Search

At present, China is in a period of rapid urbanization, and the concept of green structure is getting more and more attention. Green structures can solve asset utilization and ecological problems brought about by rapid urbanization. Therefore, green structure has become the only way for the development of China's construction industry. This paper aims to study the feasibility analysis of new green building technology measures. The related concepts of green building, the analytic hierarchy process, and the meaning of life cycle cost are proposed. The main assessment bottom lines include engineering, environmental, social, and economic bottom lines. From the application examples of green building technology in the starting area of Guangzhou International Financial City, it can be seen that, based on the green building technology proposed in this paper, it is necessary to sort out specific technologies and practices suitable for the actual application of the project in a specific project. Then, the applicability and incremental cost of each technology can be analyzed, and finally, a green building technology system suitable for specific project applications is formed. The experimental results show that compared with residential buildings, the increase of public buildings is 338 million yuan, and the increase of nonassigned parts is about 9.84 million yuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the application of building information modeling (BIM) in building energy efficiency design programs has been emphasized in research. In China, faced with requirements in building energy efficiency design standards and specifications, researchers have been using BIM as a platform for breaking up bottlenecks in energy simulation and design software, and BIM is considered the key to improve the efficiency of building energy efficiency design. Firstly, based on the trade-off energy consumption judgment method proposed in the 'Public Building Energy Efficiency Design Standard (GB50189-2015)', this study combines the BIM platform with an orthogonal simulation design adopting an experimental building construction project in a cold region of China, to thereby study the influences of different envelope structural parameters on cooling and heating loads. Then, this study analyzes the continuity and consistency of data exchange between different BIM-related software, through the modeling software Revit and the sustainable analysis software Ecotect. Finally, through the experiment, the critical factors of the optimized design of the building envelope are investigated and applied for the optimized design of the building thermal system. In addition, this study uses BIM to complete an energy efficiency design for a laboratory heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. According to the experimental results, the following conclusions can be drawn: this study proposes a BIM-based optimized design method of building thermal system, which complies with various Chinese building energy efficiency standards and polices and can be used as a reference for Chinese designers. Also, the issues and challenges in building consumption simulation based on BIM technology and the application of BIM technology in the design of building thermal HVAC systems are discussed, and the development trends of BIM technology in China are analyzed. Building thermal system and HVAC system design are the key points of building efficiency design. The optimized design method proposed in this paper is of great significance to this system design. The optimized design method can improve the design efficiency of designers while complying with China's standards and policies. Therefore, it can save costs, improve the economic benefits of the projects and, at the same time, obtain an ideal building efficiency design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption monitoring technology plays a very important role in the realization of intelligent building energy saving, but it is not accepted widely in China. The main reasons for this are the low public energy-saving awareness and incomplete informational policy instruments; thus, studying how informational policy instruments affect the adoption of energy consumption monitoring technology and the impact of energy-saving awareness is of great significance to the widespread acceptance of energy consumption monitoring technology and its role in the realization of intelligent building energy saving. This paper introduces informational policy instruments and energy-saving awareness into technology acceptance model and builds an extended technology acceptance model. A questionnaire survey of 298 respondents who related to the operation and management of public buildings was used to explore the effect mechanism of informational policy instruments on adopting energy consumption monitoring technology. The results show that (1) informational policy instruments have no direct impact on the acceptance of energy consumption monitoring technology (2) and energy-saving awareness, attitudes, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use can mediate the relationship between informational policy instruments and behavioral intention of adopting energy consumption monitoring technology, namely, informational policy instruments can affect behavioral intention through six paths which are informational policy instruments ➔ energy-saving awareness ➔ behavioral intention, informational policy instruments ➔ energy-saving awareness ➔ attitudes ➔ behavioral intention, informational policy instruments ➔ attitudes ➔ behavioral intention, informational policy instruments ➔ perceived ease of use ➔ behavioral intention, informational policy instruments ➔ perceived ease of use ➔ perceived usefulness ➔ behavioral intention, informational policy instruments ➔ perceived usefulness ➔ behavioral intention. Finally, relevant policies and suggestions are put forward based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of green roofs and practical green façades within courtyard area on public buildings investigated for "Hot Summer, cold Winter" region of China. • Internal surface temperatures for areas with and without external greening monitored and compared. • Heating and cooling energy consumption before and after greening compared from computer simulation as well as from smart meter readings. • Actual heating and cooling energy consumption before and after greening compared using statistical analyses. T -statistics and p -values show significant reductions were achieved. The "Hot Summer Cold Winter" climate region of China is one of the most challenging regions for providing occupant comfort in buildings, with high demands for heating as well as cooling, together with high humidity