A framework for analysing system intelligence of the building control system: a study of the integrated building management system

The lack of satisfactory consensus for characterizing the system intelligence and structured analytical decision models has inhibited the developers and practitioners to understand and configure optimum intelligent building systems in a fully informed manner. So far, little research has been conducted in this aspect. This research is designed to identify the key intelligent indicators, and develop analytical models for computing the system intelligence score of smart building system in the intelligent building. The integrated building management system (IBMS) was used as an illustrative example to present a framework. The models presented in this study applied the system intelligence theory, and the conceptual analytical framework. A total of 16 key intelligent indicators were first identified from a general survey. Then, two multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and analytic network process (ANP), were employed to develop the system intelligence analytical models. Top intelligence indicators of IBMS include: self-diagnostic of operation deviations; adaptive limiting control algorithm; and, year-round time schedule performance. The developed conceptual framework was then transformed to the practical model. The effectiveness of the practical model was evaluated by means of expert validation. The main contribution of this research is to promote understanding of the intelligent indicators, and to set the foundation for a systemic framework that provide developers and building stakeholders a consolidated inclusive tool for the system intelligence evaluation of the proposed components design configurations.

Fire Tests of Cold-formed Steel Wall Systems

Cold-formed steel stud walls are an important component of Light Steel Framing (LSF) building systems used in commercial, industrial and residential buildings. In the conventional LSF stud wall systems, thin-walled steel studs are protected from fire by placing one or two layers of plasterboard on both sides with or without cavity insulation. However, there is very limited data about the structural and thermal performance of these wall systems while past research showed contradicting results about the benefits of cavity insulation. This research proposed a new LSF stud wall system in which a composite panel made of two plasterboards with insulation between them was used to improve the fire rating of walls. Full scale fire tests were conducted using both conventional steel stud walls with and without the use of cavity insulation and the new composite panel system. Eleven full scale load bearing wall specimens were tested to study the thermal and structural performances of the load bearing wall assemblies under standard fire conditions. These tests showed that the use of cavity insulation led to inferior fire performance of walls while also providing good explanations and supporting test data to overcome the incorrect industry assumptions about cavity insulation. Tests demonstrated that the use of external insulation in a composite panel form enhanced the thermal and structural performances of stud walls and increased their fire resistance rating significantly. This paper presents the details of the full scale fire tests of load-bearing wall assemblies lined with plasterboards and different types of insulation under varying load ratios. Test results including the temperature and deflection profiles of walls measured during the fire tests will be presented along with their failure modes and failure times.

New robotics: design principles for intelligent systems.

New robotics is an approach to robotics that, in contrast to traditional robotics, employs ideas and principles from biology. While in the traditional approach there are generally accepted methods (e. g., from control theory), designing agents in the new robotics approach is still largely considered an art. In recent years, we have been developing a set of heuristics, or design principles, that on the one hand capture theoretical insights about intelligent (adaptive) behavior, and on the other provide guidance in actually designing and building systems. In this article we provide an overview of all the principles but focus on the principles of ecological balance, which concerns the relation between environment, morphology, materials, and control, and sensory-motor coordination, which concerns self-generated sensory stimulation as the agent interacts with the environment and which is a key to the development of high-level intelligence. As we argue, artificial evolution together with morphogenesis is not only "nice to have" but is in fact a necessary tool for designing embodied agents.

Efficient building management with IP-based wireless sensor network

Existing Building/Energy Management Systems (BMS/EMS) fail to convey holistic performance to the building manager. A 20% reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by efficiently operated buildings compared with current practice. However, in the majority of buildings, occupant comfort and energy consumption analysis is primarily restricted by available sensor and meter data. Installation of a continuous monitoring process can significantly improve the building systems’ performance. We present WSN-BMDS, an IP-based wireless sensor network building monitoring and diagnostic system. The main focus of WSN-BMDS is to obtain much higher degree of information about the building operation then current BMSs are able to provide. Our system integrates a heterogeneous set of wireless sensor nodes with IEEE 802.11 backbone routers and the Global Sensor Network (GSN) web server. Sensing data is stored in a database at the back office via UDP protocol and can be access over the Internet using GSN. Through this demonstration, we show that WSN-BMDS provides accurate measurements of air-temperature, air-humidity, light, and energy consumption for particular rooms in our target building. Our interactive graphical user interface provides a user-friendly environment showing live network topology, monitor network statistics, and run-time management actions on the network. We also demonstrate actuation by changing the artificial light level in one of the rooms.

