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Emerging Research on the Energy and Thermal-Hygrometric Optimization of Buildings and Related Systems

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2024) | Viewed by 6443

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Interests: building energy efficiency; renewable sources; sustainability; ground source heat pump; earth-to-air heat exchanger; zero energy building; geothermal energy

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Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples, p.le Tecchio, 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
Interests: HVAC systems; energy efficiency in buildings; NZEB, Plus ZEB, nearly ZEB; low enthaply geothermal systems; heat exchangers
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, climate change, the increasing energy demand due to significant global growth, the depletion of fossil fuels and pollution are very current problems. At the same time, the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is urgent. All the actions of civilized countries worldwide are aimed at limiting the effects of these problems on economic and social policies but, above all, at identifying actions for sustainable energy development. With reference to the civil building sector, this is responsible for a large amount of energy consumption. Focusing on reducing the energy demand of buildings, especially existing ones, using new generation and high-efficiency HVAC systems and implementing renewable energy sources are certainly the key strategies that can lead to the achievement of the objectives set. However, among the negative sides, there is the non-programmability of the energy produced by several renewable energy systems, which poses many problems for the management of energy networks. In this context, many research fields are aimed at finding solutions that fully exploit renewable energy sources in civil sectors and at the same time reduce building energy consumption.

The aim of the Special Issue is to spread the most significant research contributions dealing with the following topics (all in the field of the energy and thermal-hygrometric optimization of buildings and related systems):

  • High energy efficiency, Nearly, Net and Plus Zero Energy Buildings;
  • HVAC system and energy-saving;
  • Geothermal energy system;
  • Heat Exchangers ;
  • Integration of Renewable Energy Sources ;
  • Heat metering;
  • Innovative renewable energy systems or components ;
  • Innovative high energy efficiency systems and components (heating, cooling, domestic hot water, lighting, etc.);
  • Energy dynamic simulation of buildings and related systems;
  • Thermal insulation and thermal parameters of the building envelope components;
  • Thermal behavior of the building envelope in winter and in summer;
  • Thermal comfort and indoor air quality in civil buildings.

Dr. Diana D'Agostino
Prof. Dr. Francesco Minichiello
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy efficiency
  • zero energy buildings
  • renewable energy sources
  • HVAC Systems
  • energy savings in buildings

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2836 KiB  
Article
The Carbon Footprint of Thermal Insulation: The Added Value of Circular Models Using Recycled Textile Waste
by Antonella Violano and Monica Cannaviello
Energies 2023, 16(19), 6768; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16196768 - 22 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2527
Abstract
The goal of climate neutrality by 2050 drives the building sector towards stricter control of processes and products, leading to a substantial reduction of embodied carbon throughout the life cycle. Many of the most used insulation materials have a high carbon footprint, mainly [...] Read more.
The goal of climate neutrality by 2050 drives the building sector towards stricter control of processes and products, leading to a substantial reduction of embodied carbon throughout the life cycle. Many of the most used insulation materials have a high carbon footprint, mainly due to the production phase (from cradle to gate). The need to reduce these impacts has led to the implementation of materials whose predominant raw material is recycled material in order to reduce the embodied carbon. The contribution presents the results of a research work that analysed the potential of insulation materials obtained from textile waste, evaluating not only their energy performance but also, above all, their environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint. It starts from a state-of-the-art analysis of the main traditional and new-generation thermal insulation materials, not only in relation to performance but also to environmental impacts, in order to investigate the opportunities offered using insulation materials designed according to circular models (10R) and produced with industrial and/or post-consumer waste fabrics, through a carbon footprint comparison. To support the choice of this type of insulation, a multi-criteria evaluation method is proposed through which the comparative analysis of the most significant insulation products selected is carried out. Full article
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35 pages, 24910 KiB  
Article
PhloVer: A Modular and Integrated Tracking Photovoltaic Shading Device for Sustainable Large Urban Spaces—Preliminary Study and Prototyping
by Federico Minelli, Diana D’Agostino, Maria Migliozzi, Francesco Minichiello and Pierpaolo D’Agostino
Energies 2023, 16(15), 5786; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16155786 - 3 Aug 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1798
Abstract
In this work, a flower-shaped shading system with integrated tracking photovoltaic, suitable for sustainable extensive urban coverages, is designed. Detailed photovoltaic energy yield simulations with a single-diode model approach are performed to disclose the potential of the proposed tracking photovoltaic shading device (PVSD). [...] Read more.
In this work, a flower-shaped shading system with integrated tracking photovoltaic, suitable for sustainable extensive urban coverages, is designed. Detailed photovoltaic energy yield simulations with a single-diode model approach are performed to disclose the potential of the proposed tracking photovoltaic shading device (PVSD). Simulations are performed with reference to a case study. A double-layer space truss is used to house the innovative modular photovoltaic tracking system, and the first application is envisaged for the coverage of a public market area of a sunny municipality in Southern Italy. By comparing it with the traditional photovoltaic fixed system, the results of the simulations show a steadier energy generation of the new PVSD, and it also provides better coverage with renewable energy during the hours of the day when the traditional system produces low electric energy. Lastly, an early interactive prototype of the PVSD system is presented. The tracking mechanism is carefully designed, 3D-printed at a small scale and tested with a motorized dynamic system controlled by a microcontroller board. The realization of the physical prototype and the engineering of the movement mechanism confirmed the feasibility and the correct functioning of the conceived system opening to real-scale applications. Full article
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17 pages, 3330 KiB  
Article
A Solid-to-Solid 2D Model of a Magnetocaloric Cooler with Thermal Diodes: A Sustainable Way for Refrigerating
by Luca Cirillo, Adriana Greco and Claudia Masselli
Energies 2023, 16(13), 5095; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16135095 - 1 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1153
Abstract
Solid-state caloric cooling is a viable route toward a more sustainable way of refrigerating. The refrigerants are solid-state materials with a caloric effect detectable by measuring a temperature variation through an external-field intensity change. The caloric effect could be particularized depending on the [...] Read more.
Solid-state caloric cooling is a viable route toward a more sustainable way of refrigerating. The refrigerants are solid-state materials with a caloric effect detectable by measuring a temperature variation through an external-field intensity change. The caloric effect could be particularized depending on the properties of the material and the type of field. Magnetocaloric is the effect occurring in ferromagnetic materials through the variation of an external field. Thermodynamically, two are the possible cycles regulating the cooling process in the system: the Active Caloric Regenerative cooling cycle and the solid-to-solid heat transfer (SSHT). The former requires the involvement of an auxiliary fluid for the heat transfer processes; in the latter, the heat transfer can be regulated by thermal diodes with the capability of changing their thermal conductivity depending on the intensity of an external field. The investigation introduced is focused on an SSHT system employing magnetocaloric materials as refrigerants and thermal diodes as the vehiculation elements. The two-dimensionality of the model allows the optimization of the dimensions of both the magnetocaloric and the thermal diode elements to achieve elevated operative frequencies. A comparison between two magnetocaloric materials was performed, Gadolinium and LaFe11.384Mn0.356Si1.26H1.52. Encouraging results on the system, suitably employable in the field of electronic circuit cooling, have been found. Full article
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