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High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2020) | Viewed by 34388

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Natale Arcuri

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: energy system optimization for building application; energy flows management in smart-grids; cognitive buildings; solar energy modelling; building energy demand reduction; thermal characterization of materials; energy regulations
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Prof. Roberto Bruno

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, Università della Calabria, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: thermal analysis of building components using a climatic chamber; passive systems in buildings to reduce thermal energy requirements; measurement of climatic quantities; net- and near-zero-energy buildings; double-skin systems in existing buildings; innovative technologies for building air conditioning; solar cooling; innovative photovoltaic generators; cogenerative and trigenerative photovoltaic systems; high-efficiency and variable-flow air conditioning systems; models for the intelligent management of building-plant systems with cognitive algorithms; back cooling of PV systems; innovative thermal storage systems; green roofs; heat pumps combined with active solar systems; energy recovery from the LNG regasification process; biofuel production from intensive production of microalgae within photo-bioreactors
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Dr. Piero Bevilacqua

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: green roofs; green solutions; energy saving in buildings; photovoltaic systems; innovative air-conditioning systems; dynamic simulation of buildings and plants; experimental analysis of thermal properties
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editor is inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “High Efficient buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives”.

Design and operation of high efficient low-energy buildings in Mediterranean area can be a challenging task because of the often balanced requirement for heating and cooling energy. Several systems and technologies have been recently proposed in order to optimize the building envelope and the air-conditioning plant, to opportunely control and manage energy requirements and to attain valuable design procedures in function of the building typology and the climatic context.

This Special Issue will deal topic related to the assessment and evaluation of systems and technologies for building energy management and control in Mediterranean climate, aimed at the optimization of the building-plant system and the reduction of energy use.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to:

Energy demands reduction in Mediterranean area;
nZEB design for Mediterranean area;
Exploitation of building thermal inertia;
Renewable sources application in nNEB and N-ZEB;
Passive systems for the building envelope;
Smart air conditioning plant for building energy minimization;
Hybrid plants based on renewable sources;
Demand side management for building energy use optimization;
Energy storage system for building application;
Solar assisted heat pump to increase the renewable use in buildings;

Prof. Dr. Natale Arcuri
Dr. Roberto Bruno
Dr. Piero Bevilacqua
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Mediterranean climate
nZEB
Building envelope
Energy demand
Passive systems
Energy savings
Energy Storage System
Renewable Energy
Air-conditioning plant

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Energy Performance of an Innovative Green Roof in the Mediterranean Climate

by Luca Evangelisti, Claudia Guattari, Gianluca Grazieschi, Marta Roncone and Francesco Asdrubali

Energies 2020, 13(19), 5163; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13195163 - 3 Oct 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2073

Abstract

Green roofs have a thermal insulating effect known since ancient times. In the building sector, green roofs represent a sustainable passive solution to obtain energy savings, both during winter and summer. Moreover, they are a natural barrier against noise pollution, reducing sound reflections, and they contribute to clean air and biodiversity in urban areas. In this research, a roof-lawn system was studied through a long experimental campaign. Heat-flow meters, air and surface temperature sensors were used in two buildings characterized by different surrounding conditions, geometries and orientations. In both case studies, the thermal behaviors of the roof-lawn system were compared with the conventional roofs. In addition, a dynamic simulation model was created in order to quantify the effect of this green system on the heating and cooling energy demands. The roof-lawn showed a high thermal inertia, with no overheating during summer, and a high insulating capacity, involving energy savings during winter, and consequently better indoor thermal conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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20 pages, 5256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Energy Performance of Prefabricated Buildings Considering Different Wall Configurations and the Use of PCMs in Greece

by Stella Tsoka, Theodoros Theodosiou, Konstantia Papadopoulou and Katerina Tsikaloudaki

Energies 2020, 13(19), 5026; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13195026 - 24 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2390