Integration of chaos theory and mathematical models in building simulation: Part I: Literature review

Current mathematical models in building research have been limited in most studies to linear dynamics systems. A literature review of past studies investigating chaos theory approaches in building simulation models suggests that as a basis chaos model is valid and can handle the increasingly complexity of building systems that have dynamic interactions among all the distributed and hierarchical systems on the one hand, and the environment and occupants on the other. The review also identifies the paucity of literature and the need for a suitable methodology of linking chaos theory to mathematical models in building design and management studies. This study is broadly divided into two parts and presented in two companion papers. Part (I) reviews the current state of the chaos theory models as a starting point for establishing theories that can be effectively applied to building simulation models. Part (II) develops conceptual frameworks that approach current model methodologies from the theoretical perspective provided by chaos theory, with a focus on the key concepts and their potential to help to better understand the nonlinear dynamic nature of built environment systems. Case studies are also presented which demonstrate the potential usefulness of chaos theory driven models in a wide variety of leading areas of building research. This study distills the fundamental properties and the most relevant characteristics of chaos theory essential to building simulation scientists, initiates a dialogue and builds bridges between scientists and engineers, and stimulates future research about a wide range of issues on building environmental systems.

Integration of chaos theory and mathematical models in building simulation: Part II: Conceptual frameworks

Current mathematical models in building research have been limited in most studies to linear dynamics systems. A literature review of past studies investigating chaos theory approaches in building simulation models suggests that as a basis chaos model is valid and can handle the increasing complexity of building systems that have dynamic interactions among all the distributed and hierarchical systems on the one hand, and the environment and occupants on the other. The review also identifies the paucity of literature and the need for a suitable methodology of linking chaos theory to mathematical models in building design and management studies. This study is broadly divided into two parts and presented in two companion papers. Part (I), published in the previous issue, reviews the current state of the chaos theory models as a starting point for establishing theories that can be effectively applied to building simulation models. Part (II) develop conceptual frameworks that approach current model methodologies from the theoretical perspective provided by chaos theory, with a focus on the key concepts and their potential to help to better understand the nonlinear dynamic nature of built environment systems. Case studies are also presented which demonstrate the potential usefulness of chaos theory driven models in a wide variety of leading areas of building research. This study distills the fundamental properties and the most relevant characteristics of chaos theory essential to (1) building simulation scientists and designers (2) initiating a dialogue between scientists and engineers, and (3) stimulating future research on a wide range of issues involved in designing and managing building environmental systems.

Método experimental para la caracterización de las diferentes tecnologías de integración arquitectónica de la energía fotovoltaica en condiciones de funcionamiento real = Experimental method for characterization of several building integrated photovoltaic technologies under real working conditions

