energy efficiency

The present paper aims to present a distant learning educational module that concerns the energy efficient integrated building design in the urban environment. The educational material of the module includes a handbook, computerized tools, examples of urban buildings, libraries on energy efficient products and materials and climatic documentation of climatic data measured in various European urban areas.

A condensing device allows to avoid condensation on cooling ceilings in rooms with humid air. It uses thermoelectric modules in contact with the cooling panels. The pumped heat is transferred into the cooling ceiling to keep its temperature above the dew point. Tests have been performed in a full-scale chamber. A set of condensing units was mounted on a standard hydraulic cooling ceiling. The control of temperature is achieved by regulating the mass flow of the water. By this method the loss of efficiency of the cooling panels is fully compensated.

Swedish dwellings often have mechanical ventilation with an almost constant air flow independent of variations in loads. The performance of these ventilation systems is often not satisfying. The occupant habits have changed e.g. increased moisture load. Therefore a technical procurement for energy efficient demand controlled ventilation systems was initiated. First the building regulations were analysed, then the parameters relevant for indoor air quality in dwellings and the energy efficiency potential were determined.

The Portuguese National Museum for Archaeology is undergoing an expansion and retrofitting. It is currently housed in one of the most important ancient monuments in Portugal: the Monastery of Jernimos. The authorities responsible for the museum, taking advantage of this retrofitting, decided to promote a modern and integrated design of the future archaeological museum. The architectural design aims to combine, aesthetically, the old and the new building, promoting sustainable architecture and energy efficiency (concerning, essentially, indoor climate, lighting and acoustical requirements).

Reconstruction of late 19 th century building for new Slovene Ethnographic Museum is presented. Interventions into building envelope and heating, cooling and lighting system from exhibits and visitors comfort and rational use of energy point of view were treated in the framework of EU and SI research programmes. An innovative heating-cooling system have been designed and tested.

In January 2002, a new European project named HOPE (Health Optimisation Protocol for Energy-efficient Buildings) started with 14 participants from nine European countries. The final goal of the project is to provide the means to increase the number of energy-efficient buildings that are at the same time healthy, thus decreasing the energy use by buildings, and consequently, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions from primary energy used for ventilation, heating and humidity control.

This paper presents an analysis of air-to-air total heat exchangers (heat and mass transfer) built up using moisture permeable paper (but impermeable to air molecules). Performance of 6 such total heat exchangers made of different types of paper were tested, in order to know their air leakage ratio and their energy saving ratio. An analysis is presented about the effect of leakage on energy recovery efficiency.

Four relocatable classrooms were designed, constructed and tested in Californian schools to demonstrate technologies that improve energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. First results such as CO2 and particle concentrations are presented and discussed.

In order to adapt ventilation losses to the actual use of the premises one must aim to control the energy loads due to air renewal while at the same time ensuring the maintenance of good indoor air quality for comfort and hygiene for the occupants. The principle applications are premises presenting wide variations in occupation: number of occupants, but also effective hours of use. These systems are effective and economic, but they must be designed and installed correctly.

An innovative and potentially energy efficient approach to ventilating and cooling buildings is represented by hybrid ventilation. Discusses the application of hybrid ventilation strategies to building design in the USA.