Abstract

Despite the multiple advantages of prefabricated compared to conventional buildings, such as significant reductions in cost and time, improved quality and accuracy in manufacture, easy dismantling and reuse of components, reduction in environmental degradation, increase of productivity gains, etc., they still share a small part of the European building stock, mainly in the Mediterranean. This paper attempts to highlight the potential of prefabricated buildings to achieve advanced levels of performance, particularly as regards their thermal and energy behavior. More specifically, in this paper the energy needs of a single-family building constructed with prefabricated elements is analyzed, considering different climate contexts. The prefabricated elements comprising the building envelope were developed in order to address specific requirements with respect to their structural, hygrothermal, energy, fire, acoustical, and environmental performance, within the research project SUPRIM (sustainable preconstructed innovative module). The new multifunctional building element, also incorporating phase change materials for increased latent thermal heat storage, has been proven to be beneficial in all the examined climate zones. The results of the relevant studies will highlight the contribution of the new prefabricated element to the sustainability of the overall construction, as well as its advantages when compared with conventional constructions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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25 pages, 4230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

NZEB Analyses by Means of Dynamic Simulation and Experimental Monitoring in Mediterranean Climate

by Anna Magrini and Giorgia Lentini

Energies 2020, 13(18), 4784; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184784 - 14 Sep 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1730

Abstract

The reduction of energy consumption in the building sector has promoted the spread of the NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) model. A future target is represented by positive-energy buildings (PEB), which produce more energy than they consume. The study is centred on the examination of some peculiarities of NZEB through a case study and on the analysis of opportunities for further increase in energy performance, to trace the road that each designer should take, through an extensive evaluation of the potentials variations on the project that could lead to better results. The project assessments are developed through a dynamic simulation model and the data from the monitoring of the building’s performance are used to evaluate the actual energy saving conditions. The analyses demonstrate the importance of an accurate design of the envelope and technical building systems associated with a smart management of the control systems and the setting of the set points, for the optimal operation of the systems. Ambitious but feasible design choices and an accurate analysis of the possibility of increasing the energy performance of a NZEB can lead to reaching the PEB target and energy independence, enhancing the production of energy from renewable sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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24 pages, 6919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Updated Typical Weather Years for the Energy Simulation of Buildings in Mediterranean Climate. A Case Study for Sicily

by Vincenzo Costanzo, Gianpiero Evola, Marco Infantone and Luigi Marletta

Energies 2020, 13(16), 4115; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13164115 - 9 Aug 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3123

Abstract

Building energy simulations are normally run through Typical Weather Years (TWYs) that reflect the average trend of local long-term weather data. This paper presents a research aimed at generating updated typical weather files for the city of Catania (Italy), based on 18 years of records (2002–2019) from a local weather station. The paper reports on the statistical analysis of the main recorded variables, and discusses the difference with the data included in a weather file currently available for the same location based on measurements taken before the 1970s but still used in dynamic energy simulation tools. The discussion also includes a further weather file, made available by the Italian Thermotechnical Committee (CTI) in 2015 and built upon the data registered by the same weather station but covering a much shorter period. Three new TWYs are then developed starting from the recent data, according to well-established procedures reported by ASHRAE and ISO standards. The paper discusses the influence of the updated TWYs on the results of building energy simulations for a typical residential building, showing that the cooling and heating demand can differ by 50% or even 65% from the simulations based on the outdated weather file. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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22 pages, 14784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic Comparison Between a Stand-Alone and a Grid Connected PV System vs. Grid Distance

by Concettina Marino, Antonino Nucara, Maria Francesca Panzera, Matilde Pietrafesa and Alfredo Pudano

Energies 2020, 13(15), 3846; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153846 - 27 Jul 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2167

Abstract

The limitation of fossil fuel uses and GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions reduction are two of the main objectives of the European energy policy and global agreements that aim to contain climate changes. To this end, the building sector, responsible for important energy consumption rates, requires a significant improvement of its energetic performance, an obtainable increase of its energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources. Within this framework, in this study, we analysed the economic feasibility of a stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) plant, dimensioned in two configurations with decreasing autonomy. Their Net Present Value at the end of their life span was compared with that of the same plant in both grid-connected and storage-on-grid configurations, as well as being compared with a grid connection without PV. The analysis confirms that currently, for short distances from the grid, the most suitable PV configuration is the grid-connected one, but also that the additional use of a battery with a limited capacity (storage on grid configuration) would provide interesting savings to the user, guaranteeing a fairly energetic autonomy. Stand-alone PV systems are only convenient for the analysed site from distances of the order of 5 km, and it is worth noting that such a configuration is neither energetically nor economically sustainable due to the necessary over-dimensioning of both its generators and batteries, which generates a surplus of energy production that cannot be used elsewhere and implies a dramatic cost increase and no corresponding benefits. The results have been tested for different latitudes, confirming what we found. A future drop of both batteries’ and PV generators’ prices would let the economic side of PV stand-alone systems be reconsidered, but not their energetic one, so that their use, allowing energy exchanges, results in being more appropriate for district networks. For all PV systems, avoided emissions of both local and GHG gases (CO₂) have been estimated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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18 pages, 2638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Analysis of a Fixed Solar Shading System in Different Climatic Areas

