Lessons Learnt and Policy Implications from Implementing the POWERPOOR Approach to Alleviate Energy Poverty

Energy poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon that affects many Europeans. Alleviating energy poverty is high in the EU, national, and local policy agendas. Despite the attention the phenomenon has been gaining from a policy perspective, especially after the current energy crisis, there are still some gaps due to the complexity of the issue and its vastly different manifestations across Europe. This manuscript presents the policy implications stemming from the implementation of the POWEPROOR approach in alleviating energy poverty in eight European countries, as co-created with relevant stakeholders in each country. The knowledge gained from empowering energy-poor citizens by promoting behavioural changes and small-scale energy efficiency interventions, as well as by encouraging the uptake of renewable energy sources in the form of collective energy initiatives while leveraging innovative financing schemes, resulted in policy recommendations for national and sub-national governments and lessons for civil society and the private sector.

Strategies for implementation of green roofs in developing countries

PurposeReportedly, green roof (GR) makes a significant contribution towards a truly sustainable-built environment;however, its implementation is yet to hit a sufficient level in developing countries. Thus, this study assesses GR implementation strategies in developing countries by providing a comparative analysis through experts in Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Turkey.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a four-step methodological approach to achieve the research aim: literature review, focus group discussion, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) analysis and correlation analyses. First, a literature review followed by a focus group discussion is used to determine 18 (out of 25 initially) strategies for the selected context and these are classified into three categories: governmental and institutional support, knowledge and information and policy and regulation. Afterward, the identified GR strategies are evaluated using the FAHP with the data gathered from the experts in the countries studied. Finally, correlation analyses were used to observe the strength of agreement between the assessments of experts from the included countries.FindingsThe findings indicate that financial incentives, low-cost government loans and subsidies and tax rebates are the essential strategies for the wider adoption of GR. Evaluating the policy and regulations strategies also showed that mandatory GR policies and regulations and better enforcement of the developed GR policies are ranked as the most prominent strategies. The findings show a low level of agreement among respondents from Kazakhstan, while there is a high level of agreement between the experts in Malaysia and Turkey.Research limitations/implicationsThe research contribution is twofold. First (research implication), the study identifies the strategies through a complete literature review. Second, the identified strategies are evaluated through the lenses of experts in three developing countries which are hoped to provide (practical contribution) a better understanding of the most effective strategies that require attention and enable the frontline stakeholders (particularly government authorities) to focus on them.Originality/valueThe study findings provide a good point of departure to explore the strategies for broader adoption of GRs in developing economic setting.

Barriers to incorporation of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into building designs

PurposeThis research presents a comprehensive review of the literature on the barriers to incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) principles into building designs. The aim was to identify these barriers in the literature and subsume them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among the barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe research design used a systematic desktop review which comprised of three levels of screening. The first level allowed for a broad selection of papers;the second level of screening was done to limit the results to papers within the construction industry, and the third level of screening limited the documents strictly to the publication period of 2000–2021.FindingsTwenty-four (24) barriers were identified in the literature, including lack of integrated design teams, which ranked the highest in appearance, high initial costs, poor market for IEQ buildings and higher design charges among others. The identified barriers were classified into six (6) categories namely capacity barriers, economic barriers, process-related barriers, cultural barriers, client-related barriers and steering barriers.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study would enable practitioners and policymakers to better understand what is preventing the widespread adoption of IEQ designs in the built environment and devise actionable strategies to overcome them. It adds to the body of knowledge on IEQ research by categorizing the various barriers that prevent the delivery of IEQ projects.Social implicationsThe developed barriers in this research can serve as a useful checklist to future researchers who may want to validate the barriers to IEQ designs in empirical studies and in different settings.Originality/valueThe interconnectivity revealed by the web-like framework allows for an appreciation of the various barriers of IEQ adoption which would help in expanding the current knowledge on IEQ beyond the narrow scope of isolated barriers. The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically, underscores the wide applicability of the findings in the global construction industry.

