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In the current implementation of EPC-s, the assessment focus is purely on the energy consumption data. For the next generation of EPC-s, new performance indicators are proposed to address relevant building performance aspects, such as sustainability, productivity and market value. These indicators would enable evidence-based decision-making processes and facilitate the delivery of renovation triggers. Within the EPC framework, the problem is not the availability of such performance indicators, but the assessment effort required. Only easily available data can justifiably be introduced to bulk EPC-s, either as direct complementary input or as a performance indicator. Availability of such data was analysed from case studies that included EPC-s from 11 EU member states, mainly non-residential buildings. Analysed data included relevant HVAC information such as ventilation air flows, heating and cooling set-points and installed power, but also output data, such as EPC classes, net and primary energy need and GHG emissions. Based on our findings, we outlined two different development paths - one for existing buildings and one for new buildings and major renovations. Two categories of complementary indicators to energy are proposed – IEQ and power indicators.

Ancient China and the Yue: Perceptions and Identities on the Southern Frontier, c. 400 B.C.E.-50 C.E. Erica Brindley. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. 302 pp, 12 b/w illustrations, 3 maps, [...]

Energy performance guarantee projects aim at achieving a given energy consumption in real life conditions. Building energy consumption monitoring during operation phase often reveals that energy consumption is sensitive to building spaces use and systems operation quality, especially for buildings with high energy performance characteristics [7]. Other investigations show the impact of building users’ behaviour on energy consumption [28]. These factors must be added to climate factors for energy consumption prediction during operation phase. Number of factors and possible combinations is very high. Building energy modeling is limited regarding this issue and metamodeling has been used to solve this problem [25]. We developed metamodels that are polynomial functions using D-optimal design of experiment (DOE) approach. Such metamodels can become operational tools to use in the IPMVP framework, associated with a M&V plan. This paper shows the application of the method on a cultural building that comprises numerous systems and usages. We obtain a reliable metamodel of the energy consumption as a function of climate, operation, and space use factors. which meets IPMVP [11] and ASHRAE Guideline 14 [3] modeling uncertainties criteria. We also determine the global uncertainty resulting from predictors’ uncertainties propagation and modelling uncertainty associated with the metamodel.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2006.01.004 Byline: Rafik Belarbi, Cristian Ghiaus, Francis Allard Keywords: Evaporation; Heat and moisture transfer; Passive cooling; Energy saving Abstract: The use of water droplet evaporation in shower towers and passive downdraft evaporative cooling needs the estimation of the time needed to completely evaporate the drops. To solve this problem, a cellular approach is proposed in which the spray is considered as a pile of rigid spheres of equal size; each sphere has multiple layers and contains a drop in its center. The evaporation takes place gradually from the superficial layer towards the internal layers. Parametric studies show the influence of each variable on the evaporation time of the droplets. The model may be used for sizing passive evaporative cooling systems and towers for buildings using the passive evaporative down draught effect. A building equipped with a shower tower has been tested in the framework of the European project PDEC/JOULE in Catania (Italy). The spraying system was successfully sized by using the model proposed in this paper. Author Affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etude des Phenomenes de Transfert Appliques au BAcentstiment, Universite de La Rochelle, Avenue Michel Crepeau, 17042 La Rochelle Cedex 1, France Article History: Received 3 January 2005; Revised 10 November 2005; Accepted 5 January 2006 Article Note: (miscellaneous) Communicated by: Associate Editor Matheos Santamouris

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2005.05.019 Byline: Cristian Ghiaus (a)(b), Francis Allard (a) Keywords: Natural ventilation; Energy; Building design; Free-running temperature Abstract: Natural ventilation is one of the most effective techniques for cooling. Its potential for cooling may be assessed by using a method based on the indoor-outdoor temperature difference of the free-running building, the adaptive comfort criteria and the outdoor temperature. It is demonstrated that the free-running temperature may be used instead of the balance temperature in energy estimation methods. The indoor-outdoor temperature difference of the free-running building becomes a characteristic of the thermal behavior of the building which is decoupled from comfort range and outdoor temperature. A measure related to the energy saved and the applicability of free-cooling is given by the probabilistic distribution of the degree-hours as a function of the outdoor temperature and time. Weather data for this method are available in public domain from satellite investigation. The method can be applied when buildings similar to existing ones are constructed in a new location, when existing buildings are retrofitted or when completely new buildings are designed. The method may be used to interpret the results of building simulation software or of the field measurements. Author Affiliation: (a) Laboratoire d'Etude des Phenomenes de Transfert Appliques au Batiment (LEPTAB), Universite de La Rochelle, Av. M. Crepeau, 17000 La Rochelle, France (b) Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bd. P. Protopopescu, Bucharest, Romania Article History: Received 24 November 2004; Revised 31 May 2005; Accepted 31 May 2005

The khirigsuurs are large and complex ritual sites that are major features in the landscape of Branze Age Mongolia and represent considerable investment. The authors present recently investigated examples of this important class of monument, describe their attributes and offer preliminary deductions of the kind of society they imply--and whether it was truly nomadic. Keywords: Bronze Age, Mongolia, nomadism, ritual monuments, Introduction Spanning thousands of years, the broad emergence of mobile pastoralism across the vast Eurasian steppes encompassed the domestication, harnessing and consumption of the horse, the adoption of wheeled vehicles, [...]

In urban areas, the climatic loads on buildings in summer conditions are largely affected by solar radiation. In this paper a modified simplified method for radiant interchange determination is used in a solar energy study. The good agreement with the radiosity method allows one to use this simplified method in the street canyon case. In a building pilot study, parametric analysis and building thermal behaviour can be assessed by simplified models which are useful for long-period simulation. Then this radiant interchange model is introduced in a zonal model of a canyon street and performed with a variable climatic conditions show case. The solar radiation is the only driving force in the street air movement. The interest of such approach for complex coupled phenomena studies is highlighted by obtained results and the assessment of variable climatic loads for different building zones can be considered with the model detailed herein. Future developments are planned in order to improve simulation accuracy by the addition of other local phenomena. Keywords: Urban micro-climate; Solar radiation; Radiant interchange model; Zonal model

The Shimao (石峁) site, located in northeastern Shaanxi Province, is the focus of some of the most exciting work being done in Chinese archaeology today. Since 2012, the site has been included several times in the list of the most important discoveries of Chinese archaeology and was even selected by the first Shanghai Archaeology Forum as one of the top 10 archaeological discoveries in the world. Because of its unique nature and the exemplary work being done by its excavators, Shimao could have formed the basis of a new focus on systematic fieldwork and rigorous model building. Instead, the excavation of Shimao has been subsumed in traditional narratives that have supported linear views of history and thrown focus especially on its relationship to the emergence of dynastic China in the Central Plains. We will argue here, rather, that another approach would be to see the Shimao center as the core of a regional trajectory that is parallel, but not necessarily tied, to the developments in the Central Plains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning with the excavation of the necropolis of Shizhaishan during the late 1950s, sustained fieldwork in the province of Yunnan in southwest China has led to the identification of a [...]