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This paper discusses about e-learning resources for supporting the implementation of sustainable environmental design (SED) in the architecture discipline. The research has identified from the literature that organisation of learning materials, visualisation of information and enabling interdisciplinary communication are the key factors of designing an effective e-learning tool for this task. The review found the available e-learning resources being very limited in number with respect to building physics. The EDUCATE Portal and Autodesk Sustainability Workshop website can be considered good examples of the e-learning tools reviewed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the past 50 years, Computational Wind Engineering (CWE) has undergone a successful transition from an emerging field into an increasingly established field in wind engineering research, practice and education. This paper provides a perspective on the past, present and future of CWE. It addresses three key illustrations of the success of CWE: (1) the establishment of CWE as an individual research and application area in wind engineering with its own successful conference series under the umbrella of the International Association of Wind Engineering (IAWE); (2) the increasing range of topics covered in CWE; and (3) the history of overview and review papers in CWE. The paper also outlines some of the earliest achievements in CWE and the resulting development of best practice guidelines. It provides some views on the complementary relationship between reduced-scale wind-tunnel testing and CFD. It re-iterates some important quotes made by CWE and/or CFD researchers in the past, many of which are still equally valid today and which are provided without additional comments, to let the quotes speak for themselves. Next, as application examples to the foregoing sections, the paper provides a more detailed view on CFD simulation of pedestrian-level wind conditions around buildings, CFD simulation of natural ventilation of buildings and CFD simulation of wind-driven rain on building facades. Finally, a non-exhaustive perspective on the future of CWE is provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigates factors associated with variation in daily total (electricity and gas) energy consumption in domestic buildings using linked pre-COVID-19 smart meter, weather, building thermal characteristics, and socio-technical survey data covering appliance ownership, demographics, behaviours, and attitudes for two nested sub-samples of 1418 and 682 British households selected from the Smart Energy Research Laboratory (SERL) Observatory panel. Linear mixed effects modelling resulted in adjusted R2 between 63% and 80% depending on sample size and combinations of contextual data used. Increased daily energy consumption was significantly associated (p -value < 0.05, VIF < 5) with: households living in buildings with more rooms and bedrooms, that are older, more detached, have air-conditioning, and experience colder (more heating degree days) or less sunny weather; households with more adult occupants, more children, older adult occupants, higher heating temperature setpoints, and that do not try to save energy. The results demonstrate the value of smart meter data linked with contextual data for improving understanding of energy demand in British housing. Accredited UK researchers are invited to apply to access the data, which has recently been updated to include over 13,000 households from across Great Britain. This paper provides guidance on appropriate methods to use when analysing the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aerogel is a super insulation material and it has absorptivity to solar radiation. Indoor heat gain through aerogel glazing system and its temperature distribution depend strongly on the climatic conditions and geographical position of a building. In this paper, a dynamic heat transfer model and an optical model for granular aerogel glazing system are developed and validated through an experiment. By employing the validated model, the applicability of aerogel glazing system in various climates has been evaluated. By comparing the total heat loss in heating season, it is found that aerogel glazing system has great energy saving potential in Severe Cold Region and Temperate Region. The comparative analysis of total heat gain in cooling season indicates that aerogel glazing system in Hot-Summer Warm-Winter Region performs slightly better than the commonest double glazing system, but inferior to low-e double glazing system. In Cold Region and Hot-Summer Cold-Winter Region, there both have heating and cooling seasons all year round. The sum of total heat loss and total heat gain is used to evaluate the annual applicability. The results show that aerogel glazing system is suitable to apply in Cold Region and in the south and north orientations of Hot-Summer Cold-Winter Region. Highlights • Dynamic model is proposed to evaluate energy performance of aerogel glazing. • Validity and accuracy of the dynamic model is verified by experiment. • Total heat loss/gain is used to evaluate energy performance of glazing. • Energy performance is compared between aerogel and popular glazings. • Applicability of aerogel glazing is evaluated for all climate zones of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing concern about the scale and extent of the gap between predicted and actual energy performance of new and retrofitted UK homes has led to a surge in the development of new tools and technologies trying to address the problem. A vital aspect of this work is to improve ease and accuracy of measuring in-use performance to better understand the extent of the gap and diagnose its causes. Existing approaches range from low cost but basic assessments allowing very limited diagnosis, to intensively instrumented experiments that provide detail but are expensive and highly disruptive, typically requiring the installation of specialist monitoring equipment and often vacating the house for several days. A key challenge in reducing the cost