Search Results (991)

Utah typically experiences 18 days with high fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) levels exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards per year. In August of 2022, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall convened an Indoor Air Quality Summit, during which experts in healthcare, industrial hygiene, and atmospheric science, among others, expressed the need to prioritize indoor air quality interventions more within the state. We conducted a furnace filter exchange pilot project that involved 11 families in Salt Lake City’s Westside. These families completed a survey regarding air quality-related concerns while researchers took air quality measurements—both inside and outside the residence. The goals of this pilot study were to gather data about the participants’ indoor and outdoor air quality perceptions, how frequently they changed their home air filters, and any barriers they experienced. In addition, this study developed a proof of concept demonstrating collecting preliminary indoor and outdoor air quality data and furnace filter deposition information alongside the survey. The survey results were limited by a small sample size (11 participants); however, among those sampled we found that residents are acutely concerned about outdoor air quality but are less worried about indoor air quality. We measured substantially lower indoor PM_2.5 levels compared to ambient air and found a wide range of filter replacement times from those less than a month to over two years. Our research team learned not only about indoor air quality conditions and resident perceptions, but also about the needs of community members including access to filters, health education, and the need to allow more time to build trust between researchers and residents. Full article

Post-industrial cities across Europe are undergoing profound transformation, where sustainable building design plays an increasingly strategic role in redefining urban identity and function. The transition toward sustainable urban environments requires innovative construction technologies and performance-driven standards. This study examines the role of sustainable building design in post-industrial urban regeneration, focusing on Katowice, Poland—a city undergoing significant socio-spatial and economic transformation. Through descriptive case studies of selected buildings, the research highlights how high-performance construction techniques, including advanced insulation, energy-efficient ventilation, and integrated daylighting, contribute to prestigious certifications while reducing energy demand for heating, cooling, and lighting. Beyond technical performance, the analyzed projects demonstrate how sustainable buildings can act as catalysts for post-industrial urban renewal, fostering social engagement, environmental responsibility, and architectural innovation. The novelty of this work lies in linking building-scale sustainability interventions with city-scale urban transformation dynamics, offering practical insights for similar post-industrial contexts in Central and Eastern Europe. This research provides the first comparative analysis of certified and non-certified sustainable buildings in the context of post-industrial regeneration in this region. The post-industrial revitalization of Katowice is largely driven by advancements in building energy systems, such as high-efficiency HVAC technologies and other sustainable solutions. The findings demonstrate that sustainable architecture can act as a tangible driver of social, economic, and spatial renewal, providing practical insights for post-industrial regeneration strategies across similar urban contexts. Full article

The traditional inference of thermal comfort relies mainly on either questionnaire surveys or invasive physiological signal monitoring. However, the use of these methods in real time is limited and they have a low accuracy; furthermore, they can cause an inconvenience to the daily work and life of indoor personnel. With the development of intelligent building technology, non-intrusive technology based on video analyses has gradually become a research hotspot. Not only does this type of technology avoid the limitations of traditional methods, but it can also be used to dynamically monitor thermal comfort. At present, the established and relatively complete non-intrusive recognition methods usually rely on additional equipment or cameras with specific angles, which limits their deployment and application in a wider range of scenarios. Therefore, in order to improve the non-intrusive prediction accuracy of the thermal comfort level of indoor personnel, it is necessary to establish a non-intrusive indoor personnel thermal comfort inference model. This study designed a cross-modal knowledge-distillation-based thermal adaptive behavior-recognition model. In order to avoid the difficulties of terminal deployment caused by the large model and the time-consuming nature of optical flow estimation, a multi-teacher network model was used to transfer the knowledge of different modes to a single student model. This reduced the number of model parameters and the computational complexity while improving the recognition accuracy. The experimental results show that the proposed vision-based thermal adaptation behavior-recognition model can non-invasively and accurately identify the thermal adaptation behavior of indoor personnel, which can not only improve the comfort of indoor environments, but also enable the intelligent adjustment of HVAC systems. Full article