Hoy en día, el proceso de un proyecto sostenible persigue realizar edificios de elevadas prestaciones que son, energéticamente eficientes, saludables y económicamente viables utilizando sabiamente recursos renovables para minimizar el impacto sobre el medio ambiente reduciendo, en lo posible, la demanda de energía, lo que se ha convertido, en la última década, en una prioridad. La Directiva 2002/91/CE "Eficiencia Energética de los Edificios" (y actualizaciones posteriores) ha establecido el marco regulatorio general para el cálculo de los requerimientos energéticos mínimos. Desde esa fecha, el objetivo de cumplir con las nuevas directivas y protocolos ha conducido las políticas energéticas de los distintos países en la misma dirección, centrándose en la necesidad de aumentar la eficiencia energética en los edificios, la adopción de medidas para reducir el consumo, y el fomento de la generación de energía a través de fuentes renovables. Los edificios de energía nula o casi nula (ZEB, Zero Energy Buildings ó NZEB, Net Zero Energy Buildings) deberán convertirse en un estándar de la construcción en Europa y con el fin de equilibrar el consumo de energía, además de reducirlo al mínimo, los edificios necesariamente deberán ser autoproductores de energía. Por esta razón, la envolvente del edifico y en particular las fachadas son importantes para el logro de estos objetivos y la tecnología fotovoltaica puede tener un papel preponderante en este reto. Para promover el uso de la tecnología fotovoltaica, diferentes programas de investigación internacionales fomentan y apoyan soluciones para favorecer la integración completa de éstos sistemas como elementos arquitectónicos y constructivos, los sistemas BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic), sobre todo considerando el próximo futuro hacia edificios NZEB. Se ha constatado en este estudio que todavía hay una falta de información útil disponible sobre los sistemas BIPV, a pesar de que el mercado ofrece una interesante gama de soluciones, en algunos aspectos comparables a los sistemas tradicionales de construcción. Pero por el momento, la falta estandarización y de una regulación armonizada, además de la falta de información en las hojas de datos técnicos (todavía no comparables con las mismas que están disponibles para los materiales de construcción), hacen difícil evaluar adecuadamente la conveniencia y factibilidad de utilizar los componentes BIPV como parte integrante de la envolvente del edificio. Organizaciones internacionales están trabajando para establecer las normas adecuadas y procedimientos de prueba y ensayo para comprobar la seguridad, viabilidad y fiabilidad estos sistemas. Sin embargo, hoy en día, no hay reglas específicas para la evaluación y caracterización completa de un componente fotovoltaico de integración arquitectónica de acuerdo con el Reglamento Europeo de Productos de la Construcción, CPR 305/2011. Los productos BIPV, como elementos de construcción, deben cumplir con diferentes aspectos prácticos como resistencia mecánica y la estabilidad; integridad estructural; seguridad de utilización; protección contra el clima (lluvia, nieve, viento, granizo), el fuego y el ruido, aspectos que se han convertido en requisitos esenciales, en la perspectiva de obtener productos ambientalmente sostenibles, saludables, eficientes energéticamente y económicamente asequibles. Por lo tanto, el módulo / sistema BIPV se convierte en una parte multifuncional del edificio no sólo para ser física y técnicamente "integrado", además de ser una oportunidad innovadora del diseño. Las normas IEC, de uso común en Europa para certificar módulos fotovoltaicos -IEC 61215 e IEC 61646 cualificación de diseño y homologación del tipo para módulos fotovoltaicos de uso terrestre, respectivamente para módulos fotovoltaicos de silicio cristalino y de lámina delgada- atestan únicamente la potencia del módulo fotovoltaico y dan fe de su fiabilidad por un período de tiempo definido, certificando una disminución de potencia dentro de unos límites. Existe también un estándar, en parte en desarrollo, el IEC 61853 (“Ensayos de rendimiento de módulos fotovoltaicos y evaluación energética") cuyo objetivo es la búsqueda de procedimientos y metodologías de prueba apropiados para calcular el rendimiento energético de los módulos fotovoltaicos en diferentes condiciones climáticas. Sin embargo, no existen ensayos normalizados en las condiciones específicas de la instalación (p. ej. sistemas BIPV de fachada). Eso significa que es imposible conocer las efectivas prestaciones de estos sistemas y las condiciones ambientales que se generan en el interior del edificio. La potencia nominal de pico Wp, de un módulo fotovoltaico identifica la máxima potencia eléctrica que éste puede generar bajo condiciones estándares de medida (STC: irradición 1000 W/m2, 25 °C de temperatura del módulo y distribución espectral, AM 1,5) caracterizando eléctricamente el módulo PV en condiciones específicas con el fin de poder comparar los diferentes módulos y tecnologías. El vatio pico (Wp por su abreviatura en inglés) es la medida de la potencia nominal del módulo PV y no es suficiente para evaluar el comportamiento y producción del panel en términos de vatios hora en las diferentes condiciones de operación, y tampoco permite predecir con convicción la eficiencia y el comportamiento energético de un determinado módulo en condiciones ambientales y de instalación reales. Un adecuado elemento de integración arquitectónica de fachada, por