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Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 16721

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Reza Daneshazarian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
Interests: renewable energies; thermal energy storage; nanofluid; indoor air quality; net-zero energy buildings; HVAC; greenhouse gas emission
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shahrzad Soudian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Interests: energy efficient buildings; climate change; building façade; indoor environmental quality; policy-making; thermal energy storage; phase change materials; building materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, renewable energy sources have been frequently considered to replace fossil fuels in buildings and urban areas to minimize the negative environmental impacts of the built environment, mainly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Particularly, the design of net-zero energy buildings has been gaining significant attention over the past decade, made possible by adopting renewable energy sources and energy-efficiency measures. However, the intermittency of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, is challenging as it leads to uncertainty in integrating renewable and clean energy sources. Despite this issue, addressing climate change by reducing GHG emissions in buildings, in addition to increasing building resilience, remains critical. Therefore, utilization of these renewable energy sources with different energy storage systems, such as batteries and thermal storage systems, is a promising solution. These storage systems can play a vital role in creating zero-energy and zero-emission buildings, further leading to the rise of net-zero energy communities.

This Special Issue aims to collect scientific papers on recent advances in implementing renewable energy resources and energy storage systems in the built environment. This Special Issue welcomes submissions on the following topics:

  • Renewable energy sources for building integration;
  • Zero or nearly zero energy buildings;
  • Zero-emission buildings;
  • Energy storage systems;
  • Thermal energy storage systems and materials;
  • Sustainable and green buildings design;
  • Energy and thermal resiliency in buildings;
  • Building energy retrofit;
  • Future climate impacts of renewable energy sources;
  • Sustainable and green building materials;
  • Energy auditing and monitoring;
  • Building energy simulation;
  • Energy efficiency measures;
  • Building enclosure;
  • HVAC system;
  • Climate change impacts in buildings;
  • Case study evaluation (relevant to main topic)

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Reza Daneshazarian
Dr. Shahrzad Soudian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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

  • buildings
  • energy storage
  • building envelope
  • carbon emission
  • climate change
  • renewable energy
  • building simulations
  • building resilience

