Sustainable and Resource – Efficient Homes and Communities

A special issue of J (ISSN 2571-8800). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 9454

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past half century, homes and communities in many nations have been built with disregard to nature while exhausting natural resources during construction and after occupancy. A much talked-about term that casts a framework for new design thinking is sustainability. The fundamental thrust is thought processes and practices about the future consequences of present development actions.

This Special Issue looks for papers that address urban planning and design of communities and homes with smaller environmental footprints and efficient resource consumption. In particular, the guest editor is looking for papers on urban planning of sustainable communities with attention to higher density and walkability. The issue will also welcome papers on technology-oriented subjects such as active and passive heating and cooling systems, healthy indoor environments, energy-efficient windows, net-zero buildings, sustainable building materials selection, water recycling and efficiency, waste management and disposal, xeriscaping, edible landscapes, and green roofs.

Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a peer review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Prof. Dr. Avi Friedman
Guest Editor

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. J is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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

active and passive heating and cooling systems
healthy indoor environments
energy-efficient windows
net-zero buildings
sustainable building materials selection
water recycling and efficiency
waste management and disposal
xeriscaping
edible landscapes and green roofs

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 577 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energetics of Urban Canopies: A Meteorological Perspective

by Edson R. Marciotto and Marcos Vinicius Bueno de Morais

J 2021, 4(4), 645-663; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/j4040047 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2015

Abstract

The urban climatology consists not only of the urban canopy temperature but also of wind regime and boundary layer evolution among other secondary variables. The energetic input and response of urbanized areas is rather different to rural or forest areas. In this paper, we outline the physical characteristics of the urban canopy that make its energy balance depart from that of vegetated areas and change local climatology. Among the several canopy characteristics, we focus on the aspect ratio

h / d

and its effects. The literature and methods of retrieving meteorological quantities in urban areas are reviewed and a number of physical analyzes from conceptual or numerical models are presented. In particular, the existence of a maximum value for the urban heat island intensity is discussed comprehensively. Changes in the local flow and boundary layer evolution due to urbanization are also discussed. The presence of vegetation and water bodies in urban areas are reviewed. The main conclusions are as follows: for increasing

h / d

, the urban heat island intensity is likely to attain a peak around

h / d \approx 4

and decrease for

h / d > 4

; the temperature at the pedestrian level follows similar behavior; the urban boundary layer grows slowly, which in combination with low wind, can worsen pollution dispersion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Resource – Efficient Homes and Communities)

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15 pages, 13743 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Use of Indoor Living Walls in Canadian Dwellings

by Daria Smolova and Avi Friedman

J 2021, 4(2), 116-130; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/j4020010 - 07 May 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3796

Abstract

Current social and environmental challenges have led to the rethinking of residential designs. Global warming, food insecurity, and, as a result, costly fresh produce are some of the causes of the reconsideration. Moreover, with obligatory isolation following the global COVID-19 pandemic, some are realizing the importance of nature and air quality in homes. This paper explores the potential integration of indoor living walls (ILWs) in Canadian homes for agricultural and air purification purposes. By reviewing a number of case studies, this paper investigates how the development of such walls can alter the traditional food production chain, while reducing environmental threats. The findings show that current indoor living wall practices can be transformed into a useful source of fresh food, and, to some degree, alter traditional food supply. They can also help in creating inexpensive methods of air purification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Resource – Efficient Homes and Communities)

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Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1768 KiB

Open AccessReview

Influence of SPV Installations on the Thermal Character of the Urban Milieu

by Khushal Matai

J 2020, 3(3), 343-357; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/j3030027 - 18 Sep 2020

Viewed by 2784

Abstract

The solar photovoltaic (SPV) market is growing at a rapid pace with ambitious targets being set worldwide. India is not far behind with an overall solar target of 100 gigawatts (GW) to be achieved by 2022, out of which 40 gigawatts is to be achieved by solar rooftop. Additionally, the depleting non-renewable energy sources and the extensive pollution being done by the aforementioned sources are fueling the renewable energy drive. The threat of climate change, which is fast becoming a reality with effects seen globally, is another contributing factor. The effect of SPV installations on the temperature profiles of their surroundings and the urban thermal environment (UTE) is being studied at a global level, which has arrived at contradictory results, positive as well as negative. However, no such study has been done in the Indian context, which is crucial considering the country’s targets for rooftop installation specifically. The thermal environment of the vicinity is affected by the installations, as seen in the various global studies; the question is how this heat–energy balance is occurring in the Indian context. This review paper looks critically at studies focusing on the relation between SPV installation and the urban heat island (UHI) effect. It is a compilation and analysis of 22 different studies done so far at the global level to gain a thorough understanding of the diverse results. In conclusion, this review highlights the absence of any comprehensive study on the interaction of SPV installations with the built environment at a micro-level and establishes the need for region-based complete studies on the thermal behavior of SPV technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Resource – Efficient Homes and Communities)

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