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The share of residential building energy consumption in global energy consumption has rapidly increased after the COVID-19 crisis. The accurate prediction of energy consumption under different indoor and outdoor conditions is an essential step towards improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprints in the residential building sector. In this paper, a PSO-optimized random forest classification algorithm is proposed to identify the most important factors contributing to residential heating energy consumption. A self-organizing map (SOM) approach is applied for feature dimensionality reduction, and an ensemble classification model based on the stacking method is trained on the dimensionality-reduced data. The results show that the stacking model outperforms the other models with an accuracy of 95.4% in energy consumption prediction. Finally, a causal inference method is introduced in addition to Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) to explore and analyze the factors influencing energy consumption. A clear causal relationship between water pipe temperature changes, air temperature, and building energy consumption is found, compensating for the neglect of temperature in the SHAP analysis. The findings of this research can help residential building owners/managers make more informed decisions around the selection of efficient heating management systems to save on energy bills. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Energies (19961073) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has made working from home (WFH) a widely prevalent mode of work, resulting in highly complex changes of energy and water consumption in buildings. To understand these changes, this study applies the concept of water-energy nexus (WEN) in the analysis of energy and water data in residential and non-residential buildings in Ontario, Canada, before and during the pandemic. The study found the overall energy and water consumption of buildings exhibited a decreasing trend, with the most significant change found in water consumption. Energy and water consumption increased in residential buildings but decreased in non-residential buildings;the changes in energy and water consumption were synchronized over the WFH period. This study also elucidated that changes were related to the demographic and job attributes. When dealing with the peak load of residential consumption with a high consumption benchmark, due consideration should be given to the stronger synchronization of the two types of resources to improve the resilience of residences to cope with the uncertainty of unexpected large-scale public health crisis. Applying WEN to building resource consumption during WFH for the first time, the findings shed light on the need to enhance integrated water and energy management. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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PurposeBy considering the rapid and continuous increase of housing prices in Turkey recently, this study aims to examine the determinants of the residential property price index (RPPI). In this context, a total of 12 explanatory (3 macroeconomic, 8 markets and 1 pandemic) variables are included in the analysis. Moreover, the residential property price index for new dwellings (NRPPI) and the residential property price index for old dwellings (ORPPI) are considered for robustness checks.Design/methodology/approachA quantile regression (QR) model is used to examine the main determinants of RPPI in Turkey. A monthly time series data set for the period between January 2010 and October 2020 is included. Moreover, NRPPI and ORPPI are examined for robustness.FindingsPredictions for RPPI, NRPPI and ORPPI are carried out separately at the country (Turkey) level. The results show that market variables are more important than macroeconomic variables;the pandemic and rent have the highest effect on the indices;The effects of the explanatory variables on housing prices do not change much from low to high levels, the COVID-19 pandemic and weighted average cost of funding have a decreasing effect on indices while other variables have an increasing effect in low quantiles;the pandemic and monetary policy indicators have a negative and significant effect in low quantiles whereas they are not effective in high quantiles;the results for RPPI, NRPPI and ORPPI are consistent and robust.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the study emphasize the importance of the pandemic, rent, monetary policy indicators and interest rates on the indices, respectively. On the other hand, focusing solely on Turkey and excluding global variables is the main limitation of this study. Therefore, the authors encourage researchers to work on other emerging countries by considering global variables. Hence, future studies may extend this study.Practical implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic and market variables are determined as influential variables on housing prices in Turkey whereas macroeconomic variables are not effective, which does not mean that macroeconomic variables can be fully ignored. Hence, the main priority should be on focusing on market variables by also considering the development in macroeconomic variables.Social implicationsEmerging countries can make housing prices stable and affordable, which will increase homeownership. Hence, they can benefit from stability in housing markets.Originality/valueThe QR method is performed for the first time to examine housing prices in Turkey at the country level according to the existing literature. The results obtained from the QR analysis and policy implications can also be used by other emerging countries that would like to increase homeownership to provide better living conditions to citizens by making housing prices stable and keeping them under control. Hence, countries can control housing prices and stimulate housing affordability for citizens.
