Multi-Objective Optimization of Daylight Performance and Thermal Comfort of Enclosed-Courtyard Rural Residence in a Cold Climate Zone, China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Thanks for submitting your work. I have read your research with interest. The paper seems to be well-structured and provides some interesting insights about potential improvement of existing courtyard houses.
The introduction section needs considerable improving. In particular:
-Gap in the knowledge. This needs to be better defined. Also, how does an intelligent optimization algorithm contribute to address that gap?
-Explain what are the main characteristics and construction features of rural courtyard residences, what their performance problems are and how this paper aims to address those problems.
-A number of studies are presented in the introduction section but it is unclear their relationship with the present research. Reinforce what was the performance problem in these studies and which were the proposed measures to understand how that body of knowledge relates to your study.
-What is the typical heating source? What is the typical energy behaviour in rural China? What are the typical materials and U-values?
-At the end of the introduction, the aim is presented. However, this is not an aim, it is a method (how you are going to achieve the aim). Your aim seems to be the one included in lines 193-194, 222-223 and 362-363. This should be included at the end of your introduction and maybe have a more direct reference in your title.
-Lines 335 to 341 should be moved to introduction.
Methodology seems to be well explained. However, some methods and assumptions should be better explained.
-Pareto solution should be better explained, why are you choosing that method? The same with the other methods selected.
-Why are you selecting just two roof options for your study? This should be better explained. Why are these the only options analysed and not other options that could be more beneficial?
-Include weather data to understand climatic conditions of the selected area. What are the normal temperatures in the region? Won't you have overheating in summer? Have the authors considered this?
-Include also specification of typical materials as well as their thermal transmittance. What type of glass are you using for the modelling? What is the U-value?
-Table 2. What do you mean by interior walls?
Results:
3.1 - Authors should explain better the interpretation of the data obtained. What is the meaning of this?
Other comments are:
Diagrams and figures should be moved closer to where they are first mentioned.
There is a considerable number of abbreviations. These should be explained the first time they appear in the paper or include an abbreviation list.
Lines 155, 168 and 169 have symbols not recognised by the text editor.
Table 2. Caption is missing
4. Results. This should be Conclusion
Also, there seems to be some spelling mistakes and a general problem across the paper related to verb tenses. Authors mix continuously present with past tenses, making comprehension of the paper sometimes difficult.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Many thanks to the authors for their efforts in organizing this manuscript; however, some additional work is required.
§ Wucha village or Ucha
§ Upper Artuche Town or Artuch
§ Line 140: Specifically, through field visits and resident interviews, obtain the following contents: 2.1.1. Geography and climate, 2.1.2. The layout of the building, and 2.1.3. Prototypical model development
· It does not appear that this information is from interviews with residents or even from field visits.
· How to obtain climatic information, building plans, and prototype development from interviews or field visits.
§ Figure (6) is mentioned before Figure (5), and the figures are far from the textual context.
§ Line 164-166: the author should provide a quantitative value for lighting performance and energy consumption and compare it to standards, not only poor or need for improvement.
§ Please standardize the way types are written, Type 1, or Type I, or Type o.
§ It is difficult to mention Figures 7, 8, and 9 on page 6, and the figure is placed two or three pages after it, the same is the case with Table 2.
§ In Figure 8, are the mentioned dimensions real or assumed?
§ Line 191, please correct the caption of Table 2.
§ Figures 11, and 12 haven’t been mentioned in the text.
§ The last section (Results) should be changed to Conclusion, and the results compared with other studies or standards.
§ The results should be validated.
Author Response
see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors have done an interesting analysis. However, the structure of the article causes the first insight unfavorable.
The authors underline that the context of the area of the rural is very important. In the beginning, it should be explained why is so important. In European countries energetic policy is the same for all buildings, never mind if it is in a city or a country. Explain the situation for international readers, especially since a lot of references refer to China context.
Line 22: With the promulgation of the state policy on the residential environment and the 23 continuous improvements of residents' living standards, the demand for rural residential 24 renewal in the cold climate zone of China has become more insistent.
The word insistent seems not suitable.
Line 46: In the Kezhou area of Xinjiang, China, studied in this paper – show it in Figure. In the next paragraph you write about Artuche, and finally in par. 2.1.1 you explain it. The order is not proper for international readers.
Line 75: Octopus, a Grasshopper – give citation to this software, the same line 97-98
Paragraph 2 – when you describe 3 steps write where readers can read the results of these steps, and in which paragraph.
Line 114 The Pareto solution with the best performance was analyzed and selected [22,23] - the authors give citations. It was present earlier?
In Fig. 1 we can find some abbreviations, but there are not explained in this article.
Fig.1 what is Set anarisis?
Line 136 – why Wucha village is not consistent in Table 1 and fig. 2. I don’t understand the idea of showing them.
Line 155 – look at the symbols in “” – give it in Fig. 4
Fig. 5 and 6 are in the wrong order cited.
Paragraph 2.1.1 Give information about the mean yearly temperature, the minimum temperature, number of sunny hours.
Table 2 – there is no mistake in values or symbols? In Europe U- value of roofs and walls is about 0,2 W/m2K
Line 222 – for what you mentioned it again?
Fig. 14 it is known by experts in thermal comfort.
Par. 2.4.2 is too obvious. Contain not useful information. For what you present eq. 1 ? you don’t explain the symbols and it is useless. Then you write about :
Line 324 - “Annual mean value of PMV is used to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort of residential buildings” Who is the author of this method? Where it is described? How it is assessed?
Fig. 15 and next - describe the meaning of points
Line 495 – the wrong name of a paragraph, You mean Conclusion
In all articles change small latter to capital letter e.g. line 496
Cite more references from all over the world.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Paper has improved since last submission and comments have been addressed satisfactorily. English needs to be revised as well as verb tenses for publication.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments, and I have revised it.
Reviewer 2 Report
Many thanks again to the authors for their effort.
2.1. Field investigation
Please note that Geography and climate can’t be collected from field visits and resident interviews, and please provide a short description of the field surveying that you do.
2.1.2. The layout of the building
Response 5: Due to the short survey time and the lack of measured data, indoor lighting and energy consumption data were not collected, and only the subjective feelings of local residents during the survey were used to evaluate lighting and energy consumption. I will pay attention to the collection and supplement of data in subsequent research.
Please add your explanation to the manuscript text to be sound to readers
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments
On the first point, I have modified this sentence in 2.1.
On the second point, at the end of the paper, I add it to the shortcomings of the paper.
Reviewer 3 Report
Thank you for your comprehensive responses.
Consideration of the corrections has improved the article and it is of high quality now. I accept it.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your advice, I will continue to work hard.
