1,721,040 research outputs found
Il benessere illuminotecnica nelle agenzie di banca: analisi dei risultati di una campagna sperimentale in agenzie del territorio umbro
No full textInfluence of human behavior on cool roof effect for summer cooling
No full textCool roofs represent an acknowledged solution for cooling energy saving. However, the efficacy of such physical intervention can be affected by occupants' attitudes. Human behavior, in fact, is often neglected or underestimated at the design stage, e.g. while assessing the effect of physical retrofits. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is the assessment of cool roof effect with varying those occupants' attitudes having some effect on energy need for cooling and indoor Thermal Deviation Index (TDI). The analysis has been performed through calibrated dynamic simulation of a continuously monitored historic building. Innovative cool roof clay tiles, suitable for application in historic buildings, have been selected as physical retrofit. Main findings show that occupants' role can dominate the thermal-energy effect of the selected physical retrofit. For instance, cool roof tiles contribute to save 50% of primary energy for attic cooling in the hottest month, from 782kWh to 398kWh. If occupants' adaptation availability in adjusting temperature setups is taken into account in combination of the cool roof effect, the energy need for cooling becomes less than 100kWh. Also, the same cool tile is able to reduce the TDI from 0.87 to 0.54. If occupants are able to implement effective natural ventilation programs, TDI decreases to 0.29. These results show the necessity to consider neither only the effect of physical retrofits, nor only the effect of human attitudes, but the combination of both of them, in order to perform reliable energy need estimation, in both ante and post-occupancy assessment
Preliminary assessment of a microgrid integrated with a biomass gasification CHP system for a production facility in Central Italy
No full textThe aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to improve buildings energy efficiency has led to develop smart grids to manage electricity and heat. The work deals with the thermal and electric microgrid analysis of the Loccioni Company: the production facility consists of high-energy performance industrial and office buildings, partially powered by produced on-site renewable energy (solar PV, hydropower plants, water ground heat pumps). The challenge of continuous improvement in the use of energy led the company to develop a thermal microgrid for optimal management of the heat produced by a small-scale CHP system (50 kWel/110 kWth). The cogeneration system is based on biomass (pellet) chemical degradation process of gasification. The work discusses preliminary results relating to the first months of the system operation, to highlight the energy benefits and the critical issues. Data are collected by the Company monitoring system and a laboratory feedstock physico-chemical characterization is carried out. The main goal of this paper is to lay the foundations for the development of an energy management system that regulates energy flows between buildings. The development of the thermal microgrid will guarantee not only tangible benefits in terms of energy savings but also an increase in the resilience of the entire building/plant system
Sustainability assessment of historic buildings: lesson learnt from an Italian case study through LEED® rating system
No full textEnvironmental certification is a key issue for improving energy efficiency, minimizing energy consumption and allowing greater transparency on energy uses in buildings. If sustainability of the building process is an already consolidated issue for new constructions, as well as for existing buildings, for traditional and historic buildings a dedicated consideration still must be carried out, due to the major complexity of the variables to be taken into account. This paper deals with the critic application of the LEED Italia New Construction and Major Renovation rating system to the case study of an ancient stable located in correspondence to a Middle Age fortress in Perugia, Italy. The integrated process shows the weakness of existing tools when applied to the historical context, by highlighting the need of a new assessment framework in case of restoration and preservation processes. GBC Historic BuildingTM, a new rating system that GBC Italia is now developing, offers the opportunity to combine framework and criteria of the International LEED® standards and the specific knowledge of the restoration and preservation theory and practice. The implementation of key concepts of this new rating system will be critically evaluated, to highlight the way how it is able to bridge the gap between energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and cultural heritage
preservation
Experimental analysis and process modeling of carbon dioxide removal using tuff
Full text linkRemoval of carbon dioxide via selective adsorption is a key process to obtain consumer-grade natural gas from biogas and, more generally, CO2 capture and sequestration from gaseous mixtures. The aim of this work is the characterization and classification of a natural alternative to synthetic zeolites that could be used as a carbon dioxide adsorbent. Tuff particulate, easily available as a byproduct of the construction industry, was tested with different laboratory procedures to verify its suitability for CO2 removal applications. Relevant physical and adsorption properties were measured during an intensive experimental campaign. Porosity, pore size distribution, and specific surface area were obtained with mercury intrusion porosimetry. Adsorption isotherms and saturation curves were obtained using two custom experimental apparatuses. The selective adsorption was finally modeled using an original phenomenological parameterization, and a simplified simulation of the process was performed using a computational fluid dynamic approach, validated against observed data. Results show that natural zeolites represent a very promising and sustainable alternative to synthetic zeolites in pressure swing adsorption processes for CO2 removal
Co-combustion performance and kinetic study of solid digestate with gasification biochar
No full textThermogravimetric (TG) analysis was carried out to evaluate the interactions and kinetics of char from biomass gasification, solid digestate and their blends under combustion condition. The gasification char was blended with solid digestate in the range of 10-90 wt% to analyze the co-combustion performance. Based on the thermal degradation experiments which were performed at three heating rates 5, 10, and 15 degrees C/min, the OFW model-free method was used to determine the activation energy, based on which the pre-exponential factor, the enthalpy, the Gibbs free energy and the entropy were also calculated to label the combustion process directly. Blending gasification char with solid digestate tends to reduce the activation energy, but the overall analysis of combustion, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters reveals the complexity of the degradation process of all blends. Results showed that the blending proportion of 50% was regarded as the optimum blend in according to the limitations of activation energy, comprehensive performance index and Gibbs free-energy
Thermal-Acoustic and Indoor Comfort Performance of Nature-Based Materials for Green Buildings
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