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During last decade there is a constant increase in number of new properties built in Zagreb. There is a large number of new residences, as well as business buildings constructed, with a direct impact on revenue increase of construction companies working in Zagreb area. Regardless of the fact that number of Zagreb population has not changed significantly in last decade, there is an increase of new buildings followed by significant price increase of real estate, especially during last five years. Lack of commercial, or business buildings in Zagreb, as well as workplace deficit in Slavonia have an impact on demand growth in Zagreb real estate sector. With additional flow of Croatian students to Zagreb, demand for quality accommodation has a direct impact on real estate selling price. Recently there was a significant price increase of material and labor, which had additional impact of real estate price increase. Goal of this paper is to analyze available public data that represents material price change, as well as to analyze financial reports of biggest construction companies from Zagreb area. Analyzed data should display impact of material and labor price increase on real estate price increase, and what could be anticipated in following years.
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Due to climate change, the EU Green deal and initiatives from Glasgow COP 26 require intensive mitigation measures toward decarbonisation of the buildings sector. One of the biggest challenges for achieving CO2 reduction goals will be the residential sector, especially multi residential buildings. Although there are well-known technologies and energy efficiency (EE) measures that can greatly contribute to decarbonisation of buildings, experience shows that the main barriers for implementation of EE measures originate from the potential client side and have social, economic and regulatory character. These barriers include: lack of awareness about climate change and necessity for urgent actions and long payback period for investment. On the other hand, market and ESCO company side barriers predominantly have economic and technical character, such as a lack of integrator who has professional capability to implement deep renovation projects as well as financial capability for investing in energy service through ESCO model with a long return of investment. Although there is different definition of ESCO model in the world and it is evolving and the model has been implemented for decades there is a little progress in implementation of such model in multi residential building sector. Additionally, there is a necessity for deep renovation of buildings where ESCO model is not desirable due to long payback period. However, there is a new reality now after two years of COVID pandemic and recent EU decision to dramatically decrease its dependency on fossil fuels through the REPowerEU plan. These have created new circumstances and drivers for intensive rethinking of implementation of ESCO model in multi residential buildings. This paper discusses barriers and drivers with associated risks for implementation of ESCO model in the residential sector and gives future direction of actions for implementation of this model in multi residential buildings. Barriers and drivers discussed in this paper also reflect practice and experience on the ESCO market in Croatia. © 2022 University of Split, FESB.
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The rapid spread of COVID-19 caused a significant impact on many sectors, including the energy demand in building due to the quarantine. This paper overviews the impact of the restriction's measures caused by the spread of COVID 19 on energy consumption in a residential building for three building constructions under six climatic conditions referring to the representative zones of the recent Moroccan climatic zoning. The three-building constructions are Reference House without any passive energy efficiency, Insulation House equipped with thermal insulation in external wall and roof and PCM House equipped with PCM (Phase Change Materials). The three houses are simulated by means of dynamic simulation using TRNSYS software. The quarantine in which the occupants have to stay all-time at home is compared to an ordinary occupancy scenario in terms of energy demand to reach the desired thermal comfort. The major finding of this work is that quarantine can significantly impact the cooling loads than the heating demand depending on building constructions and climatic conditions. The rising-rate in annual energy needs is the range of 10 %-35 %. The impact of the number of occupants is also investigated in respect to the two occupancy scenarios, the three-building constructions and under the six climatic conditions. The results show that when increasing the number of the inhabitants from 2 to 4, under the quarantine period, the energy demand of the PCM house is increased to 50 % depending on the climatic zones.
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Many aspects of the daily lives of those living in the United States were substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020. A broad diversity of measures was implemented to curb the spread of the virus, many of which included adjustments to where and how people worked, went to school, and otherwise conducted their daily lives compared to pre-pandemic times. This has impacted how residential buildings are used, how much time people spend in their homes, and as a result, how much energy these buildings consume. The main objective of this study is to analyze, at a national scale, the differences in the occupancy schedules and activities conducted in homes in the U.S., as compared to pre-pandemic. 15 years of American Time Use Survey and Current Population Survey data, from 2006 to 2020, was used in this study to analyze the occupancy schedules for both pandemic (2020) and pre-pandemic (2006-2019) times. These impacts were also analyzed with respect to variables including, weekday/weekend, month of the year, age of the occupants, household income, and household size. The impact of the pandemic on occupant schedules were most substantial in the initial months, whereas as the months progressed, these occupancy profiles slowly changed. Across 2020, people spent, on average, 8 % more time (1.9 h) in their home on weekdays, and 3-6 % (1.2 h) on weekend days. The percentage of time spent for different activities and locations within homes were also studied. For 1-member households, their time spent at home decreased whereas for 2-, 3-, and 4- member households, they spent more time at home. Overall, people spent around 45% more time doing office- and work-related activities at home compared to pre-pandemic, which is likely due to increased remote working and schooling. This research helps to improve the understanding of the occupancy presence and absence profiles in U.S. residential buildings due to the pandemic and provides new insights as to modified profiles for researchers, building designers, and policy makers.
