Comfort Control in Buildings

Comfort Control in Buildings

Author: María del Mar Castilla

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-06-30

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1447163478

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The aim of this book is to research comfort control inside buildings, and how this can be achieved through low energy consumption. It presents a comprehensive exploration of the design, development and implementation of several advanced control systems that maintain users' comfort (thermal and indoor air quality) whilst minimizing energy consumption. The book includes a detailed account of the latest cutting edge developments in this area, and presents several control systems based on Model Predictive Control approaches. Real-life examples are provided, and the book is supplemented by illustrations, tables, all of which facilitate understanding of the text. Energy consumption in buildings (residential and non-residential) represents almost the half of the total world energy consumption, and they are also responsible for approximately 35% of CO2 emissions. For these reasons, the reduction of energy consumption associated with the construction and use of buildings, and the increase of energy efficiency in their climatic refurbishment are frequently studied topics in academia and industry. As the productivity of users is directly related to their comfort, a middle ground needs to be found between comfort of users and energy efficiency. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to develop innovation and technology which can provide comfortable environments with minimum energy consumption. This book is intended for researchers interested in control engineering, energy and bioclimatic buildings, and for architects and process control engineers. It is also accessible to postgraduate students embarking on a career in this area, particularly those studying architecture.


Materials for Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Buildings

Materials for Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Buildings

Author: Matthew R Hall

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2010-04-21

Total Pages: 761

ISBN-13: 1845699270

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Almost half of the total energy produced in the developed world is inefficiently used to heat, cool, ventilate and control humidity in buildings, to meet the increasingly high thermal comfort levels demanded by occupants. The utilisation of advanced materials and passive technologies in buildings would substantially reduce the energy demand and improve the environmental impact and carbon footprint of building stock worldwide.Materials for energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings critically reviews the advanced building materials applicable for improving the built environment. Part one reviews both fundamental building physics and occupant comfort in buildings, from heat and mass transport, hygrothermal behaviour, and ventilation, on to thermal comfort and health and safety requirements.Part two details the development of advanced materials and sustainable technologies for application in buildings, beginning with a review of lifecycle assessment and environmental profiling of materials. The section moves on to review thermal insulation materials, materials for heat and moisture control, and heat energy storage and passive cooling technologies. Part two concludes with coverage of modern methods of construction, roofing design and technology, and benchmarking of façades for optimised building thermal performance.Finally, Part three reviews the application of advanced materials, design and technologies in a range of existing and new building types, including domestic, commercial and high-performance buildings, and buildings in hot and tropical climates.This book is of particular use to, mechanical, electrical and HVAC engineers, architects and low-energy building practitioners worldwide, as well as to academics and researchers in the fields of building physics, civil and building engineering, and materials science. - Explores improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort through material selection and sustainable technologies - Documents the development of advanced materials and sustainable technologies for applications in building design and construction - Examines fundamental building physics and occupant comfort in buildings featuring heat and mass transport, hygrothermal behaviour and ventilation


Intelligent Building Control Systems

Intelligent Building Control Systems

Author: John T. Wen

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-12-04

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 3319684620

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Readers of this book will be shown how, with the adoption of ubiquituous sensing, extensive data-gathering and forecasting, and building-embedded advanced actuation, intelligent building systems with the ability to respond to occupant preferences in a safe and energy-efficient manner are becoming a reality. The articles collected present a holistic perspective on the state of the art and current research directions in building automation, advanced sensing and control, including: model-based and model-free control design for temperature control; smart lighting systems; smart sensors and actuators (such as smart thermostats, lighting fixtures and HVAC equipment with embedded intelligence); and energy management, including consideration of grid connectivity and distributed intelligence. These articles are both educational for practitioners and graduate students interested in design and implementation, and foundational for researchers interested in understanding the state of the art and the challenges that must be overcome in realizing the potential benefits of smart building systems. This edited volume also includes case studies from implementation of these algorithms/sensing strategies in to-scale building systems. These demonstrate the benefits and pitfalls of using smart sensing and control for enhanced occupant comfort and energy efficiency.


