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Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 9931

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Piljae Im

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Guest Editor

Integrated Building Deployment and Analysis, Building and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
Interests: empirical validation of building energy simulation model; advanced control; measurement and verification; building energy modeling; HVAC system; field measurement; development of prototype models; fault detection and diagnosis

Dr. Yeobeom Yoon

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Guest Editor

Integrated Building Deployment and Analysis Group, Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
Interests: building energy modeling; EnergyPlus; building optimal control; energy performance evaluation; data analysis; measurement and verification

Dr. Sungkyun Jung

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Guest Editor

Integrated Building Deployment and Analysis, Building and Transportation Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
Interests: building energy codes and standards; building energy modeling; enrgy efficiency; energyplus; doe-2; measurement and verification; data analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building sector is one of the primary consumers of energy. Since decarbonization and electrification are our new goals, new and/or advanced building operation strategies or building equipment are needed to maintain or improve indoor environmental quality while minimizing building energy consumption.

The aims and scope of this Special Issue are to introduce advanced building energy technologies, measurement and verification approaches, and fault detection and diagnosis methods using simulation and/or experimental studies to minimize building energy consumption, reduce CO2 emissions, and improve indoor environmental quality.

To achieve the goals of this Special Issue, we welcome submissions from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary professional areas, such as computer science, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering, in collaboration with building science and architecture researchers.

We welcome the submission of research that presents views on the utilization of new and advanced technologies in various professional areas to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, and improve indoor environment quality in buildings.

Dr. Piljae Im
Dr. Yeobeom Yoon
Dr. Sungkyun Jung
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. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

building energy
building energy simulation modeling
experimental study
energy-efficient technologies
advanced control
HVAC systems
indoor environmental quality
building control optimization
fault detection and diagnosis

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2409 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Temperature Distribution and Energy Consumption of an Integrated Carbon Fiber Paper-Embedded Electric-Heated Floor

by Chengjian Huang, Neng Li, Sheng He, Xiang Weng, Yi Shu, Guang Yang and Yongjie Bao

Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072097 - 9 Jul 2024

Viewed by 396

Abstract

This study examined spatial and temporal thermal performance and energy consumption. The temperature distribution in the running period was monitored in test rooms with integrated electric- and hot water-heated floors. The short- and long-term energy consumption of the two heating systems were recorded and compared. The results indicated that the integrated electric heating system generated higher temperatures for indoor air and on the exterior surface of the wooden floor than the hot water heating system; meanwhile, the difference in the mean temperatures of the exterior and rear surfaces of the electric-heated floor was 2.44 °C, while that of the hot water-heated test room was 13.25 °C. The efficient structure of the integrated electric heating system saved 22.97% energy compared to the hot water system after short-term (7 h) charging and reaching a dynamic balance, and it efficiently increased the energy utilization rate to 11.81%. After long-term charging, the daily energy consumption of the integrated electric heating system consumed much less energy than the hot water system every month. The integrated electric heating system saved 62.55% and 34.30% of energy in May and January, respectively, and consumed less than half of the energy the hot water system consumed in the less cold months. Therefore, a high-efficiency and energy-saving integrated electric-heated floor could be a potential indoor heating solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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15 pages, 2023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fault Diagnosis of Centrifugal Chiller Based on Extreme Gradient Boosting

by Yaxiang Liu, Tao Liang, Mengxin Zhang, Nijie Jing, Yudong Xia and Qiang Ding

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1835; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061835 - 17 Jun 2024

