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In the present study, a zero-dimensional thermal model has been developed to analyze a novel low concentration photovoltaic-thermal (CPVT) collector. The model has been developed by driving heat transfer and energy balance equations for each part of the collector and then solving all the equations simultaneously. Moreover, a Monte-Carlo ray-tracing software has been used for optical stimulations of the parabolic trough solar collector. The novel CPVT collector has been experimentally tested at Gavle University (Sweden) and the model has been validated against the experimental results. The primary energy saving equivalent to the thermal-electrical power cogeneration of the CPVT collector has been determined. The effect of glass cover removal, heat transfer fluid (HTF) inlet temperature and mass flow rate on the collector performance has been investigated. The optimum HTF mass flow rates of the collector for maximum electrical yield and overall primary energy saving were determined under specified operating conditions by considering the pump consumption. The effect of mean fluid temperature on the thermal and electrical efficiencies has been studied and the characteristic equation of the thermal efficiency has been obtained. The thermal and electrical peak efficiencies of the collector have been found to be 69.6% and 6.1%, respectively.

The changes in climate and the expected extreme climate conditions in the future, given the long life span of the buildings have pushed the design limits. In this study, the changes in primary energy use (PEPET), total energy use and CO2 emission were investigated for a prototype residential building. The building fulfils nearly zero energy building (NZEB) characteristics, imposed by the Swedish building regulations. Different cooling technologies and various typical meteorological year (TMY) climate files assembled for different periods, as well as automatic shading were investigated. The assembled TMY files advocated for the present (2001-2020) and mid-future (2041-2060) period using the CORDEX data. Different cooling methods and set-points (24-28°C) were defined to evaluate the cooling energy requirement changes. It was discovered that the freely available typical climate file fails to cover the induced changes in climate and its extreme implications on the building. The required cooling energy use increased from 1.7-5.8 times the freely available climate file, when using the projected TMY and the extreme climate files. Addition of automatic shading system reduced cooling energy up to 75% within the studied cooling methods and set-points. Moreover PEPET and CO2 emission also decreased for the studied cooling methods, climate and weather files.

Production, management, use, and end-of-life of buildings has a large impact on climate change. Therefore, environmental targets are set to lower the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector. To reach these targets building regulation and voluntary environmental assessment methods (EAMs) that evaluate and certify the building’s environmental impact are put forward as tools to push the building sector towards lower GHG emissions. In Sweden, building design is governed by building regulations and the dominant EAM is ‘Miljöbyggnad’ (MB) (“Environmental building”). Today, more than 1900 buildings have been certified by MB and it has influenced the building and property sector. In this chapter the potential impact MB and the linked Swedish building regulations have on building performance, energy use and GHG emissions, will be reviewed and discussed. The analysis investigates several of the MB’s indicators, evaluate to what degree EAMs can influence the design of the building and the energy system to lower the energy use and GHG emissions based on material choices. The analysis presents important aspects that may influence the design of the building and its energy system and what challenges and possibilities the indicators, criteria and regulations can have on buildings and climate change. In addition, some modification and suggestion for improvements are presented.

This chapter investigates the implementation of district cooling systems by exploring several research studies reported in the literature. The topics addressed include typologies and design parameters, benefits and limitations, applications of the system, and the technology readiness level. District cooling systems are generally regarded as cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. One might think that district cooling is only a solution for areas with a very warm climate. However, based on the reported results of the surveyed studies, the number of operating district cooling systems has increased over the years, with the Scandinavian countries taking the lead in this market within European countries. Implementation of these systems concluded reduction in primary energy and electricity use, they also proved to be an environmentally efficient way.

Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). The global effects of climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as heatwaves and power outages, which have consequences for buildings and their cooling systems. Buildings and their cooling systems should be designed and operated to be resilient under such events to protect occupants from potentially dangerous indoor thermal conditions. This study performed a critical review on the state-of-the-art of cooling strategies, with special attention to their performance under heatwaves and power outages. We proposed a definition of resilient cooling and described four criteria for resilience—absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, restorative capacity, and recovery speed —and used them to qualitatively evaluate the resilience of each strategy. The literature review and qualitative analyses show that to attain resilient cooling, the four resilience criteria should be considered in the design phase of a building or during the planning of retrofits. The building and relevant cooling system characteristics should be considered simultaneously to withstand extreme events. A combination of strategies with different resilience capacities, such as a passive envelope strategy coupled with a low-energy space-cooling solution, may be needed to obtain resilient cooling. Finally, a further direction for a quantitative assessment approach has been pointed out. The research is supported by Det Energiteknologisk Udviklings- og Demonstrationsprogram (EUDP) under grant 64018-0578. It was also supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

The PVT technology combines solar PV and solar thermal in the same PVT panel. In this way, both electricity and heat are produced by the PVT panel. Compared to the PV technology and the solar heating technology the PVT technology is in the early market stage with only few small and weak industries active. Best practices for the PVT technology, which is still under rapid development, are summarized. Marketed systems with different PVT panel types, different PVT system types with different components for different applications are considered. The potential advantages for PVT systems and the needs for key actors in order to establish a successful sustainable future PVT market are given. Finally, recommendations for a subsidy scheme for PVT systems are given, so that a PVT market can be developed in parallel with the successful PV market.

This paper presents an experimental investigation of a photovoltaic-thermal solar collector (commonly known as PVT) that generates both electricity and heat from the same gross area. PVT solar collectors, in theory, achieve higher combined electrical and heat yields. Additionally, PVT enables a thermal coupling between PV cells and a heat transfer cooling medium. Electrical and thermal outdoor testing measurements have been performed on a low concentration PVT solar collector based on a parabolic reflector geometry with a wedge PVT receiver. Several outdoor experiments have been carried out and presented, such as daily instantaneous electrical and thermal performance efficiency diagrams, as well as optical efficiency charts. Moreover, an electrical Incidence Angle Modifier (for both transversal and longitudinal directions) assessment has been performed and presented. Furthermore, an overall heat loss coefficient of 4.1 W/m2.°C has been attained. A measured thermal optical and electrical efficiency of 59% and 8% have been achieved, respectively. Additionally, the placement of the wedge receiver shown to be very sensitive to high incidence angles, as the electrical transversal Incidence Angle Modifier factor decreases significantly after reaching its electrical peak efficiency at 10°.

A two-trough parabolic-shaped concentrating photovoltaic solar collector with a vertical half-size ‘phosphorus-passivated emitter rear totally diffused’ bifacial cell string receiver was designed and built for household applications, with the aim of smooth the electrical ‘duck curve’. The study consisted in testing the concentrating photovoltaic solar collector outdoors, under real weather conditions, for its daily electrical peak power and efficiency, as well as for its electrical transversal and longitudinal Incidence Angle Modifier direction. The outdoor testing measurements were conducted in a parabolic trough with low concentration coupled with a central vertical half-size ‘phosphorus-passivated emitter rear totally diffused’ bifacial cell string receiver. Furthermore, the electrical transversal Incidence Angle Modifier showed to be very delicate due to the position and outline of the receiver, which led to an electrical peak efficiency close to 10% at ±25° (i.e., for an electrical power output of around 49.3 W/m2). To validate the measured parameters, a ray-tracing software has been used, where the measured Incidence Angle Modifiers have a very good agreement with the simulated Incidence Angle Modifiers (e.g., deviation of