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The scarcity of public open space has compelled urbanites to use residential rooftops as an interaction space. In Dhaka, rooftops are used for various social and recreational purposes which has extensively increased due to COVID-19 restrictions. During this period, few rooftops are used frequently while few are less occupied. Hence, the study identifies different variables that impact rooftop activities and finds correlations between them using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The study further shows the direction for accelerating the use of rooftops as an interaction space in residential buildings. Highlights for public administration, management and planning: Rooftops represent important places of public life in Dhaka. The variables that affect the social and recreational activities of residential rooftop space are analysed. Statistically significant correlations were found between rooftop occupied by various services and number of activities, floor dampness and number of activities, the rooftop occupied by various services and a comfort zone with a pleasant view, parapet height and number of activities, and parapet height and safety. The paper sets recommendations for designing and managing rooftop spaces. © 2022 Sharif Tousif Hossain et al., published by Sciendo.
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The real-time hourly electricity consumption data of a middle-income household in the Gauteng Province of South Africa was tracked for 30 months (i.e. 2019 to 2021) over three different residential properties. Layout diagram and physical characteristics of each of the residential properties are provided. An energy audit of all appliances at the residence was conducted at the beginning of the study and acquisition of new appliances was also captured. The aggregated electricity consumption throughout the study of all appliances at the family residence was captured from a single-phase electricity distribution sub-panel. The granularity of the captured data was at the hourly resolution level and presented as kilowatt-hour. A total of 20,852 hours of data points were captured. The data has not been processed further. In addition to the energy consumption data, 16 months of hourly data for wind speed, temperature, and humidity of the closest weather station to two of the residential properties has been provided. The energy consumption data will be useful for teaching and research in energy consumption prediction studies, and energy management strategy development. Considering the timing of the study that encompasses pre-COVID-19 and three peaks of COVID-19 in South Africa, the data can be useful in analysing the impact of COVID-19 on household electricity consumption.
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The phenomenon of vertical transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in high-rise residential buildings (HRRBs) is unique in our densely populated cosmopolitan city. The compulsory testing of a whole building under the scheme of restriction-testing declaration (RTD) during the fourth wave (non-Omicron variant) and fifth wave (mostly Omicron variant) of COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong allowed us to study the prevalence of this phenomenon, which may represent a form of airborne transmission. From 23 January 2021 to 24 March 2022, 25,450 (5.8%) of 436,397 residents from 223 (63.0%) of 354 HRRBs under RTD were test-positive for SARS-CoV-2. Using the clustering of cases among vertically aligned flats with shared drainage stack and lightwell as a surrogate marker of vertical transmission, the number of vertically aligned flats with positive COVID-19 cases was significantly higher in the fifth wave compared with the fourth wave (14.2%, 6471/45,531 vs 0.24%, 3/1272; p < 0.001; or 2212 vs 1 per-million-flats; p < 0.001). Excluding 22,801 residents from 38 HRRBs who were tested negative outside the 12-week periods selected in fourth and fifth waves, the positive rate among residents was significantly higher among residents during the fifth wave than the fourth wave (6.5%, 25,434/389,700 vs 0.07%, 16/23,896; p < 0.001). Within the flats with COVID-19 cases, the proportion of vertically aligned flats was also significantly higher in the fifth wave than in the fourth wave (95.6%, 6471/6766 vs 30.0%, 3/10, p < 0.001). The proportion of HRRBs with COVID-19 cases was significantly higher during the corresponding 12-week period chosen for comparison (78.2%, 219/280 vs 11.1%, 4/36; p < 0.001). Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis of 332 viral genomes showed that Omicron BA.2 was the predominant strain, supporting the high transmissibility of BA.2 by airborne excreta-aerosol route in HRRBs of Hong Kong.
