Enabling low carbon living in UK housing developments
Broer, S. and Titheridge, H. (2010) Enabling low-carbon living in new UK housing developments. Management of Environmental Quality, 21 (1). pp. 90-107. ISSN 14777835
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a tool (the Climate Challenge Tool) that allows house builders to... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a tool (the Climate Challenge Tool) that allows house builders to calculate whole life carbon equivalent emissions and costs of various carbon and energy reduction options that can be incorporated into the design of new developments. Design/methodology/approach – The tool covers technical and soft (or lifestyle) measures for reducing carbon production and energy use. Energy used within the home, energy embodied in the building materials, and emissions generated through transport, food consumption and waste treatment are taken into account. The tool has been used to assess the potential and cost-effectiveness of various carbon reduction options for a proposed new housing development in Cambridgeshire. These are compared with carbon emissions from a typical UK household. Findings – The tool demonstrated that carbon emission reductions can be achieved at much lower costs through an approach which enables sustainable lifestyles than through an approach which focuses purely on reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and from improving the heating and lighting systems. Practical implications – The tool will enable house builders to evaluate which are the most cost-effective measures that they can incorporate into the design of new developments in order to achieve the significant energy savings and reduction in carbon emissions necessary to meet UK Government targets and to avoid dangerous climate change. Originality/value – Current approaches to assessing carbon and energy reduction options for new housing developments concentrate on energy efficiency options such as reducing heat lost through the fabric of the building and improving the heating and lighting systems, alongside renewable energy systems. The Climate Challenge Tool expands the range of options that might be considered by developers to include those affecting lifestyle choices of future residents.
Energy Efficiency in Building Installations using Thermal Insulating Materials in BRAZIL NORTHEAST
by Miguel Melo
Miguel O. Melo (PhD)
Luiz Bueno da Silva (PhD)
Antonio S. Coutinho (PhD)
Normando Perazzo (PhD)
Vivian Sousa
Federal University of Paraiba
Joao Pessoa – PB, Brazil, 58051-970
mobcmelo@ct.ufpb.br
ENERGY and BUILDING Journal
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a solution for improvement of energy efficiency in buildings by using thermal... more
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a solution for improvement of energy efficiency in buildings by using thermal insulation materials. The application was tested in areas of northeast Brazil where the average temperature reaches 34°C. The research considered building materials from the region such as: (a) gypsum, that is abundant in nature and found in several deposits in Brazil and it is absorbent of water; (b) vermiculite, a mineral composed of hydrated silicates of aluminum and magnesium; (c) EVA, an ethylene-vinyl acetate produced in large quantities as residue from expanded sheet cuttings in the shoe industry. The thermal conductivity of each material was measured but the comparison of the thermal behaviour of the two walls is based on calculation only. The application of these materials in plates coated with a layer of air showed, compared to conventional walls, 38% reduction in heat load per square meter when using vermiculite-composed plaster and 41% reduction when using gypsum or EVA composition.
Keywords: Energy efficiency in building; Thermal insulating; Thermal non-conventional materials
Sun, wind, and light. Architectural design strategies
by Mark DeKay
Book, 2001, 2nd edition, by Mark DeKay and G. Z. Brown
also see www.sunwindlight.net
How to design... more
also see www.sunwindlight.net
How to design buildings that heat with the sun, cool with the wind, light with the sky, and move into the future using on-site renewable resources
Developed for rapid use during schematic design, this book clarifies relationships between form and energy and gives designers tools for designing sustainably. It also:
* Applies the latest passive energy and lighting design research
* Organizes information by architectural elements at three scales:
* building groups, individual buildings, and building parts
* Brings design strategies to life with examples and practical design tools
Features:
* 109 analysis techniques and design strategies
* More than 750 illustrations, sizing graphs, and tables
* Both inch-pound and metric units
Towards hybrid lighting systems: A review
Co-authored with D J Carter, Lighting Res. Technol. 2010; 42: 51–71
This paper reviews developments in hybrid light guidance systems. In these daylight and electric light are... more This paper reviews developments in hybrid light guidance systems. In these daylight and electric light are simultaneously delivered into a building where they are combined and distributed via luminaires. The technology used in hybrid systems, both conceptual and realised, is discussed. The review speculates as to their likely performance in terms of daylight delivery; capital and running costs; user reaction to the systems; potential impact of the systems on the building which they light; and suitable design methods. It is noted that a substantial amount of work remains before the potential of hybrid systems may be realised, notably on their long tern economics and feasibility in different geographic locations.
Hybrid lighting systems: performance and design
Mayhoub, M.S. and Carter, D.J. (2011). Hybrid lighting systems: performance and design. Lighting Res. Technol.
Hybrid lighting systems (HLS) simultaneously deliver daylight and electric light into the core of a building where... more Hybrid lighting systems (HLS) simultaneously deliver daylight and electric light into the core of a building where they are combined, and distributed via luminaires. The systems have only been developed in the last few years and accordingly there is little accumulated experience of light delivery or design methods. This paper presents measured data for a commercially available hybrid system located in the UK. The HLS performance compared with that of the more widely investigated tubular daylighting guidance system. The results are discussed in the context of use of the systems for a range of sky conditions. Design recommendations and limitations to address knowledge shortfalls for hybrid systems are put forward.
TEDx: Carlos Leite on Sustainable Cities Cidades Sustentaveis
by Carlos Leite
TEDx: Carlos Leite on Sustainable Cities Cidades Sustentaveis
TEDx: Carlos Leite on Sustainable Cities Cidades Sustentaveis TEDx: Carlos Leite on Sustainable Cities Cidades Sustentaveis

