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Building Energy-Saving Technology
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Building Energy-Saving Technology

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2023) | Viewed by 34628

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yaolin Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environment and Architecture, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
Interests: HVAC system control optimization; sustainable design concept applied to buildings; building energy efficiency
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
Interests: thermal comfort; building energy management; sustainable building energy efficiency
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of the open-access journal Buildings that will be dedicated to “Building Energy-Saving Technology”. Buildings consume about 40% of global energy; therefore, the building sector plays a key role in achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Various building energy-saving technologies on building envelops, mechanical systems, and energy resources can help to achieve zero or even net energy buildings, while maintaining comfort and a healthy indoor environment.

This Special Collection aims to present the current state-of-the-art progress and trends in advanced building energy-saving technologies. Original experimental studies, numerical simulations, and reviews in all aspects of building energy utilization, management, and optimization are welcome to this Special Collection.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • High-performance building envelop;
  • Passive and zero-energy buildings;
  • HVAC system control optimization;
  • Building energy retrofit;
  • Building energy, exergy, and economic analysis;
  • Building embodied energy and life cycle analysis;
  • Renewable energy allocation;
  • Vertical and roof greening system;
  • High performance ventilation system;
  • Adaptive climatic responsive building design;
  • Building energy, exergy, and economic analysis;
  • Building embodied energy and lifecycle analysis.

Dr. Yaolin Lin
Dr. Wei Yang
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. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 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

  • building envelop
  • mechanical system
  • passive and zero energy buildings
  • HVAC system control
  • carbon neutral
  • retrofit
  • energy performance
  • lifecycle analysis
  • embodied energy

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (15 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 182 KiB  
Editorial
Building Energy-Saving Technology
by Yaolin Lin and Wei Yang
Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2161; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13092161 - 25 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 984
Abstract
Buildings consume about 40% of the global energy. Therefore, the building sector plays a key role in achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Various energy-saving technologies for buildings, such as building envelops, mechanical systems, and energy resources, have been developed [...] Read more.
Buildings consume about 40% of the global energy. Therefore, the building sector plays a key role in achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Various energy-saving technologies for buildings, such as building envelops, mechanical systems, and energy resources, have been developed to help to achieve zero- or even net-energy buildings while maintaining comfort and a healthy indoor environment. This Special Issue on building energy-saving technology was open to all contributors in the field of building engineering. The original experimental studies, numerical simulations, and reviews in all aspects of building energy utilization, management, and optimization have been considered. For this event, all of these topics were covered in the extensive submissions which were accepted, but interesting papers on other aspects of building energy efficiency were also received. The purpose of this editorial is to summarize the main research findings of the accepted papers in this Special Issue, including the energy-saving technologies involved in building envelops, mechanical systems, and occupant behaviors, and to identify a number of research questions and research directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

16 pages, 2090 KiB  
Article
A Design and Comparative Analysis of a Home Energy Disaggregation System Based on a Multi-Target Learning Framework
by Bundit Buddhahai, Suratsavadee Koonlaboon Korkua, Pattana Rakkwamsuk and Stephen Makonin
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040911 - 30 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1116
Abstract
Insightful information on energy use encourages home residents to conduct home energy conservation. This paper proposes an experimental design for an energy disaggregation system based on the low-computational-cost approaches of multi-target classification and multi-target regression, which are under the multi-target learning framework. The [...] Read more.