ABSTRACT
In Europe, the recent application of regulations oriented to zero-energy buildings and climate neutrality in 2050 has led to a reduction in energy consumption for heating and cooling in the construction sector. The thermal insulation of the building envelope plays a key role in this process and the requirements about the maximum allowable thermal transmittance are defined by country-specific guidelines. Typically, high insulation values provide low energy consumption for heating;however, they may also entail a risk of overheating in summer period and thus negatively affect the overall performance of the building. In addition, the embodied energy and related emissions caused by the manufacturing and transportation processes of thermal insulation cannot be further neglected in the evaluation of the best optimal solution. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the influence in terms of embodied and operational energy of various walls’ thermal insulation thicknesses on residential buildings in Europe. To this end, the EnergyPlus engine was used for the energy simulation within the Ladybug and Honeybee tools, by parametrically conducting multiple iterations;53 variations of external wall U-value, considering high- and low-thermal-mass scenarios, were simulated for 100 representative cities of the European context, using a typical multifamily building as a reference. The results demonstrate that massive walls generally perform better than lightweight structures and the best solution in terms of energy varies according to each climate. Accordingly, the wall’s thermal transmittance for the samples of Oslo, Bordeaux, Rome and Almeria representative of the Continental, oceanic temperate, Mediterranean, and hot, semi-arid climates were, respectively: 0.12, 0.26, 0.42, and 0.64 W/m2K. The optimal solutions are graphically reported on the map of Europe according to specific climatic features, providing a guidance for new constructions and building retrofit.
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The present study demonstrates a gap analysis (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) of the best known widely used green building certification and rating systems (GBC&RSs): LEED, WELL, BREEAM, CASBEE. These systems have been analyzed for their missing responses according to a list of selected pandemic-sustainable indicators. The gap levels for each system have been calculated and then compared to each other. Among four GBC&RSs, BREEAM exhibited the smallest gap score, whereas LEED and WELL held the largest gap scores. Following these results, we suggest courses of action for each system to remove the gaps that will result in achieving a better response under pandemic conditions. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
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This article aims to present the efficiency evaluation of the ozone gas concentration generation by the commercial ozone generator for disinfection in residential buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the research are 1) to evaluate the efficiency of the ozone gas concentration generation by the ozone generator available in the market;and (2) to determine its appropriateness. The 2 gram/hour ozone generator was placed near an air-conditioner for 60 minutes following the instructions of the manufacturer. Then, the ozone concentration measuring devices were developed using the Winsen® ZE14 ozone sensor, which display the results in LCD screen, save them in a micro-SD card in the form of an Excel file (.xlsx). The devices were then placed at 3 positions;4 meters, 8 meters, and 12 meters of the generator. Finally, the data of the ozone concentration collected from each position was processed and analyzed. The results revealed that (1) the 2 gram/hour commercial ozone generator was able to neutralize the pathogens (0.5 ppm in 5 minutes);and (2) the disinfection was appropriate for the 348 m3 room. Using it in larger room reduces its efficiency of disinfection. In conclusion, it is crucial to select the generator by considering its capacity and the size of the room for the highest efficiency according to the standards. The generator can be used assuredly and efficiently to disinfect and reduce the risk of infection. © 2022 IEEE.
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This study seeks to overcome COVID-19 and re-examine the balcony as a new, differentiated residential space that requires change in the coming post-corona era. In this study, theoretical considerations on the concept and definition of the balcony and the original purpose and function are reviewed. This study compares and analyzes standards and cases for open balconies that can function as private outdoor spaces in Korea and major foreign countries. The key results of this study are as follows. First, while in Korea, the system is operated to install an open balcony as one of the specialized measures in terms of urban landscape, overseas, the system is designed to perform the original function of the balcony, such as a comfortable living environment and space for evacuation that it is operating. Second, while in Korea, the scale of installation of balconies is limited through regulations that exclude the inclusion of floor area, in overseas countries, specific standards for the shape of open balconies, such as the protruding width and length, are prepared. As a follow-up to this study, institutional research should be conducted to specify the standard for the shape and size of external balconies, and safety and performance standards. © 2021 Architectural Institute of Korea.
