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Energy saving in buildings is essential as buildings' operational energy use constitutes 30% of global energy consumption. Urban building energy modeling (UBEM) effectively understands urban energy consumption. This paper applied UBEM to assess the potential of peak demand reduction and energy saving in a mixed-use community, using 955 residential buildings, 35 office buildings and 7 hotels in Shenzhen, China, as a case study. The building type and period were collected based on the GIS dataset. Then, the baseline models were generated by the UBEM tool—AutoBPS. Five scenarios were analyzed: retrofit-window, retrofit-air conditioner (AC), retrofit-lighting, rooftop photovoltaic (PV), and demand response. The five scenarios replaced the windows, enhanced the AC, upgraded the lighting, covered 60% of the roof area with PV, and had a temperature reset from 17:00 to 23:00, respectively. The results show that using retrofit-windows is the most effective scenario for reducing peak demand at 19.09%, and PV reduces energy use intensity (EUI) best at 29.96%. Demand response is recommended when further investment is not desired. Retrofit-lighting is suggested for its low-cost, low-risk investment, with the payback period (PBP) not exceeding 4.54 years. When the investment is abundant, retrofit-windows are recommended for public buildings, while PV is recommended for residential buildings. The research might provide practical insights into energy policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the most significant solutions suggested for estimating energy consumption and cooling load, one can refer to enhancing energy efficiency in non-residential and residential buildings. A structure's characteristics must be considered when estimating how much heating and cooling is required. To design and develop energy-efficient buildings, it can be helpful to research the characteristics of connected structures, such as the kinds of cooling and heating systems needed to ensure sui interior air quality. As an important part of energy consumption and demand of buildings, the assessment of cooling load conditions from the envelope of large buildings has not been comprehensively understood yet. In the present paper, a new conceptual system has been developed to anticipate cooling load in the sector of residential buildings. Also, the paper briefly describes the major models of the developed system to maintain continuity and concentrate on the prediction model of the cooling load. To predict cooling load, authors have modelled two methods of artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) in conjunction with teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO). This article aims to illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI) approaches play an essential role in addressing the mentioned necessity and help estimate the optimal design parameters for various stations. The value of the multiple determination coefficient is also determined. The values of the training R² (coefficient of multiple determination) are 0.96446 and 0.97585 for TLBO-MLP and TLBO-ANFIS in the training stage and 0.95855 and 0.9721 in the testing stage, respectively, with an unknown dataset which is acceptable. The training RMSE values for TLBO-MLP and TLBO-ANFIS are 0.0685 and 0.11176 for training and 0.07074 and 0.12035 for testing, respectively, for the unknown dataset, which is acceptable. The lowest RMSE value and the higher R² value indicate the favourable accuracy of the TLBO-MLP technique. According to the high value of R² (97%) and the low value of RMSE, TLBO-MLP can predict residential buildings' cooling load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing building energy consumption is of paramount significance in sustainability and energy efficiency (EE) studies. The development of an accurate EE prediction model is pivotal for optimizing energy resources and facilitating effective building planning. Traditional physical modeling approaches are encumbered by high complexity and protracted modeling cycles. In this paper, we introduce a novel evolutionary dendritic neural regression (EDNR) model tailored to forecasting residential building EE. Acknowledging the vast landscape and complexity of the EDNR weight space, coupled with the inherent susceptibility of traditional optimization algorithms to local optima, we propose a complex network-guided strategy-based differential evolution algorithm for training the EDNR model. This strategy adeptly strikes a balance between exploration and exploitation during the search process, significantly enhancing the predictive and generalization capacities of EDNR. To our knowledge, this study represents the inaugural application of dendritic neural regression in real-world prediction scenarios. Extensive experimental findings demonstrate the efficacy of EDNR in accurately predicting building EE with commendable performance. Furthermore, the results of two nonparametric statistical tests affirm the validity and stability of EDNR. Consequently, our proposed methodology exhibits high potential and competitiveness in machine learning applications within the energy domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dedicated to research of the impact of the limited heat source capacity on indoor temperature and energy consumption in serial nZEB residential buildings. This is an innovative aspect as it explores the potential design simplification for different locations, allowing for cost optimization and quicker construction timelines. The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of limited heat source capacity by utilizing thermal mass and optimizing the ventilation operation. Numerical results demonstrate that incorporating thermal mass increases heating energy consumption by up to 1%. The study addresses the impact of limited heating capacity on indoor temperatures and the need to manage ventilation's impact during peak temperatures using simulation software IDA ICE. The study reveals that a limited heating capacity reduces energy consumption up to 2.6%, but may result in lower indoor temperatures. By optimizing ventilation strategies, energy consumption can be reduced from 2.4% to 4.4% compared to the suboptimal solution, and from 2.8% to 6.5% compared to the initial case. Parametric analysis reveals optimal ventilation operation change-over point at an outdoor temperature of −17 °C during winter. The research provides practical recommendations for adjusting heating schedules, selecting appropriate heating capacities and implementing optimal ventilation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic analysis of energy savings and cost benefits associated with several options for integrating energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The primary goal of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of achieving optimal net-zero energy (NZE) designs for residential buildings in Australia. Specifically, the analysis combines a series of sensitivity analyses and multi-objective optimizations to account for a wide range of design strategies for detached homes in four cities representing different Australian climates. The results indicate that not only are NZE designs technically feasible for all the considered Australian cities, but they are also highly cost-effective. This cost-effectiveness is attributed to the lower installation costs of rooftop PV systems as well as the beneficial interactive effects of proven energy efficiency strategies. Indeed, it is found that the deployment costs of rooftop PV systems can be recovered in less than 4 years. Moreover, the addition of thermal insulation in walls and ceilings can reduce both HVAC capacities and annual energy end-use by up to 59%. Based on an optimization-based design, NZE homes in Australia can have lower construction costs and, ultimately, lower life cycle costs than dwellings built to meet current energy efficiency standards based primarily on stringent building envelope thermal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore the rehabilitation strategies for multi-family dwellings on the level of function and techniques. The study employs its own methods of analysis using a sample of selected cases as a reference. Nearly 20% of EU buildings will have to be renovated by 2023, as almost 40% of the existing houses were built before 1980. The environmental impact of construction is among the highest among industrial activities due to the high consumption of resources and the generation of low-value waste at the construction and demolition stages. One way to reduce the environmental impact in this sector is to intervene in the building process, optimising the use of resources and waste generation. The