Adaptive Thermal Comfort: Principles and Practice

Adaptive Thermal Comfort: Principles and Practice

Author: Fergus Nicol

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-03-15

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1136336478

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The fundamental function of buildings is to provide safe and healthy shelter. For the fortunate they also provide comfort and delight. In the twentieth century comfort became a 'product' produced by machines and run on cheap energy. In a world where fossil fuels are becoming ever scarcer and more expensive, and the climate more extreme, the challenge of designing comfortable buildings today requires a new approach. This timely book is the first in a trilogy from leaders in the field which will provide just that. It explains, in a clear and comprehensible manner, how we stay comfortable by using our bodies, minds, buildings and their systems to adapt to indoor and outdoor conditions which change with the weather and the climate. The book is in two sections. The first introduces the principles on which the theory of adaptive thermal comfort is based. The second explains how to use field studies to measure thermal comfort in practice and to analyze the data gathered. Architects have gradually passed responsibility for building performance to service engineers who are largely trained to see comfort as the ‘product’, designed using simplistic comfort models. The result has contributed to a shift to buildings that use ever more energy. A growing international consensus now calls for low-energy buildings. This means designers must first produce robust, passive structures that provide occupants with many opportunities to make changes to suit their environmental needs. Ventilation using free, natural energy should be preferred and mechanical conditioning only used when the climate demands it. This book outlines the theory of adaptive thermal comfort that is essential to understand and inform such building designs. This book should be required reading for all students, teachers and practitioners of architecture, building engineering and management – for all who have a role in producing, and occupying, twenty-first century adaptive, low-carbon, comfortable buildings.


Heating, Cooling, Lighting

Heating, Cooling, Lighting

Author: Norbert Lechner

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience

Published: 1991-01-16

Total Pages: 552

ISBN-13:

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Using a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach, presents detailed information based on concepts, rules, guidelines, intuition, and experience for architects in the areas of heating, cooling, and lighting at the schematic design stage. The data explored supports a three-tiered approach--load avoidance, using natural energy sources, and mechanical equipment. Among the topics covered are shading, thermal envelope, passive heating and cooling, electric lighting, and HVAC. Case studies illustrate how certain buildings use techniques at all three tiers for heating, cooling, and lighting. An appendix lists some of the more appropriate computer programs available to the architect for analysis at the schematic design stage.


Advances in Electronics, Communication and Computing

Advances in Electronics, Communication and Computing

Author: Akhtar Kalam

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-10-27

Total Pages: 808

ISBN-13: 9811047650

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This book is a compilation of research work in the interdisciplinary areas of electronics, communication, and computing. This book is specifically targeted at students, research scholars and academicians. The book covers the different approaches and techniques for specific applications, such as particle-swarm optimization, Otsu’s function and harmony search optimization algorithm, triple gate silicon on insulator (SOI)MOSFET, micro-Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, high-k dielectric gate oxide, spectrum sensing in cognitive radio, microstrip antenna, Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) with conducting surfaces, and digital image forgery detection. The contents of the book will be useful to academic and professional researchers alike.


Data-driven Analytics for Sustainable Buildings and Cities

Data-driven Analytics for Sustainable Buildings and Cities

Author: Xingxing Zhang

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-09-11

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 9811627789

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This book explores the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary fields of energy systems, occupant behavior, thermal comfort, air quality and economic modelling across levels of building, communities and cities, through various data analytical approaches. It highlights the complex interplay of heating/cooling, ventilation and power systems in different processes, such as design, renovation and operation, for buildings, communities and cities. Methods from classical statistics, machine learning and artificial intelligence are applied into analyses for different building/urban components and systems. Knowledge from this book assists to accelerate sustainability of the society, which would contribute to a prospective improvement through data analysis in the liveability of both built and urban environment. This book targets a broad readership with specific experience and knowledge in data analysis, energy system, built environment and urban planning. As such, it appeals to researchers, graduate students, data scientists, engineers, consultants, urban scientists, investors and policymakers, with interests in energy flexibility, building/city resilience and climate neutrality.


Regeneration of the Built Environment from a Circular Economy Perspective

Regeneration of the Built Environment from a Circular Economy Perspective

Author: Stefano Della Torre

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-12-30

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 303033256X

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This open access book explores the strategic importance and advantages of adopting multidisciplinary and multiscalar approaches of inquiry and intervention with respect to the built environment, based on principles of sustainability and circular economy strategies. A series of key challenges are considered in depth from a multidisciplinary perspective, spanning engineering, architecture, and regional and urban economics. These challenges include strategies to relaunch socioeconomic development through regenerative processes, the regeneration of urban spaces from the perspective of resilience, the development and deployment of innovative products and processes in the construction sector in order to comply more fully with the principles of sustainability and circularity, and the development of multiscale approaches to enhance the performance of both the existing building stock and new buildings. The book offers a rich selection of conceptual, empirical, methodological, technical, and case study/project-based research. It will be of value for all who have an interest in regeneration of the built environment from a circular economy perspective.


Natural Ventilation for Infection Control in Health-care Settings

Natural Ventilation for Infection Control in Health-care Settings

Author: Y. Chartier

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9241547855

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This guideline defines ventilation and then natural ventilation. It explores the design requirements for natural ventilation in the context of infection control, describing the basic principles of design, construction, operation and maintenance for an effective natural ventilation system to control infection in health-care settings.