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This paper examines the impact of the urban context on the energy performance of a residential building in Athens. Current and future weather files were modified to consider the urban heat island, the overshadowing of adjacent buildings, and the modification of wind speed due to the effects of urban canyons. Dynamic thermal simulations were carried out using the modified weather files. The results indicate that there was a change in heating and cooling demand in comparison to using typical weather files; heating was reduced, but cooling was increased with a total increase in energy demand. There was variation due to height, while overshadowing impacts energy demand significantly. The modified weather analysis also indicates that there are periods in the year that cooling and heating are negligible. During these periods, passive strategies can be used to maintain good internal air quality if occupants are informed how to use their windows and shading devices according to prevailing weather conditions. A method of achieving this occupant-centric operation of the building is described, and the results of an intervention study are discussed. It shows that internal environmental quality can be improved by occupant actions based on forecast weather conditions to direct them.

The role and influence of building services engineers are undergoing rapid change and are pivotal to achieving low-carbon buildings. However, textbooks in the field have tended to remain fairly traditional with a detailed focus on the technicalities of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, often with little wider context. This book addresses that need by embracing a contemporary understanding of the urgent challenge to address climate change, together with practical approaches to energy efficiency and carbon mitigation for mechanical and electrical systems, in a concise manner. The essential conceptual design issues for planning the principal building services systems that influence energy efficiency are examined in detail. These are HVAC and electrical systems. In addition, the following issues are addressed: background issues on climate change, whole-life performance and design collaboration generic strategies for energy-efficient, low-carbon design health and wellbeing and post occupancy evaluation building ventilation air conditioning and HVAC system selection thermal energy generation and distribution systems low-energy approaches for thermal control electrical systems, data collection, controls and monitoring building thermal load assessment building electric power load assessment space planning and design integration with other disciplines. In order to deliver buildings that help mitigate climate change impacts, a new perspective is required for building services engineers, from the initial conceptual design and throughout the design collaboration with other disciplines. This book provides a contemporary introduction and guide to this new approach, for students and practitioners alike.

Heat transfer between encapsulated PCM panels and air plays an important role in PCM-Air heat exchangers. A new design for the encapsulation panel was developed considering practical aspects such as the cost of production and ease of manufacturing, in addition to heat transfer and pressure drop. A number of encapsulated panel surfaces were first investigated via 3D CFD simulations and compared with an existing panel in use by a commercial PCM-Air heat exchanger manufacturer. After validation, 2D CFD simulations were carried out for 32 different geometries to select the most effective design, which was fabricated and tested in the laboratory. Laboratory parameters tested included heat transfer, pressure drop and melting/solidifying. The laboratory results confirmed the improvements of the new panel in comparison with the existing panel and a flat panel. It was found that the proposed design doubled the heat transfer, holds 13.7% more material and the fan can overcome the increased pressure drop.

A Chinese traditional narrow street, named Cold-Lane, can create a microclimatic zone that provides pedestrian thermal comfort under hot and humid climate conditions. This phenomenon was observed through experimental measurement during the summer of 2016. The heat transfer rate over the pedestrian body surface was calculated to reveal why pedestrians experience a cool sensation, and computational flow dynamics (CFD) simulation was carried out to study the influence of the street aspect ratio on the shading effect. It was found that the perception of thermal comfort can be attributed mainly to the radiation between the relatively cool surrounding walls and the human body, and the wind velocity has little effect on sensible heat dissipation. The cool horizontal and vertical surfaces in the street canyon are mainly due to the shading effect as a result of the small aspect ratio, which is a typical characteristic of the traditional Chinese street. The shading effect of the high walls on both sides creates the cooling effect of this narrow street.

Background and Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a method of pleurodesis in a rabbit model. Pleurodesis with PRP was compared against the gold-standard use of talc. The secondary evaluation assessed the ideal time for achieving pleurodesis. Materials and Methods: 25 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to three groups, as follows: 12 animals in the first and second groups, as well as one animal with no intervention in the final group, which was used as a control. The talc pleurodesis group (baseline) underwent pleurodesis with sterile talc, which is the gold-standard sclerosing agent used for pleurodesis. The PRP group underwent pleurodesis using autologous PRP. The last group had one rabbit with no intervention. A total of 12 rabbits (n = 6 for the talc pleurodesis group and n = 6 for the PRP group) were sacrificed 3 days (72 h) after the intervention, and 12 rabbits (n = 6 for the talc pleurodesis group and n = 6 for the PRP group) were sacrificed 6 days (144 h) after the intervention. In both the talc and PRP group, FBC and CRP were measured before the intervention and in 3 or 6 days afterwards, respectively. The pleura and the lungs were evaluated histopathologically. Results: Macroscopically, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. In terms of microscopic findings, there were no statistically significant differences in inflammatory reactions provoked in the visceral and parietal pleura between the PRP and talc. In addition, with talc pleurodesis, a foreign-body reaction was observed in about 50% of the cases, which was not observed with PRP. In terms of inflammation between 3 and 6 days, there were no statistically significant differences with PRP, there was only a statistically significant difference between 3 and 6 days regarding the parietal pleura in the talc group. Conclusions: The instillation of autologous PRP in the pleural cavity shows promise in achieving pleurodesis. The efficacy of PRP as a pleurodesis agent should be examined further.