principal objective of refurbishments is to reduce household energy consumption. However, the renovations in the housing sector should not be limited to energy considerations; the functional and technical aspects should also be considered. A new refurbishment model is necessary to focus on providing and improving the habitability of the housing stock and reducing the environmental impact by optimising the use of resources and waste generation. To achieve this, the renovations should be carefully monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a comprehensive methodology for creating diverse layout generation configurations, aiming to address limitations in existing building optimization studies that rely on simplistic hypothetical buildings. This study's objective was to achieve an optimal balance between minimizing the energy use intensity (EUI) in kWh/m2, maximizing the views percentages to the outdoor (VPO), achieving spatial daylight autonomy (sDA), and minimizing annual sunlight exposure (ASE). To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the simulation, the research included calibration and validation processes using the Ladybug and Honeybee plugins, integrated into the Grasshopper platform. These processes involved comparing the model's performance against an existing real-world case. Through more than 1500 iterations, the study extracted three multi-regression equations that enabled the calculation of EUI in kWh/m2. These equations demonstrated the significant influence of the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) and space proportions (SP) on the EUI. By utilizing these multi-regression equations, we were able to fine-tune the design process, pinpoint the optimal configurations, and make informed decisions to minimize energy consumption and enhance the sustainability of residential buildings in hot arid climates. The findings indicated that 61% of the variability in energy consumption can be attributed to changes in the WWR, as highlighted in the first equation. Meanwhile, the second equation suggested that around 27% of the variability in energy consumption can be explained by alterations in space proportions, indicating a moderate correlation. Lastly, the third equation indicated that approximately 89% of the variability in energy consumption was associated with changes in the SP and WWR, pointing to a strong correlation between SP, WWR, and energy consumption. The proposed method is flexible to include new objectives and variables in future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering Research is the property of Sultan Qaboos University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Building design optimization is a highly complex problem, requiring long computational running processes because of the many options that exist when a building is being designed. This paper introduces an integrated approach through which to perform this optimization within an acceptable time frame. The approach includes the methods of variable selection, model simplification, and a sequential optimization process. Using singular value decomposition, a large number of design variables is reduced to a smaller subset that can be solved more quickly through the optimization algorithm. To expedite the variable selection process, a modeling approach that quickly simulates annual energy consumption was developed to replace full annual energy simulations. The developed methodology was applied to two residential buildings in the US, and the results are discussed herein. To assess the accuracy of the integrated optimization methodology, the optimized life cycle costs are compaa variables demonstrating the strongest contributions in the optimization study were identified. The proposed methodology significantly shortened the time requirements for the optimization processes of the two case studies by 74% and 84%; the optimized life cycle costs were within 0.05% and 0.06%, respectively, of the optimum point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productive facades, consisting of photovoltaic shading and vertical farming systems, have been proposed as a means to improve the thermal and visual status of residential buildings while also maintaining energy performance and providing vegetables. However, how to quickly and accurately predict electricity and vegetable output during the numerous influencing architectural and environmental factors is one of the key issues in the early stages of design, and few studies have investigated the impact of such structures on both indoor environmental qualities and production performance. In this paper, we present a novel prediction method that uses experimental data to train and test an artificial neural network (ANN). The results indicated that using the Bipolar Sigmoid activation function to process the experimental data input to the artificial neuron network gives more accurate predicted results both in the yield of photovoltaic shading and vertical farming systems. In addition, this prediction method was applied to a typical high-rise residential building in Singapore to assess the self-sufficiency potential of high-rise residential buildings integrated with productive facades. The results indicated that the upper part of the building can meet 20.0–23.1% of the annual household electricity demand of a family of four in a four-room residential unit in Singapore and almost the entire year's vegetable demand, while the middle part can meet 18.4–21.2% and 89.1%, respectively. The results demonstrated the importance of a productive facade in reducing energy demand, enhancing food security, and improving indoor visual and thermal comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roller blinds are devices that are retracted and wrapped in a box above the window opening and are used to protect against the solar radiation. Those are the wellknown devices with distinct advantages over the fixed external dimming elements. The influence of external blinds on the internal thermal environment in climatic conditions in the Republic of Serbia, the city of Kragujevac, was considered in this research. An external blind was installed in the test room and its influence on the internal temperature was compared with the internal temperature of the room without the blind. Real-time monitoring was carried out in February and August 2023. The results presented in this paper show that the blind reduces the temperature in summer by 3.57ºC and increases it in winter by 1.76ºC. The cooling load can be reduced by about 20%, and the heat load by about 15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential buildings consume a large proportion of global energy consumption. This consumption burdens energy security greatly as it is not proportional to the produced energy. Efficient planning to meet building energy needs requires accurate, high spatial resolution information on energy consumption. To justify the high energy consumption, this study focuses on energy consumption breakdown and evaluates how it affected indoor thermal comfort inside existing residential buildings. As well as, evaluating the proposed retrofitting solution provided by the Egyptian energy code to provide the bases which work on enhancing thermal comfort in existing residential buildings in Egypt. This evaluation was done using building performance simulation tools. The paper's research methodology follows the experimental approach. This approach utilizes energy simulation (DesignBuilder) to evaluate the existing residential building's thermal performance in the current state and post retrofitting solutions. The evaluation is done by analyzing thermal comfort levels according to the acceptable ranges stated by the Egyptian Code for Improving the Efficiency of Energy Use in buildings. Residential buildings are built without taking appropriate design measures to protect the indoor environment from external weather conditions. researchs' importance is to study how this will affect indoor thermal comfort. The paper aims at clarifying the effect the lack of thermal comfort has on energy consumption in the existing residential buildings in Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy or load disaggregation, as one essential part of non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), is an efficient way to separate the consumption information of target appliances from the whole consumption data, and can accordingly help to regulate people's energy consumption behaviors. However, the consumptions of the target appliances are usually affected by the variance of the opening time, working condition and user interference, so it is a difficult task to realize precise disaggregation. To further improve the energy disaggregation accuracy, this paper proposes