Energy use on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) accounts for about 50% of building energy use. To have a sustainable built environment, energy efficient ventilation systems that deliver good indoor environmental quality are needed. This study evaluates the cooling energy saving potential of a newly proposed ventilation system called Intermittent Air Jet Strategy (IAJS) and compares its performance against a mixing ventilation (MV) system in a classroom located in three cities with different climates, Singapore with ‘hot and humid’, Ahvaz with ‘hot and dry’ and Lisbon with “moderate” climate. The results show a significant reduction of cooling energy need and flexibility in control strategies with IAJS as a primary system in hot and humid climates like Singapore. Hot and dry climate with short cool periods like Ahvaz show possible application and considerable energy savings with IAJS as a primary system under optimized variable setpoints, but moderate climates have an increased risk of occupant discomfort likely due to increased draft especially during the cool season. Thus, IAJS as a secondary system that operates only during cooling season may be conducive for moderate climates like Lisbon. Additionally, the results show that supply fan energy savings can also be realized if well implemented.

Temporarily enhanced natural ventilation of indoor environments can be achieved by opening windows and/or doors, i.e. airing. In this study, wind driven airing rate through doors was measured by tr...

The movement of people and other objects indoors may affect airflow patterns and velocities near local exhaust ventilation hoods, and consequently has influence on the hoods’ ability to remove locally emitted contaminants and on ventilation energy requirements. In this study, such disturbance effects have been studied experimentally and numerically, with the movements consisting of a human-sized plate, cylinder and detailed manikin, respectively, making back-and-forth movements near an exhaust hood. In the experimental part of the study, a 3-D sonic anemometer was used to measure air velocity in front of the hood opening. The numerical simulations used dynamic mesh to handle object movements. The numerical results were validated against the experimental ones and yielded supplementary results on the air flow field. The results show that the turbulence produced by the objects movements included marked air velocity peaks – both assisting and impeding the suction flow – in the near field of the exhaust hood. The generated turbulence, and particularly those peaks, proved substantially larger in the case of plate movement than with cylinder and manikin movement. Overall the results indicate that a moving cylinder represents human movement better than a moving plate, and thus that it’s better to use a cylinder in some test standards that now stipulate a plate as moving object. A Percentage of Negative Velocity (PNV) parameter was introduced for assessing the capture efficiency of the local exhaust system. The PNV represents the percentage of time that the air flow is directed away from the exhaust hood in an imagined point of contaminant release. The study includes test cases where the PNV values were significantly above zero, suggesting a strong effect on the capture efficiency of the exhaust hood. Human induced turbulence that cause such reverse air flows and overall impedes hood suction may be counteracted by enhanced exhaust flow rate, but then at higher energy consumption.

In churches, intentional airing may be a measure to evacuate temporarily high levels of contaminants, emitted during services. Crucial contaminants include moisture and other emissions that may deteriorate and/or soil painted surfaces and other precious artefacts. Most old churches do not have any mechanical ventilation system or any purpose provided openings for natural ventilation, but the ventilation is governed by air infiltration. Enhanced airing may be achieved by opening external windows or doors. Thus, models provided in energy simulation programs should predict this kind of airflows correctly, to get a proper estimation of the total energy use. IDA indoor climate and energy (IDA-ICE) simulation program is examined here and its model for airflow through large vertical openings is investigated. Moreover, field measurements were performed for airing rate in a historical church. The simulated single-sided flows were of the same magnitude of the measured ones, but the effect of wind direction was less...

Ventilation through open doors is a simple way to temporarily enhance ventilation of indoor spaces, with the purpose to evacuate indoor air pollutants or to adjust the indoor temperature. In church ...

