The investigation of energy efficiency measures in the traditional buildings in Oporto World Heritage Site

Background The improvement of energy efficiency in buildings is widely promoted as a measure to mitigate climate change through the reduction of CO2 emissions. Thermal regulations worldwide promote it, for both new and existing buildings. Among the existing stock, traditional and historic buildings pose the additional challenge of heritage conservation. Their energy efficiency upgrade raises the risk of provoking negative impacts on their significance. Aims and Methodology This research used an approach based on impact assessment methodologies, defining an inital baseline scenario for both heritage and energy, from which the appropriate improvement solutions were identified and assessed. The measures were dynamically simulated and the results for energy, CO2, cost and comfort compared with the initial scenario, and then being further assessed for their heritage impact to eventually determine the most feasible solutions. To test this method, ten case studies, representative of the identified typological variants, were selected among Oporto’s traditional buildings located in the World Heritage Site. Findings and Conclusions The fieldwork data revealed that the energy consumption of these dwellings was below the European average. Additionally, the households expressed that their home comfort sensation was overall positive. The simulations showed that the introduction of insulation and solar thermal panels were ineffective on these cases in terms of energy, cost and comfort. At the same time, these measures pose a great risk to the buildings heritage value. The most efficient solutions were obtained from behavioural changes and DHW retrofit. The study reinforced the idea that traditional buildings performed better than expected and can be retrofitted and updated at a low-cost and with passive solutions. The use of insulation and solar panels should be disregarded.

Modeling and validation of the thermal behavior of buildings for the development of demand response methods

The representation of the thermal behaviour of the building is achieved through a relatively simple dynamic model that takes into account the effects due to the thermal mass of the building components. The model of a intra-floor apartment has been built in the Matlab-Simulink environment and considers the heat transmission through the external envelope, wall and windows, the internal thermal masses, (i.e. furniture, internal wall and floor slabs) and the sun gain due to opaque and see-through surfaces of the external envelope. The simulations results for the entire year have been compared and the model validated, with the one obtained with the dynamic building simulation software Energyplus.

School buildings ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Support document for proposed rule on friable asbestos-containing materials in school buildings : health effects and magnitude of exposure.

Mode of access: Internet.

Guidance for controlling asbestos-containing materials in buildings.

Mode of access: Internet.

A proposed concept for determining the need for air conditioning for buildings based on building thermal response and human comfort /

Includes bibliographical references.

Der Dom zu St. Marien in Riga. Baugeschichte und Baubeschreibung.

Bibliography, 3 p. at end.

Atheniensia, or Remarks on the topography and buildings of Athens.

Mode of access: Internet.

A book on building, civil and ecclesiastical : including church restoration : with the theory of domes and the great pyramid, and dimensions of many churches and other great buildings /

Includes index.

The laws of contrast and colour and their application to the arts of painting, decoration of buildings, mosaic work ... /

Mode of access: Internet.

Community buildings as war memorials.

Mode of access: Internet.

Bicknell's village builder : elevations and plans for cottages, villas, suburban residences, farm houses ... also exterior and interior details for public and private buildings, with approved forms of contracts and specifications ... : Containing fifty-five plates drawn to scale ...

Mode of access: Internet.