Insightful information on energy use encourages home residents to conduct home energy conservation. This paper proposes an experimental design for an energy disaggregation system based on the low-computational-cost approaches of multi-target classification and multi-target regression, which are under the multi-target learning framework. The experiments are set up to determine the optimal learning algorithm and model parameters. In addition, the designated system can provide inference of the appliance power state and the estimated power consumption from both approaches. The kernel density estimation technique is utilized to formulate the appliance power state as a finite-state machine for the multi-target classification approach. Multi-target regression can directly provide the estimation of appliance power demand from the aggregate data, and this work unifies the system’s design together with multi-target classification. The predictive performances obtained through the F-score (micro-averaged) and power estimation accuracy index for the power state inference and the estimated power demand, respectively, are shown to outperform a deep-learning-based denoising autoencoder network under the same data settings from both approaches. The results lead to a recommendation to apply the approach in home energy monitoring, which is mainly based on the characteristics of appliance power and the information that the residents wish to perceive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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22 pages, 5583 KiB  
Article
Design of Rural Human Settlement Unit with the Integration of Production-Living-Ecology of China Based on Dynamic Emergy Analysis
by Yuan Chang, Geng Geng, Chongjie Wang, Yibing Xue and Tian Mu
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030618 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1477
Abstract
It is of great theoretical and practical significance to optimize and improve the design of rural human settlement units through system ecology analysis based on emergy evaluation indices. From the perspective of system ecology, the rural living environment system is multivariate and complicated, [...] Read more.
It is of great theoretical and practical significance to optimize and improve the design of rural human settlement units through system ecology analysis based on emergy evaluation indices. From the perspective of system ecology, the rural living environment system is multivariate and complicated, with strong correlations and obscure boundaries between levels. Therefore, the definition of a rural human settlement unit in China is proposed in this research and can be divided into three scales: the microcosmic scale, mesoscale, and macroscopic scale. This research adopted a new method for the design of rural human settlement units by adopting emergy as a common dimension in order to solve the problem of dimensionality disunity between resource environment elements and society economy elements. Through the establishment of the static emergy analysis model and dynamic emergy prediction model, qualitative and quantitative analysis approaches of the rural human settlement unit were combined. According to the design orientations of industry-invigorative, environment-friendly, and ecology-balanced, corresponding with production-living-ecology integration, emergy evaluation indices including the emergy self-sufficiency ratio, emergy investment ratio, net emergy yield ratio, environmental load ratio, and emergy sustainable indices were calculated and predicted by means of system dynamics simulation. The dynamic emergy prediction results showed that the emergy self-sufficiency ratio and emergy sustainable indices basically presented a decreasing tendency, from 0.34 to 0.15 and from 0.76 to 0.57, respectively, with the passage of time; the values of the emergy investment ratio, net emergy yield ratio, and environmental load ratio basically presented an increasing tendency, from 2.13 to 2.78, from 1.66 to 2.12, and from 2.23 to 3.61, respectively, with the passage of time. In practice, the evaluation method based on the emergy analysis of the technical strategies and spatial arrangements of the rural human settlement unit can provide data support for designing standards, planning guidelines, and creating constructional instructions for the rural living environment of China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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14 pages, 3553 KiB  
Article
Numerical Investigation of Effects of Camlock System on Thermal Conductivity of Structural Insulated Panels
by Abdalrahman A. Alghamdi, Ali M. Alqarni and Abdullah A. AlZahrani
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020413 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1394
Abstract
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are widely used in residential and commercial buildings due to their reliable mechanical and thermal performance. However, using framing members and nails to join SIPs causes thermal bridging across the insulation and thus increases heat losses from the building [...] Read more.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are widely used in residential and commercial buildings due to their reliable mechanical and thermal performance. However, using framing members and nails to join SIPs causes thermal bridging across the insulation and thus increases heat losses from the building envelope. Alternatively, SIPs joined with embedded camlock systems can overcome this issue. In this paper, a parametric study of the effects of the camlock system material and SIP geometric design on the thermal performance of SIP walls was investigated using a multi-scale finite element modeling approach. The model considers the structural design details of the camlock system. In addition, the effects of the SIP materials, SIP thickness, and the number of camlock systems per unit area on the through-thickness thermal conductivity of the SIP walls are examined. It was found that the SIP thickness is a dominating factor influencing the thermal performance of the SIP. The through-thickness (overall) thermal conductivity of the SIP wall increases linearly with the increase in the number of camlock systems used per unit area. However, it rises exponentially with the increasing SIP thickness. The reduction in the overall R-value of the SIP caused by the camlock system embedded in the SIP did not exceed 13.8%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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22 pages, 5218 KiB  
Article
Energy Consumption of Apartment Conversion into Passive Houses in Hot-Summer and Cold-Winter Regions of China
by Yonghan Li, Wei Yin, Yawen Zhong, Mingqiao Zhu, Xiaoli Hao, Yongcun Li, Yuwen Ouyang and Jie Han
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010168 - 9 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1716
Abstract
Passive houses have strong thermal insulation and airtightness of doors and windows, and they are generally used in cold climates. This case study aims to evaluate the energy-saving potential of this technology in the hot-summer and cold-winter areas (Cf in Köppen climate classification) [...] Read more.