Housing Satisfaction and Preferences Towards Indoor Quality Related to the Environmental Factors in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 had changed the way we perceived our living environment. As people now spent more time inside, indoor quality especially in terms of environmental factors is considered important in future housing. It is not just one of the indicators for healthy housing, but also green housing. The purpose of this study is to investigate Indonesian's housing satisfaction and preferences towards indoor quality in terms of environmental factors in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The environmental factors indicators used in this study were daylight, air, acoustic, view, and green space quality. This quantitative study used an online questionnaire to collect data. The data analysis compared mean values and gap differences of values for each indicator. The results showed residents were satisfied enough with almost all of the indicators in their current living environment during the pandemic. As for residents' preferences, daylight quality, air quality, and green space are the top priorities needed to be considered for their dream houses. As for gap differences, it was found that green space, air quality, and acoustic quality needed to be improved, as respondents' expectations are higher. Understanding housing satisfaction and preferences from the residents' perspectives in the context of Covid-19 pandemic is considered important, as their demand can motivate developers and other stakeholders to adopt healthy and green building practices. It is hoped that the results of this research can support the studies on future healthy and green housing, especially in terms of environmental factors quality.

Evaluation of Optimal Mechanical Ventilation Strategies for Schools for Reducing Risks of Airborne Viral Infection

Ventilation systems are one of the most effective strategies to reduce the risk of viral infection transmission in buildings. However, insufficient ventilation rates in crowded spaces, such as schools, would lead to high risks of infection transmission. On the other hand, excessive ventilation rates might significantly increase cooling energy consumption. Therefore, energy-efficient control methods, such as Demand Control Ventilation systems (DCV), are typically considered to maintain acceptable indoor air quality. However, it is unclear if the DCV-based controls can supply adequate ventilation rates to minimize the probability of infection (POI) in indoor spaces. This paper investigates the benefits of optimized ventilation strategies, including conventional mechanical systems (MV) and DCV, in reducing the POI and cooling energy consumption through a detailed sensitivity analysis. The study also evaluates the impact of the ventilation rate, social distancing, and number of infectors on the performance of the ventilation systems. A coupling approach of a calibrated energy model of a school building in Jeddah, KSA, with a validated Wells–Riley model is implemented. Based on the findings of this study, proper adjustment of the DCV set point is necessary to supply adequate ventilation rates and reduce POI levels. Moreover, optimal values of 2 ACH for ventilation rate and 2 m for social distance are recommended to deliver acceptable POI levels, cooling energy use, and indoor CO2 concentration for the school building. Finally, this study confirms that increasing the ventilation rate is more effective than increasing social distancing in reducing the POI levels. However, this POI reduction is achieved at the cost of a higher increase in the cooling energy.

Analysis of Electricity and Water Consumption in Existing Mosque Buildings in the UAE

According to the World Economic Forum, the building sector is responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this is expected to increase due to population growth and the subsequent impact on the environment, economy and health. To tackle the problem, countries have set new construction codes, policies and regulations for the construction of new buildings in an effort to make them greener. However, there is a need to enhance the status of the existing buildings, especially mosques, as they are the main contributors to energy usage and water consumption in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, this research seeks to fill this gap, aiming to evaluate the energy usage and water consumption practices employed in the existing mosque buildings within the UAE and to provide recommendations for improving the sustainability of mosques, with a focus on the environmental and economic pillars. The methodology relies mainly on data collected from 146 existing mosque buildings that have undergone energy saving audits across the UAE. Descriptive statistical analysis is performed to analyze the data from the period of 2018–2019 in order to determine the most significant factors related to energy inefficiency in existing mosque buildings in the UAE and to determine the most cost-effective and energy-saving corrective measures for energy and water conservation. The findings further enhance the standard of experience for mosque visitors (social aspect);reduce energy bill expenses, providing an acceptable return on investment from the proposed energy conservation measures for stakeholders (economic);and reduce the overall energy consumption, which can reduce the total CO2 emissions from mosque buildings (environmental).

Consumers' Behavior in the Field of Organic Agriculture and Food Products during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic: Focus on a Comparison of Hyper-, Super- and Farmers' Markets and Direct Purchases from Producers

The aim of this paper is to assess Czech food consumers' behavior when buying organic products during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the place of purchase of organic agriculture and food products—especially those purchases with the shortest logistics value chain, i.e., purchase at farmers' markets, or directly from the producer—and a comparison with the current most common places of purchase of organic products in the Czech Republic, supermarkets and hypermarkets. Categorical data analysis methods were used to create a profile of the consumer according to the most frequent purchase locations. To create mathematical–statistical models and interpretations, the methods of logistic regression, correspondence analysis and contingency table analysis were chosen. According to the results of the survey, respondents under 25 years of age are the least likely to make purchases at farmers' markets or directly from the producer. Consumers aged 26–35 and with a university degree are the most likely to buy organic agriculture and food products at this location, followed closely by older respondents in the categories 36–45 and 46+ and with a secondary education. It is important for manufacturers to have an overview of where, in what quantities, and for what reasons consumers buy their products, especially for reasons of production optimization and planning, ecological concerns, rural development, and the impact on local areas and the value chain.