by Jessica Settino, Cristina Carpino, Stefania Perrella and Natale Arcuri

Energies 2020, 13(12), 3249; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123249 - 23 Jun 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2261

Abstract

This study tackles the analysis of fixed external solar shading systems. The geometry of a building and of the shading system has been parametrically defined and a genetic optimization analysis has been carried out to identify an architectural solution that would allow the increase of energy savings, through a suitable window-to-wall ratio and an accurate design of the shading device. A multi-objective analysis has been performed with the aim of minimizing the energy consumption for space heating, cooling and artificial lighting, while ensuring the visual comfort of the occupants. The main goal of the study is to explore the influence of climatic context on the optimal design of shading devices. The analysis has been performed for three different latitudes across Europe. In all analyzed cases, a reduction of the annual energy consumption could be achieved, up to 42% if the optimal shading configuration is used. Moreover, the possibility of integrating the shading system with photovoltaic (PV) panels has been considered and the electricity production has been estimated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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17 pages, 4097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energetic Retrofit Strategies for Traditional Sicilian Wine Cellars: A Case Study

by Francesco Nocera, Rosa Caponetto, Giada Giuffrida and Maurizio Detommaso

Energies 2020, 13(12), 3237; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123237 - 22 Jun 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2504

Abstract

Sicily is characterized by rural buildings, Palmenti, destined to wine production, which are scattered along the countryside and part of the local historical heritage. There are different types of rural buildings, but all have in common the use of ancient and well-established bioclimatic techniques for wine conservation and aging. Most of them were built with the double function of living space for the owner and productive spaces for all the activities correlated to the cultivations. Indeed, many rural houses, destined to the wine production, are characterized by wineries and wine cellars (the first for the wine production, the second to store the wine for the aging process). The growing production of high-quality Sicilian wines, very appreciated all over the world, leads to upgrade the ancient Palmenti to seek optimal hygrothermal conditions and, therefore, to guarantee high performance of the produced and stored wines. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the retrofit measures taken to comply with the energy regulations could affect the thermal behavior of a wine cellar constructed with consolidated bioclimatic technics. The results show the importance of not insulating the solid ground floor for maintaining suitable temperatures for the fermentation and aging of wine. This study can be useful for future analysis when comparing the optimal hygrothermal conditions of wine cellars located in homogeneous viticultural areas (with same climate, geology, soil, physical features, and height) in other parts of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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15 pages, 3582 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Innovative Trombe Wall for Winter Use: The Thermo-Diode Trombe Wall

by Jerzy Szyszka, Piero Bevilacqua and Roberto Bruno

Energies 2020, 13(9), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13092188 - 1 May 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7192

Abstract

The use of passive solutions for building envelopes represents an important step toward the achievement of more efficient and zero-energy building targets. Trombe walls are an interesting and viable option for the reduction of building energy requirements for heating, especially in cold climates. This study presents the experimental analysis of an innovative Trombe wall configuration, named a thermo-diode Trombe wall, which was specifically designed to improve the energy efficiency by providing a proper level of insulation for the building envelope. Such a design is essential in cold climates to limit the thermal losses whilst increasing solar heat gains to the heated spaces. An experimental campaign was conducted from December to March that involved monitoring the external climatic conditions and the main thermal parameters to assess the thermal performance of the proposed solution. The results demonstrated that in the presence of solar radiation, the thermo-diode Trombe wall was able to generate significant natural convection inside the air cavity, with temperatures higher than 35 °C in the upper section, by providing consistent heat gains for the indoor environment, even on cold days and for hours after the end of the daylight. The efficiency, relative to the incident solar radiation, reached 15.3% during a well-insolated winter day. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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12 pages, 4430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Control of Venetian Blinds: A Solution for Reduction of Energy Consumption Preserving Visual Comfort

by Francesco Nicoletti, Cristina Carpino, Mario A. Cucumo and Natale Arcuri

Energies 2020, 13(7), 1731; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071731 - 5 Apr 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4385

