Impact of Location and Insulation Material on Energy Performance of Residential Buildings as per Saudi Building Code (SBC) 601/602 in Saudi Arabia.

In hot and humid climates, a significant part of the energy is used to cool the building. There are several ways to reduce this air conditioning load, but one standout is through the selection and design of the right building envelope and its components. The thermal characteristics of the building envelope, in particular the thermal resistance of the insulation used, have an impact on the thermal and energy performance of building structures. Thermal conductivity, which indicates the ability of heat to move through a material given a temperature difference, is the primary factor affecting the performance of a thermal insulation material. Both temperature and humidity changes can affect a material's thermal conductivity value, which can then change. In fact, due to the fluctuating ambient air temperature and solar radiation, thermal insulation in buildings is susceptible to significant and continuous temperature variations. Thermal insulation used in building walls and roofs helps to reduce the energy demand of the building. It improves thermal comfort and, if used correctly, reduces the operational cost of the building. The present study has focused on the effects of location and insulation material on the energy performance of a residential building by considering five climatic locations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Five commonly used insulation materials with different thermal characteristics, namely polyurethane board (PU), expanded polystyrene (EPS), glass wool (GW), urea-formaldehyde foam (UFF), and expanded perlite (EP), were analyzed under various climatic zones as per the Saudi Building Code 601/602. The selected cities were categorized based on cooling degree days (CDD) and outdoor dry bulb temperature (DBT) as hot, very hot, and extremely hot climatic zones. Insulation improves thermal comfort and, if used correctly, reduces running costs. Experiments were conducted to determine the thermal conductivity, and the energy simulation was performed by employing IES-VE software for various insulation options. The findings indicate that the location has a significant impact on the energy performance of the insulating materials. The energy saving potential of polyurethane board (PU) insulation is more attractive in cities with higher DBTs and CDDs than in cities with lower DBTs and CDDs. The benefit of installing insulation ranged from a 2 to 14% decrease in energy demand for the climate zones studied. The sensitivity analysis showed that the energy saving potential of the insulation materials is sensitive to the set-point temperature (ST) band.

Research Trends in the Use of Polyaniline Membrane for Water Treatment Applications: A Scientometric Analysis.

Polyaniline (PANI), which is a member of the family of electrically conducting polymers, has been widely discussed as a potential membrane for wastewater treatment. Although a steady growth in PANI literature was observed, analyzing PANI literature quantitatively is still a novelty. The main aim of this study is to unearth the current research status, global trends, and evolution of PANI membranes literature and their use in water treatment applications over time. For this purpose, a scientometric study was performed consisting of bibliometric and bibliographic analysis. A total of 613 entities were extracted from Web of Science published during the last 50 years and were analyzed to map trends based on leading peer-reviewed journals, publication records, leading research disciplines, countries, and organizations. The study shows that the number of annual publications increased exponentially from 2005 to 2020 and is expected to keep increasing in the current decade. The Journal of Membrane Science published the highest number of articles and was identified as the most-cited journal in the field. China, India, and the USA were observed as the top three research hubs. The top-ranked authors in the field were Wang, Jixiao, and Wang, Zhi. To find research trends, four different clusters of keywords were generated and analyzed. The top five most frequent keywords turn out to be polyaniline, water, performance, membranes, and nanoparticles. The analysis suggests that the application of nanotechnology for modifying PANI membranes (using nanoparticles, nanotubes, and graphene specifically) is the future of this field. This study elucidates the research streamline of the field that may serve as a quick reference for early career researchers and industries exploring this field.

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Wastewater Decontamination: Discovering Intellectual Structure and Research Trends.

Due to their simple synthesis method and excellent properties, such as superior adsorption and regeneration capabilities, with a large surface area and tunable pores, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a suitable option for wastewater treatment. Although an exponential growth in MOF literature has been observed in recent years, conducting a quantitative literature analysis of MOF application in wastewater treatment is a novelty. To fill this gap, a total of 1187 relevant publications were extracted from the Web of Science, published during the last 50 years, and analyzed using bibliometric and content analysis techniques. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal growing publication trends, leading journals, prolific countries, and organizations; whereas, a content analysis was used to highlight key research themes and hot topics in this field. The analyses revealed that there is a strong international collaboration among authors, countries, and organizations. Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering are the most prolific journals in this field. Furthermore, the use of MOFs for removing antibiotics from wastewater was identified as a recent hot topic. In addition, performance enhancements of MOFs, in terms of a higher adsorption capacity and water stability, were identified as topics of great interest. To cater to these issues, the application of graphene, graphene oxides, nanoparticles, and quantum dots was also observed in the research fronts in this field.

A metafrontier approach and fractional regression model to analyze the environmental efficiency of alternative tillage practices for wheat in Bangladesh.

Among alternative tillage practices, conservation tillage (CT) is a prominent greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategy advocated in wheat cultivation, largely because of its low energy consumption and minimum soil disturbance during cultural operations. This paper examines the agricultural production and GHG emission trade-off of CT vis-à-vis traditional tillage (TT) on wheat farms of Bangladesh. Using a directional distance function approach, the maximum reduction in GHG emissions was searched for within all available tillage technology options, while increasing wheat production as much as possible. The underlying institutional, technical, and other socio-economic factors determining the efficient use of CT were analyzed using a fractional regression model. The average meta-efficiency score for permanent bed planting (PBP) and strip tillage (ST) was  0.89, while that achieved using power tiller operated seeders (PTOS) is 0.87. This indicates that with the given input sets, there is potential to reduce GHG emissions by about 11% for ST and PTOS; that potential is 13% for farmers using PTOS. The largest share of TT farmers cultivate wheat at lower meta-efficiency levels (0.65-0.70) compared to that observed with farmers practicing CT (0.75-0.80). Fractional regression model estimates indicate that an optimal, timely dose of fertilizers with a balanced dose of nutrients is required to reduce GHG emissions. To develop climate smart sustainable intensification strategies in wheat cultivation, it is important to educate farmers on efficient input management and CT together. Agricultural development programs should focus on addressing heterogeneities in nutrient management in addition to tillage options within CT.

Public perception and attitudes to disaster risks in a coastal metropolis of Saudi Arabia.

Disaster risk reduction is an increasingly important policy issue, especially in developing countries that suffer most of the global human and economic losses associated with disasters. Indeed, public awareness and attitudes can help in disaster risk reduction and management efforts toward reducing mortality and economic losses. In Saudi Arabia, many cities have been recently experiencing incidences of disasters, such as floods, disease epidemics, and sandstorms. However, studies on public perception of disaster risk in the country are few and nascent. Therefore, based on a questionnaire survey (n = 683), this paper explores public perception and attitudes to disaster risks in Dammam, a coastal metropolis in Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that although almost two-thirds (64.7%) of the participants are aware of disasters, and 81% are concerned about disaster risks, less than half (47.3%) believe that their settlements could be at risk. While 37% opine that disasters are caused by both natural factors and human activities, about half (54%) indicate that they can personally contribute to reducing disaster risks. Chi-square analysis indicates a significant positive relationship between place of residence and perception of disaster risks (χ2 (6) = 56.18, p < 0.05), and between place of residence and concern about disaster risks (χ2 (12) = 68.47, p < 0.05). The paper recommends raising public awareness and encouraging positive behaviors in reducing disaster risks in the study area and similar environments.