ejemplo, debería tener en cuenta propiedades térmicas y de aislamiento, factores como la transparencia para permitir ganancias solares o un buen control solar si es necesario, aspectos vinculados y dependientes en gran medida de las condiciones climáticas y del nivel de confort requerido en el edificio, lo que implica una necesidad de adaptación a cada contexto específico para obtener el mejor resultado. Sin embargo, la influencia en condiciones reales de operación de las diferentes soluciones fotovoltaicas de integración, en el consumo de energía del edificio no es fácil de evaluar. Los aspectos térmicos del interior del ambiente o de iluminación, al utilizar módulos BIPV semitransparentes por ejemplo, son aún desconocidos. Como se dijo antes, la utilización de componentes de integración arquitectónica fotovoltaicos y el uso de energía renovable ya es un hecho para producir energía limpia, pero también sería importante conocer su posible contribución para mejorar el confort y la salud de los ocupantes del edificio. Aspectos como el confort, la protección o transmisión de luz natural, el aislamiento térmico, el consumo energético o la generación de energía son aspectos que suelen considerarse independientemente, mientras que todos juntos contribuyen, sin embargo, al balance energético global del edificio. Además, la necesidad de dar prioridad a una orientación determinada del edificio, para alcanzar el mayor beneficio de la producción de energía eléctrica o térmica, en el caso de sistemas activos y pasivos, respectivamente, podría hacer estos últimos incompatibles, pero no necesariamente. Se necesita un enfoque holístico que permita arquitectos e ingenieros implementar sistemas tecnológicos que trabajen en sinergia. Se ha planteado por ello un nuevo concepto: "C-BIPV, elemento fotovoltaico consciente integrado", esto significa necesariamente conocer los efectos positivos o negativos (en términos de confort y de energía) en condiciones reales de funcionamiento e instalación. Propósito de la tesis, método y resultados Los sistemas fotovoltaicos integrados en fachada son a menudo soluciones de vidrio fácilmente integrables, ya que por lo general están hechos a medida. Estos componentes BIPV semitransparentes, integrados en el cerramiento proporcionan iluminación natural y también sombra, lo que evita el sobrecalentamiento en los momentos de excesivo calor, aunque como componente estático, asimismo evitan las posibles contribuciones pasivas de ganancias solares en los meses fríos. Además, la temperatura del módulo varía considerablemente en ciertas circunstancias influenciada por la tecnología fotovoltaica instalada, la radiación solar, el sistema de montaje, la tipología de instalación, falta de ventilación, etc. Este factor, puede suponer un aumento adicional de la carga térmica en el edificio, altamente variable y difícil de cuantificar. Se necesitan, en relación con esto, más conocimientos sobre el confort ambiental interior en los edificios que utilizan tecnologías fotovoltaicas integradas, para abrir de ese modo, una nueva perspectiva de la investigación. Con este fin, se ha diseñado, proyectado y construido una instalación de pruebas al aire libre, el BIPV Env-lab "BIPV Test Laboratory", para la caracterización integral de los diferentes módulos semitransparentes BIPV. Se han definido también el método y el protocolo de ensayos de caracterización en el contexto de un edificio y en condiciones climáticas y de funcionamiento reales. Esto ha sido posible una vez evaluado el estado de la técnica y la investigación, los aspectos que influyen en la integración arquitectónica y los diferentes tipos de integración, después de haber examinado los métodos de ensayo para los componentes de construcción y fotovoltaicos, en condiciones de operación utilizadas hasta ahora. El laboratorio de pruebas experimentales, que consiste en dos habitaciones idénticas a escala real, 1:1, ha sido equipado con sensores y todos los sistemas de monitorización gracias a los cuales es posible obtener datos fiables para evaluar las prestaciones térmicas, de iluminación y el rendimiento eléctrico de los módulos fotovoltaicos. Este laboratorio permite el estudio de tres diferentes aspectos que influencian el confort y consumo de energía del edificio: el confort térmico, lumínico, y el rendimiento energético global (demanda/producción de energía) de los módulos BIPV. Conociendo el balance de energía para cada tecnología solar fotovoltaica experimentada, es posible determinar cuál funciona mejor en cada caso específico. Se ha propuesto una metodología teórica para la evaluación de estos parámetros, definidos en esta tesis como índices o indicadores que consideran cuestiones relacionados con el bienestar, la energía y el rendimiento energético global de los componentes BIPV. Esta metodología considera y tiene en cuenta las normas reglamentarias y estándares existentes para cada aspecto, relacionándolos entre sí. Diferentes módulos BIPV de doble vidrio aislante, semitransparentes, representativos de diferentes tecnologías fotovoltaicas (tecnología de silicio monocristalino, m-Si; de capa fina en silicio amorfo unión simple, a-Si y de capa fina en diseleniuro de cobre e indio, CIS) fueron seleccionados para llevar a cabo una serie de pruebas experimentales al objeto de demostrar la validez del método de caracterización propuesto. Como resultado final, se ha desarrollado y generado el Diagrama Caracterización Integral DCI, un sistema gráfico y visual para representar