The Need for a Paradigm Shift toward an Occupant-Centered Environmental Control Model

Office-based environmental control systems are centralized and designed to control entire spaces, ignoring use dynamics and requirements, and despite being regulated by standardized comfort models, they fail to satisfy real occupants, mainly due to their varied individual characteristics. This research is field-based with a quantitative approach and correlational design. Its objective is to empirically demonstrate that open-plan design, where different users share the same space and generalized environmental conditions, lacks a holistic view of IEQ criteria and the integration of other factors that affect health and well-being. Four buildings are chosen in different Chilean cities, measuring temperatures and CO2 levels at different desks, and applying a survey, which was designed as part of the research to analyze the estimation of relationships between variables and to reveal the factors that cause differences among occupants. The results show that people's satisfaction is multivariable and depends on other factors that positively or negatively stimulate their sensations and perceptions, such as, for example, the option to personally control their environmental conditions. Likewise, it is evident that to achieve comfort, health is being affected while in the building.

Thermal Performance Assessment of Envelope Retrofits for Existing School Buildings in a Hot–Humid Climate: A Case Study in Chennai, India

This study aims to propose building envelope retrofit packages for existing naturally ventilated school buildings in the hot–humid climatic region of Chennai, India. Indoor thermal parameters were collected through field studies from nine sample classrooms of a selected school building in May 2019, between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm. The thermal performance assessment of the existing building was performed by examining the discomfort hours using the CBE thermal comfort tool. Envelope retrofit strategies gathered from the literature and building standards were applied and studied through simulation. The findings reveal the enormous potential to increase the thermal comfort of existing school buildings through envelope retrofit measures. The results demonstrate that the whole-building temperature can be reduced up to 3.2 °C in summer and up to 3.4 °C in winter. Implementing retrofit measures to the building envelopes of existing buildings will help school owners to increase the comfortable hours of whole buildings by up to 17%. In comparison, annual energy savings of up to 13% for the whole building can be made by enhancing the thermal performance of the building envelope. The findings will also help architects to optimise thermal performance and energy usage with minimal interventions.

Thermal Comfort Analysis Using System Dynamics Modeling—A Sustainable Scenario Proposition for Low-Income Housing in Brazil

As a riveting example of social housing in Brazil, the Minha Casa Minha Vida program was set in 2009 to diminish the 6-million-home housing deficit by offering affordable dwellings for low-income families. However, recurrent thermal discomfort complaints occur among dwellers, especially in the Baltimore Residential sample in Uberlândia City. To avoid negative effects of energy poverty, such as family budget constraints from the purchase of electric appliances and extra costs from power consumption, a simulation based on system dynamics modeling shows a natural ventilation strategy with a mixed combination of sustainable and energy-efficient materials (tilting window with up to 100% opening, green tempered glass, and expanded polystyrene wall) to observe the internal room temperature variation over time. With a 50% window opening ratio combined with a 3 mm regular glass window and a 12.5 cm rectangular 8-hole brick wall, this scenario presents the highest internal room temperature value held during the entire period. From the worst to the best-case scenario, a substantial reduction in the peak temperature was observed from window size variation, demonstrating that natural ventilation and constructive elements of low complexity and wide availability in the market contribute to the thermal comfort of residential rooms.

Managing Building Water Disruptions in a Post-COVID World: Water Quality and Safety Risk Assessment Tool for Academic Institutions and School Settings

Fluctuating building occupancy during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to poor water quality and safety conditions in building water distribution systems (BWDSs). Natural disasters, man-made events, or academic institutional calendars (i.e., semesters or holiday breaks) can disrupt building occupant water usage, which typically increases water age within a BWDS. High water age, in turn, is known to propagate poor water quality and safety conditions, which potentially exposes building occupants to waterborne pathogens (e.g., Legionella) associated with respiratory disease or hazardous chemicals (e.g., lead). Other influencing factors are green building design and municipal water supply changes. Regardless of the cause, an increasing number of water management policies require building owners to improve building water management practices. The present study developed a Water Quality and Safety Risk Assessment (WQSRA) tool to address gaps in building water management for academic institutions and school settings. The tool is intended to assist with future implementation of water management programs as the result of pending policies for the built environment. The WQSRA was modeled after water management practices created for controlling water contaminants in healthcare facilities. Yet, a novel WQSRA tool was adapted specifically for educational settings to allow building owners to evaluate risk from water hazards to determine an appropriate level of risk mitigation measures for implementation. An exemplar WQSRA tool is presented for safety, facility, industrial hygiene, and allied professionals to address current gaps in building water management programs. Academic institutions and school settings should examine the WQSRA tool and formulate an organization-specific policy to determine implementation before, during, and after building water-disruptive events associated with natural or man-made disasters.

