Submit to Energies Review for Energies Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy Efficient Buildings

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2022) | Viewed by 11946

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Darya Nemova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Civil Engineering, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Interests: construction engineering; civil engineering; energy efficiency; fluent mechanics; ventilated facades; heat and mass transfer; building energy modeling (BEM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Young-Hum Cho

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

School of Architecture, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: building commissioning; smart building; building energy simulation; building energy management system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Kyu-Nam Rhee

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Division of Architectural & Fire Protection Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea
Interests: building physics; high-performance building envelope; net-zero energy building; building energy simulation; indoor environment quality; energy efficient HVAC system; radiant heating and cooling system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is an important strategic goal, as it has the potential to reduce not only carbon emissions but also the cost of building operations. Buildings are responsible for a little less than half of all energy consumption around the world, so new, innovative technology and materials applications for energy-efficient buildings will allow us to reduce our overall energy consumption. As such, the use of innovative structural systems and materials to create energy-efficient buildings has become a hot topic of research, helping us to work toward achieving these goals.

This Special Issue aims to collect papers focused on new research results regarding “Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy-Efficient Buildings”.

Specifically, this Special Issue seeks contributions spanning a broad range of topics related but not limited to the following:

Phase-change materials (PCM) for building applications;
Tecnology and materials for green buildings;
Renewable energy technologies;
Materials for the building envelope;
New construction materials and technologies in energy saving;
Innovative approaches to building refurbishment;
Innovative and high-performance façades;
Glass for advanced building envelopes;
Additive technology for energy-efficient buildings;
Climate adaptive system and technology.

Dr. Darya Nemova
Prof. Young-Hum Cho
Prof. Kyu-Nam Rhee
Guest Editors

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. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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

PCM
sustainability
building energy consumption
energy efficiency
renewables
building envelope
building refurbishment
green buildings

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

22 pages, 34752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Thermal Performance of 3D-Printed Enclosing Structures

by Darya Nemova, Evgeny Kotov, Darya Andreeva, Svyatoslav Khorobrov, Vyacheslav Olshevskiy, Irina Vasileva, Daria Zaborova and Tatiana Musorina

Energies 2022, 15(12), 4230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15124230 - 08 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2637

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing, or additive manufacturing, is one of the modern techniques emerging in the construction industry. Three-Dimensional Printed Concrete (3DPC) technology is currently evolving with high demand amongst researchers, and the integration of modular building systems with this technology would provide a sustainable solution to modern construction challenges. This work investigates and develops energy-efficient 3D-printable walls that can be implemented worldwide through energy efficiency and sustainability criteria. Numerical research and experimental investigations, bench tests with software packages, and high-precision modern equipment have been used to investigate the thermal performance of 3DPC envelopes with different types of configurations, arrangements of materials, and types of insulation. The research findings showed that an innovative energy-efficient ventilated 3DPC envelope with a low thermal conductivity coefficient was developed following the climatic zone. The annual costs of heat energy consumed for heating and carbon footprint were determined in the software package Revit Insight to assess the energy efficiency of the 3D-printed building. The thermal properties of the main wall body of the tested 3D-printed walls were calculated with on-site monitoring data. The infrared thermography technique detected heterogeneous and non-uniform temperature distributions on the exterior wall surface of the 3DPC tested envelopes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy Efficient Buildings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 7810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Building Energy Performance with Optimal Control of Movable Shading Device Integrated with PV System

by Dong Eun Jung, Chanuk Lee, Kwang Ho Lee, Minjae Shin and Sung Lok Do

Energies 2021, 14(7), 1799; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14071799 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2019

