Environmental Impacts and Sustainability
Nima Amani
Abstract
Building insulation stands out as one of the most widely employed strategies to enhance energy efficiency in the building sector. Increasing the thickness of thermal insulation is a conventional approach to meet the design requirements of these structures. In this study, a novel approach to augment the ...
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Building insulation stands out as one of the most widely employed strategies to enhance energy efficiency in the building sector. Increasing the thickness of thermal insulation is a conventional approach to meet the design requirements of these structures. In this study, a novel approach to augment the thermal resistance of external building walls is explored by simultaneously employing multiple thermal insulation materials, comparing this with a single-layer insulation setup. Three typical insulation materials with varying thicknesses are utilized to create a three-layer insulation system, which is applied to a case study involving a house-like cubicle situated in the 3B climate zone per ASHRAE 169-2006. The findings indicate that merely increasing the thickness of a single-layer insulation does not invariably yield optimal solutions. The results emphasize that the consideration of multi-layer insulation systems can establish a continuous decision-making space, enabling the identification of at least one insulation scenario aligned with design requirements. To facilitate designers in the initial stages of thermal insulation design, a rapid and simplified design model has been developed based on the results. The methodology proposed in this study is generalizable and can be applied to all climate zones, offering a comprehensive design tool without the need for intricate calculations.
Renewable Energy Resources and Technologies
Nima Amani; Abdul Amir Reza Soroush
Abstract
One of the main reasons of environmental pollution is energy consumption in buildings. Today, the use of renewable energy sources is increasing dramatically. Among these sources, solar energy has favorable costs for various applications. This study examined a commercial building in a hot and humid climate. ...
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One of the main reasons of environmental pollution is energy consumption in buildings. Today, the use of renewable energy sources is increasing dramatically. Among these sources, solar energy has favorable costs for various applications. This study examined a commercial building in a hot and humid climate. The findings showed that choosing the optimal angle of solar panels with the goal of optimized energy consumption would yield reduced costs and less environmental pollutants with the least cost and maximum energy absorption. In this study, to calculate the energy requirements of the building, DesignBuilder software was used. To study the solar angles and estimate the energy produced by the solar panels, Polysun software was used after simulating the building energy. Energy simulation results showed that the whole building energy consumption was 26604 kWh/year. Finally, the evaluation results of solar panels showed that the energy produced by photovoltaic modules at an optimal angle of 31° would be equal to 26978 kWh/year, which is more than the energy required by the building. This system can prevent 14471 kg of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Sustainable energy criteria showed that for the studied building, photovoltaic modules could be used in energy production to reach a zero-energy system connected to the grid with an annual energy balance.
Renewable Energy Economics, Policies and Planning
Nima Amani; Abdul Amir Reza Soroush
Abstract
Traditionally, building energy model is created in isolation from the architectural building information model and energy analyses have relied on a single analysis tool. The building energy model can be generated more quickly by leveraging existing data from the BIM. The impacts of energy consumption ...
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Traditionally, building energy model is created in isolation from the architectural building information model and energy analyses have relied on a single analysis tool. The building energy model can be generated more quickly by leveraging existing data from the BIM. The impacts of energy consumption are significant in the building usage phase, which can last several decades. Due to the large share of the final energy consumption in the building sector, accurate analysis of thermal and cooling loads of a building and the efforts to reduce energy losses represent an effective way to reduce energy consumption. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the building energy performance in the design phase, which is when critical decisions are made. This study aims to investigate the impact of the building components and construction materials on building energy efficiency using Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology in a mild climate zone. After reviewing the proposed designs, the main building form was chosen for energy modeling and analysis. Then, building energy consumption analysis was performed based on the basic parameters of the building energy model. Eventually, the most optimal mode was selected by examining different energy consumption forms. This study showed that the building HVAC system always had the largest share of energy consumption. Finally, the results of parametric studies on alternative schemes of energy use intensity optimization showed that 22.59 % savings could be achieved as compared to the base building model in a 30-year time horizon
Advanced Energy Technologies
Nima Amani
Abstract
Must limited energy resources and the need for energy saving make the design of buildings more efficient in terms of energy consumption. For this reason, proper orientation of buildings, use of sunlight, natural ventilation, application of consumable materials are factors that help reduce heat and cooling ...
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Must limited energy resources and the need for energy saving make the design of buildings more efficient in terms of energy consumption. For this reason, proper orientation of buildings, use of sunlight, natural ventilation, application of consumable materials are factors that help reduce heat and cooling loads. The objective of this study is to evaluate the energy efficiency of residential buildings using natural energy and optimizing the choice of materials for heat and cold saving with the Ecotect simulation software. According to analysis and simulation, it was found that the optimum materials of the main building components in a mild climate zone of Rasht city include (a) the Brick Conc block Plaster for a wall with the total radiation incident of 340 W/m2 and a radiation absorption of 240 W/m2, (b) Double Glazed-Low E for windows with the total radiation incident of 340 W/m2 and a radiation absorption of 100 W/m2, (c) Foam Core Ply Wood for door with the total radiation incident of 340 W/m2 and a radiation absorption of 200 W/m2, (d) ConcSlab- OnGround for floor with the total radiation incident of 340 W/m2 and a radiation absorption of 220 W/m2, and (e) Conc Roof Asphalt for roof with the total radiation incident of 340 W/m2 and a radiation absorption of 300 W/m2. According to an hourly temperature analysis of all stories of the building on two hot and cold days of the year and as observed by the design and material selection requirements, the building will be conditioned in an almost thermal comfort zone (below 30 degrees) in the warm season.