los resultados y gestionar la información, una herramienta operativa útil para la toma de decisiones con respecto a las instalaciones fotovoltaicas. Este diagrama muestra todos los conceptos y parámetros estudiados en relación con los demás y ofrece visualmente toda la información cualitativa y cuantitativa sobre la eficiencia energética de los componentes BIPV, por caracterizarlos de manera integral. ABSTRACT A sustainable design process today is intended to produce high-performance buildings that are energy-efficient, healthy and economically feasible, by wisely using renewable resources to minimize the impact on the environment and to reduce, as much as possible, the energy demand. In the last decade, the reduction of energy needs in buildings has become a top priority. The Directive 2002/91/EC “Energy Performance of Buildings” (and its subsequent updates) established a general regulatory framework’s methodology for calculation of minimum energy requirements. Since then, the aim of fulfilling new directives and protocols has led the energy policies in several countries in a similar direction that is, focusing on the need of increasing energy efficiency in buildings, taking measures to reduce energy consumption, and fostering the use of renewable sources. Zero Energy Buildings or Net Zero Energy Buildings will become a standard in the European building industry and in order to balance energy consumption, buildings, in addition to reduce the end-use consumption should necessarily become selfenergy producers. For this reason, the façade system plays an important role for achieving these energy and environmental goals and Photovoltaic can play a leading role in this challenge. To promote the use of photovoltaic technology in buildings, international research programs encourage and support solutions, which favors the complete integration of photovoltaic devices as an architectural element, the so-called BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic), furthermore facing to next future towards net-zero energy buildings. Therefore, the BIPV module/system becomes a multifunctional building layer, not only physically and functionally “integrated” in the building, but also used as an innovative chance for the building envelope design. It has been found in this study that there is still a lack of useful information about BIPV for architects and designers even though the market is providing more and more interesting solutions, sometimes comparable to the existing traditional building systems. However at the moment, the lack of an harmonized regulation and standardization besides to the non-accuracy in the technical BIPV datasheets (not yet comparable with the same ones available for building materials), makes difficult for a designer to properly evaluate the fesibility of this BIPV components when used as a technological system of the building skin. International organizations are working to establish the most suitable standards and test procedures to check the safety, feasibility and reliability of BIPV systems. Anyway, nowadays, there are no specific rules for a complete characterization and evaluation of a BIPV component according to the European Construction Product Regulation, CPR 305/2011. BIPV products, as building components, must comply with different practical aspects such as mechanical resistance and stability; structural integrity; safety in use; protection against weather (rain, snow, wind, hail); fire and noise: aspects that have become essential requirements in the perspective of more and more environmentally sustainable, healthy, energy efficient and economically affordable products. IEC standards, commonly used in Europe to certify PV modules (IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 respectively crystalline and thin-film ‘Terrestrial PV Modules-Design Qualification and Type Approval’), attest the feasibility and reliability of PV modules for a defined period of time with a limited power decrease. There is also a standard (IEC 61853, ‘Performance Testing and Energy Rating of Terrestrial PV Modules’) still under preparation, whose aim is finding appropriate test procedures and methodologies to calculate the energy yield of PV modules under different climate conditions. Furthermore, the lack of tests in specific conditions of installation (e.g. façade BIPV devices) means that it is difficult knowing the exact effective performance of these systems and the environmental conditions in which the building will operate. The nominal PV power at Standard Test Conditions, STC (1.000 W/m2, 25 °C temperature and AM 1.5) is usually measured in indoor laboratories, and it characterizes the PV module at specific conditions in order to be able to compare different modules and technologies on a first step. The “Watt-peak” is not enough to evaluate the panel performance in terms of Watt-hours of various modules under different operating conditions, and it gives no assurance of being able to predict the energy performance of a certain module at given environmental conditions. A proper BIPV element for façade should take into account thermal and insulation properties, factors as transparency to allow solar gains if possible or a good solar control if necessary, aspects that are linked and high dependent on climate conditions and on the level of comfort to be reached. However, the influence of different façade integrated photovoltaic solutions on the building energy consumption is not easy to assess under real operating