a new parallel disaggregation strategy with two subnets for the energy consumption disaggregation of the target appliances in the residential buildings. In the proposed strategy, the parallel disaggregation network contains a long-term disaggregation network and a short-term disaggregation network, which can automatically and respectively learn the long-term trend features and short-term dynamic characteristics of the electrical appliances. This parallel structure can make full use of the advantages of different methods in feature extraction, so as to model the appliance features more comprehensively. To better extract the long-term and short-term features, in the long-term disaggregation subnet, we propose the double branch bi-directional temporal convolution network (DBB-TCN) which has a wider receptive field than the traditional temporal convolution networks (TCN), while in the short-term disaggregation subnet, we adopt the convolution auto-encoder to learn the short-term characteristics of the target appliances. Finally, detailed experiments and comparisons are made with two real-world datasets. Experimental results verified that the proposed parallel disaggregation method performs better than the existing methods under various evaluation criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Hot Summer and Cold Winter zone, with a 550 million population, accounts for 45% of China's building energy consumption; as such, building retrofits could offer substantial energy savings. This paper presents results from a dynamic thermal modeling study of a typical urban multistory residential building under three types of air conditioning (A/C) operating schedules. Seven energy-saving retrofit measures (external wall insulation, roof insulation, double-glazing, air infiltration control, window shading, communal staircase design, and energy-efficient A/C) were evaluated, and the retrofit strategy with the highest annual energy savings and lowest thermal discomfort was identified. This retrofit strategy was subsequently evaluated for other flats (apartments) with different orientations and positions in the typical building. The annual space-conditioning energy could be reduced by 59%–68%, depending on the flat location, orientation and A/C operating schedule. The findings were then scaled up to estimate the potential energy savings in the city of Chongqing. More than 320 multistory residential buildings were represented by 12 archetypes. Space-conditioning energy consumption was reduced by up to 58% (18.8 TWh). This work provides evidence of the potential energy savings of city-scale retrofit that could aid China in reducing building energy consumption and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It was possible to explore a wide range of refurbishment options for China's highly energy-consuming Hot Summer and Cold Winter zone with hot, humid summers and mild, chilly winters using dynamic thermal models. The simulation models developed in this paper revealed that double-glazing with air infiltration control is the most effective retrofit measure for middle-floor flats, but for top-floor flats, roof insulation is the most effective; south-facing flats consume more high energy consumption than north-facing flats. Furthermore, high-rise buildings consume less energy than low-rise buildings per square meter, and one-bedroom flats consume more energy than three-bedroom flats per square meter. This study also demonstrated the procedure to develop thermal comfort evaluation methods, A/C operating schedules, and construction parameters from literature in this climate zone when there were no standards or databases available. Findings offer a tangible, clear retrofit strategy that considers different A/C operating schedules, flat locations, and building archetypes. It can assist decision-making by practitioners and homeowners aiming to upgrade the building stock of this climate zone which covers 3.4 billion m2 with a 550 million population to reduce energy consumption and improve occupant comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Buildings are significant energy consumers and provide a notable potential to reduce primary energy consumption and increase energy efficiency. Cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency projects is of crucial importance for their implementation. Cost-optimality of different packages of energy retrofit measures is studied across the EU, but Serbia mostly lacks such information. This paper analyzes cost-optimal solutions for Serbian residential buildings connected to district heating systems, considering three different scenarios related to the economic input parameters. Additionally, it considers the potential for primary energy savings beyond cost-optimality and associated costs. The optimal solutions, that correspond to minimal global cost or minimal primary energy consumption, are determined as the results of the combinatorial optimization problems. These problems are solved using the genetic algorithm and local search. The results are compared against the ones obtained with the sensitivity analysis. The global cost can be reduced by 8-43% in the cases of cost-optimal solutions, simultaneously saving 30-76% of primary energy. The potential to save primary energy is higher - it exceeds 70% in all the analyzed cases, but also requires higher global cost, sometimes larger than in the absence of the retrofit. The paper also emphasizes high dependencies of the results on very uncertain economic inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays we are confronted with high air pollution in many regions of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, especially during the winter season. A large percentage of air pollution is caused by the energy inefficiency of buildings and the heating needs to fulfill their function, with the emphasis on individual residential buildings. In this scientific paper we will study the problem of energy efficiency and architectural sustainability in individual residential buildings, treating thermal bridges and their inadequate realization as one of the main problems in construction towards energy efficiency and living comfort at the same time. The paper will show the details of thermal bridges, their inappropriate implementation during the construction of individual residential buildings and their impact on the building envelope, thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The study is based on important construction details such as foundations, terraces, balconies, flat and pitched roofs, which the author collected during a five-year work with design and supervision in the realization of individual residential buildings. Correcting the proper implementation details of thermal bridges allows to improve the energy efficiency of individual residential buildings in the Northern Republic of Macedonia and also to follow the objectives of the EU directives on energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of joint efforts towards the decarbonisation of buildings, integrating occupants' comfort and health with latest technological advancements for energy efficiency is at the center of the latest development of research, policies and professional practice. Radiant systems are encountering great success since the low-thickness systems can also be used in renovation projects for both heating and cooling, while guaranteeing optimal comfort. However, dehumidification is often required for optimal radiant cooling operation with no condensation risks, and the great potential of mechanical ventilation systems to optimally address the needs for dehumidification, air renewal, health and energy efficiency appears to be far from its full exploitation in the post-COVID-19 era. The present paper aims at providing a quantification of the energy and financial impacts of the implementation of a controlled mechanical ventilation system (CMV) coupled to a radiant system in a typical residential case study building in Italy. The results show that the sole CMV may decrease primary energy demand and energy costs by more than 30% and contribute to an increase in the smart readiness of the building by 8%, but further incentive policies must be developed to cover the still high investment and maintenance cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) methods are widely used for appliance level energy disaggregation in residential buildings. These methods mostly depend on electrical features, and they have not been much successful in applying for commercial buildings. However, recent research has indicated that the accuracy of existing NILM methods can be improved by associating with occupancy data. Therefore, in this paper a novel occupancy detection algorithm is proposed which can detect occupancy