levels. Although the performance of buildings has improved with the implementation of the new Chinese National Building Standards for the Zhejiang Province, it is believed that adding passive strategies could help to alleviate the problem even further. This paper aims to investigate the effects of adding horizontal greening (green roof) and vertical greening in the courtyard area to existing public buildings in the "Hot Summer Cold Winter" climate region of China. Using computer simulation and measurements from a monitored case in the city of Ningbo, the effects of green retrofitting on human comfort and energy consumption are analysed. Simulation results suggest that with partial horizontal and vertical greening, the cooling load could be reduced by 8.8% and heating load by 1.85%. Comparisons between actual energy use before and after greening on the case building showed significant reductions in both winter and summer, confirming the positive effects of vertical and horizontal greening of public buildings in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission reduction in buildings is essential to combat climate change. However, current strategies failed to balance development and emissions reduction goals. This paper selects a public building in China and simulates its initial energy consumption and carbon emissions. Then it establishes a multi-objective optimization model to explore cost-effective and emission-reduction strategies, considering photovoltaic and ground-source-heat-pump (GSHP) systems. Finally, NSGA-Ⅱ is used to solve, and sensitivity analysis is carried out. Results show that: (1) Energy consumed by the air conditioning system is the largest in January for heating and in July for cooling, validating the accuracy of the energy simulation model. (2) Economic efficiency and emission reduction effect are better when photovoltaic and GSHP systems are implemented simultaneously. (3) Electricity price, initial investment cost, annual solar peak hours, and the proportion of shallow geothermal energy significantly impact carbon emissions and cost. (4) The photovoltaic and power grid substitution ratio will exceed 8% every five years, and all substitutions will be completed in 2050. After adopting the GSHP system, the complete replacement will be advanced to 2045. Setting subsidies significantly shortens the payback period of investment and ensures firms' economic benefits. In summary, using photovoltaic and shallow geothermal energy is conducive to reducing emissions and saving costs in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper takes a close look at the China national standard GB50189-2005, Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings, which was enforced on July 1, 2005. The paper first reviews the standard, then compares the standard with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 to identify discrepancies in code coverage and stringency, and recommends some energy conservation measures that can be evaluated in the design of public buildings to achieve energy savings beyond the standard. The paper also highlights several important features of 90.1-2004 that may be considered as additions to the GB50189-2005 standard during the next revision. At the end the paper summarizes the latest developments in building energy standards and rating systems in China and the US. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a capitalist society, public buildings are essential social assets that balance private and civic interests while providing convenience and comfort for the entire community. The performance of public buildings is remarkable as they are related to most people instead of a handful of users/owners in the private sector. Hence, architecture of public institutions occupies a central, subtle, and decisive role in the quality and the state of civility in the city. Living in compact environments, Hong Kong people always need and aspire for more acute use of public spaces. In this local context, common space and public buildings naturally form an extension to city living. As a consequence, public buildings are becoming multi-use, multi-value and multi-level. This article is a short account of the evolution and development of the public building in Hong Kong, from the early1960s to the new millennium. It considers the historic background of the modernist movement and the socio-economic setting of the city. In chronological order, the paper delineates six examples: the City Hall (1962), Town Hall in Shatin New Town (1985), Cultural Centre (1989), Heritage Museum (2000), Central Library (2001) and Wetland Park (2006). The authors present the statistical analysis of public buildings during this period and examine the cases with established criteria of public/civic buildings. Furthermore, social background and the strategies that those designs adopted are discovered and discussed. While generally following the modernist principles, the government architects in Hong Kong adopted alternative methods to respond to the increasing societal expectations along the timeline, for example, pragmatism, neo-classicism and sustainability. It concludes by suggesting the future of the city''s public buildings in the West Kowloon Cultural District in the coming decade. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate the effects of retrofitting existing public buildings in the “Hot Summer Cold Winter” climate region of China, using simulation and a case study, to see how retrofitted public buildings perform in the face of climate change in the region. This area of China is one of the most challenging regions for providing occupant comfort in buildings, with high demands for heating as well as cooling, together with high humidity levels. The simulation results suggest that energy reduction of up to 40% with improvements to the building enclosure is possible by retrofitting current existing public buildings to the new Chinese National Standard for the Zhejiang Province. Requirements for combating possible increase in energy consumption from heating and cooling demands due to future climate change was also investigated, and it was found that by simply improving U-Values of the building envelope to the new national standards set for the Zhejiang Province, the effects of future climate change can be nullified up to the 2080s. Further improvements to having similar standards as developed countries such as England and Wales will have less significance and cannot nullify the effects of climate change from the newly retrofitted public buildings. However, this can be achieved by involving other energy-saving strategies and installing suitable energy-saving technologies for the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hainan province