conditions. Thermal aspects, indoor temperatures or luminance level that can be expected using building integrated PV (BIPV) modules are not well known. As said before, integrated photovoltaic BIPV components and the use of renewable energy is already a standard for green energy production, but would also be important to know the possible contribution to improve the comfort and health of building occupants. Comfort, light transmission or protection, thermal insulation or thermal/electricity power production are aspects that are usually considered alone, while all together contribute to the building global energy balance. Besides, the need to prioritize a particular building envelope orientation to harvest the most benefit from the electrical or thermal energy production, in the case of active and passive systems respectively might be not compatible, but also not necessary. A holistic approach is needed to enable architects and engineers implementing technological systems working in synergy. A new concept have been suggested: “C-BIPV, conscious integrated BIPV”. BIPV systems have to be “consciously integrated” which means that it is essential to know the positive and negative effects in terms of comfort and energy under real operating conditions. Purpose of the work, method and results The façade-integrated photovoltaic systems are often glass solutions easily integrable, as they usually are custommade. These BIPV semi-transparent components integrated as a window element provides natural lighting and shade that prevents overheating at times of excessive heat, but as static component, likewise avoid the possible solar gains contributions in the cold months. In addition, the temperature of the module varies considerably in certain circumstances influenced by the PV technology installed, solar radiation, mounting system, lack of ventilation, etc. This factor may result in additional heat input in the building highly variable and difficult to quantify. In addition, further insights into the indoor environmental comfort in buildings using integrated photovoltaic technologies are needed to open up thereby, a new research perspective. This research aims to study their behaviour through a series of experiments in order to define the real influence on comfort aspects and on global energy building consumption, as well as, electrical and thermal characteristics of these devices. The final objective was to analyze a whole set of issues that influence the global energy consumption/production in a building using BIPV modules by quantifying the global energy balance and the BIPV system real performances. Other qualitative issues to be studied were comfort aspect (thermal and lighting aspects) and the electrical behaviour of different BIPV technologies for vertical integration, aspects that influence both energy consumption and electricity production. Thus, it will be possible to obtain a comprehensive global characterization of BIPV systems. A specific design of an outdoor test facility, the BIPV Env-lab “BIPV Test Laboratory”, for the integral characterization of different BIPV semi-transparent modules was developed and built. The method and test protocol for the BIPV characterization was also defined in a real building context and weather conditions. This has been possible once assessed the state of the art and research, the aspects that influence the architectural integration and the different possibilities and types of integration for PV and after having examined the test methods for building and photovoltaic components, under operation conditions heretofore used. The test laboratory that consists in two equivalent test rooms (1:1) has a monitoring system in which reliable data of thermal, daylighting and electrical performances can be obtained for the evaluation of PV modules. The experimental set-up facility (testing room) allows studying three different aspects that affect building energy consumption and comfort issues: the thermal indoor comfort, the lighting comfort and the energy performance of BIPV modules tested under real environmental conditions. Knowing the energy balance for each experimented solar technology, it is possible to determine which one performs best. A theoretical methodology has been proposed for evaluating these parameters, as defined in this thesis as indices or indicators, which regard comfort issues, energy and the overall performance of BIPV components. This methodology considers the existing regulatory standards for each aspect, relating them to one another. A set of insulated glass BIPV modules see-through and light-through, representative of different PV technologies (mono-crystalline silicon technology, mc-Si, amorphous silicon thin film single junction, a-Si and copper indium selenide thin film technology CIS) were selected for a series of experimental tests in order to demonstrate the validity of the proposed characterization method. As result, it has been developed and generated the ICD Integral Characterization Diagram, a graphic and visual system to represent the results and manage information, a useful operational tool for decision-making regarding to photovoltaic installations. This diagram shows all concepts and parameters studied in relation to each other and visually provides access to all the results obtained during the experimental phase to make available all the qualitative and quantitative information on the energy performance of the BIPV components by characterizing them in a comprehensive way.