Abstract

Among the envelope components (e.g., walls, roofs, floors, and windows, etc.) affecting the cooling and heating load of buildings, windows are the most thermally vulnerable. Shading devices can minimize the thermal load on windows due to solar radiation and decrease radiation effects. However, the load changes due to convection and conduction should be considered. Therefore, when a shading device is applied to a window, control logic for thermal blocking and heat retention is necessary to prevent the load changes. In addition, by combining the opposite features of photovoltaic (PV) that require solar radiation and the shading device to block solar radiation, energy-saving and production can be achieved simultaneously. Therefore, this study minimized the thermal effects of windows using a movable shading device integrated with PV and evaluated the PV power generation. This study evaluated the effects on window heat transfer by applying artificial intelligence techniques, which have recently attracted attention, to system operation. To achieve this, artificial neural network (ANN)-based control logic was developed, and the control performance of the system was assessed using simulations. In ANN control, the window heat transfer was 86.3% lower in a cooling period and 9.7% lower in a heating period compared with that of a shading device fixed at 45°. Furthermore, the PV system produced 3.0 to 3.1% more electric power under optimal control during the cooling period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy Efficient Buildings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Thermal Parameters of Hemp Fiber Insulation

by Baiba Gaujena, Vladislavs Agapovs, Anatolijs Borodinecs and Ksenia Strelets

Energies 2020, 13(23), 6385; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en13236385 - 03 Dec 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4014

Abstract

Nowadays, sustainable construction is a key factor for reaching net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide all over the world. This goal is impossible to achieve by merely reducing the energy consumption of end-users. A more holistic approach should be taken, adopting sustainable industrial practices that use environmentally friendly materials on a large scale. This paper presents the analysis of the hydrothermal properties of hemp thermal insulation plates. We carried out extensive measurements and the analysis of the thermal conductivity coefficient, drying-out dynamics, and water absorption. The study was performed with experimental insulation samples based on the fiber obtained from hemp stems, prepared using different adhesive powders. The dimensions of the analyzed samples were 300 × 300 mm. The proposed samples are not yet available in mass production. Hemp does not flower in the Baltic region and was traditionally used for soil regeneration. Thus, using this raw material increases the added value of agricultural residues. Three series of hemp fiber samples with different substances and pressing modes were evaluated in the study. Each set of samples consisted of four plates with varying thicknesses and two different densities: 200 kg/m³ and 300 kg/m³. All samples exhibited a significant increase in moisture absorption and a strong correlation with the increase in thermal conductivity. The average thermal conductivity of the test samples ranged from 0.0544 to 0.0594 W/mK. The impact of the adhesive powder on the thermal conductivity was found to be extremely small. However, the values obtained were much higher than those for traditional thermal insulation materials, allowing to utilize the local agriculture residues and providing material for the construction of eco-friendly buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy Efficient Buildings)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 2212 KiB

Open AccessReview

Optimal Control Method of Variable Air Volume Terminal Unit System

by Hyo-Jun Kim and Young-Hum Cho

Energies 2021, 14(22), 7527; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14227527 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

This study reviewed the existing studies on the types of variable air volume (VAV) terminal units, control and operation methods, prediction models, and sensor calibration methods. As a result of analyzing the existing research trends on the system type, characteristics, and control method of VAV terminal units studies such as theoretical verification and energy simulation were conducted to improve the existing control methods, reset the set value using a mathematical model, and add a monitoring sensor for the application of control methods. The mathematical model used in the study of VAV terminal unit control methods was used to derive set values for minimum air volume, supply temperature, ventilation requirements, and indoor comfort. The mathematical model has a limitation in collecting input information for professional knowledge and model development, and development of a building environment prediction model using a black box model is being studied. The VAV terminal unit system uses a sensor to control the device, and when an error occurs in the sensor, indoor comfort problems and energy waste occur. To solve this problem, sensor calibration techniques have been developed using statistical models, mathematical models, and Bayesian statistical models. The possibility of developing a method for calibrating the variable air volume terminal unit sensor using the prediction model was confirmed. In conclusion, the VAV terminal unit system is one of the most energy efficient systems. The energy saving potential of current VAV systems can still be improved through control methods, the use of predictive models, and sensor calibration methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Structural Systems and Materials for Energy Efficient Buildings)

► Show Figures