HVAC load weighs a large portion of overall building energy consumption. A low storeybuilding of 20,000m2 floor area adopted a task ambient conditioning system (TAC) to reduceHVAC load while maintaining work environment. Other design techniques such as doubleskinfacade and structural thermal storage system, were also applied and the TAC systemachieved comfortable personal work-environment with reduced demand.

The paper presents a comparative study among six different solutions regarding the energysupply of a high-tech building. All the solutions take into account the coupling of the sourcesof energy and the energy storage, considering equipments like: boilers, compression andabsorption refrigeration machines, thermal motors, fuel cells, storage tanks and the use of theunderground water and an artificial lake. The functioning of the different solutions wassimulated using Simulink - Matlab.

The climate in southern Brazil is characterised by mild winters and hot-humid summerswhich requires the design to be adaptable to the often conflicting summer and winterrequirements. In the residential sector, air conditioning consumption is still low, but it hasbeen growing significantly along with an increase in peoples purchasing power whichemphasizes the importance of encouraging a change in construction practices [1].

The energy utilization of a country can be evaluated using exergy analysis, which is a way to asustainable development, to gain insights into its efficiency. The authors have conducted variousstudies on analyzing the energy utilization efficiencies of Turkey and extended here these studiesby dealing with the investigation of the thermodynamic parameters in the Turkish residentialcommercialsector (TRCS).

In this paper insight is given in the potentials for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, specifically when applied to the built environment in the Netherlands. To this end, an analysis is presented of the building stock development from now to 2050 and building concepts and scenarios for a mid-century energy-neutral built environment in the Netherlands. Special attention is given to the potential of energy management systems in buildings.

This study investigated the impacts of lifestyle in terms of family patterns, life schedules and climate factors upon household energy consumption, as well as to unfold the main causes of household energy consumption under various climatic lifestyles. Based on the findings of the previous studies, it was assumed that space heating, cooling, lighting and entertainment/media equipments usages are the major lifestyle and climate related sources of household energy consumption.

The discussions around the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) [1] – not only in national legislation but also in real practice – have revealed open questions and caused different interpretations. This paper deals with o

This paper deals with the use of passive solutions to reach thermal comfort conditions in aneducational building under specific tropical climatic conditions. A case study of a green highschool building located in the French tropical island of La Reunion at an altitude of 600mwas used.

A global methodology is developed to optimize concepts for extremely low energy dwellings, taking into account energy savings, environmental impact and financial costs over the life cycle of the buildings. Energy simulations are executed with TRNSYS. The ecological impact is evaluated through a life cycle inventory of the whole building, whereas costs are evaluated through a cost-benefit analysis. The multi-objective optimization problem is solved with a combination of genetic algorithms and the Pareto-concept. Firstly the optimization methodology is presented.

The paper discusses the newly revised ASHRAE GreenGuide, particularly as it relates to thetopic of indoor environmental quality. The updated Guide includes a new chapter on LEEDGuidance for Mechanical Engineers and a new chapter on building systems Impact on theLocal Environment- both indoor and outdoor.