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New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities
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New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 August 2024 | Viewed by 5957

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Piras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Astronautics, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: energy efficiency; building production; digital twin; building information modeling; building envelope; retrofitting; energy demand savings; public buildings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of energy in buildings and infrastructure has increased many-fold, suggesting that alternate means must be devised to conserve energy and operate the buildings with sustainable means. Energy efficient buildings can be achieved through the use of insulation materials, improved architectural techniques, and new proposed construction methodologies. The energy demand of buildings must be reduced when aiming at future sustainable buildings where optimal living comfort, performance, and services are ensured.

Digitalization is one of the new means of supporting energy efficiency policies for built environments and includes the development of BIM, IOT, digital twin, and machine learning algorithms.

Within this framework, the aim of the Special Issue is to present a collection of the latest research dealing with new trends in sustainable building design through the exploration of ground-breaking technologies and strategies toward achieving energy efficient communities.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Piras
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. 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

  • building efficiency
  • digital twin for built environments
  • envelope retrofitting
  • energy savings

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4459 KiB  
Article
Exergoeconomic and Environmental Evaluation of a Ground Source Heat Pump System for Reducing the Fossil Fuel Dependence: A Case Study in Rome
by Fabio Nardecchia, Laura Pompei, Edoardo Egidi, Riccardo Faneschi and Giuseppe Piras
Energies 2023, 16(17), 6167; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16176167 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 689
Abstract
By 2050, the European Commission aims to achieve a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the construction sector due to new targets set for greenhouse gases by the Commission. One of the most effective solutions for mitigating the environmental impact of buildings [...] Read more.
By 2050, the European Commission aims to achieve a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the construction sector due to new targets set for greenhouse gases by the Commission. One of the most effective solutions for mitigating the environmental impact of buildings is to integrate renewable-energy systems such as air-to-water heat pumps or geothermal heat pumps. Several works in the literature investigated the advantages of heat pumps, particularly ground source heat pumps, for specific contexts. Furthermore, the evaluation can encompass not only energy considerations but also exergetic aspects, and this paper makes a significant contribution to the latter. The study presented here applies exergy analysis to a geothermal heat pump system that is interconnected with photo-voltaic and solar collector systems in a building located in Rome. Feasibility and environmental assessments were also conducted. It is evident that the exergy efficiency obtained is much lower than the energy efficiency. The heat pump demonstrates higher exergy efficiency by producing high-temperature thermal power compared to a constant dead state at relatively low temperatures. Following the heat pump, the adiabatic mixer exhibits the second highest exergy efficiency, trailed by two heat exchangers. Compared to a conventional plant case, the money saved is EUR 16,772 per year, translating to a Payback Period of 23 years. Furthermore, the average annual reduction in fossil fuel emissions is estimated at 26.2 metric tons of CO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities)
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21 pages, 13647 KiB  
Article
Efficiency and Sustainability: The Role of Digitization in Re-Inhabiting the Existing Building Stock
by Federico Cinquepalmi, Spartaco Paris, Elisa Pennacchia and Virginia Adele Tiburcio
Energies 2023, 16(9), 3613; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16093613 - 22 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1595
Abstract
Cities are complex and constantly evolving systems where changing social needs have always reshaped the built environment. Considering recent evolutionary trends in housing emergencies, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental sustainability goals, a rethinking of the building heritage is fundamental. This article [...] Read more.
Cities are complex and constantly evolving systems where changing social needs have always reshaped the built environment. Considering recent evolutionary trends in housing emergencies, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental sustainability goals, a rethinking of the building heritage is fundamental. This article aims to promote the conversion of buildings designed initially for nonresidential uses as a process and project strategy based on energy efficiency and a holistic and integrated vision of the circular economy. The methodological approach is based on two main phases: definition of evaluative parameters for the potential reuse of a building, and integration of the evaluation system in a BIM and GIS environment. The result is a tool for rapid automatic pre-evaluation of the potential conversion of a building into a residential space. Applying the developed methodology allows for a practical approach to the significant issue of sustainable construction, with particular attention to energy improvement and the reduction of environmental impact related to the construction of new buildings. The originality of the contribution lies in the systematization of various digital technologies to provide fundamental support for managing and transforming the varied and widespread unused real estate assets in a state of abandonment and degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities)
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28 pages, 8819 KiB  
Article
The “D2P” Approach: Digitalisation, Production and Performance in the Standardised Sustainable Deep Renovation of Buildings
by Fabrizio Cumo, Federica Giustini, Elisa Pennacchia and Carlo Romeo
Energies 2022, 15(18), 6689; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15186689 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1333
Abstract
The carbon neutrality of the built environment plays a key role in fighting the climate crisis and fully realising ecological transition. In this field, the aim of the paper is to promote a new production paradigm that enables an integrated process from the [...] Read more.
The carbon neutrality of the built environment plays a key role in fighting the climate crisis and fully realising ecological transition. In this field, the aim of the paper is to promote a new production paradigm that enables an integrated process from the design phase to the production of high-performance building components, to their “tailor-made installation” for the efficiency enhancement of the national residential building stock, reducing resource consumptions, costs, construction time and the associated environmental impact. The methodological approach is based on three key elements: digitalisation, production and performance. Recent technologies make it possible to achieve important goals, through the creation of the digital cataloguing of existing buildings, advanced dynamic simulations, improved energy performance for building stock and industrial production chain optimisation of the construction sector according to off-site construction criteria. This strategy was tested on a demonstrator building. The methodology application has made it possible to validate a catalogue of standardised insulation solutions that can be applied to 90% of the existing national building stock and that can reduce installation times by 60% and costs by around 30% compared to traditional techniques, while complying with the national requirements on thermal building insulation. The study is able to organise production according to advanced standardisation in order to meet the real demand of the market with advantages in term of production costs and economies of scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities)
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Review