This article presents an original, multi-depth soil-temperature monitoring system based on TMP117 digital sensors designed for deployment at several depths. The objective was to evaluate the system’s accuracy and applicability for building-energy performance assessment under contemporary climate conditions. Urban measurements at depths between 1.0 and 2.0 m were compared with ground temperatures derived using PN-EN 16798-5-1:2017-07 with Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) inputs and with observations from the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMWM). Standard inputs underestimated soil temperature on average by 1.1–2.3 °C (TMY) and 2.0–2.8 °C (IMWM), with the bias increasing with depth. For a ground-to-air heat-exchanger (GAHE) assessment, energy benefits estimated from standard inputs were lower in measurements by approximately 30–60% for pre-cooling and 70–86% for pre-heating. Measurements also revealed location-dependent differences between boreholes attributable to underground infrastructure. These findings indicate that non-local or outdated climate datasets can materially overestimate GAHE potential and confirm the need for local, multi-depth ground measurements and periodic updates of standard climate inputs to reflect urbanized conditions and climate change. The presented system constitutes a practical, scalable tool for engineers and designers of HVAC systems relying on ground heat exchange. Full article

This study evaluates indoor thermal comfort and the energy performance of HVAC control strategies in the Congo Zone of a zoological facility located in Poland. The main objective in this zone is to maintain adequate relative humidity, which is more critical for plants and animals than the indoor air temperature range. Long-term measurements were carried out to determine the variation of air system heat transfer as a function of outdoor air temperature. To determine the energy demand for heating, cooling, and air transport, eight control algorithms were analysed, each differing in a single detail but potentially affecting overall energy use and thermal comfort. The algorithms combined the following features: maintaining a constant supply or indoor air temperature; operating with a constant or modulated recirculation damper position; maintaining a constant or variable airflow (CAV or VAV); operating within the normal setpoint range or with an extended range of 1 °C; controlling temperature only or both temperature and humidity; and utilising or not utilising free cooling. The control algorithm operating in the facility maintained indoor humidity within acceptable limits for 98% of the year but failed to meet temperature requirements for 28% of the time. Refined strategies achieved energy savings of up to 74% in fan power and 80% in cooling demand, though often at the cost of reduced humidity control. Full article

In this manuscript, an analysis of the prospect of using a direct-contact air, gravel, ground heat exchanger (GAHE)—patented and tested at the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology—as a simple and inexpensive way of improving microclimate parameters in horse stables using renewable energy was presented. Different options for introducing a GAHE into the typical HVAC system have been proposed and examined. Using the GAHE calculation model developed based on the research, computer simulations of the GAHE’s interaction with the ventilation system were conducted. The effects of GAHE interaction were compared with a typical solution that does not utilise ground renewable energy. The analyses demonstrate year-round changes in microclimate parameters, particularly in the air temperature, relative humidity, and the THI comfort index. The benefits of using a GAHE as a component that improves comfort for animals and employees, while simultaneously saving energy, were demonstrated. The use of measurement data and computer energy simulations demonstrates the engineering feasibility of including GAHEs in a mechanical ventilation system for a horse stable. The obtained results indicate the potential for improving animal husbandry and employee working conditions without the need to consume additional energy to operate complex HVAC systems. Full article

The escalating demand for sustainable development in the built environment necessitates the integration of innovative, system-based assessment tools. This study investigates the role of energy efficiency (EE) within a nature-inspired sustainability assessment framework, drawing from biomimicry principles to evaluate green building practices in South Africa. Grounded in the ethos of nature’s efficiency, such as closed-loop energy systems, passive energy use, efficiency through form and function, and decentralised and localised energy generation, this study identifies and prioritises key EE criteria, including efficient energy management, renewable energy optimisation, passive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and energy-saving technologies. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this research engaged 38 highly experienced, practising, and registered construction professionals to perform pairwise comparisons of EE criteria. Results revealed that efficient energy management (29.8%) emerged as the most significant factor, followed closely by energy-saving equipment (26.4%), with strong expert consensus (consistency ratio = 0.03). The findings reflect a convergence of ecological wisdom and industry expertise, suggesting that nature’s design strategies offer a compelling roadmap for achieving sustainable energy performance in buildings. This study reinforces the applicability of biomimicry in shaping context-specific sustainability metrics and informs the development of adaptive, ecologically aligned certification frameworks. This study recommends the integration of these EE criteria into building rating systems, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and scaling nature-based frameworks to inform global sustainability practice. By bridging theory and application, this study advances a regenerative approach to construction that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and long-term environmental resilience. Full article