Validated by wind tunnel data, this study numerically investigates the integrated impacts of wind and thermal buoyancy on urban turbulence, ventilation and pollutant dispersion in full-scale 2D deep street canyons (aspect ratio AR = H/W = 3 and 5, W = 24 m). Isothermal urban airflows for such deep street canyons can be Reynolds-number-independent when reference Reynolds number (Re) exceeds the critical Re (Rec~106,107 when AR = 3, 5), i.e. AR = 5 experiences two main vortices and one-order smaller NEV* (~10−3, the normalized net escape velocity) than AR = 3 with a single main vortex (NEV*~10−2). With sufficiently large Re (Re > Rec) and the same air-wall temperature difference (Ri = 2.62, 4.36 when AR = 3, 5), four uniform wall heating patterns were considered, including leeward-wall heating (L-H), windward-wall heating (W–H), ground heating (G-H), and all-wall heating (A-H). Various indicators were adopted to evaluate street ventilation and pollutant dilution capacity (e.g. age of air (τ,s), NEV*, pollutant transport rates (PTR)). Full-scale wall heating produces a strong upward near-wall buoyancy force, which significantly influences flow patterns and improves street ventilation for most cases. When AR = 3, L-H strengthens the single-vortex airflow. When AR = 5, L-H converts the isothermal double vortices into a single-clockwise vortex. For both ARs, W–H reverses the main clockwise vortex to an enhanced counterclockwise one, moreover G-H and A-H cause a more complicated multi-vortex pattern than isothermal cases. Overall, when AR = 3, L-H and W–H increase NEV* by 68% and 40% than the isothermal case. When AR = 5, four wall heating patterns all raise NEV* considerably (by 150%–556%). For both ARs, the L-H, W–H and A-H amplify the contribution of mean flows on removing pollutants but reduce that by turbulent diffusion compared with isothermal cases.

Airing can be a solution to introduce extra ventilation in large single zone buildings, especially where there are large aggregations of people such as churches or atriums. In naturally ventilated ...

Ventilation and infiltration caused by wind are difficult to predict because they are non-local phenomena: driving factors depend on the surrounding terrain and neighbouring buildings and on the building orientation with respect to the wind direction. Wind-driven flow through an opening is complex because wind can flow through the opening or around the building, in contrast to buoyancy driven flow. We explored wind and air infiltration phenomena in terms of pressure distributions on and around buildings, stagnation points, flow along facades, drag forces, and air flow through openings. Field trials were conducted at a 19th-century church, and wind tunnel tests were conducted using a 1:200 scale model of the church and other models with openings. The locations of stagnation points on the church model were determined using particle image velocimetry measurements. Multiple stagnation points occurred. The forces exerted on the church model by winds were measured using a load cell. The projected areas affected by winds in various directions were calculated using a CAD model of the church. A fairly large region of influence on the ground, caused by blockage of the wind, was revealed by testing the scale model in the wind tunnel and recording the static pressure on the ground at many points. The findings of this study are summarized as a number of steps that we suggest to be taken to improve the analysis of wind driven flow in buildings and with these suggestions as a basis for further improvement of prediction methods for wind-driven flows.

Bifacial photovoltaic cells can produce electricity from the incoming solar radiation on both sides. Used in combination with concentrating solar technology, bifacial photovoltaic cells can see its ...

Air infiltration in ancient churches and other historical and monumental buildings is of great importance considering moisture transfer, energy consumption, thermal comfort and air pollutants that induce surface soiling. Two of the most established models for predicting air infiltration rate in buildings are the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) model and the Alberta air Infiltration Model (AIM-2). Being originally developed mainly for dwellings, their applicability to large single zone buildings is evaluated in this study by comparing model predictions with field measurements in three historical stone churches that are naturally ventilated only through infiltration. The somewhat more developed AIM-2 model yielded slightly better predictions than the LBL model. However, an LBL version that allows inclusion of the Neutral Pressure Level (NPL) of the building envelope produced even better predictions and also proved less sensitive to assumptions on air leakage distribution at the building envelopes. All models yielded however significant overpredictions of the air infiltration rate. Since NPL may be difficult to attain in practice, the AIM-2 model was chosen for model modification to improve predictions. Tuning of this model by varying its original coefficients yielded however unrealistic model behaviors and the eventually suggested modification implied introducing a correction factor of 0.8. This reduced the median absolute prediction error from 25% to 11%. Thus, especially when the NPL is not at hand, this modification of the AIM-2 model may suit better for air infiltration assessment of churches and other buildings similar to the tested kind.