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This study analyzes insurance claim data from an 11-county area in the Florida Panhandle following the landfall of Hurricane Michael. The data includes 1467 non-mobile home structures, with 902 (61.5%) storm-damaged structures in Bay County. The analysis focuses on Wind Mitigation form 1802. Specifically, building design variables were analyzed via linear regression as to their influence on the percent claim loss. The building design variables included total square footage, dwelling construction type, age of the building, roof type, roof cover type, roof deck attachment type, roof to wall attachment, the presence of secondary water resistance (or sealed roof deck), opening protection type, and roof shape. Results show that building design variables for insurance claims have a high predictive value relative to a Category 5 hurricane event. However, the predictive values of building design variables are also dependent on the dwelling's proximity to the coast, its location relative to the strong or weak side of the storm, the diameter of the storm, and other wind field variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiDAR has become fairly integrated into archaeological practice at a global scale. This has gradually evolved to include UAV LiDAR. Nevertheless, considerable biases remain, including with regard to geographical regions, chronological periods, feature types and environments. At present, few studies of coastal environments exist, despite the fact that LiDAR—and UAV LiDAR in particular—has the obvious advantages of flexibility and time efficiency in such archaeologically rich but logistically challenging environments. In this paper, we compare the results of UAV LiDAR surveys with records from previous ground surveys in two case studies from coastal environments on opposite sides of the globe. Case Study I of shell middens located within approximately 3 km2 around Cambaceres Bay involved the first collection of LiDAR data from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Case Study II covered approximately 3 km2 of the island of Vega, Northern Norway, and is among the pioneering LiDAR studies of Mesolithic house pits. The detection success rate was fairly good for Cambaceres—69% of 1240 recorded structures were identified on LiDAR—and above expected for Vega, with 81% of 51 recorded house pits identified on LiDAR. In Cambaceres, the main challenges were dense and low vegetation and identifying small middens. Possible new identifications of archaeological features were made in both areas: subtle depressions interpreted as dwelling foundations in Cambaceres and house pits on Vega. We conclude that UAV LiDAR can contribute to coastal archaeology and that it has added values besides making new identifications, being both flexible and time efficient. An example pertains to the possible identification of a practice that has not previously been proved archaeologically in Tierra del Fuego—more thorough site preparation prior to the construction of the dwellings—which in turn raises new questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though the use of uranium mill tailings as a construction material is prohibitive such prototype dwellings can be constructed for developing models for the human exposure assessment. Among the potential challenges of uranium mill tailings build-up of radon (222Rn) from the tailings pile and subsequent migration following dispersion is assumed significance due to the associated inhalation hazard of its progeny. Sources of such exposure are predominantly considered as the 226Ra (parent of 222Rn) present in the construction material and underlying geophysical characteristics. In the present investigation, a model is developed presuming the use of mill tailings as the construction material of a dwelling (prototype). The numerical model prediction for 1.14 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) reflects that the level can be approximated at 300 Bq m−3, a reference level proposed in ICRP recommendation (ICRP 2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We also see regional divisions in the internal space in the inner room, with the appearance of the front hall creating a transitional space between the front hall and the inner room that increased the functional zoning of the inner room and added a degree of privacy to the space. Keywords: Loess Plateau; prehistoric era; -shaped house remains; cave dwelling; cultural function EN Loess Plateau prehistoric era -shaped house remains cave dwelling cultural function 135 144 10 11/16/22 20221101 NES 221101 Postscript The original report was published in Kaogu (Archaeology) 2020.4:77-89 with 10 figures, 2 tables, and 63 notes. One perplexing issue is that, along with the widening of the front halls - which almost reaches the width of the inner rooms - room length decreases by at least half, and actual house stability may be in freefall. The somewhat wider rear chamber can be called the "inner room", and the narrower front area that connects to the entrance can be called the "front hall.". [Extracted from the article]

New 3D-printing technologies allows to make constructive elements, especially walls, faster and with formal diversity. The 3D-printed elements usually have self-supporting capacities, but they need to be reinforced or integrated into larger structures, to make buildings of large extension or height of several floors. This work proposes a residential construction strategy, focused on Chile, which combines a modular main reinforced concrete structure with partitions made of 3D-printed walls to obtain different housing organizations. For this, a structural grid and range of volumes are defined in BIM. In addition, a parametric programming is developed and prototypes of 3D-printed walls are made. The volumetric development provides a wide repertoire of residential surfaces, while the main structure provides a great flexibility of occupancy. The programming organizes the design and execution process, with numeric analysis and visualization capabilities. The executed prototypes demonstrate a constructive feasibility and architectural appealing. This development expresses the possibility to integrate 3D-printing in massive and varied dwelling construction, and suggests new paths for housing construction with the application of new design technologies and automated manufacturing in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses issues on capital gains tax (CGT) in relation to a decision of a taxpayer, who either owns or acquires a dwelling, to knock it down and build another. Topics covered include the scenarios considered, the CGT asset concept and sale of land after demolition. It also discusses the special CGT main residence rule in building a dwelling, changing main residence concession and disposal of vacant land.