Passive houses have strong thermal insulation and airtightness of doors and windows, and they are generally used in cold climates. This case study aims to evaluate the energy-saving potential of this technology in the hot-summer and cold-winter areas (Cf in Köppen climate classification) of China. The results show that after enhancing the thermal insulation and airtightness, the energy consumption in winter significantly decreased by 62% overall. However, the energy consumption of cooling in the transition season and summer increased, which is caused by overheating. Hybrid ventilative cooling and shading can solve this problem. In particular, when the indoor temperature range is set to the adaptive thermal comfort of natural ventilation, the energy consumption from air conditioner cooling can be greatly reduced by 81% overall. Passive houses combined with ventilative cooling has significant application value in this climate zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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16 pages, 3460 KiB  
Article
Computational Optimization of 3D-Printed Concrete Walls for Improved Building Thermal Performance
by Abdullah A. AlZahrani, Abdulrahman A. Alghamdi and Ahmad A. Basalah
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2267; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122267 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2554
Abstract
Three-dimensional printing technologies are transforming various sectors with promising technological abilities and economic outcomes. For instance, 3D-printed concrete (3DPC) is revolutionizing the construction sector with a promise to cut projects’ costs and time. Therefore, 3DPC has been subjected to extensive research and development [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional printing technologies are transforming various sectors with promising technological abilities and economic outcomes. For instance, 3D-printed concrete (3DPC) is revolutionizing the construction sector with a promise to cut projects’ costs and time. Therefore, 3DPC has been subjected to extensive research and development to optimize the mechanical and thermal performance of concrete walls produced by 3D printing. In this paper, we conduct a comparative investigation of the thermal performance of various infill structures of 3DPC walls. The targeted outcome is to produce an infill structure with optimized thermal performance to reduce building energy consumption without incurring additional material costs. Accordingly, a computational model is developed to simulate the thermal behavior of various infill structures that can be used for 3DPC walls. The concrete composition and the concrete-to-void fraction are maintained constant to focus on the impact of the infill structure (geometric variations). The thermal performance and energy-saving potential of the 3DPC walls are compared with conventional construction materials, including clay and concrete bricks. The results show that changing the infill structure of the 3DPC walls influences the walls’ thermal conductivity and, thereby, the building’s thermal performance. The thermal conductivity of the examined infill structures is found to vary between 0.122 to 0.17 W/m.K, while if these structures are successful in replacing conventional building materials, the minimum annual saving in energy cost will be about $1/m2. Therefore, selecting an infill structure can be essential for reducing building energy consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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25 pages, 1165 KiB  
Article
Data-Driven Based Prediction of the Energy Consumption of Residential Buildings in Oshawa
by Yaolin Lin, Jingye Liu, Kamiel Gabriel, Wei Yang and Chun-Qing Li
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 2039; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12112039 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1952
Abstract
Buildings consume about 40% of the global energy. Building energy consumption is affected by multiple factors, including building physical properties, performance of the mechanical system, and occupants’ activities. The prediction of building energy consumption is very complicated in actual practice. Accurate and fast [...] Read more.
