Search results for "202"
showing 10 items of 5810 documents
Smart lighting in a historic context: a case study
2017
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address a project for lighting an old town in Italy. Its originality lies in the holistic approach that aims to fulfil several objectives. One is to reduce energy consumption by using efficient lamps and advanced control systems; the second one is to make the network viable and useful for many purposes by integrating ICT devices; the third one is to provide a new identity to the older part of the city by using new technologies and design concepts; while the last one is to ensure street and pedestrian safety according to codes and standards. Design/methodology/approach The plan of the city of Bagheria and the stock of luminaires of the city are analys…
Energy and economic analysis and feasibility of retrofit actions in Italian residential historical buildings
2016
Abstract The application of retrofit actions to existing building stocks can improve the energy performance of the residential sector. In this context, particular attention should be given to historical buildings, which represent a large part of the Italian building stock. To improve the energy performance of them, adequate retrofit actions must be applied. Many studies and regulations have focused on identifying the best refurbishment measures. However, the selection of these measures is difficult due to restrictive regulations, which are dictated by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, high retrofit costs, and variable climate zones. Thus, energy renovations in Italian buildi…
Vernacular and bioclimatic architecture and indoor thermal comfort implications in hot-humid climates: An overview
2018
Abstract Sustainable urban development, especially in disadvantaged regions, has increasingly gained a major strategic priority. New settlements and urban regeneration programs have to achieve an improvement of social life quality, promote economic growth and increase environmental protection practices and proper use of local resources. In this framework, building environment development must exploit natural resources with responsible approach by using local materials and traditional techniques. In this end, indoor comfort and energy consumption have to match the territories needs. Low energy and passive heating/cooling techniques should be considered as a valid option in many building proj…
Digitization and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Products
2017
Cultural heritage encompasses various aspects of a nation's history. Cultural heritage artifacts are considered as priceless items that need special care. Since the wide adoption of new digital technologies, documenting and storing cultural heritage assets became more affordable and reliable. These records are then used in several applications. Researchers saw the opportunity to use digital heritage recordings for long-term preservation. They are considering cultural heritage artifacts as products, and the history behind them as a product lifecycle. In this paper, we present the research progress in cultural heritage digital processing and preservation, highlighting the most impactful advan…
Improvement of Energy Efficiency for Indoor Lighting in a Big Shopping Center
2018
As the progressive diffusion of shopping centers in Italy, the paper analysis the potential energy savings in the indoor lighting plant, thanks to new technologies as LED lamps and Building Automation System. The case study, applied to a big shopping mall in the middle of Italy, shows great results, thanks to the high efficiency of LED technology, high number of operating hours and the implementation of a control system. An economic and environmental evaluation is reported.
On the impact of safety requirements, energy prices and investment costs in street lighting refurbishment design
2018
Abstract Street lighting is an indispensable feature for the night landscape of cities. It is important for road safety, users visual comfort, crime prevention and to augment the perceived personal safety. Realize and maintain an adequate street lighting service is very expensive for municipalities with significant impact on their budgets. For this reason, special attention should be paid to the design of new street lighting systems and to the refurbishment of existing ones, since many of them are inadequate. In light of this it is very important to implement street lighting designs that fulfil lighting requirements avoiding energy waste and light pollution and, at the same time, result eco…
The effects of vegetation on indoor thermal comfort: the application of a multi-scale simulation methodology on a residential neighborhood renovation…
2017
Abstract Despite the acknowledged positive effects of vegetation at urban, neighborhood and building scales, there are still only limited comprehensive design tools for multi-scale evaluation of the microclimate and thermal benefits of plants and building-integrated vegetation (BIV) systems. The paper describes a case study in the city of Palermo (Italy) that applied simulation methodology to quantitatively assess the microclimate effects of different neighborhood and building retrofit scenarios where vegetation plays a main role. The simulation workflow moves from a micro-urban to a building scale assessment by linking the ENVI-met software to the building energy simulation program EnergyP…
Life cycle energy performances and environmental impacts of a prefabricated building module
2018
Abstract The paper explores the energy performances and environmental impacts of a prefabricated building module located in Messina (Sicily, Italy) through an approach that combines both the non-steady state building simulation and the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The building uses renewable energy technologies and is usable in emergency situations or as simply temporary housing. Results show that the building module causes the emission of 1.5 t of CO2eq/m2 and consumes 29.2 GJ/m2 of primary energy during its life cycle. The building achieves the Net Zero Energy Building target even if it has relevant environmental impacts in the materials production stage (72% on average of the total…
Multi-objective optimization of building life cycle performance. A housing renovation case study in Northern Europe
2020
While the operational energy use of buildings is often regulated in current energy saving policies, their embodied greenhouse gas emissions still have a considerable mitigation potential. The study aims at developing a multi-objective optimization method for design and renovation of buildings incorporating the operational and embodied energy demands, global warming potential, and costs as objective functions. The optimization method was tested on the renovation of an apartment building in Denmark, mainly focusing envelope improvements as roof and exterior wall insulation and windows. Cellulose insulation has been the predominant result, together with fiber cement or aluminum-based cladding …
Computing methods for resilience: evaluating new building components in the frame of SECAPs
2019
Resilience represents a new important feature that the anthropic systems, and cities among them, are called to cope with. In fact, the increasing negative stresses to which urban contexts are exposed, and mainly the climatic pressures, call for the capability of adapting to these modifications and, possibly, to restore the ex-ante situations. The role of the buildings and their envelope components is of crucial importance to this aim. This paper analyses the features of resilience of the roofs of buildings by means of proper quantitative indexes. On purpose, the performances of green and cool roofs are compared. The possibility of adopting nonstructural solutions, like the windows shading d…