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Building energy performance is a key element when assessing the sustainability, or otherwise, of the built environment. However, the prescriptive nature of current approaches to sustainability assessment stultifies innovative approaches to sustainable building design. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a current EU FP7‐funded project, entitled “IntUBE – Intelligent Use of Buildings' Energy Information,” will contribute to improving the measurement and evaluation of building energy performance. The paper also seeks to highlight the potential offered by the energy‐profiling tools and techniques being developed as part of the project to contribute to the assessment of sustainable urban development.

The IntUBE project is developing new methods of integrating the information and communication technologies (ICTs) used in the design and operation of buildings, with the aim of facilitating improvements in the energy performance of buildings and the measurement of that performance. To do so, the project will develop new methods and tools which integrate design phase and operational phase energy profiling.

Integrating the ICTs used to assess the design and operation of buildings could significantly improve the way in which the energy performance of buildings is assessed. However, there are many barriers to the adoption of the energy‐profiling software tools designed for professional use. This is problematic because a more generalised uptake of these tools is essential to improving the measurement and evaluation of building energy performance.

It is important that the energy‐profiling tools and techniques developed within the IntUBE project ameliorate as many of the barriers to the adoption of the energy‐profiling software tools as possible. To do so new approaches to the following are under development; the integration of building information model authoring software and energy simulation software, the integration of simulation and real‐time data‐capturing sensors, and evaluating and selecting amongst the design alternatives offered by energy simulation software.

The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the two energy saving position control strategies for AC drives valid for a wide range of boundary conditions including an analysis of their energy expenses.

For energy demands analysis, the optimal energy control based on mechanical and electrical losses minimization is compared with the near-optimal one based on symmetrical trapezoidal speed profile. Both control strategies respect prescribed maneuver time and define acceleration profile for preplanned rest-to-rest maneuver.

Presented simulations confirm lower total energy expenditures of energy optimal control if compared with near-optimal one, but the differences are only small due to the fact that two energy saving strategies are compared.

Developed overall control system consisting of energy saving profile generator, pre-compensator and position control system respecting principles of field-oriented control is capable to track precomputed state variables precisely.

Energy demands of both control strategies are verified and compared to simulations and preliminary experiments. The possibilities of energy savings were confirmed for both control strategies.

Experimental verification of designed control structure is sufficiently promising and confirmed assumed energy savings.

The inclusion of heritage dwellings in the UK decarbonization policies can contribute to cut operational carbon emissions from the building stock; this needs to be made a priority if net zero carbon targets are to be achieved. However, the energy and carbon savings potential of suitable retrofit interventions on this part of the stock is extremely variable and strictly intertwined with the range of baseline conditions of such dwellings. This study aims to propose a framework for interventions in traditional listed dwellings (TLDs) to improve their energy performance utilizing dynamic energy simulation (DES) of selected case studies (CSs) in the city of Brighton and Hove (South-East England).

To achieve this aim, the study established a baseline scenario which provides a basis for the assessment of energy performance and thermo-hygrometric behaviour pre- and post-interventions and allows for comparison between different CSs under comparable conditions.

Presenting a brief overview of the methodology adopted in this study, the paper describes the approach devised to generate such baseline scenario. The paper then compares the results obtained from simulation of normalized and baseline models with the status-quo energy consumption of the dwellings investigated (based on meter readings).

This analysis finally allows to highlight some key physical determinants of the baseline HEC which, in the following stage of research, proved to have a considerable effect also on the amount of energy and carbon savings achievable post retrofit interventions.

The objective of this study is to highlight the questions arising in the design of district heating and cooling systems (DHCSs) in a distributed generation context and to present a model to help find cost‐effective solutions.

Literature on energy systems optimisation is reviewed and a mixed integer programming model for decentralized DHCSs design is developed and applied to two real case studies.

Distributed cooling generation partly coupled with distributed cogeneration and DH is the preferred solution in the examined areas. The optimal configurations, with special reference to network sizing and layout, significantly depend on heating demand profiles and energy prices.

Interdependencies between energy units sizing and network layout definition should be considered. Obtaining more robust and reliable network configurations should be the objective of future modelling efforts.

Despite the growth of distributed energy conversion, designers often rely on centralized concepts in order to reap economies of scale. The presented model helps in discovering less usual solutions representing the most profitable option.