status of individuals using the connectivity of their information technology (IT) devices to the local area network of the building. The model is validated using data collected at a university building, with mean errors of 01:23 and 04:02 minutes for the detection of arrival and departure. The occupancy profiles developed by the proposed model can be used to disaggregate energy consumption in a commercial building to appliance and occupant level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing economies, residential energy consumption patterns have rapidly transformed with better energy access and service quality. Unlike other building types, residential buildings are more complex due to wide variations in their consumption patterns influenced by various factors. Researchers have characterised residential building stock based on distinct building archetypes. This paper presents a comprehensive review of relevant published research focusing on the classification of residential buildings based on their energy consumption. This review also focuses on residential archetype studies in the context of building science. The methodologies adopted by different researchers to characterise the energy use of residential building stock using an archetypal approach at different spatial scales (building to city scale and local to national scale) have been critically reviewed in this study. The paper will provide the researchers with a holistic understanding of the current directions and magnitude of ongoing research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering Sciences is the property of Faculty of Engineering - Assiut University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Building a reliable energy model for old residential buildings with insufficient documentation and user assistance is a challenging and time-consuming task. Nevertheless, the ambitious European decarbonization targets require this building stock to be renovated, making energy assessment a key priority. In line with this goal, the following study explores a more simplified and automatic framework to generate a residential building energy model (BEM). The paper's approach is based on the concept of urban building energy modelling (UBEM) archetypes or building prototypes and is customized according to the principles of dynamic simulations performed in the existing BEM software, Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment IES VE, and Solemma Open Studio. Therefore, based on three real starting inputs, a prototype database (DB) of assigned inputs is generated, i.e., an input matrix, using Google Maps as a geometry source. Other data are drawn from tabular DB. The proposed approach is evaluated by benchmarking the simulation results with precise models and monitoring the data that come from the Horizon2020 project REZBUILD. Nevertheless, a level of simplification is introduced that creates less accurate results for total or system-level energy consumption; this is compensated for using a set of simple calibration steps. The approach gives promising results for daily indoor temperature, making it a suitable indicator for evaluating further retrofitting alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under rapid urbanization-induced global warming and resource depletion, growing interest in zero-energy building (ZEB) and zero-emission building (ZEB) technologies have emerged globally to improve energy performance in homes and shape sustainable cities. Although several countries have released ZEB-enhanced strategies and set national standards and policies to promote ZEBs, construction projects are still limited to demonstration projects. This paper reviews global ZEB activities and state-of-the-art technologies for energy-efficient residential building technologies [based on an evaluation of 40 residential buildings]. Over 40 residential buildings on different continents were reviewed, and their technical details and performance were evaluated. Our results show that 62.5% of the buildings achieved the +ZEB standard, 25% of the buildings were net-zero energy buildings, and only 12.5% of the buildings were near-zero energy buildings. Solar PV is the most widely used renewable energy source in the studied cases, while in warmer climates, advanced cooling technologies and heat pumps are the preferred technologies. A building envelope and thermal ventilation with heat recovery are essential in cold climates. Our systematic analysis reveals that the thermal performance of the building envelope and solar energy are the most effective mechanisms for achieving energy efficiency and shaping sustainable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the challenges of increasing the energy efficiency investments in European Union (EU) residential buildings in the context of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The paper presents the results of the PRIMES buildings model in key energy policy applications to support cost-effective and fair policy making in buildings across Europe. The model covers, in detail, the building sector for all the EU Member States (MS), segmenting the buildings into many categories. The approach proposed includes non-market barriers in conventional microeconomic modelling, which combined with idiosyncratic preferences can capture poor energy efficiency choices and still represent rational behaviours. The model includes a detailed portrayal of policies specific to the sector, comprising economic and regulatory policies as well as institutional measures. The results of the model show that the removal of non-market barriers is of great importance in reducing energy consumption and increasing both the pace and the depth of renovation investment. However, the institutional measures alone are not enough to induce energy efficiency improvement to the scale required to achieve the climate neutrality objectives. Economic (i.e., subsidies) or regulatory measures (i.e., energy performance standards) are also required to decrease emissions and energy consumption in buildings and the paper compares different configurations thereof. The optimum policy mix obviously derives from a compromise among various aims including the cost-effectiveness of the policy budget and the distributional impacts across building and consumer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a review of the adoption status of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies is presented, specific to US residential buildings. Various technologies are reviewed and categorized as either their relative "higher adoption" or "lower adoption" rates within the US housing stock. More importantly, the review analysis investigates the main factors associated with their high or low adoption rates. Specifically, the paper provides a background of the historical progression of energy efficiency programs as well as sustainability certifications and standards for buildings. The review then analyzes specific building energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies applied to US residential buildings and their adoption rates. The review analysis indicates that building technologies are more frequently adopted for multiple reasons including requirements by codes and standards, incentives through green certifications, low implementation costs, and acceptance and popularity by the public. In contrast, technologies with low adoption rates have higher payback periods, are not required or highly incentivized through codes and certifications, have limited promotion about their benefits, or are not compatible with existing systems. By determining the reasons for the high and low adoption rates, mitigation options can be identified to increase the application of sustainable energy technologies in designing and retrofitting buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering Sciences is the property of Faculty of Engineering - Assiut University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the role of a particular energy calculator in enhancing the energy efficiency of existing homes by asking how this calculator was developed and how it is domesticated by craftspeople working as energy consultants. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on qualitative interviews with users and producers of the energy calculator (n = 22), as well as participation in energy consultation training. Findings: The paper finds that, in the energy calculator, there is a striking lack of connection between the domestication and script because of lack of energy consultants' involvement in the design and implementation process. Practical implications: The enrolment of energy consultants as energy calculator users earlier in and throughout the design process could be valuable in making the transition to an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building sector. Social implications: The paper argues for recognition of the role of energy consultants, especially craftspeople, as participants in the design process for tools of governance. This is a call to acknowledge the value of particular skills and experiences possessed by craftspeople doing home consultation. Originality/value: By understanding the intricate developer–user synchronicity in tools developed for upgrading the building sector, energy mitigation can be made more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Calculation of total primary energy savings per year (MW/h) of a building stock in Mediterranean countries following the cost-optimal methodology. Improving energy efficiency in buildings has a key role to play in achieving the ambitious goal of EU-wide climate neutrality by 2050, set out in the European Green Deal. This paper describes a cost-optimal analysis of residential buildings of Valencian Community, Spain. Thus, an assessment of the contribution of total primary energy savings per year (MW/h) of the social dwellings managed by EVha, Entitat Valenciana d'Habitatge i Sòl (eng. Valencian entity for dwelling and ground) towards the national contribution is presented in this paper. To assess it, the MedZEB cost-optimal methodology has been applied to optimise the performance of the building's envelope. This means that Optimal Renovation Strategies through Life-Cycle Analysis have been applied to obtain the Packages of Optimal Solutions of the different reference buildings in a reference climate. First, the renovation scenario with 100% of the building stock being renovated has been calculated. Then, the renovation scenario of 1%, being the current European rate of renovation and, finally the renovation scenario of 2%, given that the objective of the Renovation Wave is to at least double the annual energy renovation rate of residential and non-residential buildings by 2030 and to foster deep energy renovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key design strategies that reduce the energy demand of buildings are not present in most thermal codes in many countries. Therefore, modeling techniques offer an alternative to combine the architects' modus operandi with the energy efficiency in the early stages of architectural design and with higher speed and precision. However, a review of the scientific literature using modeling techniques shows that most researchers use a relatively large sample of thermal simulations. This paper proposes a simplified method based on the linear regression modeling technique and considers a relatively smaller sample of thermal simulations. A total of 6 key building design strategies were identified, related to the urban context, building envelope, and shape factor. A simulation protocol containing 60 possible combinations was designed by random selection. In the present study, the Pleiades software was used to estimate the annual energy demand for heating and cooling for a typical dwelling in a humid climate zone. A parametric study and sensitivity analysis to identify the most efficient parameters was performed in SPSS 21. The resulting model predicts the annual energy demand with an accuracy of 93.7%, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.88, and a scatter index (SI) of 8.59%. The models performed could efficiently and quickly assist architects while designing the buildings in the architectural practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the number of floors is required for several applications, for instance, energy demand estimation, population estimation, and flood response plans. Despite this, open data on the number of floors is very rare, even when a 3D city model is available. In practice, it is most often inferred with a geometric method: elevation data is used to estimate the height of a building, which is divided by an assumed storey height and rounded. However, as we demonstrate in this paper with a large dataset of residential buildings, this method is unreliable: <70% of the buildings have a correct estimate. We demonstrate that other attributes and characteristics of buildings can help us better predict the number of floors. We propose several indicators (e.g. construction year, cadastral attributes, building geometry, and neighbourhood census data), and we present a predictive model that was trained with 172,000 buildings in the Netherlands. Our model achieves an accuracy of 94.5% for residential buildings with five floors or less, which is an improvement of about 25% over the geometric approach. Above five floors, our model has only a slight improvement on the geometric approach (5%). The main culprit is the lack of training data for tall buildings, which is uncommon in the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to find an optimum retrofit scheme utilising adaptation and mitigation techniques to a Sub-urban English old house, for an inevitable future climate change. It seeks its aims by investigating the energy performance, as well as the summertime comfort of old dwellings in current and future weather predictions. Studies shows that pre-1990 building stock represents one of the least energy-efficient, as these houses were built before the introduction of building envelope directives in building regulation. Specifically, uninsulated semi-detached houses of the inter-war period can potentially be an essential target for retrofits to reach the 2030 carbon emission goal. Previous researches showing the influence of warming climate on energy consumption and indoor comfort have been frequently explored in academic papers. Nevertheless, reviewed investigations were based on archetypal homes and not on a calibrated model. A sensitivity analysis examining current and future heating demand compared to building envelope main parameters was made to define two retrofit scenarios, the light retrofit scheme and the high retrofit scheme (LR and HR). Study results show that anticipated hotter temperatures have a significant effect on energy consumption and thermal comfort, especially in retrofit models using highly insulated building envelope. Warmer climate conditions can lead to a decrease in space heating and rise in cooling demand; however, heating demand remains predominant. The study also shows that the moderate retrofit scheme (LR) can achieve more than 80% of energy reduction made in the higher retrofit scheme (HR). The study reveals that overheating risk is very probable in the near future and shows that the pre-retrofitted dwelling demonstrates risks of overheating even in current weather. The occurrence of overheating in future weather data is inevitable, primarily when assessed against TM59 overheating assessment. However, overheating mitigation through adaptation strategies showed a better overheating evaluation in the light retrofit (LR) scheme compared to the high retrofit (HR) one. It is concluded that most of the energy reduction is conceived when applying the light retrofit scheme while potentially having better summertime comfort than the highly retrofitted one. The research recommends that in order to further establish a well acknowledge retrofit strategy, a greater sample size of dwellings of the same archetype is required. Further study over predicted embodied energy calculation and cost-effectiveness of the LR and HR, compared to their actual and predicted operational energy savings, can potentially materialise the idea of a light retrofit scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the European Union, we are observing a tendency to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, including residential, and decarbonise building stock by 2050. The objective of the undertaken activities is to reduce energy use and the negative impacts of the use of buildings on the environment. Attaining this objective requires modernising many buildings. This dissertation includes an investigation into the condition of buildings in Poland from the aspect of energy use and the kind of carriers of this energy, and also into another issue: what factors and activities may increase society′s interest in net-zero energy buildings, and in the use of energy from renewable sources in residential buildings. The studies were conducted with the use of the data provided by the Central Statistical Office and EUROSTAT, and also of the reports of the European Commission, the data of the Central Emission Register of Buildings (CERB) and the Odysse–Mure database. An important source of information was also surveys conducted with the application of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), and also of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), among 387 households in Poland. For the purpose