Buildings consume about 40% of the global energy. Building energy consumption is affected by multiple factors, including building physical properties, performance of the mechanical system, and occupants’ activities. The prediction of building energy consumption is very complicated in actual practice. Accurate and fast prediction of the building energy consumption is very important in building design optimization and sustainable energy development. This paper evaluates 24 energy consumption models for 83 houses in Oshawa, Canada. The energy consumption, social and demographic information of the occupants, and the physical properties of the houses were collected through smart metering, a phone survey, and an energy audit. A total of 63 variables were determined, and based on the variable importance, three groups with different numbers of variables were selected, i.e., 26, 12, and 6 for electricity consumption; and 26, 13, and 6 for gas consumption. A total of eight data-driven algorithms, namely Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Stepwise Regression (SR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN), Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFN), Classification and Regression Tree (CART), Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID), and Exhaustive CHAID (ECHAID), were used to develop energy prediction models. The results show that the BPNN model has the best accuracies in predicting both the annual electricity consumption and gas consumption, with mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) of 0.94% and 0.94% for training and validation data for electricity consumption, and 2.63% and 0.16% for gas consumption, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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19 pages, 1862 KiB  
Article
Climate Change Performance of nZEB Buildings
by Germán Ramos Ruiz and Alba Olloqui del Olmo
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1755; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101755 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
Buildings are one of the key factors in working towards a low-carbon economy to help mitigate climate change. For this reason, many of the current regulations aim to reduce their consumption and increase their efficiency, as is the case in the European Union [...] Read more.
Buildings are one of the key factors in working towards a low-carbon economy to help mitigate climate change. For this reason, many of the current regulations aim to reduce their consumption and increase their efficiency, as is the case in the European Union with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Terms such as nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) or zero-emission buildings (ZEB) are increasingly used. However, these terms and regulations focus on energy and emissions, ignoring user comfort. This research shows the performance of these buildings in the face of climate change, as their strengths are not limited to energy consumption or emissions, but also to improving user comfort. By examining the compliance of a real semi-detached house with the different Spanish energy regulations (NBE-CTE 79, CTE-DB HE 2013 and CTE-DB HE 2019), its performance in terms of energy and comfort in different future scenarios defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is evaluated. The results show that the building with nZEB criteria (CTE-DB-HE 2019) reduces its energy consumption by an average of 84.36% compared to the other two energy standards. In terms of comfort, measured according to the Fanger criteria (steady state model), the hours throughout the year in the “neutral” thermal sensation category are similar; however, the hours in the “slightly cool” category are reduced by 57%, improving by up to eight times the “slightly warm” category. The nZEB building proves to be more resilient to climate change by mitigating and homogenizing its response to climatic variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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19 pages, 5487 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Thermal Bridges of a New High-Performance Window Installation Using 2-D and 3-D Methodology
by Jolanta Šadauskienė, Juozas Ramanauskas, Dorota Anna Krawczyk, Eglė Klumbytė and Paris A. Fokaides
Buildings 2022, 12(5), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12050572 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
The investigation of building elements regarding energy saving is a paramount issue, with EU Directives driving achievement goals, focusing on buildings’ energy performance and energy efficiency. This work focuses on investigating thermal bridges in a new high-performance window installation. This work aims to [...] Read more.
The investigation of building elements regarding energy saving is a paramount issue, with EU Directives driving achievement goals, focusing on buildings’ energy performance and energy efficiency. This work focuses on investigating thermal bridges in a new high-performance window installation. This work aims to investigate the thermal properties of windows installed in the thermal insulation layer and to compare different installation methods and thermal bridge evaluation methodologies from the point of view of thermal physics. The results show that comparing the obtained values of the thermal bridge according to two- and three-dimensional domain (2-D and 3-D) calculation methods, the values show a difference of 68%. After examining the method of installing a new high-performance window in the thermal insulation layer, the effect of installing a window on the wall of a building is highlighted in this work. Given that windows are the most thermally conductive elements in a building, this paper provides guidance for both the scientific community and practitioners regarding trends in thermal bridges that change completely when using different assessment methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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16 pages, 3627 KiB  
Article
Modelling Building Stock Energy Consumption at the Urban Level from an Empirical Study
by Qunfeng Ji, Yangbo Bi, Mehdi Makvandi, Qinli Deng, Xilin Zhou and Chuancheng Li
Buildings 2022, 12(3), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12030385 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2973
Abstract
Quantifying the energy consumption of buildings is a complex and multi-scale task, with the entire process dependent on input data and urban surroundings. However, most urban energy models do not account for the urban environment. This paper employs a physical-based, bottom-up method to [...] Read more.