To reduce emissions in the existing transportation system and lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) output, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer a promising approach due to their higher energy efficiency. However, their driving range still falls short compared to conventional vehicles. Optimizing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can help save energy and improve passenger comfort. This study investigates an advanced thermal management system for an electric truck cabin with heating panels and added insulation. A one-dimensional (1D) cabin thermal model was also developed and validated with experimental data. The model integrates insulation, heating panels, and a 1D comfort simulation. It is functional mock-up unit (FMU) compatible and connects to larger system simulations and real-time applications. The results show that energy consumption can be reduced by up to 50% with these thermal measures. In the future, further research and new approaches will be necessary to identify even more efficient subsystems and cost-effective solutions. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the global understanding of airborne disease transmission, particularly in healthcare environments. This literature review examines how building ventilation and indoor air quality strategies have evolved in response to SARS-CoV-2, with a specific focus on healthcare settings. A systematic review of 163 post-pandemic studies, alongside a selective review of pre-COVID-19 literature, was conducted to assess how scientific knowledge, practical recommendations, and HVAC-related interventions have changed. The review categorizes studies across detection methods, simulation models, observational analyses, and policy recommendations, drawing attention to novel findings and evidence-supported practices. While the body of research reaffirms the critical role of ventilation, many recommendations remain unevaluated through empirical methods. This study identifies the gaps in evidence and highlights the most impactful advances that can inform future design, maintenance, and operational protocols in healthcare facilities to mitigate airborne infection risks. Full article

As large common areas, cruise ship atriums affect passenger comfort and HVAC efficiency. Due to their complexity and high occupancy, maintaining a suitable thermal environment is difficult. Experimental measurements, thermal load analysis, and CFD simulation are used to assess and improve the atrium’s summer thermal climate. Experimental data supported the use of the RNG $k$-$\epsilon$ turbulence model to forecast airflow and temperature. To meet the cooling demand of 28,784 W, a supply air volume of 10,742 m³/h was required. Various air-supply methods were evaluated for temperature distribution, airflow velocity, PMV, and air age. Larger diffusers and better air dispersion increased temperature homogeneity, air age, and comfort. Redistributing airflow to corridors reduced localized overheating but raised core temperatures, whereas adding diffusers without boosting supply volume caused interference. The configuration with larger diffuser areas and equilibrated airflow maintained a temperature of 21–23 $°\mathrm{C}$, a PMV of −0.1 to 0.1, an air velocity of 0–0.3 $\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$, and an average air age of 350 s. The findings provide theoretical and engineering guidance for energy-efficient HVAC systems in cruise ship atriums and other large public spaces. Full article

The building sector represents a major frontier in the global response to climate change, accounting for approximately one-third of global energy consumption and a comparable share of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. This review conducts a PRISMA-ScR–based scoping synthesis of technological, behavioural, and policy pathways to achieve energy efficiency and deep decarbonization in buildings. It systematically examines passive design principles, high-performance envelopes, efficient HVAC and lighting systems, renewable energy integration, building energy modelling, and retrofit strategies. The study also addresses the role of regulatory instruments, energy codes, and certification schemes in accelerating sectoral transformation. The synthesis identifies three cross-cutting drivers of decarbonization: integrated design across building systems, digitalization enabling predictive and adaptive operation, and robust policy frameworks ensuring large-scale implementation. The review concludes that while most technologies required to reach zero-emission buildings are already available, their potential remains underutilized due to fragmented policies, limited retrofit rates, and behavioural barriers. Coordinated implementation across technology, governance, and user engagement is essential to realise a net-zero building sector. Full article

Monitoring indoor air quality is vital for health, as CO₂ is a major pollutant. An automated system that accurately forecasts CO₂ levels can optimize HVAC management, preventing sudden increases and reducing energy waste while maintaining occupant comfort. Traditionally, such systems require extensive datasets collected over months to train algorithms, making them computational expensive and inefficient. To address this limitation, an adaptive IoT-based platform has been developed, leveraging a limited set of recent data to forecast CO₂ trends. Tested in a real-world setting, the system analyzed parameters such as physical activity, temperature, humidity, and CO₂ to ensure accurate predictions. Data acquisition was performed using the Smartex WWS T-shirt for physical activity data and the UPSense UPAI3-CPVTHA environmental sensor for other measurements. The chosen sensor devices are wireless and minimally invasive, while data processing was carried out on a low-power embedded PC. The proposed forecasting model adopts an innovative approach. After a 5-day training period, a Generative Adversarial Network enhances the dataset by simulating a 10-day training period. The model utilizes a Generative Adversarial Network with a Long Short-Term Memory network as the generator to predict future CO₂ values based on historical data, while the discriminator, also a Long Short-Term Memory network, distinguishes between actual and generated CO₂ values. This approach, based on Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks, effectively captures data distributions, enabling more accurate multi-step probabilistic forecasts. In this way, the framework maintains a Root Mean Square Error of approximately 8 ppm, matching the performance of our previous approach, while reducing the need for real training data from 10 to just 5 days. Furthermore, it achieves accuracy comparable to other state-of-the-art methods that typically requires weeks or even months of training. This advancement significantly enhances computational efficiency and reduces data requirements for model training, improving the system’s practicality for real-world applications. Full article

