English

This paper describes the current government activities relating to Photovoltaics in buildings as implemented in tbe DTI New and Renewable Energy Progranune. To set the context the paper starts with a brief review of the overall prospects for renewable energy in global, European and UK contexts. This is based on work previously undertaken for the DTI1. For comparison, the current state of deployment of renewable energy in the UK is reviewed. This then leads into a brief description of the UK government's programme on new and renewable energy.

The on-the-ground experience of a domestic design and construct company (Ecobuild Pty Ltd, for which the author is the designer and director), is illustrated as a case study for the application of domestic natural ventilation in the temperate climate of Sydney. Factors limiting the general domestic application of natural ventilation are discussed. Requirements of a domestic ventilation system in Sydney are listed. Examples of domestic natural ventilation designed the company are illustrated. Preliminary results are discussed. The need for domestic IAQ research and standards is stressed.

This paper reports on research into the fundamental fluid mechanics mechanisms that lead to thermal stratification in a naturally ventilated room containing sources of heat, or cooling. This aspect of natural ventilation has an important influence on both air exchange rates and thermal comfort in a naturally ventilated space. Particular attention is paid to the situation where the major source of heat is a vertical surface, such as a wall heated by solar insolation, for example.

Unsteady wind effects can be important in natural ventilation, but their treatment requires knowledge of instantaneous surface pressure distributions which are extremely difficult to obtain. The paper describes a theoretical investigation aimed at determining the effects of unsteadiness and, perhaps more important, the conditions for which it may be worth accounting for them in the design process. For generality the study uses nondimensional parameters. The effects of unsteadiness on both mean and instantaneous flow rates are covered.

Several models have been developed to study the airflow pattern and thermal distribution in buildings. This paper describes the development of a zonal model that may be incorporated into existing building energy analysis programs. The modeling is detailed in three applications describing how such a model can be simply applied. The model predictions were then compared with measurements and/or Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model prediction.