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4364 KiB  
Article
Innovative Hybrid Condensing Radiant System for Industrial Heating: An Energy and Economic Analysis
by Marco Noro, Simone Mancin, Filippo Busato and Francesco Cerboni
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3037; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043037 - 7 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1475
Abstract
In this paper, an innovative hybrid condensing radiant tubes heating system for an industrial building is modelled in three climatic zones of Italy using dynamic simulation software. Radiant tubes are coupled with an air–water heat pump, the latter serving an air heating system [...] Read more.
In this paper, an innovative hybrid condensing radiant tubes heating system for an industrial building is modelled in three climatic zones of Italy using dynamic simulation software. Radiant tubes are coupled with an air–water heat pump, the latter serving an air heating system with terminals located in the building. The energy performance of the hybrid heating system is optimized by evaluating the best nominal power of the heat pump, the cut-off temperature in a bivalent parallel operation, the bivalent temperature in a bivalent alternative operation, and the peak power of the photovoltaic system on the roof of the building. Energy savings between 40% and 80% are calculated with respect to traditional heating systems, considering the different configurations of the system and the climates. An economic analysis also allows the evaluation of the economic advantages of this hybrid heating system for industrial buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage)
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25 pages, 10578 KiB  
Article
Monte Carlo Simulation and a Clustering Technique for Solving the Probabilistic Optimal Power Flow Problem for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems
by Mohamed S. Hashish, Hany M. Hasanien, Haoran Ji, Abdulaziz Alkuhayli, Mohammed Alharbi, Tlenshiyeva Akmaral, Rania A. Turky, Francisco Jurado and Ahmed O. Badr
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010783 - 1 Jan 2023
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4547
Abstract
This paper proposes a new, metaheuristic optimization technique, Artificial Gorilla Troops Optimization (GTO), for a hybrid power system with photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy (WE) sources, solving the probabilistic optimum power flow (POPF) issue. First, the selected algorithm is developed and evaluated such [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a new, metaheuristic optimization technique, Artificial Gorilla Troops Optimization (GTO), for a hybrid power system with photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy (WE) sources, solving the probabilistic optimum power flow (POPF) issue. First, the selected algorithm is developed and evaluated such that it applies to solve the classical optimum power flow (OPF) approach with the total fuel cost as the objective function. Second, the proposed algorithm is used for solving the POPF, including the PV and WE sources, considering the uncertainty of these renewable energy sources (RESs). The performance of the suggested algorithm was confirmed using the standard test systems IEEE 30-bus and 118-bus. Different scenarios involving different sets of the PV and WE sources and fixed and variable loads were considered in this study. The comparison of the obtained results from the suggested algorithm with other algorithms mentioned in this literature has confirmed the efficiency and performance of the proposed algorithm for providing optimal solutions for a hybrid power system. Furthermore, the results showed that the penetration of the PV and WE sources in the system significantly reduces the total cost of the system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage)
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28 pages, 6046 KiB  
Article
Weather Impact on Solar Farm Performance: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Techniques
by Ajith Gopi, Prabhakar Sharma, Kumarasamy Sudhakar, Wai Keng Ngui, Irina Kirpichnikova and Erdem Cuce
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010439 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 4998
Abstract
Forecasting the performance and energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) farms is crucial for establishing the economic sustainability of a newly installed system. The present study aims to develop a prediction model to forecast an installed PV system’s annual power generation yield and performance [...] Read more.
Forecasting the performance and energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) farms is crucial for establishing the economic sustainability of a newly installed system. The present study aims to develop a prediction model to forecast an installed PV system’s annual power generation yield and performance ratio (PR) using three environmental input parameters: solar irradiance, wind speed, and ambient air temperature. Three data-based artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, namely, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), response surface methodology (RSM), and artificial neural network (ANN), were employed. The models were developed using three years of data from an operational 2MWp Solar PV Project at Kuzhalmannam, Kerala state, India. Statistical indices such as Pearson’s R, coefficient of determination (R2), root-mean-squared error (RMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSCE), mean absolute-percentage error (MAPE), Kling-Gupta efficiency (KGE), Taylor’s diagram, and correlation matrix were used to determine the most accurate prediction model. The results demonstrate that ANFIS was the most precise performance ratio prediction model, with an R2 value of 0.9830 and an RMSE of 0.6. It is envisaged that the forecast model would be a valuable tool for policymakers, solar energy researchers, and solar farm developers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage)
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16 pages, 5210 KiB  
Article
Heat Transfer Studies on Solar Parabolic trough Collector Using Corrugated Tube Receiver with Conical Strip Inserts
by Ramalingam Venkatesaperumal, Kutbudeen Syed Jafar, Perumal Venkatesan Elumalai, Mohamed Abbas, Erdem Cuce, Saboor Shaik and Chanduveetil Ahamed Saleel
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010378 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2913
Abstract
The heat transfer characteristics of the working fluid passing through the absorber of a solar parabolic trough collector (SPTC) can be enhanced by the creation of a turbulence effect. Therefore, a novel idea was implemented by introducing a corrugated tube (CT) absorber instead [...] Read more.
The heat transfer characteristics of the working fluid passing through the absorber of a solar parabolic trough collector (SPTC) can be enhanced by the creation of a turbulence effect. Therefore, a novel idea was implemented by introducing a corrugated tube (CT) absorber instead of a plain tube absorber in a solar parabolic trough collector. The heat transfer enhancement was improved further through the use of conical strip inserts inside the corrugated tube absorber of the SPTC. A corrugated tube (CT) receiver with a pitch of 8 mm and corrugation height of 2 mm was used with three different pitches of conical strip inserts (pitch pi = 20 mm, 30 mm and 50 mm) for the analysis of the thermal performance of the SPTC. Initially, experiments were conducted in a plain tube and corrugated tube receiver at different mass flow rates. The convective heat transfer rate was increased for all the configurations of the conical strip inserts. The SPTC performance was good for the combination of the corrugated tube (pc = 8 mm and hc = 2 mm) and the conical strip insert I3 (pi= 20 mm). The experimental results showed that the maximum achieved Nu value, friction factor, instantaneous efficiency and thermal efficiency of the CT-I3 were 177%, 38%, 26.92% and 9% compared to the plain tube under the same working conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage)
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21 pages, 5321 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Performance and Emission Characteristics of the CI Engine Fueled with Preheated Palm Oil in Blends with Diesel Fuel
by Iqbal Shajahan Mohamed, Elumalai Perumal Venkatesan, Murugesan Parthasarathy, Sreenivasa Reddy Medapati, Mohamed Abbas, Erdem Cuce and Saboor Shaik
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15487; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315487 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1735
Abstract
In this analytical investigation, preheated palm oil was used in the direct injection diesel engine with various optimization methods. The main purpose of the optimization was to get better results than the conventional engine. Raw palm oil was heated using the heat exchange [...] Read more.
In this analytical investigation, preheated palm oil was used in the direct injection diesel engine with various optimization methods. The main purpose of the optimization was to get better results than the conventional engine. Raw palm oil was heated using the heat exchange process to reduce the density and viscosity. The relationship between the output process and factors response was evaluated in the design of experiment methods. The Taguchi method is an important method for optimization of the output response performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine. Two important factors—output and input—were calculated. The input factors considered were preheated palm biodiesel blend, torque, injection pressure, compression ratio, and injection timing. The output factors calculated were smoke opacity, carbon monoxide emission, and brake-specific fuel consumption by using the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variance. Carbon monoxide was most impacted by torque conditions through injection timing and injecting pressure, and opacity of smoke emission. Among them, injection timing had a higher impact. Different biodiesel blends were prepared: B10 (90% diesel + 10% oil), B20 (80% diesel + 20% oil), B30 (70% diesel + 30% oil) and B40 (60% diesel + 40% oil). Silver nanoparticles (50 ppm) were constantly mixed with the various biodiesel blends. The smoke opacity emission for the biodiesel blend B30 + 50 ppm silver nanoparticle showed the lowest S/N ratio and achieved better optimum results compared with the other blends. The blend B30 + 50 ppm silver nanoparticle showed the lowest S/N ratio value of 9.7 compared with the other blends. The smoke opacity, carbon monoxide emission, and brake-specific fuel consumption of all the response optimal factors were found to be 46.77 ppm, 0.32%, and 0.288 kg/kW·h, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Built Environment: Renewable Energy and Thermal Energy Storage)
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