This paper presents the application of Internet of Things (IoT) Technology and Building Energy Management System (BEMS) within the Marylebone Campus of the University of Westminster, located in central London, to improve the environmental performance of the existing building as well as enhance the learning experience on energy and sustainability. Sixty IoT sensors connected to minicomputers were planned to be deployed within three floors of the building to continuously measure the real-time environmental parameters, such as dry-bulb temperature, relative humidity, illuminance level, carbon dioxide, and sound levels. Experimental workshops were also arranged with undergraduate and post-graduate students at their classrooms using IoT sensors, portable Bluetooth sensors and online questionnaires to increase awareness of the effect of environmental and behavioural changes on energy saving through real-time visualisation. Users’ subjective feedback on their workplace was also collected through Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) questionnaire surveys. The results show the effectiveness of IoT systems and BEMS in supplying the building users and management with high-resolution, low-cost data acquisition systems highlighting the existing challenges and future scopes. The study also documents the process and the improvement in students’ awareness of environmental and energy performance of their building through IoT data visualizations and POE.

The energy consumption of a building and its internal conditions are intimately related to its shape. There have been various attempts to use computer-based optimisation within a thermal simulation environment to produce designs with minimal energy consumption. Most of these studies have looked at optimising parameters such as U-values and glazing ratios, but a small number have looked into the form of the building, but in a way that does not naturally fit with the human-led design process. In this paper, the first practical methodology for optimising complex building facades and internal layouts is presented. The method allows for a free exploration of new, non-preconceived, design solutions in a way that complements the natural design process. The method has been tested on a design with eight facades. The rapid convergence of glazing ratios for all runs indicates their significance in the energy performance of a building. The solutions display a high degree of variability of floor shape without a compromise in performance, which indicates that human judgment can still be used as a filter even within an optimising framework. Typical solutions produced by the method show an annual total energy demand of 56 kWh/m 2 , 51% lower than typical for the region in which the building was sited.

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In recent years, the Arctic climate has changed dramatically. This paper sums up the remarkable performance of climate change in the Arctic Circle by going deep into the Arctic Circle, collecting climate data and comparing it with previous years' data and literature. The factors affecting climate change in the Arctic Circle are discussed from three aspects: artificial factors, natural factors and potential factors. The study finds out that the main factors that affect the Arctic climate are the large amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activities, the warming of tropical ocean currents, and the potential eruption of solar flares.