Copyright of Humanitas: International Journal of Social Sciences / Uluslararasi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Humanitas: International Journal of Social Sciences 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.)

The article discusses the recent changes in Victorian planning regulations regarding small second dwellings, aimed at facilitating their construction and rental, while highlighting design requirements and potential improvements. Topics include the legislative changes to streamline approval processes, design standards for small second dwellings, and concerns regarding the exclusion of provisions for Dependent Persons Units and larger dwellings from the new arrangements.

In the last decades, the number of natural disasters has considerably increased which has an extreme effect on the built environment. In this case, most buildings undergo severe damages and plenty of them totally breakdown which is one of the strongest impacts of a disaster. Egypt is considered as one of the countries that is exposed to unexpected natural hazards as a result of climate change, floods, earthquakes, etc. Thus, the main objective is to find solutions through temporary dwellings for displaced people to help them find an alternative residence. The paper is divided into three parts. First, it explores the fundamentals of design and construction of temporary dwellings based on diverse experiences from different contexts. Second, it analyzes the Nubian resettlement as a case study. Finally, the third part proposes a sustainable model for temporary dwelling solutions that act as a road map for flexible implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the use of plants by tribal and traditional communities in their traditional hut and shelter construction that are easy to make and biodegradable. These are primitive durable, well built dwellings, constructed by various plant parts and essential protective devices. Tribal have incessant relationship with precious forest commodity. Traditional buildings are self built by their owner or built by members of a community. The data were collected by interviews, observations and participation. In the course of the survey of the useful plants, 44 species belonging to 24 families have been documented which are being used by the natives of the study area for construction their hut and hamlet. Little work has been done regarding natural huts and shelter so there exists great scope for exploration in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is the largest consumer of the primary sources of energy worldwide. The most commonly used primary sources of energy to generate electricity are oil, coal, peat, shale, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, renewables, biofuels, and waste. The energy demand by the building sector is about 40% of the world's energy production. Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) is the best solution recommended by the energy experts to reduce substantial pressure on primary sources of energy contributed by the building sector. There is a marginal gap between estimates made during the design stage and actual energy performance of residential buildings, primarily due to a lack of understanding of the factors affecting energy use and whole building simulations software limitations. The purpose of this research work was to conduct a comparative analysis of a predicted versus actual energy consumption of prototype Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) constructed at Higher College of Technology, Muscat. Hourly Analysis Program (HAP V4.2) was used to predict energy demand of NZEB at HCT and same size regular house in Muscat. PVWatts calculator was used to determining possible power generation by the PV system installed on the roof in the form of a canopy. The constructed house was tested for one month to perform multiple tasks as per competition requirements in which one of the major tasks was to produce onsite energy production by PV panel's equivalent to the energy consumed by the house. The actual energy consumption results were compared with the simulated result and observed that actual energy demand of house was approximately 20% lower than that predicted by the simulation tool. The comparison of simulation results between NZEB and regular house indicated 61.24% less energy demand of NZEB, mainly due to less HVAC load. The simulation result for BEI of NZEB showed 87.20 kWh/m2/year as compare to 225.1 kWh/m2/year for same size regular house. The simulated result obtained from PVWatts calculator for competition period and actual production of an installed PV system at the top roof showed a minor deviation of 0.73% only. It is also observed from the results during the competition period house exported 1221 kWh energy to the grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to investigate the energy sustainability of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and straw residential buildings in the Cold and Severe Cold Regions of China. In the study, three building materials, namely reinforced concrete (RC), CLT, and straw bale, are used separately to design the building envelope in reference residential buildings in different climate zones. The energy consumption during