and difficulty of complex methods in occupied houses is to disaggregate space heating energy from that used for other uses without installing specialist monitoring equipment. This paper presents a low cost, non-invasive approach for doing so for a typical occupied UK home where space heating, hot water and cooking are provided by gas. The method, using dynamic pattern matching of total gas consumption measurements, typical of those provided by a smart meter, was tested by applying it to two occupied houses in the UK. The findings revealed that this method was successful in detecting heating patterns in the data and filtering out coinciding use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-disciplinary optimisation of building spatial designs is characterised by large solution spaces. Here two approaches are introduced, one being super-structured and the other super-structure free. Both are different in nature and perform differently for large solution spaces and each requires its own representation of a building spatial design, which are also presented here. A method to combine the two approaches is proposed, because the two are prospected to supplement each other. Accordingly a toolbox is presented, which can evaluate the structural and thermal performances of a building spatial design to provide a user with the means to define optimisation procedures. A demonstration of the toolbox is given where the toolbox has been used for an elementary implementation of a simulation of co-evolutionary design processes. The optimisation approaches and the toolbox that are presented in this paper will be used in future efforts for research into- and development of optimisation methods for multi-disciplinary building spatial design optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green roofs help to regulate the urban climate not only by evapotranspiration but also because of their insulating effects leading to reduced energy demand in summer and winter. Microclimate models as ENVI-met allow to calculate effects of green roofs and their contribution to climate change adaptation. Most models are based on generalized assumptions concerning evapotranspiration, albedo, heat flux and u-value of green roofs. Building physics software as ArchiPHYSIK lacks of available data concerning green roofs. This paper provides a detailed description of seven different green roof systems (differing in thicknesses, materials and construction layers) and their insulating performance over a period of 15 months. This shall allow researchers to choose more specific data for their work and improve the accuracy of green roof simulations and energy efficiency calculations. The results show clearly, that green roofs, as “living dynamic systems” respond differently on climatic framework conditions. The calculated u-values range from 0.944 W/m 2 K – measured for a 12 cm thick one layer green roof – to 0.299 W/m 2 K of a 30 cm thick two layer green roof. The tested green roofs have been selected to be able to analyze the influence of different materials, construction types and thicknesses on insulation performance. Apart from construction thickness, water capacity of growing layer and drainage material, their pore volume and the application of drainage boards have been identified as relevant factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low indoor air quality (IAQ) can impact occupants’ health and lead to poor productivity or low academic performance. Therefore the provision of good IAQ in classrooms and laboratories is very important. This paper presents the results of the investigation devoted to the quality of indoor air in computer laboratories of selected Polish high schools. Six schools in a town with a population of 200 000 inhabitants were involved in the investigations. The participating school buildings were built between 1975 and 1991 and had gravity ventilation systems. The variability of basic IAQ parameters, i.e., temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide level, was analysed and the assessment of the computer laboratories in terms of microbiological purity was performed. The outomes confirmed the low quality of the indoor air in these buildings. Certain modifications aimed at improving IAQ were proposed during the investigations. Two solutions were implemented. The first solution involved a twofold increase in the volume of supply air from 90 m 3 /h to 180 m 3 /h. The other modification consisted in installing indoor air cleaning devices based on the radiant catalytic ionization technology (RCI). The results of this study indicate that the proposed solution offers the potential to improve IAQ within computer labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the investigation devoted to the quality of indoor air in classrooms of selected Polish kindergartens. The kindergartens buildings were built between 1970 and 1993 and had gravity ventilation systems. The variability of basic IAQ parameters. The outcomes confirmed low quality of the indoor air in these buildings. Certain modifications aimed at improving IAQ were proposed during the investigations. Two solutions were implemented: twofold increase in the volume of supply air and installing indoor air cleaning devices based on the radiant catalytic ionization technology (RCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing has long been thought to play a significant role in population exposure to environmental hazards such as high temperatures and air pollution. However, there is sparse data describing how housing may modify heat and air pollution exposure such that housing's role in poor health and mortality from these hazards may be estimated. This paper describes the development of individual-address level indoor overheating and air pollution risk modifiers for Great Britain, for use alongside historical weather, outdoor air pollution, population socio-economic data, and mortality data in a large-scale epidemiological investigation. A geographically-referenced housing stock database was developed using the Homes Energy Efficiency Database (HEED) and the English Housing Survey (EHS). Simulations