of analysing the results of the studies, the methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the ANOVA test of Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used. The analysis gives rise to the conclusion that, in residential buildings, household′s annual primary energy demand is dependent on the year in which a building was commissioned. Newer buildings can boast smaller heat energy use. Simultaneously, ever more households are undertaking activities that will result in the thermal modernisation of residential buildings. The studies have shown that the development of net-zero energy buildings requires undertaking activities in the scope of introducing allowances and subsidies, and also increasing social awareness in the scope of this kind of building. Interest in buildings using solely renewable energy sources is contributed to by raising energy prices, and also the falling prices of required installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to assess the energy efficiency of residential buildings in Tunis. To this end, three complementary studies were carried out at different levels. Initially, a diagnosis of the building's adaptability to climate change at urban and architectural scales was established. The methodology adopted was based on indicators obtained following a cross-reference of environmental assessment tools. This made it possible to highlight the lacunary factors related to thermal comfort. According to this finding, the second research was set up to focus on outdoor thermal comfort. The methodology adopted is based on numerical simulations and calculations of comfort indices. The results demonstrated the importance of specific morphological indicators at the urban scale. Finally, the third research is interested in the architectural scale to assess the building's thermal comfort and energy consumption. It was performed through numerical simulations. The results demonstrated the impact of specific physical indicators on buildings' thermal comfort and energy behavior. Ultimately, this research highlighted the gap factors in urban and architectural design in Tunis. It detected the most significant physical and morphological indicators to be considered for sustainable urban design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air conditioning systems are the most viable source to avoid heat waves. Unfortunately, this puts a massive burden on the total electrical load. To deal with this critical issue, the Saudi Building Code National Committee has initiated the Saudi energy conservation code (SBC-602). This paper investigated the role of SBC-602 on the reduction of energy consumption in residential buildings. Furthermore, it also proposes the most effective building element to be insulated. A case study of energy consumption was modelled using SketchUp and analysed using OpenStudio Software. Inconsequence, three scenarios of U-values as an input in this work were suggested which are; building without thermal insulation, building with thermal insulation using Saudi electricity company (SEC) requirement, and using SBC-602 requirement. The study was conducted in three different cities Riyadh, Hail, and Abha, representing three climate zones in Saudi Arabia. Design of experiment (DOE) method was utilised to analyse the significant effects of the input factors. The result indicates that the decrease of the walls U-value is the most effective way to reduce the total electrical energy consumption. Moreover, decreasing roof U-value and increasing setpoint temperature were the following effective factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communities in nations all over the world must work to address the problem of energy consumption, which has emerged in modern times. Given that domestic consumers account for roughly 49% of the total electricity used annually by all sectors, buildings can be seen as a key player in this conundrum. The architecture field can therefore play a vital role in saving energy, not only through building design but also through the materials used. To minimize architectural programmes' negative impact on the environment, sustainable design that saves energy is being employed today in traditional Saudi Arabian buildings. This study examined whether current housing designs can effectively integrate four key passive energy-saving strategies: outdoor green area, thermal mass wall, window-to-wall ratio and shading device. This study analysed two types of traditional houses from two different cities in Saudi Arabia's Najd region, Riyadh and Hail, examining the four passive strategies. Using traditional house designs, this paper created four simulation models for each house, and compared the simulation results with the base case model to determine how well these strategies could affect the energy consumption for residential buildings in Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results indicate that the selected strategies can play an important role in saving energy in residential buildings in the KSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The building sector is one of the most relevant sectors in terms of environmental impact. Different functional units (FUs) can be used in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for a variety of purposes. This paper aimed to present different FUs used in the LCA of buildings and evaluate the influence of FU choice and setting in comparative studies. Methods: As an example, we compared the "cradle to grave" environmental performance of four typical Brazilian residential buildings with different construction typologies, i.e., multi-dwelling and single dwelling, each with high and basic standards. We chose three types of FU for comparison: a dwelling with defined lifetime and occupancy parameters, an area of 1 m2 of dwelling over a year period, and the accommodation of an occupant person of the dwelling over a day. Results and discussion: The FU choice was found to bias the results considerably. As expected, the largest global warming indicator (GWi) values per dwelling unit and occupant were identified for the high standard dwellings. However, when measured per square meter, lower standard dwellings presented the largest GWi values. This was caused by the greater concentration of people per square meter in smaller area dwellings, resulting in larger water and energy consumption per square meter. The sensitivity analysis of FU variables such as lifetime and occupancy showed the GWi contribution of the infrastructure more relevant compared with the operation in high and basic standard dwellings. The definition of lifetime and occupancy parameters is key to avoid bias and to reduce uncertainty of the results when performing a comparison of dwelling environmental performances. Conclusions: This paper highlights the need for adequate choice and setting of FU to support intended decision-making in LCA studies of the building sector. The use of at least two FUs presented a broader picture of building performance, helping to guide effective environmental optimization efforts from different approaches and levels of analysis. Information regarding space, time, and service dimensions should be either included in the FU setting or provided in the building LCA study to allow adjustment of the results for subsequent comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The impact of installation environment for a condensing unit in a plant room of apartment dwelling was evaluated. • As the louver window open area ratio decreases, the input power of the air conditioner increases in a logarithmic function. • As the rear clearance distance decreases, the input power of the air conditioner increases in a logarithmic function. • Insect screen in a plant room can deteriorate the performance of the condensing unit. • Using air-guide can offset the negative impact of louver window or insect screen on air discharge performance. In many countries, split-type air conditioners have been widely used in residential buildings due to the high energy efficiency. It has been reported that optimal heat exchange conditions are necessary for the condensing unit of the air source air conditioner to perform at its rated level, particularly when installed in an apartment building's plant room. This study analyzes the impact of installation parameters of a condensing unit of a split-type air conditioner, such as the clearance distance from the rear surface of the condensing unit, the louver angle, and the use of insect screen or air-guide, on the cooling performance. The findings from the experiments and the correlations between parameters and input power presented in this paper would be useful in designing residential buildings with split-type air conditioners and air conditioner plant rooms