the operation phase of these buildings is then simulated using Integrated Environmental Solutions—Virtual Environment software (IES-VE). The results show that both CLT and straw buildings are more efficient than reinforced concrete with a reduction in energy consumption during the operational phase. Overall, the calculated heating energy-saving ratios for CLT buildings in Hailar, Harbin, Urumchi, Lanzhou, and Beijing are 3.04%, 7.39%, 7.43%, 12.69%, and 13.41%, respectively, when compared with RC. The calculated energy-saving ratios for heating in straw buildings in comparison with RC in these cities are 8.04%, 22.09%, 22.17%, 33.02%, and 34.28%, respectively. The results also reveal that a south orientation of the main building facade results in approximately 5% to 7% energy reduction in comparison with east or west orientations, and as the building height increases, energy consumption decreases gradually. Although RC is the most frequently used building material in Cold and Severe Cold regions in China, as bio-based building materials, there is great potential to promote CLT and straw bale construction in view of the energy sustainability features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronics & Control Systems is the property of National Aviation 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.)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a remarkable historical heritage. It maintains architectural and urban evidence of great diversity in different parts of the Kingdom, and it reflects diversity due to climate variability and the topography and quality of the soil, resulting in the emergence of different architectural and urban styles, characterized by the diversity of traditional building designs and different building materials. Saudi Arabia is divided into five regions according to different topography and climate: central, northern, southern, eastern and western regions. Due to their exposure to surrounding environmental and climatic factors, traditional buildings are characterized by the uniqueness and diversity of their designs and the availability of thermal comfort. This research aims to study the impact of environmental and climatic diversity on the shape and design of traditional buildings in each of the five regions of the Kingdom, including the impact of traditional architectural treatments on the interior design of buildings and the extent of their ability to achieve thermal comfort. This shall provide an approach to maintain and develop traditional buildings to commensurate with modern times and set up foundations and criteria for achieving thermal comfort in the design of future buildings in each region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical simulation-based study that evaluates the potential of an active phase change material (PCM) incorporated thermal energy storage (TES) system for space cooling in residential buildings. In the proposed concept, TES system is composed of stand-alone PCM storage units which are installed between the concrete ceiling slab and the ceiling finishing layer. Active control of the thermal energy storage is achieved by night cooling of a phase change material by means of cold water flowing within a capillary pipe system. Effectiveness of the system under the typical summer conditions of the Baltic States is analysed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software Ansys Fluent. Results showed that installation of the active TES system has a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing the average indoor air temperature by 6.8 °C. The outcome of this investigation would be helpful in selecting the key characteristics of the system in order to achieve the optimum performance of an active TES system for space cooling of buildings in similar climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of high-rise residential buildings have proliferated in different countries at least since the 1940s, for a range of reasons. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current state of evidence on how planning, urban design and architectural aspects of high-rise residential buildings may influence social well-being and mental health. A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Searches for peer-reviewed papers were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Scopus, SciELO, and Web of Science; 4100 papers were assessed. 23 empirical studies published between 1971 and 2016 were included. The review found that house type, floor level, as well as spaces intrinsic to high-rise residential buildings (e.g. shared stairwells) are associated with social well-being and mental health. However, conceptual gaps and methodological inconsistencies still characterise most of the research in this field. We expect that research about and policy attention to this subject may intensify due to its strategic relevance in the face of global challenges such as increasing urbanization and loneliness. This paper concludes by highlighting a number of recommendations for future research. • House type, floor level, and spaces intrinsic to high-rises are associated with social well-being and mental health. • Most research shows methodological problems and lack of conceptual consensus. • Cross-national research and