Combining and comparing central and distributed production of heat and cooling under consideration of network costs.

Earlier most of the research groups have designed and developed hybrid renewable energy system models with technological, scientific and industrial advancement for the energy systems, but slight attention has been paid towards the grid-connected sustainable urban residential energy systems (SUR_eS) for metropolitan cities. The current research wishes to design, model and analyze grid-connected energy system for residential applications for sustainable urban residential energy system. The works aims to explore the potential of the augmented energy system for grid-connected energy system.

The proposed grid-connected SUR_eS are validated for a sample location at New Delhi (India) with a hybrid optimization model for electric renewable (HOMER) software to define and understand the various load profile. It presents the sensitivity analysis approach to validate the design of the proposed energy system.

The obtained results reports the key barriers, proposed model and scenarios for sustainable urban energy system development.

Similar approaches can be replicated to design and develop an independent, self-sustainable cleaner and environmental-friendly energy system in the future scenario for the extension of complex grid infrastructures.

It will assist the stakeholder in solving the complex urban sustainability issues raised due to the shortage of energy.

It will offer a clean and environment friendly sustainable energy resources with reduced carbon emissions. It will benefit sustainable energy resources with a mix of challenges and opportunities, to suggest an approach for implementation of efficient energy policies to optimize the existing and forthcoming energy systems.

The current research offers a design and model to analyze grid-connected energy system sustainable urban residential applications. It explores the potential of the augmented energy system. The proposed model are validated for a sample location with HOMER simulation software to define and understand various scenarios of the multiple load profile. The work presents the sensitivity analysis approach to validate the proposed energy system.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the most appropriate multidisciplinary data sources related with energy optimization decision support as well as the related methodologies, tools and techniques for data capturing and processing for each of them.

A review is conducted on the state-of-play of decision support systems for energy optimization, focussing on the municipal sector, followed by an identification of the most appropriate multidisciplinary data sources related with energy optimization decision support. An innovative methodology is outlined to integrate semantically modeled data from multiple sources, to assist city authorities in energy management.

City authorities need to lead relevant actions toward energy-efficient neighborhoods. Although there are more and more energy and other related data available at the city level, there are no established methods and tools integrating and analyzing them in a smart way, with the purpose to support the decision-making process on energy use optimization.

A novel multidimensional approach is proposed, using semantic technologies to integrate data from multiple sources, to assist city authorities to produce short-term energy plans in an integrated, transparent and comprehensive way.

The modern day has seen an increase in the prevalence of the improvement of high-performance thermal systems for the enhancement of heat transmission. Numerous studies and research projects have been carried out to acquire an understanding of heat transport performance for their functional application to heat conveyance augmentation. The idea of this study is to inspect the entropy production in Darcy-Forchheimer Ree-Eyring nanofluid containing bioconvection flow toward a stretching surface is the topic of discussion in this paper. It is also important to take into account the influence of gravitational forces, double stratification, heat source–sink and thermal radiation. In light of the second rule of thermodynamics, a model of the generation of total entropy is presented.

Incorporating boundary layer assumptions allows one to derive the governing system of partial differential equations. The dimensional flow model is transformed into a non-dimensional representation by applying the appropriate transformations. To deal with dimensionless flow expressions, the built-in shooting method and the BVP4c code in the Matlab software are used. Graphical analysis is performed on the data to investigate the variation in velocity, temperature, concentration, motile microorganisms, Bejan number and entropy production concerning the involved parameters.

The authors have analytically assessed the impact of Darcy Forchheimer's flow of nanofluid due to a spinning disc with slip conditions and microorganisms. The modeled equations are reset into the non-dimensional form of ordinary differential equations. Which are further solved through the BVP4c approach. The results are presented in the form of tables and figures for velocity, mass, energy and motile microbe profiles. The key conclusions are: The rate of skin friction incessantly reduces with the variation of the Weissenberg number, porosity parameter and Forchheimer number. The rising values of the Prandtl number reduce the energy transmission rate while accelerating the mass transfer rate. Similarly, the effect of Nb (Brownian motion) enhances the energy and mass transfer rates. The rate of augments with the flourishing values of bioconvection Lewis and Peclet number. The factor of concentration of microorganisms is reported to have a diminishing effect on the profile. The velocity, energy and entropy generation enhance with the rising values of the Weissenberg number.