Quantifying the energy consumption of buildings is a complex and multi-scale task, with the entire process dependent on input data and urban surroundings. However, most urban energy models do not account for the urban environment. This paper employs a physical-based, bottom-up method to predict urban building operating energy consumption, using imported topography to consider shading effects on buildings. This method has proven to be feasible and aligned well with the benchmark. Research also suggests that commercial and transport buildings have the highest energy use intensity, significantly more than residential and office buildings. Specifically, cooling demands far outweigh heating demands for these building types. Therefore, buildings in the commercial and transportation sectors would receive greater consideration for energy efficiency and improvements to the cooling system would be a priority. Additionally, the method developed for predicting building energy demand at an urban scale can also be replicated in practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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16 pages, 5933 KiB  
Article
Influence of Building Density on Outdoor Thermal Environment of Residential Area in Cities with Different Climatic Zones in China—Taking Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, and Harbin as Examples
by Guang Yang, Yingli Xuan and Zeng Zhou
Buildings 2022, 12(3), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12030370 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2266
Abstract
Outdoor wind and thermal environments in residential areas are greatly affected by the distance between buildings. A short distance is conducive to providing shade, and a long distance can enhance ventilation between buildings. In this study, four cities with different latitudes in China [...] Read more.
Outdoor wind and thermal environments in residential areas are greatly affected by the distance between buildings. A short distance is conducive to providing shade, and a long distance can enhance ventilation between buildings. In this study, four cities with different latitudes in China (Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, and Harbin) were selected to research the relationship between the distance between buildings and thermal environments of residential areas. The results show that (1) when the distance between buildings is small, it is easier for wind paths to form. Wind paths can strengthen the wind velocity. When the distance between buildings exceeds 40–50 m, the building density is small, the building’s resistance to the wind becomes smaller and smaller, and the wind speed will gradually increase. (2) When the distance is in the range of 20–50 m, the MRT (mean radiant temperature) rise rate of each city is similar. For every 10 m increase in the distance between buildings, the MRT increases by about 1.25 °C. (3) D = 50 m (D/H = 1.19) is an inflection point. When D is less than 50 m, within the range of 20–50 m, the smaller the D is, the lower the SET* (standard effective temperature) is, while when D is more than 50 m, the opposite trend is observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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17 pages, 10402 KiB  
Article
Energy-Saving Design and Energy Consumption Analysis of a New Vacuum Refrigerator
by Nuonan Zhang, Yun Guo, Weijian Yuan and Yaolin Lin
Buildings 2022, 12(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12020203 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
With the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, fossil energy is becoming increasingly exhausted. Optimizing energy structure and saving energy and reducing consumption are the top priority. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, vacuum refrigerator has been greatly applied [...] Read more.
With the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, fossil energy is becoming increasingly exhausted. Optimizing energy structure and saving energy and reducing consumption are the top priority. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, vacuum refrigerator has been greatly applied and popularized in various fields, such as food production, medicine and biology. However, in the actual operation process, the energy consumption of vacuum refrigerator is high, which does not meet the concept of energy conservation and environmental protection. The inner and outer push–pull structure of the sealing door makes it occupy too much space when opening the door, which is very inconvenient. In this paper, a vacuum refrigeration energy-saving device and the TRNSYS 16 software are used to simulate the energy-saving device. The results show that the device can reduce the number of vacuum refrigeration pumps and greatly reduce the loss of energy consumption. In addition, the new sealing door structure can also reduce the space occupied during its expansion and improve the utilization of space. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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18 pages, 2989 KiB  
Article
Psychological Drivers of Hotel Guests’ Energy-Saving Behaviours—Empirical Research Based on the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour
by Qian-Cheng Wang, Ke-Xin Xie, Xuan Liu, Geoffrey Qi Ping Shen, Hsi-Hsien Wei and Tian-Yi Liu
Buildings 2021, 11(9), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11090401 - 8 Sep 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4476
Abstract
The hospitality industry is an important energy consumer and carbon emitter. Behaviour-driven energy conservation is a strategy with great promise to strengthen the energy efficiency of hotel buildings. The aim of this study is to explore the driving psychological factors of hotel guests’ [...] Read more.