studies in cities in the Global South are needed. • There is a lack of studies on positive mental health. • Mediators, moderators and confounding variables need to be studied conjointly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides LCA reference benchmarks for residential buildings in Northern Italy and Denmark. Furthermore, the benchmark derivation process is analysed to highlight the trade-offs that relate to the methodological choices made by benchmark developers, considering the objectives of the stakeholders. Reference benchmarks for the two contexts are calculated based on national samples of residential buildings. A comparative analysis pinpoints the methodological factors regarding system boundaries, inventory requirements and databases that, from a calculation aspect, affect the benchmarks. Results thus highlight the uniqueness of each benchmarking system put into practice, and emphasize the need for clear calculation rules and transparency within each benchmark system. The identified trade-offs from the derivation process furthermore indicate the inherent need to balance the different interests relating to the stakeholders' roles when applying the benchmark. The mapping of different trade-offs presented in this study provides benchmark stakeholders with an overview that allows for open discussion about which priorities and choices will fit a specific context of benchmark application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing energy consumption of residential buildings in Egypt which reached about 42% of total energy consumption in latest energy statistics, affirms the need for energy conscious design of buildings. Many researches aim at guiding new buildings design to be energy-efficient, however, retrofitting existing buildings can result in significant reductions in energy consumption. This paper outlined different window glass types led to a reduction in cooling loads via the building envelope for the existing building. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of changing windows glass types to reduce energy consumption in the hot arid climate of greater Cairo. The energy analysis carried out by employing advanced simulation via DesignBuilder software for a residential building located in Cairo; this case study analyzed the performance of seven different window glass types in a residential building façade in the different cardinal orientations. The model was validated by taking a field measurement to measure and quantify the temperature of a selected room taken within three consecutive days in May and June 2019 and compared to the simulation tool results, the average error percentage was 2.15%. The results of the simulation showed that changing glass type can reduce energy consumption by up to 18.8%, indicating the significance of energy efficient retrofitting of existing residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Lhasa area, the solar radiation intensity is relatively high, so in order to satisfy the indoor natural lighting quality, it is easy to cause overheating in the south-facing room and non-uniform heat in the north-facing room with lower room temperature. In this paper, Dest-h software is used to simulate and study the base temperature and average energy consumption of non-heating residential buildings under different window-wall ratio and partition wall conditions, trying to find out the structural measures and design methods to improve the indoor thermal uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upgrading the energy efficiency of existing buildings is a well-known issue around the globe. Given the very low renewal rate of the building stock, thermal retrofit of the existing buildings seems to be a good solution to improve the environmental performance of the building sector. Several studies have acknowledged the lack of knowledge, experience and best-practice examples as barriers in thermal retrofit of existing buildings. Therefore, this study has focused on developing recommendations on the most effective and feasible retrofitting techniques for existing buildings and performing financial analysis of initial investment vs. return based on the quantitative results of the energy modelling. Thermal comfort modelling software FirstRate5 has been used to simulate the annual heating and cooling energy consumption of nine benchmark buildings through a range of retrofitting techniques. Dwellings of varying construction materials including weatherboard, cavity brick and brick veneer have been simulated to improve accuracy. Examining seven different thermal retrofitting options in this study, it has become apparent that there is significant heating and cooling energy reduction, with payback period of less than three years, by implementing two options of the examined retrofitting cases to existing residential dwellings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We analyze time-of-use rates with respect to model predictive controls. • We show that thermal storage potential can vary greatly for differing climates. • We build a model predictive control framework for indoor temperature setpoints. • We analyze of the impacts of different variable electric rates. • The framework is capable of reducing cooling electricity costs by 30%. