Browsing by Author "Laia, Carlos"
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- From Summer cooling to sustainable Summer comfort in buiding thermal regulationPublication . Camelo, Susana; Goncalves, Helder; Richard, Mathieu; Laia, CarlosThe introduction of the “Energy Performance Building Directive” (EPBD) [1] and consequently the new National Building Regulation [2] in the Member States (MS) lead to a totally new legal situation concerning, requirements and procedures on the building sector. Under the scope of an EU project called Keep Cool, a survey was undertaken in order to review the energy efficiency criteria, in the national building codes, concerning summer comfort or mechanical cooling system in order to elaborate recommendations towards a sustainable summer comfort. This paper presents the results of this survey [3] carried out under the participate countries (7 countries), and the main goals were the following to update the information regarding the new national building regulations to have a first insight regarding the requirements and summer calculations adopted in each country and to identify the positive and the negative aspects of the different regulations and selection of the best practice examples, in order to draw up recommendations for introducing sustainable summer comfort measures into future national building codes. A comparative analysis has started with some very precise answers and had permitted to carry out a comparative analysis between some national building codes. A review was undertaken concerning envelope constructive solutions (opaque and transparent), thermal mass, ventilation rates and the corresponding values limits.
- The keep Cool II idea and strategy: from "cooling" to "sustainable summer comfort"Publication . Camelo, Susana; Goncalves, Helder; Laia, Carlos; Richard, M.The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) explicitly refers to a "passive cooling techniques, primarily those that improve indoor climatic conditions and the microclimate around buildings". However, in Europe the demand for air conditioning is rising, especially in office buildings and is expected that the cooled floor area will be four times higher in 2020 when compared with 1990 figures. About 40% of our energy use is consumed in buildings and air conditioning represents a significant part. he overcome this problem conventional answer consists on to improve of the energy efficiency of cooling. However, this startegy showed limited results in terms of saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, cooling can be avoided (or the need to use energy for cooling) or significantly reduced without risking summer thermal comfort for building occupants, having thus the potential to achieve substantial reductions in energy demad and contributing to the overall objective of reduction CO2 emissions, minimizing the risk of the global warming and of the European climate protection commitments. This paper presents the conclusions of two surveys undertaken in the frame work of the Keep CoolII Project. One centered on evaluating current practices in cooling design, construction and operation, in order to obtain a feel of how widely good practices are known and use and as a basis for the subsequent study on incentives to remedy a set of key barriers and to reach the notion of summer comfort as a service. Indeed, efficient strategies for cooling have been studied for at least two decades, and several campaigns have already been implemented in the EU member states to disseminate knowledge on summer comfort efficiency since the 1990s. The other survey was undertaken in order to review the energy efficency criteria, in the national buildings codes, concerning summer comfort or mechanical cooling system in order to elaborate recommendations towards a sustainable summer comfort. This surver intended update, in a regional basis, the information regarding national building regulations, identifyin the measures adopted and delineating good practices concerning energy consumption, summer comfort and summer requirements. Finnaly, it should be stressed out the key role of the building designer towards sustainable summer comfort. Building codes requirements and design rules needs a proper use by the building designer.
- Towards sustainable Summer comfortPublication . Laia, Carlos; Richard, Mathieu; Camelo, Susana; Goncalves, HelderThere is a growing energy demand for cooling in European buildings. It is expected that the cooled floor area will be four times higher in 2020 when compared with 1990 figures. Cooling is already the energy use in the building sector with the highest increase rate. This evidence is not contributing to the overall objective of reduction CO2 emissions. The conventional answer to this problem is to improve of the energy efficiency of cooling. However, this strategy showed limited results in terms of saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, cooling can be avoided (or the need to use energy for cooling) or significantly reduced without risking summer thermal comfort for building occupants, having thus the potential to achieve substantial reductions in energy demand. However, avoidance or even major reduction of cooling implies a new approach in building design, construction and operation phases. Different scientific and technological advances shall coherently be used and be offered to building promoters or building owners as a new service. The new adaptive comfort theory, the possibility for local adaptation for building users and facilities, the capability to intervene in the surrounding urban environment, the use of mature passive cooling solutions, of renewable energy sources and high efficiency lighting (reducing internal heat gains) are some examples of the techniques to be integrated in the new approach. Such a service should integrate different skills and competences as well as different kind of systems and equipments, from architects, building consultants and engineers, from solar shading devices, integrators of passive solutions and suppliers of very efficient lighting and office equipment.