Viewed by 393

Abstract

Centrifugal chillers have been widely used in medium- and large-scale air conditioning projects. However, equipment running with faults will result in additional energy consumption. Meanwhile, it is difficult to diagnose the minor faults of the equipment. Therefore, the Extreme Gradient Boost (XGBoost) algorithm was used to solve the above problem in this article. The ASHRAE RP-1043 dataset was employed for research, utilizing the feature splitting principle of XGBoost to reduce the data dimension to 23 dimensions. Subsequently, the five important parameters of the XGBoost algorithm were optimized using Multi-swarm Cooperative Particle Swarm Optimization (MSPSO). The minor fault diagnosis model, MSPSO-XGBoost, was established. The results show that the ability of the proposed MSPSO-XGBoost model to diagnose eight different states is uniform, and the diagnostic accuracy of the model reaches 99.67%. The accuracy rate is significantly improved compared to that of the support vector machine (SVM) and back propagation neural network (BPNN) diagnostic models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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16 pages, 954 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Current Situation and Calculation Method of Carbon Emissions Assessment for Building Curtain Walls

by Xichen Zhang, Xiangqiu Fu, Xiuchun Zheng, Shunmou Li, Qian Zhao and Jinjie Lin

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1647; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061647 - 3 Jun 2024

Viewed by 336

Abstract

Curtain wall systems stand out as a pivotal domain within the construction sector’s endeavors towards energy efficiency and carbon mitigation. To refine the evaluation framework for carbon emissions within this industry, this paper explores the calculation and assessment method for building curtain walls. The article first reviews the current research status regarding carbon emissions from materials and the impact of curtain walls on buildings in the operational stage. Based on lifecycle theory, the carbon emissions from building curtain walls are divided into six stages: material acquisition, processing and production, installation and construction, transportation, use and maintenance, and dismantling. On this basis, this paper proposes a method for calculating carbon emissions from building curtain walls. Following that, a case study is conducted using a specific glass curtain wall project for illustrative analysis. The results indicate that the carbon emissions from the material acquisition stage constitute approximately 90% of the total, serving as the primary source of carbon emissions for glass curtain walls. Furthermore, the scientific application of photovoltaics can significantly reduce the carbon emission levels of building curtain walls. Finally, an analysis was conducted on the current issues existing in the evaluation of carbon emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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15 pages, 2615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Efficiency Analysis of Building Envelope Renovation and Photovoltaic System in a High-Rise Hotel Building in Indonesia

by Leni Sagita Riantini, Rossy Armyn Machfudiyanto, Titi Sari Nurul Rachmawati, Mochamad Daffa Alfiansyah Rachman, Reza Fachrizal and Farshid Shadram

Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1646; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061646 - 3 Jun 2024

Viewed by 508

Abstract

The development of high-rise buildings worldwide has given rise to significant concerns regarding their excessive electricity consumption. Among the various categories of high-rise structures, hotels used for business and conferences stand out as particularly extravagant in their energy use. The consequence arising from excessive energy usage is an escalation in carbon emissions, which is a primary driver of global warming. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the energy use intensity (EUI) of a hotel building located in Jakarta, Indonesia. In order to improve energy performance, this study explored various options for renovating the building envelope, such as incorporating insulation and a roof covering, as well as implementing building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The building envelope renovations demonstrated a notable reduction in energy use by 15.8–27.7% per year. BIPV, such as curtain walls and double-skin façades, generated an energy use reduction of 4.8–8.6% per year. Remarkably, by combining the two approaches (i.e., adding insulation and a roof covering in the building envelope and adopting BIPV as double-skin façades), the potential reduction in energy use reached up to 32.2% per year. The findings can assist decision-makers in developing building renovation strategies for high-rise buildings while considering energy conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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16 pages, 3646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Insulation Strategies of Cross-Laminated Timber Assemblies on Energy Use, Peak Demand, and Carbon Emissions