A Method of Preparing Future Hourly Weather Data for the Study of Global Warming Impact on the Built Environment

The dynamic interaction between building systems and external climate is extremely complex, involving a large number of difficult-to-predict variables. In order to study the impact of global warming on the built environment, the use of building simulation techniques together with forecast weather data are often necessary. Since all building simulation programs require hourly meteorological input data for their thermal comfort and energy evaluation, the provision of suitable weather data becomes critical. Based on a review of the existing weather data generation models, this paper presents an effective method to generate approximate future hourly weather data suitable for the study of the impact of global warming. Depending on the level of information available for the prediction of future weather condition, it is shown that either the method of retaining to current level, constant offset method or diurnal modelling method may be used to generate the future hourly variation of an individual weather parameter. An example of the application of this method to the different global warming scenarios in Australia is presented. Since there is no reliable projection of possible change in air humidity, solar radiation or wind characters, as a first approximation, these parameters have been assumed to remain at the current level. A sensitivity test of their impact on the building energy performance shows that there is generally a good linear relationship between building cooling load and the changes of weather variables of solar radiation, relative humidity or wind speed.

Preparation of future weather data to study the impact of climate change on buildings

The dynamic interaction between building systems and external climate is extremely complex, involving a large number of difficult-to-predict variables. In order to study the impact of climate change on the built environment, the use of building simulation techniques together with forecast weather data are often necessary. Since most of building simulation programs require hourly meteorological input data for their thermal comfort and energy evaluation, the provision of suitable weather data becomes critical. In this paper, the methods used to prepare future weather data for the study of the impact of climate change are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed. The inherent relationship between these methods is also illustrated. Based on these discussions and the analysis of Australian historic climatic data, an effective framework and procedure to generate future hourly weather data is presented. It is shown that this method is not only able to deal with different levels of available information regarding the climate change, but also can retain the key characters of a “typical” year weather data for a desired period.