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning for residential and commercial buildings requires a substantial share of electric energy, and ultimately drives summer peak demand in the United States. Variable electric rates are becoming more common in the residential market, as utilities try to encourage users to shift their energy demand. Model predictive controls, one method of reducing energy usage, employ an optimization model to minimize peak demand, energy usage, or electricity costs. This paper details the development of a co-simulation framework to rapidly model and simulate building energy use and optimize cooling setpoint controls. The framework integrates commercially available software to: (i) simulate all energy interactions between the building, internal gains, outdoor environment, and heating and cooling systems via a building energy simulation program (EnergyPlus), (ii) algebraically formulate an optimization problem (with AMPL) using a black-box, reduced-order model for rapid calculations, (iii) employ Simulink as the environment that links calls to EnergyPlus and AMPL, and (iv) solve the optimization model (with CPLEX) to minimize electricity costs and user discomfort. Variable electric time-of-use rates are analyzed in the context of total cooling electricity costs, thermal comfort of users, and peak demand shedding. The framework uses a model predictive control formulation capable of reducing cooling electricity costs by up to 30%; however, cost savings and peak demand shedding are highly dependent on the time-of-use electricity rate schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay presents a proposal concerning the residential buildings of Giuseppe Terragni in the urban area of Como, based on the research activity which has been ongoing in the last few years and the related experiences which have been elaborated up to now to manage, represent and communicate the studies carried out. A new method of integration between research, communication and enhancement is presented with the aim to obtain a synthetic and immersive representation. Two case studies, in particular, are presented: the building for apartments Novocomum and "Case Popolari" in Via Anzani. The paper describes the methodology used, and its purpose, to create a virtual tour of the atrium of Novocomum and common areas of Case Popolari which allows the user to visit the spaces moving inside high definition full spherical immersive images and to consult punctual information referring to heterogeneous historical documents, providing a useful tool in order to study these architectures and contributing to the knowledge and enhancement of this architectural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK's Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association competent persons scheme collects pressure test data and metadata from the majority of new build dwellings in the UK. This article uses the dataset to investigate the importance of the ventilation strategy in airtightness design and construction. Design and measured airtightness were tested for association with declared ventilation strategy. It was found that ventilation strategy makes a statistically significant difference to airtightness; however, this difference is too small to be practically relevant. Properties with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) were shown to have a mean designed air permeability only 0.46 m3/m2h lower than naturally ventilated dwellings. Seventy-three per cent of homes with MVHR have design airtightness greater than or equal to 5 m3/m2h and 17% of naturally ventilated dwellings have design airtightness less than 5 m3/m2h. We discuss how current design is not maximising the CO2, cost and air quality benefit of each ventilation strategy. A new approach to regulatory compliance is proposed, which explicitly links the designed airtightness and chosen ventilation system. It is suggested that compliance could then be achieved using a set of airtightness ranges linked to appropriate ventilation strategies. This could be expected to result in reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions for new build homes compared to the current approach and would also potentially lead to better outcomes for occupants in terms of indoor air quality.Practical application: Analysis of a large database of the airtightness of new UK dwellings found that ventilation strategy makes very little difference to airtightness design. For dwellings with MVHR, the results suggest that infiltration levels are too high to maximise the energy savings; for naturally ventilated homes, there may be air quality issues. Coupling airtightness design and ventilation strategy can reduce a dwelling's energy demand and can support achieving the required energy performance rating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the architectural designs of John G. Williams in Arkansas which were added to the National Register of Historic Places since 2015 for their innovative approach to architecture and as superior examples of residential buildings of their period. It includes the David and Mary Margaret Durst House completed in 1952, the 1954 Dr. Robert and Constance Clack House, and the house he designed for Dr. Neil Crow in 1968.