The hospitality industry is an important energy consumer and carbon emitter. Behaviour-driven energy conservation is a strategy with great promise to strengthen the energy efficiency of hotel buildings. The aim of this study is to explore the driving psychological factors of hotel guests’ energy-saving intentions and behaviours. This paper constructs two extensions of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with personal norms, past behaviours, and self-determined motivation to explain the guests’ energy-saving behaviour in hotel buildings. This research compares the explanatory power of the original TPB and two extensions with structural equation modelling. The analysis is based on 530 valid, self-reported data from 827 surveyed hotel guests in Shanghai. The analysis suggests that the extended model gains greater explanatory power in predicting the behaviour patterns by employing the above three additional factors. In addition, self-determined motivation presents a more significant impact than other more developed TPB predictors, such as intention and perceived behaviour control. Aside from that, past behaviour replaces attitude as the most critical predictor of hotel energy-saving intention in the extended models. In addition to the existing interventions in office and residential buildings, the research highlights the role of self-determination in hotel energy conservation and further emphasises the long-term benefit of encouraging pro-environmental behaviours in hotel guests. The findings expand the existing research on pro-environmental behaviours and will contribute to energy-saving behaviour intervention in hotel buildings and policy formulations for sustainable hotel operation and maintenance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

26 pages, 69691 KiB  
Review
Aesthetically Appealing Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems for Net-Zero Energy Buildings. Current Status, Challenges, and Future Developments—A Review
by Mohammad Khairul Basher, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Md Momtazur Rahman, Kamal Alameh and Steven Hinckley
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040863 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3776
Abstract
With the sharp increase in global energy demand, industrial and residential buildings are responsible for around 40% of the energy consumed with most of this energy portion being generated by non-renewable sources, which significantly contribute to global warming and environmental hazards. The net-zero [...] Read more.
With the sharp increase in global energy demand, industrial and residential buildings are responsible for around 40% of the energy consumed with most of this energy portion being generated by non-renewable sources, which significantly contribute to global warming and environmental hazards. The net-zero energy building (NZEB) concept attempts to solve the global warming issue, whereby a building will produce, on-site, its required energy demand throughout the year from renewable energy sources. This can be achieved by integrating photovoltaic (PV) building materials, called building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules, throughout the building skin, which simultaneously act as construction materials and energy generators. Currently, architects and builders are inclined to design a building using BIPV modules due to the limited colors available, namely, black or blue, which result in a monotonous building appearance. Therefore, there is an increasing demand/need to develop modern, aesthetically pleasing BIPV green energy products for the use of architects and the construction industry. This review article presents the current stage and future goal of advanced building integrated photovoltaic systems, focusing on the aesthetically appealing BIPV systems, and their applications towards overcoming global challenges and stepping forward to achieve a sustainable green energy building environment. Additionally, we present the summary and outlook for the future development of aesthetically appealing building integrated photovoltaic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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33 pages, 5801 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Research and Development of Solar-Assisted Heat Pump for Buildings in China
by Yaolin Lin, Zhenyan Bu, Wei Yang, Haisong Zhang, Valerie Francis and Chun-Qing Li
Buildings 2022, 12(9), 1435; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12091435 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2614
Abstract
The building sector accounts for over 40% of global energy consumption. The utilization of renewable energy systems such as the solar-assisted heat pump (SAHP) in buildings has been shown to improve building energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality. This paper presents a review [...] Read more.
The building sector accounts for over 40% of global energy consumption. The utilization of renewable energy systems such as the solar-assisted heat pump (SAHP) in buildings has been shown to improve building energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality. This paper presents a review of the research and development of solar-assisted heat pumps for buildings in China. It firstly introduces the different stages of solar-assisted heat pump research. Secondly, the research on different types of heat pumps, the core components of heat pumps, the computer software used, and the economic feasibility evaluation of solar-assisted heat pumps are presented. Thirdly, the application of SAHPs in practical projects is examined and relevant regulations, standards, and policies for solar-assisted heat pump development in China are highlighted. Finally, recommendations for the future development of solar-assisted heat pumps in China are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy-Saving Technology)
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