Balancing User Comfort and Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings through Social Interaction by ICT Systems

Energy efficient ventilation and indoor air quality in the context of COVID-19 - A systematic review

New COVID-19 ventilation guidelines have resulted in higher energy consumption to maintain indoor air quality (IAQ), and energy efficiency has become a secondary concern. Despite the significance of the studies conducted on COVID-19 ventilation requirements, a comprehensive investigation of the associated energy challenges has not been discussed. This study aims to present a critical systematic review of the Coronavirus viral spreading risk mitigation through ventilation systems (VS) and its relation to energy use. COVID-19 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)-related countermeasures proposed by industry professionals have been reviewed and their influence on operating VS and energy consumption have also been discussed. A critical review analysis was then conducted on publications from 2020 to 2022. Four research questions (RQs) have been selected for this review concerning i) maturity of the existing literature, ii) building types and occupancy profile, iii) ventilation types and effective control strategies and iv) challenges and related causes. The results reveal that employing HVAC auxiliary equipment is mostly effective and increased fresh air supply is the most significant challenge associated with increased energy consumption due to maintaining IAQ. Future studies should focus on novel approaches toward solving the apparently conflicting objectives of minimizing energy consumption and maximizing IAQ. Also, effective ventilation control strategies should be assessed in various buildings with different occupancy densities. The implications of this study can be useful for future development of this topic not only to enhance the energy efficiency of the VS but also to enable more resiliency and health in buildings.

HVAC Energy Saving Strategies for Public Buildings Based on Heat Pumps and Demand Controlled Ventilation

The paper analyzes and compares the perspectives for reducing the energy consumption associated to the operation of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system for climatic control of large-size non-residential buildings. Three different control strategies are considered comparing the use of boiler and heat pumps as heating systems and analyzing the use of demand-controlled ventilation, operating on the effective occupancy of the building. The control strategies are applied to two different educational buildings with shapes representative of typical educational structures. The results of the analysis show how the energy consumption can be reduced up to 70%, shifting from the actual values of the energy intensity of over 300 kWh/m2 for year to values of less than 100 kWh/m2 per year. The significance of the energy savings achieved in such different buildings has led to the identification of a possible benchmark for HVAC systems in the next future years which could help reach the environmental targets in this sector.

Techno Trend Awareness and Its Attitude Towards Social Connectedness and Mitigating Factors of COVID-19

While COVID-19 has taken a toll on many professions and livelihood of all walks of lives, technology has amplified its intrusion to ease the necessities. Innovative technology, therefore, has improved the glitches and provided the software to adhere to these new normal. However, individuals' awareness and attitude toward the advancements of these technological trends need to be addressed. Although the government has taken measures to prevent and curb the growing cases for COVID-19 with the help of technology, the support from the individuals would depend mostly on their level of awareness and the attitude toward those measures. The present qualitative study explored the techno trend awareness, perception and attitudes of techno experts and technical professionals toward social connectedness and mitigating factors of COVID-19. Besides, it also explained individuals' shift toward virtual interaction to maintain social connections during the pandemic. The thematic analysis generated four prominent themes. Social Connectedness, emphasized on the emotional connections that created a positive feeling of belongingness. Technological Advancement provided three sub-themes highlighting perception, techno trend awareness and desirable attitudes toward the mitigation of COVID-19. The categories under Treatment and Preventive Measures indicated the enhanced self-care of individuals and also the tendencies to minimize the spread of diseases. The emergence of the theme Inclination toward Indigenous Knowledge, which is an important finding, indicated the techno-experts inclination toward the indigenous knowledge amid vague scientific shreds of evidence.

Multi-Objective Optimization of HVAC Operation for Balancing Energy Use and Occupant Comfort in Educational Buildings

The paper provides a methodology for the optimal control of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems used in public buildings, with the purpose of obtaining high comfort and safety standards along with energy efficiency. The combination of the two concurrent objectives of minimizing energy use and guaranteeing high standards of occupant comfort is obtained by means of multi-objective optimization, in which a comfort model is combined along with a dynamic energy model of the building. The use of dynamic setpoints for the HVAC and the inclusion of comfort indicators represent a step forward, compared to the current design and operation procedures suggested by technical standards. The utilization of the proposed methodology is tested with reference to a case study, represented by an academic building used by the University of Pisa for educational purposes, whose extensive and variable occupancy can help to emphasize the importance of comfort in the operation of HVAC systems in different climatic conditions and with different occupancy profiles. We show how this optimization brings interesting results in terms of energy-saving (up to 30%), obtaining an increased comfort level (of more than 25%) compared to the operating conditions suggested by technical standards.

Optimized Energy and Air Quality Management of Shared Smart Buildings in the COVID-19 Scenario

Worldwide increasing awareness of energy sustainability issues has been the main driver in developing the concepts of (Nearly) Zero Energy Buildings, where the reduced energy consumptions are (nearly) fully covered by power locally generated by renewable sources. At the same time, recent advances in Internet of Things technologies are among the main enablers of Smart Homes and Buildings. The transition of conventional buildings into active environments that process, elaborate and react to online measured environmental quantities is being accelerated by the aspects related to COVID-19, most notably in terms of air exchange and the monitoring of the density of occupants. In this paper, we address the problem of maximizing the energy efficiency and comfort perceived by occupants, defined in terms of thermal comfort, visual comfort and air quality. The case study of the University of Pisa is considered as a practical example to show preliminary results of the aggregation of environmental data.