential building sector, building codes such as the European Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) are essential for harmonizing the indicators and performance thresholds. This paper investigates Europe's overheating calculation methods, indicators, and thresholds and evaluates their ability to address climate change and heat events. e study aims to identify the suitability of existing overheating calculation methods and propose recommendations for the EPBD. The study results provide a cross-sectional overview of twenty-six European countries. The most influential overheating calculation criteria are listed the best approaches are ranked. The paper provides a thorough comparative assessment and recommendations to align current calculations with climate-sensitive metrics. The results suggest a framework and key performance indicators that are comfort-based, multi-zonal, and time-integrated to calculate overheating and modify the EU's next building energy efficiency regulations. The results can help policymakers and building professionals to develop the next overheating calculation framework and approach for the future development of climate-proof and resilient residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A set of theoretical framework of building seismic performance evaluation has been formed, and the automatic evaluation of actual seismic performance of buildings has been realized. • This framework meets the evaluation requirements of various performance indicators in the existing FEMA P-58, and can make rapid and accurate predictions, which greatly improves the evaluation efficiency and quality, and provides fundamental support for the rapid assessment and prediction of regional and city-level building groups. • A set of discrete size variable multi-objective optimization model is proposed. The multi-objective optimization model proposed in this paper establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the design scheme and the two major costs from the perspective of structural size variables, which realizes the micro-level optimization design and improves the optimization level. Seismic loss prediction and performance assessment for buildings have already been hot spots for resilience after earthquakes with the emergence of the concepts of digital twins. However, because a large amount of multisource heterogeneous data and a real-time accurate prediction model are required to implement the process, the popularization and implementation of these technologies are hampered. Based on performance-based seismic design (PBSD) theory, this study introduces BIM and ontology and other emerging technologies to carry out methodology research on intelligent earthquake damage prediction and seismic performance evaluation for individual buildings. First, based on FEMA P-58 (Seismic Performance Assessment of Buildings), this paper uses BIM technology to integrate and transmit component-level engineering information. Ontology method is used to express the assessment content and logic, and a multidimensional semantic ontology model based on IFC is proposed to form the linked data foundation to organize, store, associate and interact the multisource heterogeneous data required for assessment in a unified way to realize the semi-automated seismic performance assessment for individual RC frame building. On this basis, the seismic optimization design under the guidance of the "investment - benefit" criterion is regarded as the problem of seeking the balance between the initial construction cost and the expectation of seismic loss. The multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to realize the optimization iteration at the component level. According to the results of the case study, the new method in this paper significantly improves the quality of seismic performance assessment and seismic design optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the variety of landscape software available, new tools keep being developed in order to improve the existing analytical capabilities. Scripts, packages, or standalone software are built to enhance performance, add features or fulfil specific needs. This paper introduces LDT4QGIS, an open-source tool built exclusively to operationalize the Landscape Dynamics Typology method. LDT4QGIS is a Python-based tool developed to assess the landscape composition and configuration and to classify different land cover / land-use changes using QGIS. By combining the metrics 'area' and 'number of patches', it is possible to define different patterns of landscape changes (types of dynamics). The tool, which uses vectorial binary landscapes, allows squares or irregular polygons to be used as analytical units. The end goal of the procedure is to assign a type of dynamic to each analytical unit. To do this, metrics and their variations are calculated and then combined through a series of queries and selections that operationalize the type of dynamic assignment. LDT4QGIS has additional functionalities that are computed at the class level; they are related to the calculation and spatially explicit representation of gained and lost areas, as well as perforations in the land cover under study. Depending on what functionalities are being used, two or three analytical moments are required as inputs. The outputs produced by LDT4QGIS can be used in landscape assessment procedures and therefore can be helpful to decision-makers, allowing them to better understand and anticipate the consequences of policies related to the use of the land. LDT4QGIS will be updated regularly and improved whenever we develop a new functionality, but the real strength of LDT4QGIS is that it is free and open-source, and it can be adapted by each user according to their own needs. This paper describes LDT4QGIS and includes three illustrative practical examples to demonstrate the variety of scripts and outputs. The first case study concerns the dynamics of grasslands in Slovenia, and it uses two analytical moments and squares as analytical units. The second example focuses on olive groves in Portugal; it uses administrative boundaries as analytical units and three analytical moments. The last example concerns forests in Germany and showcases additional features like the detection of gained areas, lost areas, and the associated dynamics. • We developed LDT4QGIS, a free and open-source landscape analysis tool for QGIS. • LDT4QGIS identifies types of dynamics based on landscape metrics' variations. • The outputs, filled attribute tables and maps, are easy to interpret. • LDT4QGIS will be continuously updated and improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioclimatic design strategies are among the most promising sustainable approaches for improving energy efficiency of buildings. However, their contributions to reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of buildings are largely dependent on the alignment of building design with climatic conditions. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of key bioclimatic design strategies, namely green roof and walls, tree shading, natural ventilation, glazing system, blinds, building orientation and Trombe wall on the energy performance of a typical residential building in the three most dominant climates worldwide. These strategies are analyzed in Riyadh, Tetouan and Montreal cities, selected to represent those climates, viz. arid, temperate and cold climates, respectively. To this end, numerous dynamic thermal simulations were performed using EnergyPlus software. The findings of this research revealed that, individually, green roof and walls, and Trombe wall strategies have the highest performance in terms of energy savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation for all selected locations. Moreover, blinds and tree shading strategies are too recommended for arid and temperate climates, while natural ventilation is advisable only for the last one. Additionally, significant energy saving could be achieved by optimizing the building orientation, especially in arid and cold climates. However, the greatest energy savings and GHG emissions mitigation were achieved (i) by combining green roof and walls, Trombe wall, blinds and tree shading techniques for arid climates, (ii) by adding natural ventilation to the last combination for temperate climates, and (iii) when green roof and walls design is combined with an optimal building orientation for cold climates, with a share of 33%, 58% and 19%, respectively. This work is intended to be a reference to help building designers and engineers to select the appropriate bioclimatic design strategies according to the building's climate. • The main bioclimatic strategies' effect in dominant climates worldwide is examined. • Three locations were selected to represent the dominant climates. • Green roof and walls design is the most energy-efficient bioclimatic strategy. • Significant energy-saving can be achieved by combining key bioclimatic strategies. • Applying the investigated strategies greatly reduces GHG emissions in all climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]