This paper presents an analysis of some overlooked aspects in an environmental agenda for retail design. The work outline the analysis of the possibilities of maintaining low temperatures in an open-air markets stall space by using an appropriate shed and shading techniques and therefore avoiding direct solar radiation. Temperature difference of up to 100K was realised between shaded and un-shaded surfaces when some spot measurements were taken in the summer month of July (Ernest, 2004).

A multi-stage down-draft evaporative cool tower (DECT) was developed as an improvement to an existing single-stage design. The new tower incorporates a secondary air inlet, added to increase the cooling output and reduce the water consumption in a tower of given cross-section and primary inlet geometry. The secondary air, which may be drawn from the interior space being cooled, is cooled by evaporation in the lower section of the tower.

To evaluate wind pressure distribution on a building by using CFD (computational fluid dynamics), it has been generally practiced to use k-? models. However, it is known that the use of the standard k-? model has disadvantages such as overestimation of wind pressure coefficient and turbulent kinetic energy on the windward surface where wind impinges on the building. To overcome these problems, various modifications of the k-? model have been proposed. In the present study, a number of modified k-?

The purpose of this paper is to provide a multicriteria approach in order to develop and to assess several architectures of controllers for hybrid ventilation. Indeed, there is nowadays a great interest in hybrid ventilation as an energy efficient strategy to achieve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. To reach those targets and manage hybrid ventilation systems, advanced control strategies based on hierarchical fuzzy controllers have been therefore developed at the LASH laboratory.

One of the first passive energy standard office buildings in Europe was extensively monitored to analyse the summer performance of highly insulated, well sun-shaded and mechanically ventilated buildings. During typical German summer conditions with less than 160 hours outside air temperatures above 25C these buildings perform excellently during summer, even if the internal loads are rather high. If ambient air temperatures are significantly higher like in summer 2003 with more than 3K higher average temperatures, nearly 10% of all office hours are above 26C.

This work is concerned with the exploitation of solar energy in the buildings with the use of passive and active systems. The system in study is an energy-efficient residence in Nikaia, near Larissa. The house consists of two apartments that have been both fitted with active and passive solar systems. The climate in Larissa is well known for its high temperatures during the summertime and for that the application of solar energy cooling becomes very appropriate. The work contains analysis of the climate and energy requirements of a typical residence house in the region of Larissa.

Abandoned and flooded mines are present high potential for geothermal utilization of low-temperature water from remaining underground spaces. Some examples of use of mine water in heat pumps installations are known fron Germany, Scotland and Canada. Further development of this technology is ongoing in face of restructuring of coal mining industry in Europe causing closure of mines in may regions.

The architectural and technological design of buildings needs a performance-based approach that takes into account the wider needs of the sustainability-oriented approach. Generally, building codes concerning the rational use of energy, set limits for the energy needs in winter that are evaluated by using simplified conventional conditions. In the Mediterranean area the energy needs in summer are significant and therefore energy saving strategies require the evaluations of building energy loads to be extended to cover the whole year.

The most diffuse standards which define a low energy building focus their attention to the reduction of consumptions during the heating period. This approach, which can pay in a heating dominated climate, leads to straightforward guidelines for reaching this purpose and to very few indications to avoid the overheating during the rest of the year. In a context where both the heating and cooling demand play a comparable role there is a need of clear targets and strategies for all the year as the mentioned standards do for the heating season.

Recent developments in enhancing heat transfer in cooling towers, together with the success of chilled ceilings, have prompted a review of the evaporative cooling technique. in temperate maritime climates. The thermal efficiency of such systems is a key parameter, as a measure of the degree to which the system has succeeded in exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air. This paper presents the results of experimental research into the thermal efficiency of a water-side open indirect evaporative cooling test rig designed to achieve low (1-4 K) approach conditions.