According to the findings of the study, a slip flow of Ree-Eyring nanofluid was observed in the presence of entropy production and heat sources/sinks. There are features when the implementations of Darcy–Forchheimer come into play. In addition to that, double stratification with chemical reaction characteristics is presented as a new feature. The flow was caused by the stretching sheet. It has been brought to people's attention that although there are some investigations accessible on the flow of Ree-Eyring nanofluid with double stratification, they are not presented. This research draws attention to a previously unexplored topic and demonstrates a successful attempt to construct a model with distinctive characteristics.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to determine the environmental performance of materials and products. The purpose of this paper is to undertake the LCA of double-glazed aluminium-clad timber windows in order to determine their environmental performance.

The scope of the LCA study covers the production and the use of windows over a 30-year life span. The LCA exercise has been carried out by auditing the materials and processes involved in the making of the windows. Windows production facilities were visited to investigate the respective quantities and embodied energy of the major constituting materials, i.e. timber, aluminium, glass, infill gases and auxiliary components. The main processes involved, i.e. powder coating of aluminium cladding profiles, glazing unit production and window assembly, were also examined. SimaPro software was used to calculate the environmental impacts associated with the windows for three types of glazing infills: Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe).

Embodied energy of a standard sized (1.2 m×1.2 m) double-glazed aluminium-clad timber window is found to be 899, 1,402 and 5,400 MJ for Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr) and Xenon (Xe) infill gases, respectively. It is also found that an Argon-filled window can lose 95,130 kWh of energy resulting into over 37,000 kg of CO₂ emissions.

Besides carrying value for research community, the findings of this study can help the building and construction industry adopt windows that are energy-efficient and environmentally less burdensome. It can also help the concerned legislative bodied.

Regenerative braking is an efficient energy saving technology in urban rail system, in which the recovery energy from braking trains is collected by some equipments and released to accelerating trains when needed. However, the high cost and low lifetime of storage devices prevent the widespread use of this technology. The purpose of this paper is to conduct thorough cost-benefit analysis to facilitate China’s urban rail companies to make decisions on the use of such technology.

To evaluate the benefit from regenerative energy storage, the authors formulate an improved integrated scheduling and speed control model to calculate the net energy consumption associated with different energy recovery rates and then define the benefit as the amount of energy saving arising from the usage of storage equipments. With the frequent charge/discharge operations on storage equipments, the energy recovery rate generally decreases which lowers the benefit, but the maintenance cost increases. By trading-off benefit and cost, the authors derive the optimal scrapping time, the maximum profit and the profitability condition for storage devices.

Simulation studies based on the Beijing Metro Yizhuang Line of China are given. The results show that compared with the current timetable and speed profile, the integrated scheduling and speed control approach with energy recovery rate of 0.5 can reduce the net energy consumption by 12.69 per cent; the net energy consumption can be well approximated as a linear function of energy recovery rate; and the maximum profit and the optimal scrapping time on regenerative energy storage devices are both positively related to the electricity price. The allowance proportion and the number of service trains such that busy lines with higher electricity price or allowance proportion have advantages to use the regenerative energy storage devices.

In this work, a linear energy recovery rate and a linear maintenance cost are used in the cost-benefit analysis process. In future research, the more accurate expressions on energy recovery rate and maintenance cost should be considered if more data on recovery rate and maintenance cost can be gathered.

The main values of this paper are to develop the integrated optimization approaches for train scheduling and speed control and, on this basis, make thorough cost-benefit analysis for regenerative energy storage to improve the operations management of urban rail transit.

The important factors, which should be considered in the design of a hybrid system of photovoltaic and wind energy are discussed in this study. The current load demand for electricity, as well as the load profile of solar radiation and wind power of the specified region chosen in Iran, is the basis of design and optimization in this study. Hybrid optimization model for electric renewable (HOMER) software was used to simulate and optimize hybrid energy system technically and economically.

HOMER software was used to simulate and optimize hybrid energy system technically and economically.

The maximum radiation intensity for the study area is 7.95 kwh/m²/day for July and the maximum wind speed for the study area is 11.02 m/s for January.

This research is the result of the original studies.