A Methodology to identify appropriate refurbishment strategies towards zero energy buildings in a hot and humid climate

Austin, Miguel Chen; Carpino, Cristina; Mora, Dafni; Arcuri, Natale

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2385/1/012020

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Thanks to the energy-saving strategies, an optimized PV system was installed. A similar method was also developed in a case study in Panama [68]. Nevertheless, the retrofit was performed after the photovoltaic system installation because of the necessity of achieving an NZEB.…”

Section: Use Of Systems or Equipment With Greater Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Chung-Camargo,

González,

Chen Austin

et al. 2024

Buildings

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The global construction industry significantly contributes to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating immediate action for sustainable development. Recognizing the impact of buildings on emissions, the United Nations has set ambitious energy-related goals for 2030. Retrofitting buildings emerges as a strategic method for reducing energy consumption, offering lower environmental impact and life cycle costs. However, retrofitting is a complex process influenced by diverse factors such as policies, available resources, techniques, building-specific data, and uncertainties. Thus, this paper reviews the existing literature on retrofitting strategies for tropical and humid climates to identify effective approaches for enhancing energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and overall building performance in these regions. Through comprehensive analyses, including bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer version 1.6.18 and systematic assessments, this study investigates various retrofitting strategies. This study categorizes tropical climates into Af (Tropical Rainforest Climate) and Aw (Tropical Savanna Climate) based on the Köppen climate classification. It reveals distinct emphases, with Af climates concentrating on office buildings and Aw climates prioritizing residential structures. Passive strategies were predominantly favored in office buildings, with glazing being the most commonly implemented approach. Residential structures, on the other hand, adopted a combination of passive strategies such as phase change materials along with active methods like appliance replacement. Educational buildings tended to rely on passive strategies, including roof covers, shading, and glazing. The absence of specific cost values underscores the importance of establishing baseline metrics, revealing significant challenges in retrofit techniques. This study further highlights an opportunity to explore passive methods in educational buildings, stressing the need for comprehensive guidelines, especially in institutional settings. Moreover, it emphasizes the urgency for ambitious regulations to address carbon emissions and optimize energy efficiency in tropical climates.

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Section: Use Of Systems or Equipment With Greater Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Chung-Camargo,

González,

Chen Austin

et al. 2024

Buildings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Only two numerical studies exist in Panama regarding the retrofitting of buildings via dynamic simulations at the building scale [79] and at urbanization scale [80], using the optimization technique contrasting total construction cost with electricity consumption. At the building scale, preliminary technological solutions to adapt existing buildings in Panama into zero energy buildings were identified by employing sensitivity and optimization analyses combined with total construction costs.…”

Section: Evidence Of Buildings Retrofit Toward Nzeb In Panamamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Results showed that the critical variables influencing electricity consumption are cooling set point, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and cooling operation schedule. The most appropriate solutions were: (i) When WWR near 30% is recommended, lower cooling set points can be used (near 24°C); (ii) when a higher WWR than 30% is recommended, a higher cooling set point is required (near 27°C) with high CoP values; and (iii) either the appliances increase efficiency, or the occupants' usage needs to change [79]. At the urbanization scale, after applying optimization techniques within the retrofit category related to the building envelope and occupant behavior, a 60% electricity reduction was attained while reducing the renewable energy generation capacity to 10%.…”

Section: Evidence Of Buildings Retrofit Toward Nzeb In Panamamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As recommended for tropical climates, among the strategies are incorporating local shading and increasing the WWR, uninsulated constructive systems, and window blinds. Finally, for better outcomes, there is the need to develop a building stock inventory with their construction features and perform the optimization methodology on the most representative building for each building type [79].…”

Section: Evidence Of Buildings Retrofit Toward Nzeb In Panamamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further discussion of this is presented hereafter by highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threads in applying ZEB in Panama, based on and adapted from experiences reported in [52,[79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86]88].…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Energy-efficiency measures to achieve zero energy buildings in tropical and humid climates

Chung-Camargo,

González,

Solano

et al. 2023

Zero-Energy Buildings [Working Title]

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Nearly and net zero energy buildings have been strongly studied in the global north, with generally a temperate climate, thus focusing on energy-efficiency measures for such climates. Few existing zero energy buildings can be found in tropical and humid climates, where most are ongoing state projects or research projects. Therefore, this chapter brings forth and analyzes the energy-efficiency measures implemented to retrofit buildings in tropical and humid climates to achieve zero-energy buildings. The first part analyzes the measures by energy measure according to building type and climate, envelope (passive and active cooling), energy systems, dampness and mold growth, occupant (thermal comfort and the occupant), renewable energy system (BIPV rooftop and facade BIPV installation), and retrofitting aspects. The second part presents and discusses a proposed framework for policy implementation for building retrofit toward NZEB in Panama based on current building regulations and research evidence, and the viability is assessed via a SWOT analysis.

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Retrofit Measures for Achieving NZE Single-Family Houses in a Tropical Climate via Multi-Objective Optimization

Carpino,

Chen Austin,

Mora

et al. 2024

Buildings

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To achieve sustainable cities and communities, it is necessary to decarbonize existing buildings. Actions need to be taken to reduce the buildings’ energy demand and ensure that the low remaining demand is met by energy produced from renewable sources. This leads to Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs), whose impact on energy consumption is zero or positive, meaning that they are able to produce more energy than they require. The “zero” objective may be difficult to reach in hot and humid climates, where the cooling demand is prevalent. In this case, a combination of active and passive measures, together with appropriate interaction with users, is a viable way to obtain NZEBs. The present study aims to explore technological solutions for renovating existing buildings to NZEBs in a tropical climate. The analysis is developed through a parametric analysis, a sensitivity analysis, and an optimization directed at minimizing the site’s net energy and hours of discomfort. Evaluations are conducted for a case study consisting of a single-family house located in Panama City. The results showed that photovoltaic size, cooling operation schedule, and cooling set-point temperature are the most influential variables for the attainment of NZEBs in a hot climate. Regarding the building envelope, the outcomes suggest the low insulation of dispersing structures and local solar shading of windows as recommended measures.

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A Methodology to identify appropriate refurbishment strategies towards zero energy buildings in a hot and humid climate

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Advances in Retrofitting Strategies for Energy Efficiency in Tropical Climates: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Energy-efficiency measures to achieve zero energy buildings in tropical and humid climates

Retrofit Measures for Achieving NZE Single-Family Houses in a Tropical Climate via Multi-Objective Optimization

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