by Mikael Salonvaara and André Desjarlais

Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041089 - 13 Apr 2024

Viewed by 881

Abstract

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels have many structural benefits but do not have much thermal resistance. We have developed a solution to insulate CLT structures that uses high-performance insulation panels that provide R-values up to R40/inch. The CLT panels are made of layers of wood laminates (three, five, seven or more). The solution replaces some of the wood laminates in the CLT production with the insulation panels in a staggered fashion so that the wood laminates maintain contact throughout the panel, ensuring the CLT panel’s structural integrity. The insulated CLT panels have factory-installed water-resistive barriers reducing the installation time by eliminating installing insulation and water-resistive barriers on site. Per simulations, the CLT/insulation panel achieved code-required insulation levels with commonly available insulation materials. The significance of the thermal mass of CLT/insulation hybrid building envelopes was quantified by comparing the whole building energy performance and peak demand of traditional low mass and CLT wall assemblies resulting in up to 7% reduction in peak demand for cooling in Knoxville, TN, in a multifamily building. Buildings contribute over 40 percent of carbon emissions. The proposed CLT/insulation hybrid building envelope addresses both operational and embodied carbon by having high thermal resistances due to the embedded insulation sections and eliminating the use of high embodied carbon materials such as steel and concrete. The carbon benefit is estimated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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16 pages, 5884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Achieving Energy Self-Sufficiency in a Dormitory Building: An Experimental Analysis of a PV–AWHP-ERV Integrated System

by Su-Kwang Yang, Yul-Ho Kang and Young-Chull Ahn

Buildings 2024, 14(4), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14040882 - 25 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 821

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the performance of air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) and energy recovery ventilator (ERV) systems combined with photovoltaics (PV) to achieve the energy independence of a dormitory building and conducted an analysis of the energy independence rate and economic feasibility by using energy storage devices. Our data were collected for 5 months from July to November, and the building energy load, energy consumption, and system performance were derived by measuring the PV power generation, purchase, sales volume, AWHP inlet and outlet water temperature, and ERV outdoor, supply, and exhaust temperature. When analyzing representative days, the PV–AWHP integrated system achieved an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 4.49 and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.27. Even when the generated electrical energy exceeds 100% of the electricity consumption, the energy self-sufficiency rate remains at 24% due to the imbalance between energy consumption and production. The monthly average energy self-sufficiency rate changed significantly during the measurement period, from 20.27% in November to 57.95% in September, highlighting the importance of energy storage for self-reliance. When using a 4 kWp solar power system and 4 kWh and 8 kWh batteries, the annual energy self-sufficiency rate would increase to 67.43% and 86.98%, respectively, and our economic analysis showed it would take 16.5 years and more than 20 years, respectively, to become profitable compared to the operation of an AWHP system alone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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18 pages, 1619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Building Design Optimization Methodology: Residential Building Applications

by Yeonjin Bae, Donghun Kim and William Travis Horton

Buildings 2024, 14(1), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14010107 - 31 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1232

Abstract

Building design optimization is a highly complex problem, requiring long computational running processes because of the many options that exist when a building is being designed. This paper introduces an integrated approach through which to perform this optimization within an acceptable time frame. The approach includes the methods of variable selection, model simplification, and a sequential optimization process. Using singular value decomposition, a large number of design variables is reduced to a smaller subset that can be solved more quickly through the optimization algorithm. To expedite the variable selection process, a modeling approach that quickly simulates annual energy consumption was developed to replace full annual energy simulations. The developed methodology was applied to two residential buildings in the US, and the results are discussed herein. To assess the accuracy of the integrated optimization methodology, the optimized life cycle costs are compaa variables demonstrating the strongest contributions in the optimization study were identified. The proposed methodology significantly shortened the time requirements for the optimization processes of the two case studies by 74% and 84%; the optimized life cycle costs were within 0.05% and 0.06%, respectively, of the optimum point. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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27 pages, 4595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of ANN and LSTM Prediction Accuracy and Cooling Energy Savings through AHU-DAT Control in an Office Building

by Byeongmo Seo, Yeobeom Yoon, Kwang Ho Lee and Soolyeon Cho

Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1434; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061434 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1505

