Urban heat islands and electrical energy consumption in a Brazilian city

Widely known as urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, urban air temperatures tend to be higher than rural temperatures,due to the thermal performance of building materials and urban geometry, together with the productionof anthropogenic heat. Although the UHI phenomenonis worldwide studied, still just too few works deal with the relationship between heat islands and electricalenergy consumption. Furthermore, just a few tools that could actually support urban designers and decisionmakers are currently available.

The impact of shading on thermal comfort conditions in perimeter zones with glass facades

This paper describes an experimental study of the thermalenvironment in a highly-glazed perimeter zone of an office building under varying climatic conditions, as well as in a controlled test chamber at the Hydro-Quebecresearch facilities in Shawinigan (LTE). Glazing and shading temperatures were measured at several points and the thermal environment was measured using an indoorclimate analyzer and a thermal comfort meter.

The Impact of exterior environmental comfort on residential behaviour from the insight of building energy con? servation: a Case study on Lower Ngau Tau Kok estate in Hongkong

This paper presents the results of a casestudy inLowerNgau Tau Kok Estatein Hongkong, whichtry to find the relationship between exterior environmental comfort and residentsbehaviors, especially for an elder community. Filed thermal parameters measurement, observation and interviewon residentsbehaviorsand some simulation about wind and building shadoware conducted.

The combination of clay and nanotube carbon as an innovative and sustainable material

The idea of using one-dimensional fillers as a reinforcingagent is nothing new: straw has been used to reinforcemud bricks since about 4000 BC. Mud brick is sustainable and traditional material which is used in large scales of building houses in hot-arid climate, so it is identity of these areas and it is not able to be ignored.

Sustainable master planning and urban design for the “buffer zone” of Nicosia

This paper will describe how the urban projects or the new master plans must consider the environmental impactof the proposed intervention and minimise them through a sustainable planning. The Nicosias bi-communalmaster plan project has as development objective the improvement of the existing habitat and the human settlement conditions with a preservation and rehabilitationpolicy in particular way for the walled city (historicalcentre) that is almost abandoned since the Turkishinvasion of 1974.

State of the art on macroscopic models for the determination of thin films optical properties

Optical properties (i.e. reflectance, transmittance, etc) of light scattering materials can be described using two approaches.The first approach, models the interaction of light with the matters particles (microscopic approach), while the second, models the light fluxes into and out of bulked considered matter (macroscopic approach). Kubelka-Munk (K-M) is the most common theory of macroscopic modeling, for calculating the change of light fluxes (two-flux theory) as a function of scattering, absorption, and distance.

Simulation of a solar absorption cooling system

During the last years there is an increased consciousnessof the environmental problems, which are created by the use of fossil fuels for electrical power generation consumed by converting cooling systems. In addition, the use of common working fluids (refrigerants), with their ozone-depleting and global warming potential, has become a serious environmental problem.

Research and development with full scale research dwellings

One of the research areas of the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) concerns the built environment.Several facilities to conduct the research activities are at ECNs disposal. One of these facilities, are five research dwellings located on the terrain of ECN. Measureddata from these facilities together with weather data and computer models are used to evaluate innovativeenergy concepts and components in energy systems on their performance.

Refrigeration in open spaces by means of evaporative systems

The design of sustainable cities in locations with adverseclimates should consider different ways to mitigatethe heat in open spaces, especially during the summerperiods. One of the passive strategies to improve the thermal conditions of places with warm and dry climate is the use of evaporative systems. The Europeanproject ECO-Valle Mediterranean Verandahways was created with this aim, looking for the conditioning of open spaces by means of natural techniques and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Reflections on the skins of different objects and the use of climate modifiers

The relation between skins as metabolisers and the innercontent of different bodies will be discussed.Examples from the world of plants will illustrate how plants respond to their fixed environment and their fixed supply of water and nutrients.Examples from the world of animals will illustrate that even though animals are mobile they respond in general classification terms to their natural habitat.The tremendous versatility of the skin of the human beingwill be presented.The response of different skins to seasonal adaptation and the element of time will be discussed.The above will be correl

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