This paper presents the development of a model based on efficiency equations to evaluate the performance of an HCPV/T system and compares its outputs with data of an operational case-study system installed in Palermo, Italy. The model is validated with data of the operational system to show real performance. The model can evaluate (a) the electric efficiency of the InGaP/InGaAs/Ge TJ solar cell and (b) electrical and thermal power/energy production potential of one module. The model predictions are compared with experimental electric and thermal data by obtaining linear regression plots of experimental results vs. analytical results; the R 2 for experimental electrical and thermal results are 0.91 and 0.87 respectively. Using the model, the evaluated average daily analytical and experimental InGaP/InGaAs/Ge TJ solar cell efficiencies are 33 % and 25 % respectively; with a maximum daily experimental value of 30 %. It was found that the annual analytical and potential (based on derived equations from experimental data) electric energy produced by one module are 158 kWh/m 2 /year and 144 kWh/m 2 /year respectively, while the annual analytical and potential thermal energy are 375 kWh/m 2 /year and 390 kWh/m2/year respectively.

Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) are a significant part of the energy efficiency strategy of the European Union. As buildings represent approximately 40% of the final energy use in Europe, the reduction of their energy demand is key for a sustainable future. This paper takes a qualitative approach and presents data about professional and market barriers, as well as the educational market in relation to the implementation of nZEB policies for new and retrofit buildings in 11 European countries. Different levels of policy enactments and market penetration are reported and are generally found to be more advanced in western and central European countries. Furthermore, gender equality is examined in the building sector in relation to nZEB and presents significant gaps, with a more balanced situation reported in southern Europe. The accreditation and targeted education of nZEB experts is still almost non-existent in the examined countries, and the need for training of building professionals is highlighted as a critical missing component of current policy. This research aims to be the first step towards the creation of educational material and programmes as a mean to accelerate the transition to nZEB.

Plants have the ability to absorb and degrade VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Foliage can intercept particulate matter (PM) and thus, help to reduce its concentration in the air. Plants can be used as filters in indoor conditions adding an ecosystem service to the decorative purpose. A plant-based air filtration system that actively improves indoor air quality has been developed and installed at a students’ residence at Brunel University, London. This unit replaces an existing window with a mini-greenhouse containing upwards of 30 plants and is connected to an air circuit to treat the indoor air. A monitoring plan is collecting data on the performance of the solution until at least the end of 2021. Preliminary results are presented, which indicate good effectiveness at reducing tVOCs and lower efficiency at reducing PM.

High Concentrator Photovoltaic Thermal (HCPV/T) systems produce both electrical and thermal energy and they are efficient in areas with high Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI). This paper estimates the lifecycle environmental impact of the HCPV/T 2000x system for both electrical and thermal functionalities. Process-based attributional method following the guidelines and framework of ISO 14044/40 was used to conduct the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The midpoint and endpoint impact categories were studied. It was found that the main hotspots are the production of the thermal energy system contributing with 50% and 55%, respectively, followed by the production of the tracking system with 29% and 32% and the operation and maintenance with 13% and 7%. The main contributor to the lifecycle environmental impact category indicators was found to be the raw materials acquisition/production and manufacturing of the thermal energy and tracking systems. The results indicate that the lifecycle environmental impact of the HCPV/T 2000x system is lower compared to fuel-based Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and non-Renewable Energy Sources (non-RES) systems.

Buildings are known to be responsible for about a third of energy consumption in developed countries. This situation, together with the fact that the existing building stock is being renovated at a very slow pace, makes it crucial to focus on the energy retrofitting of buildings as the only way to reduce their contribution to these energy consumptions and the consequences derived from them in terms of pollution and climate change. The same level of insulation and the same type of windows is usually proposed for all dwellings in a building block. This article shows that since the improvements required by each dwelling in the same block are different, the proposed solution must also be different. The methodology is proposed for a practical case consisting of an apartment block in Cádiz, a demonstration building of the European RECO2ST project. To achieve the optimum solution for each case, a multi-objective optimization problem is solved: to minimize the annual heating demand of the building and the standard deviation of the annual demand of the different dwellings. Thanks to the use of the proposed methodology, it is possible to bring the building to a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) level, while avoiding excessive insulation that causes overheating in summer.