for optimal cooling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The potential application of the proposed model is a computationally inexpensive semi- or fully automated system for the optimization of operation in residential buildings in terms of energy consumption. Some analyses state that buildings contribute to overall energy consumption by 20–40%, which, in the context of the recent geopolitical energy crisis, makes them a critical issue to study. Finding solutions for better energy management in buildings can have a significant impact on the energy sector, thus reducing EU energy dependencies and contributing to the fulfillment of the REPowerEU goals. This paper focuses on proposing a simplified model of a residential house considering the main appliances, heating and cooling, a photovoltaic system, and electric vehicle recharging. Weather and solar irradiance forecasts are taken into account. The model predicts the energy demands of a house based on online weather forecasts and the desired indoor temperature. The article also focuses on the analysis of how weather forecast uncertainty affects energy demand prediction. This model can be used to better understand and predict the energy demand of either a single house or a set of houses. A multi-objective optimization approach that takes into account the preferences of users/inhabitants is developed to provide a compromise between the price paid for the electricity and temperature comfort. The authors plan to apply the proposed model to a residential house's real-time control system. The model will be tuned, its predictions will be tested, and it will be used for energy demand optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the chronic shortage of energy-related analytical data and disintegration of building energy regulations, numerous existing residential buildings in Petra (Jordan) and many cities worldwide suffer from poor building energy design. This paper aims at investigating the potential of applying energy-saving standards in order to improve the whole-building energy consumption of low-rise residential buildings in mild and dry climate zones. Representative buildings were selected based on a field survey. Proposed strategies focused on applicable solutions such as envelope components, and energy-related systems were set. The models were created using Autodesk Revit, and then the results were generated by the EnergyPlus engine. The findings showed that the application of building energy standards greatly impacts the overall energy end-use, where up to 30% reduction can be achieved by applying the Jordanian code, and up to 45% by applying the American standard. This work provides guidance for the residential building industry and policymakers in Jordan and many other countries with similar building characteristics and climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the characteristics of the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) green building certification system in terms of the scope of certification, and environmental and social strategies focused on 6024 units in the 17 EDGE-certified residential buildings in South Africa was investigated. This research analyzed the efficiency of energy, water, embodied energy in materials, and annual CO2 emissions and their contribution to solving housing issues in the given context. This research revealed that the design of EDGE-certified buildings focuses on the "efficiency first" approach and reduced energy and water demand more than on-site energy production. In energy-saving strategies, energy-saving solutions are three times (69.2%) higher than energy-generating solutions (23.1%). The results on resource savings showed that, on average, embodied energy in materials (54%) is the most reduced resource, followed by water (31%) and energy (29.7%). The statistical analysis indicated that there is no statistically significant correlation between energy, water, embodied energy in materials, and CO2 savings with floor areas of the buildings. In addition, this research highlighted how EDGE certification has positively contributed to solving South Africa's resource shortage and affordable housing scarcity problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, the world's energy consumption is increasing largely, while residential buildings are the primary sector consuming about a quarter of the total energy produced. The researchers have made significant efforts to reduce energy usage in previous years by implementing energy monitoring and prediction techniques. Further, these techniques have been utilized for energy optimization in residential buildings and provide the consumer awareness about the usage patterns. In this paper, intelligent energy aware approaches have been reviewed by focusing on energy monitoring, prediction, optimization and performance evaluation using benchmark energy datasets. This review has been concluded with a discussion on future research directions for improving energy aware approaches in residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreement goals require net‐zero CO2 emissions by mid‐century. The European Commission in its recent proposal for climate and energy strategy for 2050 indicated the need for more intensified actions to substantially improve the energy performances of buildings. With the rate of new construction in Europe, the challenge is to increase both the pace and depth of building energy renovations. Several barriers inhibit the wide uptake of comprehensive energy renovations, including the inability or inertia to finance upfront costs of energy renovations. Despite various policies implemented to address some of these barriers, current investments in buildings remain at suboptimal levels. The paper reviews current financing practices for energy renovations and investigates some innovative instruments with a special focus on their applicability to residential buildings. In addition to "traditional" financial schemes such as subsidies, tax incentives, and loans, the paper assesses innovative financing schemes: On property tax and on‐bill financing, energy efficiency mortgages, and energy efficiency feed‐in tariffs. The paper also investigates the concept of one‐stop shops for building renovations and crowdfunding. The paper offers an assessment of the characteristics, benefits, and challenges of each analyzed financing instrument and provides policy recommendations for their successful implementation. In general, as financing instruments involve different stakeholders and due to complex nature of the sector, there is no single solution to accelerate energy renovation investment in buildings. The emerging financial models offer the potential to address the long‐standing barriers to investment in energy efficiency. This article is categorized under:Energy Efficiency > Economics and PolicyEnergy Efficiency > Climate and EnvironmentEnergy and Climate > Economics and Policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes which we are experiencing at the moment are affecting the entire globe. Serbia, as a developing country, is in the process of defining its own energy strategy and priorities when it comes to the problem of increased energy consumption in its building stock. Research shows that residential sector consumes the largest quantity of energy. The CO2 emissions present another big problem which is in a direct correlation with energy consumption. Green roofs have multiple positive effects on buildings and their surroundings which make them a desirable option for retrofitting roofs. The aim of this paper is to investigate thermal properties of chosen green roof system and its potential to positively influence energy consumption for heating buildings and therefore CO2 emissions trough refurbishing existing old flat roofs. The municipality of New Belgrade was chosen for this research for its unique urban characteristics - existence of large number of similar or identical buildings, which have same structural characteristics and similar surroundings. For the purpose of this paper, blocks 45 and 70 were chosen. Results of this research are applicable on all of the 132 buildings found at this location, which have total roof area of 90.990 m². By calculating energy quantity needed for heating the building with the existing roof and two hypothetical models, which have green roof, it was possible to quantify energy savings, which are in a direct correlation with CO2 emissions. A control roof was introduced in order to examine if the proposed green roof possesses better characteristics than a traditional solution, most commonly used in Serbia. Apart from energy savings, overall impact of the green roof on the CO2 reduction per building was calculated. By multiplying these results, we drew