Green Buildings and Green City Strategies for the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Tourism Industry in Rwanda

The tourism industry and its associated infrastructure is propelling Rwanda's rapid urbanization and economic growth. Recently adopted green buildings and green city policies, including newly developed city master plans and green building code, reflect on the tourism industry, regulating its influence on urban development and communities. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in Rwanda was one of the key sectors of economic development, and the largest foreign exchange earner, contributing to almost 15% of gross domestic product, generating 13% of the total employment. Rapid growth of the tourism sector is potentially linked to consumption of high carbon-intensive building materials, energy-intensive transportation choices, high dependency on fossil fuels for lighting, cooking, heating and cooling, and cleaning. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the loss of USD 1.2 trillion in international tourism globally. In Rwanda, closure of borders for passenger flights and businesses other than essential services, and postponing of events, influenced the loss of about USD 7.6 million in income and 4000 jobs in the tourism sector. In addition to the Rwandan government's support of affected tourism businesses and linked livelihoods, there is a need for more innovative and sustainable solutions to building back better. After surveying hotel suppliers and hotel managers in Rwanda's Musanze District and analyzing the results, this chapter provides recommendations for actions on how Rwanda's secondary cities, that highly depend on tourism, can respond to the pandemic and set a path of sustainable and inclusive growth by boosting resilience, clean energy transition, and a circular economy. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Development of Polymeric Binder from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Foam Waste as Construction Materials

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam wastes become a huge environmental issue as most of them are non-biodegradable materials and are disposed of inappropriately. It was reported that the amount of plastic and foam wastes for food containers and other packagings was evidently increased during the past 5 years, especially since the COVID19 pandemic. This work studied the development of the polymeric foam binder from the EPS foam waste for the production of green construction blocks or pavement tiles. The types of solvent (acetone and toluene) and the amount of additional EPS foam binder were investigated. The results show that the appropriate mixtures contained EPS foam binder from 15% to 30% to achieve maximum compressive strength at approximately 10 to 12 MPa with the optimal unit weight of 1,600 to 1,900 kg/m3. Those outcomes have equally passed the strength class of Thai Industrial Standard (TIS 57 and 77) for construction brick and block. This eco-friendly technique could facilitate value-added production and reduce the environmental impact of EPS wastes disposal. Moreover, it is one of the alternative approaches to promote greener and cleaner production for environmentally friendly construction materials.

Factors influencing green hotel revisit intentions after the COVID-19 in Bangladesh

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing customers' revisit intentions of green hotels after the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on the existing literatures and interviews of 404 respondents visiting hotels after the pandemic. The partial least square structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings show that green attitude, green personality and personal norms significantly influence post-COVID-19 green hotel revisit intentions.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study may be useful to hotel operators in formulating focused business strategies improving customers' green hotel revisit intentions and coping with the new normal business environment of the hospitality industry.Originality/valueThe study presents a unique case highlighting how the hospitality business is changing after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study provides important insights for industry operators by integrating attitudes, personality and norms of the customers in examining the green hotels revisit intentions.

Envisioning a strategic framework to streamline building operation, sustainability and users' disease control