Abstract

This paper proposes the optimal algorithm for controlling the HVAC system in the target building. Previous studies have analyzed pre-selected algorithms without considering the unique data characteristics of the target building, such as location, climate conditions, and HVAC system type. To address this, we compare the accuracy of cooling load prediction using ANN and LSTM algorithms, widely used in building energy research, to determine the optimal algorithm for HVAC control in the target building. We develop a simulation model calibrated with actual data to ensure data reliability and compare the energy consumption of the existing HVAC control method and the two algorithms-based methods. Results show that the ANN algorithm, with a CV(RMSE) of 12.7%, has a higher prediction accuracy than the LSTM algorithm, CV(RMSE) of 17.3%, making it a more suitable algorithm for HVAC control. Furthermore, implementing the ANN-based approach results in a 3.2% cooling energy reduction from the optimal control of Air Handling Unit (AHU) Discharge Air Temperature (DAT) compared to the fixed DAT at 12.8 °C in a representative day. This study demonstrates that ML-based HVAC system control can effectively reduce cooling energy consumption in HVAC systems, providing an effective strategy for energy conservation and improved HVAC system efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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18 pages, 3193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Cooling Energy Savings of Economizer Control and Artificial-Neural-Network-Based Air-Handling Unit Discharge Air Temperature Control for Commercial Building

by Yeobeom Yoon, Byeongmo Seo and Soolyeon Cho

Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13051174 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems play a significant role in building energy consumption, accounting for around 50% of total energy usage. As a result, it is essential to explore ways to conserve energy and improve HVAC system efficiency. One such solution is the use of economizer controls, which can reduce cooling energy consumption by using the free-cooling effect. However, there are various types of economizer controls available, and their effectiveness may vary depending on the specific climate conditions. To investigate the cooling energy-saving potential of economizer controls, this study employs a dry-bulb temperature-based economizer control approach. The dry-bulb temperature-based control strategy uses the outdoor air temperature as an indicator of whether free cooling can be used instead of mechanical cooling. This study also introduces an artificial neural network (ANN) prediction model to optimize the control of the HVAC system, which can lead to additional cooling energy savings. To develop the ANN prediction model, the EnergyPlus program is used for simulation modeling, and the Python programming language is employed for model development. The results show that implementing a temperature-based economizer control strategy can lead to a reduction of 7.6% in annual cooling energy consumption. Moreover, by employing an ANN-based optimal control of discharge air temperature in air-handling units, an additional 22.1% of cooling energy savings can be achieved. In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate that the implementation of economizer controls, especially the dry-bulb temperature-based approach, can be an effective strategy for reducing cooling energy consumption in HVAC systems. Additionally, using ANN prediction models to optimize HVAC system controls can further increase energy savings, resulting in improved energy efficiency and reduced operating costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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27 pages, 11909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensor Incipient Fault Impacts on Building Energy Performance: A Case Study on a Multi-Zone Commercial Building

by Yanfei Li, Piljae Im, Seungjae Lee, Yeonjin Bae, Yeobeom Yoon and Sangkeun Lee

Buildings 2023, 13(2), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020520 - 14 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

Existing studies show sensor faults/error could double building energy consumption and carbon emissions compared with the baseline. Those studies assume that the sensor error is fixed or constant. However, sensor faults are incipient in real conditions and there were extremely limited studies investigating the incipient sensor fault impacts systematically. This study filled in this research gap by studying time-developing sensor fault impacts to rule-based controls on a 10-zone office building. The control sequences for variable air volume boxes (VAV) with an air handling unit (AHU) system were selected based on ASHRAE Guideline 36-2018: High-Performance Sequences of Operation for HVAC Systems. Large-scale simulations on cloud were conducted (3600 cases) through stochastic approach. Results show (1) The site energy differences could go −3.3% lower or 18.1% higher, compared with baseline. (2) The heating energy differences could go −66.5% lower or 314.4% higher, compared with baseline. (3) The cooling energy differences could go −11.5% lower or 65.0% higher, compared with baseline. (4) The fan energy differences could go 0.15% lower or 6.9% higher, compared with baseline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Building Technologies for Energy Savings and Decarbonization)

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