The objective of this paper is to optimize the passive design of newly-built residential buildings in hot summer and cold winter region of China for improving indoor thermal comfort while reducing building energy demand. In this respect, this paper investigates the performance of a representative apartment building in the city of Shanghai and evaluates the optimum solutions by using a developed optimization approach, which includes three major steps of 1) setting the model for multi-objective optimization, 2) sensitivity analysis for reducing the dimension of input variables, and 3) multi-objective optimization by using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) coupled with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN), among which a novel indicator for evaluating the annual indoor thermal comfort of residential buildings of Shanghai named Comfort Time Ratio (CTR) is defined based on the modification of Szokolay’s theory in terms of bioclimatic analysis, and the impacts of passive design variables on the indoor thermal comfort and building energy demand in terms of different directions are comprehensively investigated. Results of the multi-objective optimization indicate that the residential buildings of Shanghai have a great potential in comfort-improvement and energy-saving. A series of novel optimal passive design tactics for residential buildings in Shanghai are derived accordingly which could be easily understood and conveniently carried out by the architects in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the cost-effectiveness of renovating single-family houses to Passive House level, as compared to maintaining the existing buildings or renovating to building regulation level. The assessment involved life cycle cost analyses, and concerns the Swedish single-family housing stock constructed between 1961 and 1980, which accounts for about a third of Sweden’s two million single-family houses. These houses, now in need of major renovation, are represented in this study by two reference buildings. The results show that Passive House renovations can be cost-effective, but this largely depends on the type of heat generation used in the houses. The most cost-effective individual renovation measure was installing an exhaust air heat pump, and the least cost-effective was installing new windows. In houses using direct electric heating, the Passive House renovation package was the most cost-effective alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To move to holistic indoor environmental quality (IEQ) assessment methods of residential building performance in Australia, a relevant evidence base on the comfort behaviour and preferences of contemporary households is needed. A lack of information on the environmental conditions, behaviour and preferences relevant to dwellings in Australia’s hot humid climates has been revealed as an area of ongoing policy and research interest. This paper explores the cooling practices of households living in predominantly naturally ventilated dwellings in Darwin, the Northern Territory through a survey of behaviour, preferences and dwelling construction (n = 102) and a 12-month longitudinal thermal comfort study in 20 houses (n = 2535). The results show that these households employ a range of adaptive behaviours in response to warm and hot conditions. The houses were almost always naturally ventilated, with the assistance of ceiling fans for approximately 50% of the time. The limited use of air-conditioning in these houses is more strongly associated with indoor humidity levels than temperature. These patterns of comfort behaviour provide a basis for the enhancement of building simulation models for the performance assessment of dwellings in naturally ventilated mode in hot humid climates in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most common ventilation system in residential buildings in Ukraine is natural ventilation. In recent years, due to increased tightness of structures, an increase in the content of synthetic finishing materials in them, the quality of microclimate parameters deteriorated. One of the measures to improve the parameters of indoor air in residential buildings is the use of mechanical inflow and exhaust ventilation system. In this article the regulatory documents concerning the design of ventilation systems in Ukraine and Estonia and the requirements for air exchange in residential buildings are considered. It is established that the existing normative documents in Ukraine are analogous to European norms, which allow design the system of ventilation of residential buildings according to European standards. However, the basis for the design of ventilation systems in Ukraine is the national standards, in which mechanical ventilation, unfortunately, is provided only for the design of high-rise buildings. To maintain acceptable microclimate parameters in residential buildings, it is advisable for designers to apply the requirements for designing ventilation systems in accordance with European standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM 2.5 concentrations in ten schoolchildren’s houses and two classrooms in Changsha, China were measured. The objective was to understand the current status of PM 2.5 levels in the residential and classroom environment, examine the differences of PM 2.5 pollution at home between the children with one or more respiratory and allergic symptoms and those healthy ones. According to the obtained results, the indoor PM 2.5 concentrations in all investigated families were much higher than the Chinese national standard limit (75 μg/m 3 ). And the average concentrations of PM 2.5 in Group A (unhealthy children) were higher than those of Group B (healthy children), indicating that PM 2.5 could have