of unique combinations of building, fabric, occupation, and environment were run using a modelling framework developed for EnergyPlus 8.0, estimating indoor temperature metrics, indoor/outdoor ratio of pollution from outdoor sources, and indoor air pollution from multiple indoor sources. Results were compiled, matched back to individual properties in HEED, and mapped using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Results indicate urban areas had higher numbers of buildings prone to overheating, reduced levels indoor air pollution from outdoor sources, and higher air pollution from indoor sources relative to rural areas, driven largely by variations in building types. The results provide the first national-scale quantitative estimate of heat and indoor air pollution modification by dwellings, aggregated at levels suitable for inclusion in health analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the predicted increase in heatwave frequency in the UK due to climate change, there has been an increasing research focus on mortality during hot weather. This paper examines the risk of mortality in London during hot weather by combining data on population age and distribution, Urban Heat Island (UHI), and dwelling propensity to overheat due to geometry and fabric characteristics derived using building physics in order to calculate the spatial variation in heat-related mortality risk across London. Spatial variation of heat-related mortality was found to reflect background mortality rates due to population age, while dwelling characteristics were found to cause a larger variation in temperature exposure (and therefore risk) than UHI. The highest levels of excess mortality were found in areas with larger elderly populations, towards the outskirts of the Greater London Authority (GLA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A comprehensive study about the integration of dynamic thermal insulation in building envelopes was proposed. • Available constructions, examination approaches, and investigated parameters by the literature were reviewed. • Dynamic thermal insulation savings would reach more than 40% compared to building envelopes with an equal alternative static thermal insulation. • A practical zero heat loss coefficient could be achieved by employing dynamic insulation realised by airflow. Dynamic insulation is a promising approach that allows the heat transmission rate through building envelopes to vary in a controlled manner over time. Dynamic insulation's primary function is to change the transmissivity of the building envelope according to the actual outdoor conditions. It is applicable in almost any climate condition. The fundamental contribution of this review paper is to collect and assess available literature on this topic for different dynamic insulation structures. Therefore, this article classifies the background of dynamic (active) insulation and offers a comparative investigation of the various mathematical models, experimental studies, and numerical simulations based on the historical evolution of thermal insulating strategies over time. Several existing structures for dynamic insulation realised by airflow were categorised based on the construction type, examined parameters, and investigation approaches. Some literature results revealed that low heat loss (U < 0.1) down to practically zero could be achieved by employing a dynamic insulation air type. Moreover, the associated energy savings could reach more than 40% compared to building envelopes with a static insulation alternative. The proposed evaluation will provide basic knowledge about the development and capabilities of dynamic insulation using air and identify potential research areas to pursue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban physics is the science and engineering of physical processes in urban areas. It basically refers to the transfer of heat and mass in the outdoor and indoor urban environment, and its interaction with humans, fauna, flora and materials. Urban physics is a rapidly increasing focus area as it is key to understanding and addressing the grand societal challenges climate change, energy, health, security, transport and aging. The main assessment tools in urban physics are field measurements, full-scale and reduced-scale laboratory measurements and numerical simulation methods including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In the past 50 years, CFD has undergone a successful transition from an emerging field into an increasingly established field in urban physics research, practice and design. This review and position paper consists of two parts. In the first part, the importance of urban physics related to the grand societal challenges is described, after which the spatial and temporal scales in urban physics and the associated model categories are outlined. In the second part, based on a brief theoretical background, some views on CFD are provided. Possibilities and limitations are discussed, and in particular, ten tips and tricks towards accurate and reliable CFD simulations are presented. These tips and tricks are certainly not intended to be complete, rather they are intended to complement existing CFD best practice guidelines on ten particular aspects. Finally, an outlook to the future of CFD for urban physics is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cities are expected to experience an increasing risk of overheating due to climate change and the urban heat island phenomenon. Although external factors, such as urban morphology and greening, may influence the spatio-temporal variation of overheating risk, the individual building characteristics are also likely to be important. This paper presents the results of EnergyPlus dynamic thermal simulations of 3456 combinations of dwelling types and characteristics selected to represent the London domestic stock. Two Design Summer Year weather files were used to represent the current and future climate: the CIBSE 1984–2004 and a UKCP09 future weather file (50th percentile of external temperature, 2050s, medium emissions scenario). Appreciable variation between