Net Zero Energy Settlements

A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 15027

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Interests: sustainable building development; building energy efficiency; net-zero energy buildings; positive energy districts; climate adaptation and mitigation; energy transitions; energy poverty
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of net zero energy building (NZEB), applied at new and existing buildings, provides the opportunity to improve the environmental performance of the building sector.

NZEBs can achieve an annual energy balance close to zero thanks to the combined synergy of building-integrated energy conservation strategies and renewable energy generation systems.

Several examples of NZEBs can be found around the world.

Despite all the drivers and benefits associated with the implementation of NZEBs, important barriers are still limiting their global diffusion. One of the most critical barriers is the high capital cost associated with the NZEB.

The transition from NZEB to net zero energy settlements, where the overall annual energy consumption at the settlement scale is covered by the renewable energy generated on site, can help to overcome the cost barrier as a result of the economies of scales, as well as to increase the energy efficiency and the CO2 offsetting of the overall urban system and the impact of mitigation strategies for counteracting the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon.  

This Special Issue aims to explore recent trends around the following research topics that underpin net-zero energy urban systems, from NZEB toward NZE settlements and positive energy districts (PEDs):

  • Decision-making theories, tools, and methodologies;
  • Energy conservation strategies and high-performance building materials;
  • RES technologies, hybrid energy systems, and standardized interfaces between different technologies;
  • Smart grids, smart energy management systems, AI and IoT in energy management, and energy storage;
  • Indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and post occupancy evaluation;
  • Energy information systems to engage urban communities;
  • UHI mitigation strategies and assessment of the local microclimate;
  • Case studies including new and existing urban developments;
  • Best practice for the phases of design, construction, monitoring, and operation.

Dr. Gloria Pignatta
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sustainable built environment
  • net zero energy buildings
  • positive energy districts
  • building performance monitoring and evaluation
  • res technologies
  • smart energy management systems
  • local microclimate
  • climate mitigation and adaptation
  • post occupancy evaluation (poe)
  • urban energy communities

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

35 pages, 15926 KiB  
Article
Indoor Thermal Comfort Analysis: A Case Study of Modern and Traditional Buildings in Hot-Arid Climatic Region of Ethiopia
by Haven Hailu, Eshetu Gelan and Yared Girma
Urban Sci. 2021, 5(3), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci5030053 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 13374
Abstract
Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the [...] Read more.
Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the indoor thermal comforts of modern and traditional buildings and identify the contributing factors that impede or facilitate indoor thermal comfort in Semera city, Ethiopia. This study employed subjective and objective measurements. The subjective measurement is based on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale. An adaptive comfort model was employed according to the ASHRAE standard to evaluate indoor thermal comfort. The results revealed that with regards to thermal sensational votes between −1 and +1, 88% of the respondents are satisfied with the indoor environment in traditional houses, while in modern houses this figure is 22%. Likewise, 83% of occupants in traditional houses expressed a preference for their homes to remain the same or be only slightly cooler or warmer. Traditional houses were, on average, in compliance with the 80% acceptability band of the adaptive comfort standard. The study investigated that traditional building techniques and materials, in combination with consideration of microclimate, were found to play a significant role in regulating the indoor environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Net Zero Energy Settlements)
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