the conclusion that a project such as greening roofs of existing residential buildings in blocks 45 and 70 would have a noticeable effect on both the energy savings and CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifting from heating using fossil fuel combustion to electrified heating, dominated by heat pumps, is central to many countries' decarbonisation strategy. The consequent increase in electricity demand, combined with that from electric vehicles, and the shift from non-renewable to renewable generation requires increased demand flexibility to support system operation. Demand side response through interrupting heating during peak demands has been widely proposed and simulation modelling has been used to determine the technical potential. This paper proposes an empirical approach to quantifying a building's potential to operate flexibly, presenting a metric based on measured temperature drop in a dwelling under standard conditions after heating is switched off, using smart meter and internal temperature data. A result was derived for 96% of 193 homes within a test dataset, mean temperature drop of 1.5 °C in 3 h at 15 °C inside-outside temperature differential. An empirical flexibility metric may support decision making and decarbonisation. For households it may support the transition to heat pumps, enabling time of use costs and tariffs to be better understood and system to be specified by installers. Electricity system stakeholders, such as aggregators and DNOs may use it to identify the potential for demand response, managing local networks, infrastructure and aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technological advancement of human sensing systems in the past decade has provided a new mode through which human complexity in High Performance Buildings can be traced rather than emulated through occupancy schedules. The established medium of schedules can assist however in formulating a comprehensive understanding of these new emerging technologies from an energy simulation perspective. The aims of this paper are subsequently twofold: (1) investigate the evolution and current state of Building Performance Simulation's occupancy schedules and assess their shortcomings with the errors, limitations and deviations of sensing technologies, and (2) evaluate the potential wide scale use of low-cost sensing technologies in thermal (heating and cooling) energy regulation. A simulation based workflow utilized occupancy schedules to measure the impact of human false sensing for the city of Atlanta. The impact ranged between 0.51–1.49% of weekly energy use per error for scanning frequencies between 10–60 min, respectively. Assessment of the national occupancy profile and inhabitant specific parameters point to critical scanning periods being situated between 10 AM–4 PM. A maximum acceptable figure of 22 errors, given a one-hour scanning frequency, was established using a 30% additional energy use benchmark which support sensing technology integration. Sensing system configurations were subsequently proposed to restrict false positive impacts. These form the basis for evaluating the feasibility of deploying such sensing systems across United States residential buildings in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the potential of model-based control is recognized, the development of reasonably accurate models for control applications remains a challenging, cumbersome and time-consuming task. This paper proposes a systematic and generalizable approach – based on low-order control-oriented thermal network (RC) archetypes – for the development, testing and implementation of readily scalable control solutions for buildings. These archetypes, focusing specifically on control applications, can significantly facilitate assessing the effect of control strategies on energy efficiency and load management. Furthermore, this approach can also be used for characterization, design and testing of simple retrofit strategies. The utilization of RC-based archetypes for common types of zones (such as those heated/cooled with forced-air or radiant systems) is proposed. These simple models (often 1st to 4th order models suffice), can also be used for the control of residential buildings. For larger buildings, zonal models can be combined to form whole building models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oversimplifying occupant behaviour using static and standard schedules has been identified as a limitation of building energy simulation tools. This paper describes the use of hierarchical cluster analysis to establish the most typical indoor temperature profiles of Albanian dwellings based on monitored indoor temperatures in winter and summer, along with building and occupant surveys undertaken in 49 randomly selected dwellings in Tirana. Three statistically different profiles were developed for each summer and winter, indicating that homes are used in different ways, as well as revealing possible comfort requirements. Furthermore, statistical analysis was undertaken to determine the strength of the association between the clusters and contextual factors related to the building, household, and occupancy. A statistically significant association was found between the presence of children and the clusters in winter, suggesting that families with dependents use more energy. Building-related factors including building type, building age, and wall insulation were found to be statistically significantly associated with clusters in summer. These profiles could provide more accurate outcomes of energy consumption of Albanian homes and energy savings from retrofits. They could also facilitate the development of low-energy strategies and policies for specific households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing buildings represent a significant energy saving potential in Europe, and retrofitting the building stock is essential to reach European targets. Retrofitting measures should reduce the energy consumption as well as improve the indoor climate while still being cost-effective. This can be challenging in European cold climates. This paper discusses energy performance requirements and challenges in the retrofitting process. It also presents an overview of the retrofitting status and relevant energy saving retrofitting measures with their potential for residential buildings. Measures to lower the building's energy demand and electrical energy consumption and measures to control and monitor the energy use are discussed. Some research directions for the future of building energy usage are suggested. The literature indicates that significant energy savings can be achieved from retrofitting the building envelope. Relatively few research papers have been devoted to the energy saving potential of building control systems for existing residential buildings. However, these savings seem low compared to those that can be achieved through energy conservation. The actual savings from retrofitting the envelope, HVAC-systems and control systems are case specific and should be assessed for reference buildings of each housing typology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on EU guidelines and national development plans, energy efficient process management has been slowly implemented in Latvian regions in the context of the Directive 2012/27/EU putting forward two binding indicative national energy efficiency goals for Latvia: (1) to achieve 1.5 % of energy savings delivered to final consumers every year, and (2) to renovate 3 % of the state-owned buildings annually. The aim of the paper is to reflect the management system of energy efficient processes in public and residential buildings in Latvian littoral regions of the Baltic Sea, which can be an important factor for achieving the goals of the Directive. The paper presents the results of the research on energy efficient processes in public and residential buildings in Latvian littoral regions of the Baltic Sea in order to determine the existing challenges. Methods applied in the research are data collection, grouping, analysis and comparison, studies of regulatory documents, as well as statistical data collection and analysis. Contribution of the research is the improvement of energy efficient solutions in public and residential buildings in littoral regions of the Baltic Sea by using the estimated energy efficient processes. The results of the research are of international importance and can be applied not only in public and residential buildings in littoral regions of the Baltic Sea but also in other regions with similar climate or energy efficient process management problems in order to improve the selection of criteria of energy efficient solutions and renovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]