Large-scale lithium-ion energy storage systems (ESSs) are indispensable for renewable energy integration and grid support, yet ensuring long-term reliability under field conditions remains challenging. This study investigates degradation trends in a 50 MW-class ESS deployed on Jeju Island, South Korea, focusing on two indicators: direct current internal resistance (DCIR) and state-of-health (SOH). Annual round-trip (capacity) and hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) tests conducted from 2023 to 2025 quantified capacity fade and resistance growth. A polynomial-regression-based temperature compensation was applied—compensating DCIR to 23 °C and SOH to 30 °C—which reduced environmental scatter and clarified year-to-year degradation trends. Beyond mean shifts, intra-bank variability increased over time, indicating rising internal imbalance. A focused case study (Bank 03-01) revealed concurrent SOH decline and DCIR escalation localized near specific racks; spatial maps linked this hotspot to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)-driven airflow asymmetry and episodic fan operation. These findings underscore the importance of combining temperature compensation, variability-based diagnostics, and spatial visualization in field ESS monitoring. The proposed methodology provides practical insights for the early detection of abnormal degradation and supports lifecycle management of utility-scale ESSs under real-world conditions. Full article

Saudi Arabia has a large part of the country’s power consumption in the building area, mainly operated by cooling demands under extreme climatic conditions, where the summer temperature is more than 45 °C and solar radiation peaks are more than 1200 W/MIC. Facing this challenge, this research examines the translation of biometric principles in the design of adaptive building construction for dry areas. We present a comprehensive, four-phase method structure: removing thermoregulatory and shading strategies from desert vegetation; computer display simulation using EnergyPlus 9.7.0 and CFD (ANSYS Fluent 2022 R2); and the development of an implementation guideline. Our findings achieve three central insights. First, the dynamic factor system, such as the electrochromic glazing tested in our student project, reduced the use of HVAC energy by 30%, while advanced materials, such as the polycarbonate panel, demonstrated notable thermal stability. Secondly, the synergy between cultural knowledge and technical performance proved to be decisive; vernacular-inspired Mushrabias improved generic louver not only in thermal efficiency but also in user acceptance, which increased the 97% approval rate in post-acquisition surveys. Finally, we demonstrate that scalability is economically viable, indicating a seven-year payback period for simulation, phase-transit material (PCM), which aligns with the budgetary realities of public and educational projects. By fusing the plant-induced strategies with rigorous computational modeling and real-world applications, the work provides actionable guidelines for permanent failure design in the warm-dry climate. It underlines that maximizing energy efficiency requires the cohesion of thermodynamic principles with the craft traditions of local architecture, an approach directly aligned with the Saudi Green Initiative and the ambitions of global carbon neutrality goals. Full article

Buildings in Indonesia’s tropical climate face significant barriers to energy efficiency due to high cooling loads and electricity intensity. Previous studies have primarily addressed technical optimization or policy frameworks, but few have provided an integrated and data-driven evaluation model for tropical conditions. This study develops an Internet of Things (IoT) and EDGE-based hybrid framework to support the transition toward Net-Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEBs) while maintaining occupant comfort. The research combines real-time IoT monitoring at the LLDIKTI Region XIII Office Building in Banda Aceh with simulation-based assessment using Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE). Baseline energy performance was established from architectural data, historical electricity use, and live monitoring of HVAC systems, lighting, temperature, humidity, and CO₂ concentration. Intervention scenarios—including building envelope enhancement, lighting optimization, and adaptive HVAC control—were simulated and validated against empirical data. Results demonstrate that integrating IoT-driven control with passive design measures achieves up to 31.49% reduction in energy use intensity, along with 24.7% improvement in water efficiency and 22.3% material resource savings. These findings enhance indoor environmental quality and enable adaptive responses to user behavior. The study concludes that the proposed IoT–EDGE framework offers a replicable and context-sensitive pathway for achieving net-zero energy operations in tropical office buildings, with quantifiable environmental benefits that support sustainable public facility management in Indonesia. Full article