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Purpose: The aim of the research presented in this paper is to provide information on the common problems of healthy homes in the context of architectural design deficiencies. Especially because determining the status of a healthy house is particularly challenging if the design is poor. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative methods, i.e. interviews, site visits and graphic elicitation diagramming were used in two different stages of data collection. They were then analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings show that the architectural elements can have positive or negative effects on the health and safe environments. The quantity of doors and the use of transparent glass have largely contributed to the thermal transmission and increased indoor temperatures. The roof aluminium sheets and absence of vents inhibited indoor heat loss. This has led to discomfort and overuse of air-conditioning units, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where most households stayed/worked from home. The inappropriate height of the ceiling and roof made it challenging for maintenance purpose, reducing safety levels, which could result in physical injuries. Originality/value: The concept of healthy homes is not new. Studies have been conducted in Western countries and in the field of healthcare. However, there is lack of study in built environment particularly in developing countries and inadequate inter-disciplinary and empirical research to connect the healthcare field. The pervasive and recurring design deficiencies in the construction industry remain a source of unhealthy homes, which must be addressed. Future investigations are necessary to expand the conclusions that can be drawn from this paper for health equity within the society and nation. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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The government’s supervision of new residential building projects’ (NRBPs) energy-saving can promote carbon neutrality policies within its jurisdiction. A scientific and systematic evaluation of NRBPs energy-saving reflects a government’s management performance. However, achieving accurate and reasonable results with unitary evaluation standards without considering regional characteristics is not easy. This study proposes an evaluation method of intelligently evaluating the effectiveness of government energy-saving supervision with regional characteristics weighted in. Consequently, these evaluation indicators can reveal the key issues in carrying out local energy-saving policies and provide concrete guidance for local governments to manage the energy-saving of NRBPs better. The method was tested with ten projects and found to be effective.
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In the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the construction sector worldwide in all its activities, both public and private, due to an increase in the budget initially planned for each project due to the incidence of different factors. This is clearly evidenced in the situation presented in Peru, where on March 16, 2020, the government ordered a mandatory social lockout, which in turn disabled the activity of all economic sectors. This stoppage lasted about four months, therefore the resumption of activities in the projects generated an alteration of costs as a result of the effects on productivity, the implementation of -PPE-Personal Protective Equipment according to the guidelines established by the Peruvian Government through Ministerial Resolution No. 448-2020-MINSA;and the variation in the costs of resources. In this context, the present research aims to diagnose the variation of labor costs in the construction of buildings, which allows updating the cost of man hours according to the reduction of performance and the implementation of PPE according to the guidelines established by law. These results show a percentage increase in budgets due to COVID-19 considerations. © 2021 IEEE.
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Home-based workspaces have considerably increased all over the world. Besides, the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 disease forced many people to work from their homes. However, existing residential apartment buildings (ERABs) had been designed for accommodation but not for office works. Low-quality visual environments in ERABs, which have no shading controls on their windows, are evident in tropical climates with extremely high solar radiation. Thus, interior retrofit is significant to provide visual comfort for users in ERABs with low flexibility for modification of their facades. Different interior design variables were simulated by the Radiance-based program to analyse daylighting in a closed-plan room. Before the simulation experiments, field measurement of daylight was performed under a tropical sky to validate the results, and the findings revealed significant Pearson correlations. This paper showed that ERABs are confronting extremely high indoor daylight quantity, up to 10,228 lx, and low quality with intolerable glare. An adjustable model of internal shading, including an integrated Venetian blind with a horizontal light shelf and the window films, was proposed to improve quantitative and qualitative performances of daylighting in tropical regions. This dynamic model could be adjusted to various positions based on daylighting conditions in the buildings. By comparing the simulation results of this model with the base model, indoor illuminance levels could successfully reduce from 32% to 86%;Illuminance Uniformity Ratio (IUR) and Target Daylight Illuminance (TDI) significantly improved up to 180% and 300%, respectively;Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) and CIE Glare Index (CGI) changed from intolerable to imperceptible status. Accordingly, the proposed model can considerably improve daylight quantity and quality in the test room during different times. This study concludes that the dynamic model of internal shadings could provide efficient daylighting, by decreasing the extremely high indoor illuminance and glare in the ERABs in tropical climates. © 2021 WITPress. All rights reserved.
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During the period of COVID-19, the number of residents infected in urban communities continued to rise, implying that most of the current building layouts can't effectively resist the spread of infectious diseases, and the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to the need of changes for the current building environment. Therefore, the epidemic prevention should be considered in the residential building design, and the health design of residential community should be carried out from the perspective of epidemic prevention. In order to improve the ability of epidemic prevention of residential buildings and deal with the sudden pandemic and influenza in the post-epidemic era, a Healthy Assessment System for Residential Building Epidemic Prevention (HASRBEP) was developed according to the epidemic impact on residential buildings, the design and measures of epidemic prevention for residential buildings and the Chinese Assessment standard for healthy building (T/ASC 02-2016). Both entropy weight method and expert scoring method were used to determine the specific weight of the index. The HASRBEP includes control item assessment, preliminary assessment and extension assessment. The newly developed HASRBEP was used to assess the residential buildings of the Yulongzhuang Building Community located in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. The results show that the HASRBEP can be used to guide the health and epidemic prevention design of residential buildings.