PurposeThis study aims to present a strategic framework aiming to streamline building operation and sustainability issues. To make available a further contribution to respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an operational prevention guideline relying on the level of spread risk has also been developed, primarily intended for users when accessing and circulating within common spaces of buildings in general.Design/methodology/approachThe research approach involved the development of a whole theory, essentially based on a qualitative design, by means of tree schematic representations and explanatory frames. It presents part of a model already developed (called SIAPME), although, in general, besides integrating the underlying aspects of the individual experience of daily life, it is based on insights and impressions taken from the literature review.FindingsWith an identity of its own, this study offers an overview of an alternative set of well-founded and integrated strategies to improve working processes in a number of fields of the building operation function. A structured vision has thus, been provided with interest in certain key topics of the present time, such as energy management, comfort and sustainability. Still, in this context, based on a frame of knowledge gathered to date, a current, innovative and simple guidance has also been designed to help prevent the contagion of COVID-19.Research limitations/implicationsThe draft of procedures is part of an ambitious goal to serve as a well-founded strategic basis for the eventual development of an advanced software solution. As it is mainly limited to qualitative analysis, from which themes and generalisations have been arranged, this research may need more empirical evidence and additional work will be necessary to overcome any gaps that may be found.Practical implicationsAn overall assessment of this study seems to corroborate the idea that a significant impact on the developments in building operation can occur if stakeholders seek a more integrated way of management, based on cross-referencing of current issues. At a time when great uncertainties remain and knowledge advances are in full swing, the designed framework aims to be an added input towards already existing research. Furthermore, it can be seen as a valuable contribution to improving related software applications.Originality/valueThe originality lies in trying to better understand how and in which aspects the general day-to-day management of building operation can be handled more effectively, sustainable and framed, following a reasoned scientific line, in addition of trying to figure out greater capacity to deal with users' contagions, especially in the existing context of the pandemic.

COVID-19: a catalyst for revitalizing mixed-use urban centers? The case of Paris

Since the mid-1990s, the French public authorities have changed regulations to allow commercial building conversions into housing. The COVID-19 crisis has affected the global economy, social connections, environmental trajectories and energy demand/supply. Countries have been considering measures to reduce the pandemic's long-term impact and since the beginning of 2020, national governments have recommended that companies facilitate remote work. Thus, COVID-19 has prompted some office building depopulation. With working from home expected to continue after the pandemic, due to technological, environmental and economic considerations, there is a growing impetus to convert empty office space into residential uses. The present research aims, through the Parisian case study, to consider the impacts of the pandemic and the acceleration of homeworking. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology, the study aims to (1) critically analyse the policy tools implemented by the Paris municipality following the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate commercial building conversions and (2) evaluate the potential for such conversions, considering former policies. We found that adaptive reuse policies have been implemented following the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. However, according to the collected data, conversion potential is limited, due to the continuing demand for office space despite the changes and economic considerations. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

DAYLIGHT, HUMAN HEALTH, AND DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE GREEN BUILDINGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

As the importance of building indoor environments has increased recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the research on the interrelationship among daylight, human health, and building design. More researchers are studying how daylight affects human health and whether currently known daylighting metrics target human health in addition to building environmental performance. This article provides an updated review of the current review of the literature in the field of daylighting design and human health, particularly as it relates to the impact of daylighting on circadian rhythm, sleep quality and performance. The main objective for this study is to analyze the interrelationships between daylight, health, and design. The review of these articles reveals eight different factors relevant to daylight, in terms of the way daylight impacts people's health, namely light spectrum, light levels, timing and duration of exposure to light. In terms of health impact, these articles outline direct and indirect health outcomes. In addition, our review of the existing literature indicates that there is a lack of proper daylighting metrics as far as design applications. © 2022, College Publishing. All rights reserved.

Increasing Ventilation In 1980s High-Rise Commercial Office Buildings

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven public interest in building ventilation rates. The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force's recommendation that buildings "provide and maintain at least the minimum outdoor airflow rates for ventilation as specified by applicable codes and standards" put quantitative ventilation system assessments in high demand. Throughout the pandemic, many building owners conducted assessments of building systems, including ventilation, to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. A recent study of assessments at 95 commercial office buildings found that 77% provided minimum ventilation rates or could make minor adjustments to do so. However, 23% of buildings were underventilated and would require significant capital investment to meet current standards. All but one of these buildings were designed between 1981 and 1992, with ventilation rates as low as 9 cfm/person (4 L/s person) (assuming default occupant density).

MEETINGS AND SHOWS

Because of the impact that COVID-19 is having on conferences, please check the conference's website for the most up-to-date information. DECEMBER HARDI Annual Conference, Dec, 3-6, Houston, Contact Heating Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International at 888-253-2128, hardimail@hardinet.org or https://hardinet.org/events Buildings XV Conference, Dec, 5-8, Clearwater Beach, Fla, Contact ASHRAE at 800-527-4723, meetings@ashrae.org or www.ashrae.org/buildingsxv International Conference on Building Ventilation and Air Conditioning, Dec. 9-10, New York, N.Y. Contact organizers at https://tinyurl.com/ICBVAC22 2023 JANUARY ABMA Annual Meeting, Jan. 13-16, Carlsbad, Calif. Contact the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy at 202-507-4000 or www.aceee.org/2023-hot-water-forum IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo, March 12-15, Long Beach, Calif.