dwelling types but generally greater variation within dwelling type was found depending on such factors as orientation, surrounding buildings and insulation levels. Under the current climate, the insulation levels had considerable impact on indoor temperatures, with combined retrofitting of roof insulation and window upgrades reducing daytime living room temperatures during the warmest continuous 5-day period of modelling by, on average, 0.76 °C (%95C.I. 0.63, 0.89 °C) for mean temperature and 1.30 °C (%95C.I. 1.05, 1.54 °C) for maximum temperature. On the other hand, internally retrofitted walls and floors tended to increase daytime living room temperatures, with a combined effect of 0.46 °C (%95C.I. 0.33, 0.60 °C) increase in mean temperature and 0.71 °C (%95C.I. 0.47, 0.96) increase in maximum temperature. Within the context of a changing climate, knowledge of insulation characteristics after retrofitting is crucial for the accurate identification of dwellings with greatest overheating potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sernikaki is a Greek vernacular settlement that can be imagined as a living organism is the outcome of centuries of optimization of material use, construction techniques and climate considerations. Being mountainous and isolated, this small vernacular settlement has preserved old types of dwellings longer than other areas in Phokida, in mainland Greece, and it can, thus, provide rich material for the understanding of architectural continuity and evolution. In this study, various types of adobe dwellings are surveyed and their response to climate, in terms of site and building design, is evaluated. In addition, the techniques of creating microclimatic conditions by incorporating the existing environmental parameters into the design are considered. Bioclimatic design employs appropriate technologies and design principles based on a thoughtful approach to climate and environment. It is concerned with the layout of the buildings (orientation in relation to sun and wind, aspect ratio), the spacing (site planning), the air movement, the openings (size–position, protection), and the building envelope (walls: construction materials-thickness, roof construction detailing). This paper evaluates specific vernacular dwelling types and their response to climate, based on passive design principles that could be adapted to current architectural practice in the area, in order to optimize the relationship between site, building and climate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind-driven rain (WDR) is one of the most important boundary conditions for hygrothermal building envelope analysis. Although Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of WDR on building facades has been applied intensively in the past decade, validation is still quite limited, and most previous validation efforts have focused either on wind directions perpendicular to the facade or on buildings of complex geometry. This paper addresses CFD simulations of WDR on the west facade of a simple, rectangular low-rise test building for various oblique winds and CFD validation by comparing the simulation results with full-scale measurements. It is shown that overall, fairly accurate results can be obtained, but that the numerical simulations can significantly underestimate the WDR amounts near the downwind edge of the facade when the wind direction is increasingly oblique. These discrepancies are at least partly attributed to the very small impact angles of the raindrops at these facade positions and the resulting inaccuracies in the numerical model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The International Building Physics Toolbox (IBPT) is a software library developed originally for heat, air and moisture system analysis in building physics. The toolbox is constructed as a modular structure of standard building elements, using the graphical programming language Simulink. To enable development of the toolbox, a common modelling platform is defined: a set of unique communication signals, material database and documentation protocol. The IBPT is an open source and available on the Internet. Any user can utilize, expand and develop the contents of the toolbox. This paper presents structure and essence of the library. Potential applications of the toolbox are illustrated through examples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The commercially available software package FemLab is evaluated as solver for building physics problems based on partial differential equations (PDEs). The software is designed to simulate systems of coupled PDEs which may be 1D, 2D or 3D, non-linear and time dependent. An important feature of FemLab is that the user can focus on the model (PDE coefficients on the domain and boundary) and does not have to spend much time on solving and visualization. In this paper, 4 cases are considered. First, in order to illustrate how FemLab works, an example including the complete code for solving as well as the results are given for a simple 2D steady-state heat transfer problem. In the next 2 cases, the reliability is tested for two very different building physics problems: A 2D dynamic airflow problem, modeled using Navier–Stokes and buoyancy equations, and a 1D dynamic non-linear moisture transport in a porous material. These simulation results are validated and show a good agreement with measurements. In the last case, FemLab''s capability of simulating 3D problems is shown by a dynamic combined heat and moisture transport problem. This example is a 3D extension of a given 2D problem from IEA Annex 24 (Final Report—Task 1). For all models the crucial part of the codes (geometry, PDEs and boundary specifications) are given. The FemLab software is written in the MatLab environment (The Mathworks, Inc. MatLab manual, Version 5.3, 1998) and therefore it is possible to use the visualization tools, toolboxes and all other programs written in MatLab. The evaluation illustrates the powerful and flexible nature of FemLab for solving scientific and engineering building physics problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]