No abstract

Pavement material is an important factor for creating a pedestrian and environmentally friendly walkway. Generally, kinetic energy of footstep during walking is mostly wasted, while, this energy can be harvested and converted to electrical power. This study aims to use piezoelectric materials within pavements in the form of tiles. The kinetic energy of walking is harvested through piezoelectric mechanism. The study proposed a pavement consisting of piezoelectric sensors. Flexible and green material are selected as the top layer of the pavement. The scaled prototype is fabricated according to the mechanism of walking. The pavement is tested in terms of voltage generation in different arrangements. The results show that in order to harvest the optimum energy of walking, the piezoelectric sensors need to be covered with a conductive layer such as a steel sheet. Also, it is found that covering the piezoelectric materials with a hard surface leads to load distribution over the sensors when stepping on it which subsequently, generates more voltage. Moreover, when the piezoelectric pieces are placed in an alternative arrangement, more voltage is generated. It can be concluded that the arrangement of the piezoelectric sensors and their connection to the conductive layer are important factors in harvesting the optimum walking energy. The study recommends that pavement equipped with piezoelectric material is a promising method to generate electricity when implemented in crowded areas.

Daylighting strategies and control of it, plays a significant role in energy efficiency and provision of visual comforts in buildings. This study conducted a review of literature and observation in a hot and dry region of Iran in order to investigate daylighting strategies and control of it by shading devices in the vernacular residential buildings. The results show thatdaylight in vernacular rooms was provided through door, window, Rozan, Moshabak, and Goljam. These components were equipped with thevertical and horizontalshading devices such as Orsi, Sarsayeh, Tabeshband and Kharakpoushto control the sunlight. The vernacular lighting strategy was in response to the energy efficiency and provided visual comfort.The vernacular concepts and schemes still can be adopted and reused by architects and developers. The study recommends appropriate daylight schemes and shading devices in design phase to achieve energy efficiency in new residential buildings.

This review of studies into Energy Efficiency Retrofitting (EER) has shown the practice of EER to be a key factor in sustainability regeneration. Thus, the retrofitting practice itself (the way it is organised) has received increasing attention from both practitioners and researchers, and studies are now addressing some issues that are affecting the retrofit level of achievement. Most of the risks which lead to low retrofit development are related to owners. This paper aims highlight the role of the occupants in achieving the goals of EER. It is found that: a) the early involvement of occupants in the design and construction stage, b) mutual engagement, and c) an integral approach that involves the occupants are the key to motivate EER decisions from these same occupants. It follows that this involvement, including the demographic characteristics of the occupants, such as their culture, habits, preferences, awareness towards energy saving and socio-economic factors, are indeed effective in influencing the energy-related behaviours of these occupants. Moreover, other factors, such as space-heating behaviour, presence/absence of the occupants, control level of the equipment and window, and lighting control behaviour, are all effective factors in the energy performance of the buildings. Hence, socio-technical advancements, co-design processes and effective energy efficiency policies are recommended strategies to: a) improve occupants’ behaviours; and b) increase their participation in EER projects.

Buildings are the main sector in energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Retrofitting of existing building has been identified as one of the significant strategies for reducing the impacts of buildings on energy and environment. However, recent studies have shown that low energy buildings mostly do not perform as expected. These differences are related to different factors including the interaction between occupants and building technologies. Thus, most renovation initiatives have not considered occupant behavior equally to the energy efficiency process. Many of the existing studies have been focused on technological improvements rather than behavioral-related parameters. Hence, this study aims to review the literature on the occupants’ energy perceptions and their behavioral interventions in energy efficient retrofitted residential buildings. The results of the literature review reveal that household’s energy consumption significantly differs according to the various factors including social-economic, cultural, household composition as well as individual attitudes, habits, experiences, and occupant practices. Moreover, the energy consumption in the residential sector is highly dependent on demographic parameters. The demographics factors are classified according to type of family, level of income, age of the occupants, and individuals’ educational status. The findings shows that energy perception gap formulates the energy behavior and it is related to the lack of personal interest, accurate information and individuals’ awareness about how to consume efficiently. Therefore, it is suggested that the level of occupant’s perception on energy, control, or comfort have to be considered during energy efficiency retrofits. The study contributes to understanding of occupants’ behaviors which cause energy performance gap and enlighten approaches to encourage more energy efficient behavior.