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27 pages, 2044 KiB  
Review
Digital Twin Framework for Built Environment: A Review of Key Enablers
by Giuseppe Piras, Sofia Agostinelli and Francesco Muzi
Energies 2024, 17(2), 436; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en17020436 - 16 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1420
Abstract
The emergence of Digital Twin (DT) technology presents unique opportunities for society by facilitating real-time data transfer from the physical environment to its digital counterpart. Although progress has been made in various industry sectors such as aerospace, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation [...] Read more.
The emergence of Digital Twin (DT) technology presents unique opportunities for society by facilitating real-time data transfer from the physical environment to its digital counterpart. Although progress has been made in various industry sectors such as aerospace, the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) sector still requires further advancements, like the adoption of these technologies over traditional approaches. The use of these technologies should become standard practice rather than an advanced operation. This paper aims to address the existing gap by presenting a comprehensive framework that integrates technologies and concepts derived from purpose-driven case studies and research studies across different industries. The framework is designed to provide best practices for the AECO sector. Moreover, it aims to underscores the potential of DT for optimization through overseeing and digital management of the built environment across the entire life cycle of facilities, encompassing design, construction, operation, and maintenance. It is based on an extensive literature review and presents a holistic approach to outlining the roles of Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Internet of Things (IoT), and other key enablers within the DT environment. These digital tools facilitating the simultaneous evaluation of associated benefits, such as resource savings and future prospects, like monitoring project sustainability objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Sustainable Building Design and Energy Efficient Communities)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Challenges in deep renovation of buildings: an innovative methodological approach to off-site construction. Comparison of simulated and monitored data of a residential case study
Author: Pennacchia
Highlights: 1. Standardised insulation system solutions for vertical closures - perimeter walls; 2. Application of a matrix of the national residential building stock integrated with best performing solutions; 3. Comparison between global building performance calculation and monitoring campaign data, before and after the insulation intervention, in different climatic zones, where most of the national residential buildings are located

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