English

The aim of this work is to present a simulation programme for PCs which is easy to use and yields quick results of daylighting along the day in an indoor environment provided with a lightshelf, and solar irradiation levels on the external faade of a building. The programme was developed aiming simulations for hot humid climate conditions. The calculations are performed under three sky conditions for a selected site, albedo, surface orientation and inclination, window and lightshelf characteristics, room dimensions and wall surface reflectances.

The study of thermal environment around buildings is of great importance for residential microclimatic conditions. Temperature of external building surfaces, ground and outside air as well, affect the sense of thermal comfort for a person sitting outside a house. The microclimatic components that can be modified through design and that strongly affect thermal comfort in the open areas close to the buildings is sun radiation and thermal radiation emitted by the surrounding objects.

This paper is aimed to present the analysis made over scale models for a calid climate region on simulated conditions (heliodon, wind tunnel). We analyzed different settings of windows areas proportions, shading devices, and materials at global building designs. The objective of this research was to consider the architecture user as the main element of the lightning design, preserving his quality of life as a member of a society, and offering an integral comfort where he can perform his visual activities.

A considerable potential exists for energy conservation in buildings, by means of reducing the heating loads and especially the cooling loads. This necessity emerges strong, given the fact that internal loads are continually increasing, due to the propagation of electric and electronic appliances. In that sense, insulating materials are the most powerful tool for the designer and the constructor to achieve high energy efficiency in buildings by improving the buildings shell thermal protection and hence control the transmissivity of the shell.

Urban settlements bring about variations of the local meteorological characteristics. One of the most important effects is the increase of the temperature in urban areas in comparison with the neighbouring rural environment. This phenomenon is known as urban heat island. This work presents the results of a research activity carried out by researchers of the CNR LARA (Laboratorio Aereo Ricerche Ambientali Airborne Laboratory for Environmental Research).

This paper considers a double facade for preheating of fresh air, generation of electricity with integrated photovoltaic panels and storage of solar energy in phase-change material - butyl stearate absorbed in gypsum board. A simple transient numerical control volume model is developed for the heat transfer in the PCM. Different facade systems are studied with computer simulations and full scale experiments. Combinations with photovoltaics are then considered. Solar utilization efficiencies of up to 70% are obtained.

Integration of solar energy systems in architecture is becoming more important in order to achieve energy savings and optimize the introduction of RES in the real estate sector. The role of the public institutions must be seen as a leader for the private customers by demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of energy projects with real and exemplary interventions.

This work presents the first step of the development of a new concept of photovoltaic/ thermal collector that will be combined with preheating air and/or water production. It consists in a simplified mathematical modeling of a PV/T air collector. The studied prototype is a component of metal sheet type which has an air gap at the backside and which can be integrated in roofs or in facades.

Natural ventilation is one of the most efficient passive cooling techniques for buildings. Knowledge of the wind speed in street canyons is the necessary condition for the application of such a technique in dense urban configurations. Thus, prediction techniques to evaluate the microclimate and dispersion parameters in street canyons, has become a subject of intense scientific research. In most cases, wind flow and pollutant dispersion characteristics have been studied numerically and experimentally.

Windows are considered an important factor for comfort in residential and commercial buildings. Research turned to window technology when it was realized that poor thermal characteristics resulted in serious energy and economical consumption and pollution. Following an experimental campaign, which was carried out in a PASSYS test cell which provided a complete data base, a fuzzy system was developed and tested theoretically in order to control an electrochromic glazing in the best possible way. Concerning the theoretical part a model was developed in the MATLAB SIMULINK environment.