Abstract

Glazing surfaces strongly affect the building energy balance considering heat losses, solar gains and daylighting. Appropriate operation of the screens is required to control the transmitted solar radiation, preventing internal overheating while assuring visual comfort. Consequently, in the building design phase, solar control systems have become crucial devices to achieve high energy standards. An operation based on well-defined control strategies can help to reduce cooling energy consumption and ensure appropriate levels of natural lighting. The present study aims at investigating the effect of smart screening strategies on the energy consumption of a test building designed in the Mediterranean climate. With the aim of automatically setting the inclination of venetian blind slats, the necessary equations are analytically found out and applied. Equations obtained are based on the position of the sun with respect to the wall orientation. In the case of a cloudy day or an unlit surface, empirical laws are determined to optimize the shielding. These are extrapolated through energy simulations conducted with the EnergyPlus software. Finally, using the same software, the actual benefits obtained by the method used are assessed, in terms of energy and CO₂ emissions saved in a test environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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19 pages, 1932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Cost-Optimal Analysis of a Multistory Building in the Mediterranean Area: Financial and Macroeconomic Projections

by Roberto Bruno, Piero Bevilacqua, Cristina Carpino and Natale Arcuri

Energies 2020, 13(5), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13051243 - 7 Mar 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2140

Abstract

Cost-optimal analysis was pointed out in the 2010/31 European Directive as a tool to evaluate the achievable building energy performance levels as a function of the corresponding costs. These analyses can be carried out by a financial projection for private investors and a macroeconomic approach to establish the minimal energy performance levels. Consequently, the financial projection provides different results that could stimulate private investors toward other cost-optimal solutions that do not match the minimal energy performance levels. For this purpose, both the projections were analyzed in the BEopt environment, developed by NREL, on a multistory building located in two contrasting climatic zones of the Mediterranean area, one cold and the other warm, highlighting the differences. The cost-optimal solutions were identified by a parametric study involving measures that affect thermal losses and solar gains, whereas the air-conditioning plant was left unchanged in order to include a fraction of renewable energy in the coverage of the building demands. Results showed that both the projections produced the same cost-optimal solutions, however, the latter matches the building designed to fulfill the minimal energy performance levels only in the cold climate. Conversely, noticeable deviations were detected in the warm location, therefore minimal energy performance levels should be revised, with preference for less insulated opaque surfaces and better performing glazing systems. Moreover, the macroeconomic scenario returns a more limited distance between the minimal energy performance levels and the cost-optimal solutions, therefore, it is far from the real economic frame sustained by private investors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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29 pages, 2364 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

On the Implementation of the Nearly Zero Energy Building Concept for Jointly Acting Renewables Self-Consumers in Mediterranean Climate Conditions

by Faidra Kotarela, Anastasios Kyritsis and Nick Papanikolaou

Energies 2020, 13(5), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13051032 - 25 Feb 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3346

Abstract

Cost-effective energy saving in the building sector is a high priority in Europe; The European Union has set ambitious targets for buildings’ energy performance in order to convert old energy-intensive ones into nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs). This study focuses on the implementation of a collective self-consumption nZEB concept in Mediterranean climate conditions, considering a typical multi-family building (or apartment block) in the urban environment. The aggregated use of PVs, geothermal and energy storage systems allow the self-production and self-consumption of energy, in a way that the independence from fossil fuels and the reliability of the electricity grid are enhanced. The proposed nZEB implementation scheme will be analyzed from techno-economical perspective, presenting detailed calculations regarding the components dimensioning and costs-giving emphasis on life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) indexes—as well as the energy transactions between the building and the electricity grid. The main outcomes of this work are that the proposed nZEB implementation is a sustainable solution for the Mediterranean area, whereas the incorporation of electrical energy storage units—though beneficial for the reliability of the grid—calls for the implementation of positive policies regarding the reduction of their payback period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue High Efficient Buildings in Mediterranean Area: Challenges and Perspectives)

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