is the only tropical and island province in China, with the unique climatic and geographical features. It has a different energy performance in public buildings from those in the inland areas. This paper investigated the current situation of energy consumption of the sampled public buildings, including 26 hotels, 24 office buildings and 7 department stores, through analyzing utility billing data, on-site survey and measurement, and site operational records. The breakdowns of energy consumption found out that the electricity dominated the energy consumption for all the sampled buildings and the air conditioning system played a key role in the energy consumption of major building services. By analyzing the main factors for building energy consumption, the annual average energy use indexes were calculated to be 141.63kWh/m2, 87.70kWh/m2, and 166.95kWh/m2 for hotels, office buildings and department stores, respectively. Besides, the comparison between Hainan province and other areas revealed that the building energy consumption of this tropical province was at a low level. Because indoor environment quality can influence the health and work efficiency of humans in buildings, field tests on the indoor environment quality were also carried out, and the performance of indoor environment quality was rated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Solar energy is receiving much more attention in building energy systems in recent years. Solar thermal utilization should be based on integration of solar collectors into buildings. The facades of buildings can be important solar collectors, and, therefore, become multifunctional. In addition, solar collectors can be used to enhance the appearance of the facade when considering their aesthetic compatibility. Currently, installation of collectors on the south tilted roofs, south walls, balconies or awnings of buildings are the feasible approaches for integration of solar collectors into buildings. The most well known solar energy demonstration projects in China are introduced in this paper, which cover different integrated approaches, and solar heating and cooling systems. In China''s cities, the process of rebuilding apartment roofs from flat to inclined offers the ideal opportunity to carry out solar renovation in combination with roof-integrated collectors. It can be seen from the demonstration projects over the last twenty years, that, solar cooling systems were mainly used in public buildings for either absorption or adsorption. Besides, nearly all solar cooling systems are multifunctional. They have been used to supply heating and hot water in other seasons for the purpose of high solar fraction. In the 11th Five-year research project (duration 2006–2010), the government has encouraged solar energy researchers to study, develop, and break through the key technologies involved in the integration of solar thermal technologies with buildings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to find a statistical methodology to investigate the national energy consumption in the public buildings sector in China, in order to look into the actuality of the national energy consumption of public buildings and to provide abundant data for building energy efficiency work. The frame of a national statistical system of energy consumption for public buildings is presented in this paper. The statistical index system of energy consumption is constituted, which refers to the general characteristics of public buildings, their possession and utilization of energy consumption equipment and their energy consumption quantities. Sequentially, a set of statistical report forms is designed to investigate the energy consumption of cities, provinces and the country, respectively. On this base, the above statistical methodology is used to gather statistics of a public building for annual energy consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy Consumption monitoring technology (ECMT) can effectively reduce the energy consumption of public buildings (PB) in the operational phase, but it is not used widely in China. The main reason for this is that the existing policies have a poor effect on diffusing ECMT; thus, studying the impact of different policy instruments on ECMT in PB is of great significance to the widespread use of ECMT and its role in decreasing the energy consumption of PB. This paper systematically reviews the policy related to ECMT in China from 1990 to 2018, and, on this basis, divides the promotion stage of China's ECMT into three stages: the concept stage, the demonstration stage and the gradual promotion stage. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview of 313 stakeholders (ECMT suppliers, government officials, and scholars) was used to study the influence of command-and-control instruments (CAC), economic incentive instruments (EI) and exhortatory instruments (EXI) on the diffusion of ECMT in PB. The empirical results show that CAC and EXI contribute to the diffusion of ECMT in PB, whereas EI do not. In more detail, laws and regulations, energy consumption quotes, education and information programs, and energy audits and disclosure also have a significant impact on diffusing ECMT, whereas technical standards, subsidies for adopting ECMT, energy performance contracting, and carbon trading do not. Finally, relevant policies and suggestions are put forward based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the energy performance of public buildings has attracted substantial attention due to the significant energy-saving potential. As a semi-open high-space building, the high-speed railway station is obviously different from other public buildings and even traditional stations in terms of energy consumption and internal environment. This paper investigates the current energy consumption situation and environmental quality of 15 high-speed railway passenger stations in China. Results show that the energy consumption of the high-speed railway station is between 117–470 kWh/(m2·a). The energy consumption of the station is related to the area and the passenger flow. The energy use of the station using district heating is higher than that of the station without district heating in the same region. The higher glazing ratio induces good natural lighting in the station, but the uniformity of the lighting in the station is not good. The acceptable temperature range of passengers in winter is larger than that in summer. The average air change rate of the high-speed railway station is 3.2 h−1 in winter and 1.8 h−1 in summer, which is the main reason of high energy consumption of the HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) system in this kind of building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]