adverse effects on the health of children. The PM 2.5 concentrations in two classrooms also exceeded the upper limit. The Pearson correlation coefficients ( r > 0.9) implied that indoor PM 2.5 mainly come from outdoor air. Some effective measures should be taken to control the indoor and outdoor PM 2.5 level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional Chinese Kang system is a kind of ancient domestic heating system, which is still widely used in nearly 85% of rural homes in northern china. However, this system has the disadvantages of heating the room by burning biomaterials directly, which will cause serious environmental pollution. Inspired by the Chinese Kang system, a novel contacting heating sys-tem was proposed in this research. Solar-assisted air source heat pump was employed as heating source for the system. By change the temperature of supplied water, this system can be served as a heating bed, a heating chair or a radiant heating terminal for residential buildings. In order to verify the feasibility of the system, an experimental system has been set up and a series of experimental tests were carried out. The experimental results shown that this system can satisfy all the residents’ heating demands in residential buildings. Moreover, the proportion of the solar energy to the total energy consumption of the system even greater than 60%. These results may lead to the development of designing and distributing the solar energy for building heating during winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Beijing rural “coal to electricity” is more and more attention. Among them, the air source heat pump as a clean energy is vigorously promoted, but due to of its low water supply temperature. So, for what kind of terminal equipment need to be researched. In this paper, the two terminal equipment of PE-X pipe are adopted as the low-temperature floor radiant heating and four-post 760 cast iron radiator in the bedroom of a Beijing farmhouse are simulated. The performance of two kinds of terminal equipment is analyzed from four aspects: indoor temperature field distribution, indoor air cleanliness, indoor air velocity distribution and energy consumption. The commercial CFD software was used to simulate the characteristics of two heating terminal equipment. The simulation results show that PE-X pipes as the low-temperature floor radiant heating is better than that the four-post 760 cast iron radiator heating, it has good heating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the prevalence of fog and haze seriously affect indoor air quality. More and more attention has been paid to indoor particulate pollution from the society. This paper studies the correlation and influence factors of indoor and outdoor particle concentration of cold area in the summer, which four kinds of building types(office, classroom, rural residential and urban residential) that a total of 110 households in Daqing were measured and analyzed by applying the particle on-line monitors. The results shows that the overall air quality in Daqing is better in summer. There is a linear relationship between the indoor and outdoor particles concentration, and the infiltration factor is applied to represent the degree of correlation. For office and residential buildings, the infiltration factor is 0.7214 and 0.7499. As for the classroom and rural housing, the infiltration factor is 0.9217 and 0.9019 due to the higher air exchange rate. In summer, there are about 80% of the indoor particles coming from outside with natural ventilation buildings. Moreover, there is a significant positive correlation among indoor particles concentration and outdoor particles concentration, temperature and humidity (p<0.05), but different building types have obvious difference. Temperature and humidity as an important factor affecting the concentration of indoor particulate matter, the influence of indoor and outdoor temperature is greater for offices (O1) and classrooms with the glass exterior wall, and the relative humidity is the main factor for the rest of the building with concrete wall structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the construction of new villages in China, energy-saving technologies for rural buildings have been attracted extensive attention. According to the characteristic of severe cold climate in Hailar, Inner Mongolia, and the structure of rural residential buildings in Taohai Pasture and the energy use customs in these houses, the energy efficiencies of passive energy-saving technologies which are applied to demonstration houses in Taohai Pasture are analyzed. Based on BIM, the calculation models of three types of houses, including the demonstration house applied passive energy-saving technologies, the traditional house and the energy-saving standard model based on local rural residential energy-saving design standard, are established. Then energy simulation software is used to calculate dynamic heating loads of these houses. Furthermore some indexes such as heating load and annual energy consumption per unit building area are compared. The calculated results show that the heating load of the demonstration house in Taohai Pasture is decreased obviously through the passive energy-saving strategies of the thermal insulation of building envelopes, the effective setting of a solar room and the reasonable distribution of indoor functional zones. Compared to the annual heating loads of the traditional house and the energy-saving standard model, that of the demonstration house is reduced about 74.8 % and 28.9%, respectively. The investment increase of the envelope of the demonstration house can be recovered within 11.4 years through the reduction of annual energy use for heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]