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Sleep is a dominant part of our daily lives. People often have sleeping habits. Sleeping habit is referred as the preferred bedding system (type of bedding and sleepwear) and thermal environment. Thermal environment and cooling energy use are closely related. Many works have been done on sleep quality, sleeping habits, and the associated cooling energy use. However, it is noted that they are either separately or pairwise investigated. No investigations to date have been done to investigate their interactive effect. This study serves as a pilot study to fill the research gaps in investigating the interactive effect of sleep quality, sleeping habits and cooling energy use. Based on the use of three bedding systems and four temperature settings, 12 sleeping tests, each refers to one sleeping habit, were performed simultaneously in eight subjects. Sleepbot was employed to quantity sleep quality. Upon ascertaining the best sleep quality for different bedding systems, hour-by-hour energy simulations using EnergyPlus were conducted. It was found that for the use of light bedding systems, the associated drop in energy use would be 78.3% and 37.8% for female and male subjects respectively. Two prediction models, one relating energy use with thermal environment, and the other relating sleep quality with sleeping habit, have been established. The models can help quickly determine the tradeoff amongst sleep quality, sleeping habit and energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This is an experimental study of the use of DCDV system for achieving the decoupling and energy saving objectives. [•] The study focuses on side-by-side comparison of the DCDV and conventional systems. [•] DCDV system can better achieve the desired space air conditions and is more energy efficient. [•] A prediction model has been developed to relate the possible condensation period with different operating parameters. [•] The results are useful for wider application of DCDV system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Desiccant cooling system for active humidity control and to conserve energy has been in commercial applications for over two decades. However, its use in humid wet markets has never been examined. A gas-fired desiccant cooling system has been installed in a wet market in Hong Kong. In this study, the annual energy saving in conjunction with the use of desiccant cooling system was investigated by in-situ measurements, site surveys and simulations. The verified computer model was used for further simulations. It was found that for the use of a minimum ventilation rate of 10.3 L/s/person, the use of desiccant cooling system as compared to conventional system saved 4% of the energy and could achieve the desired space conditions. A parametric study under various ventilation rates indicated that use of desiccant cooling system in wet markets in hot and humid Hong Kong would lead to energy and energy cost savings, as well as CO2 emission reduction amounting from 1% to 13%. The savings were more evident when wet markets were designed for a ventilation rate of 20 L/s/person. Furthermore, the actual occupancy profile, and lighting and small power densities determined in this study would be useful for future studies on wet market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The combined use of dedicated outdoor air ventilation (DV) and dry cooling (DC) air-conditioning system to decouple sensible and latent cooling for desirable space air conditions, better indoor air quality, and energy efficiency is proposed for hot and humid climates like Hong Kong. In this study, the performance and energy saving potential of DCDV system in comparison to conventional systems (constant air volume (CAV) system with and without reheat) for air conditioning of a typical office building in Hong Kong are evaluated. Through hour-by-hour simulations, using actual equipment performance data and realistic building and system characteristics, the cooling load profile, resultant indoor air conditions, condensation at the DC coil, and energy consumptions are calculated and analyzed. The results indicate that with the use of DCDV system, the desirable indoor conditions could be achieved and the annual energy use could be reduced by 54% over CAV system with reheat. The condensate-free characteristic at the DC coil to reduce risk of catching disease could also be realized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent research studies advocates decoupling dehumidification from cooling to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy consumption. The feasible use of heat pipe at the air handler dedicated for outdoor air treatment (HPDV system) in accomplishing this objective is investigated in this study. To evaluate the performance and the energy saving potential of the proposed HPDV system, the design parameters of 75 Grade A office buildings in Hong Kong were collected. Ten representative buildings were subsequently identified for further study to achieve a confidence level of 95%. The annual cooling load profiles of the 10 representative buildings were simulated by the use of HTB2. Based on the realistic cooling load profiles and the heat pipes of effectiveness 0.35–0.6, the proposed HPDV system in achieving the intended objectives were evaluated. It was found that the savings for the 10 representative buildings were comparable. The reduction in cooling and reheating energy was between 23 and 44kWh/m2, which corresponds to 1.2% and 7.9% saving in annual energy use for air-conditioning. The results indicate that HP of different effectiveness can be applied to save energy for over 70% of the air-conditioned hours; of which only 0.03–6.3% of the time the decoupling objective cannot be achieved (abbreviated as NHRS). Based on the results of the study, a simplified model relating NHRS with heat pipe effectiveness has been established. The model can help designers more quickly determine how NHRS can be weighted against other factors such as the additional plant room space and the financial implications. The results confirm the feasible use of the HPDV system in achieving the intended objectives for subtropical climate like Hong Kong where air-conditioning demand is highly variable, and is required year-round. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]