Green roofs : understanding their benefits for Australia

Summary of Actions Towards Sustainable Outcomes Environmental Issues / Principal Impacts The increased growth of cities is intensifying its impact on people and the environment through: • increased use of energy for the heating and cooling of more buildings, leading to urban heat islands and more greenhouse gas emissions • increased amount of hard surfaces contributing to higher temperatures in cities and more stormwater runoff • degraded air quality and noise impact • reduced urban biodiversity • compromised health and general well-being of people Basic Strategies In many design situations boundaries and constraints limit the application of cutting EDGe actions. In these circumstances designers should at least consider the following: • Consider green roofs early in the design process in consultation with all stakeholders to enable maximised integration with building systems and to mitigate building cost (avoid constructing as a retrofit). • Design of the green roof as part of a building’s structural, mechanical and hydraulic systems could lead to structural efficiency, the ability to optimise cooling benefits and better integrated water recycling systems. • Inform the selection of the type of green roof by considering its function, for example designing for social activity, required maintenance/access regime, recycling of water or habitat regeneration or a combination of uses. • Evaluate existing surroundings to determine possible links to the natural environment and choice of vegetation for the green roof with availability of local plant supply and expertise. Cutting EDGe Strategies • Create green roofs to contribute positively to the environment through reduced urban heat island effect and building temperatures, to improved stormwater quality, increased natural habitats, provision of social spaces and opportunity for increased local food supply. • Maximise solar panel efficiency by incorporating with design of green roof. • Integrate multiple functions for a single green roof such as grey water recycling, food production, more bio-diverse plantings, air quality improvement and provision of delightful spaces for social interaction. Synergies & references • BEDP Environment Design Guide DES 53: Roof and Facade Gardens GEN 4: Positive Development – designing for Net Positive Impacts TEC 26: Living Walls - a way to green the built environment • Green Roofs Australia: www.greenroofs.wordpress.com • International Green Roof Association: www.igra-world.com • Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (USA): www.greenroofs.org • Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (Singapore): http://research.cuge.com.sg

Designing participation : Reconsidering agile ridesharing with evolutionary distributed design thinking

This paper explores design thinking from the perspective of designing new forms of interaction to engage people in community change initiatives. A case study of an agile ridesharing system is presented. We describe the fundamental premise of the design approach taken—deploying simple interactive prototypes for use by communities in order to test the design hypothesis, evolve the design in use and grow the community of participants. Real-time use data and feedback from participants influences our understanding of the design approach and feeds into the gradual evolution of the prototype while it continues to be used. We then reflect upon this form of evolutionary distributed design thinking. In contrast to the conventional IT wisdom of building systems to automate ride matching and fare calculation using structured forms, our initial phase of design revealed a preference for informal messaging, negotiation and caution in the sharing of specific location information.

Plastic bending behaviour and section moment capacities of mono-symmetric LiteSteel Beams with web openings

Recently developed cold-formed LiteSteel beam (LSB) sections have found increasing popularity in residential, industrial and commercial buildings due to their light weight and cost-effectiveness. Currently, there is significant interest in the use of LSB sections as flexural members in floor joist systems, although they can be used as flexural and compression members in a range of building systems. The plastic bending behaviour and section moment capacity of LSB sections with web holes can be assumed to differ from those without, but have yet to be investigated. Hence, no appropriate design rules for determining the section moment capacity of LSB sections with web holes are yet available. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the plastic bending behaviour and section moment capacity of LSB sections with circular web holes. LSB sections with varying circular hole diameters and degrees of spacing were considered. The paper also describes the simplified finite element (FE) modelling technique employed in this study, which incorporates all of the significant behavioural effects that influence the plastic bending behaviour and section moment capacity of these sections. The numerical and experimental test results and associated findings are also presented.

La envolvente de los edificios como generador de calor y energía eléctrica

[ES]El presente documento analiza las principales funciones que se le exigen actualmente a un sistema constructivo; concretamente, a la envolvente de los edificios. Se plantean inicialmente las causas y necesidades que han derivado en el nuevo concepto de envolvente así como las nuevas funciones que se le son exigibles. Se describen los conceptos relativos a los diferentes sistemas constructivos, a los métodos de ventilación natural y, a continuación, se analizan los criterios de generación fotovoltaica y solar térmica en los edificios, además de la integración de estos sistemas en los edificios. También se analizan los fundamentos sobre materiales de cambio de fase. Todo ello permite presentar los criterios de construcción de edificios ecoeficientes. Asimismo se presentan una serie de soluciones arquitectónicas desde el punto de vista de la eficiencia energética.

Análise crítica do Regulamento Geral dos Sistemas Públicos e Prediais de Distribuição de Água e de Drenagem de Águas Residuais

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização de Hidráulica