{"title":"A new methodology for the in-situ measurement of thermal transmittance and thermal capacity of opaque walls: Thermal Decoupling Method (TDM)","authors":"Francesco Nicoletti, Natale Arcuri","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving the energy efficiency of buildings requires precise measurements of the thermal transmittance and thermal capacity of walls. However, existing in-situ methods often struggle with limited applicability under varying climatic conditions and challenges related to edge effects, particularly when using temperature-controlled boxes. This study introduces a novel methodology that addresses these limitations by offering a compact, portable solution capable of accurately measuring these thermal properties under diverse environmental conditions. The proposed apparatus consists of two temperature-controlled chambers, heat flux meters, and temperature sensors. The innovation lies in the ability to eliminate edge effects through the decoupling of heat flux contributions associated with boundary transmissivities, allowing for reduced apparatus size compared to traditional active systems and the flexibility to operate in any climatic condition, a significant advantage over passive systems. The results are obtained simulating different wall configurations under both winter and summer conditions, using a dedicated calculation code. Results show that the method achieves high reliability, with errors consistently below 5 % for most wall types, with the exception of some heavyweight walls. The methodology outperforms traditional methods, such as the HFM-Average Method and SHB-HFM, especially in terms of accuracy and applicability across various wall configurations. This study provides a more flexible and practical approach to in-situ thermal property measurement, with significant implications for building energy efficiency and retrofitting projects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112881"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shitong Li, Jialong Han, Tianxiang Liu, Jiaqi Wang, Zijing Tan
{"title":"Wall heating effect modelling for street canyon environment prediction: Experimental and numerical investigation","authors":"Shitong Li, Jialong Han, Tianxiang Liu, Jiaqi Wang, Zijing Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wall heating effect has been demonstrated to be a significant factor for street canyon microclimate. To improve the accuracy and practicality of street canyon microclimate prediction, multiple surface heating schemes with the consideration of both steady and unsteady wall heating effect are provided based on measured data. Numerical simulations were performed to investigate the wall heating effect on urban street canyon environment under all these modelling schemes. A scale-down water channel experimental system was established for flow field observation and model validation. <em>Ri</em> and <em>Gr</em> number was adopted for quantitative evaluation of wall heating effect. The experimental and numerical results demonstrate that wall heating scheme profoundly affect airflow patterns and thermal environment inside street canyons. Without considering the coupling thermal effect of street canyon surfaces, buoyant flow could be underestimated in steady single-surface heating assumption especially for ground and leeward wall heating conditions. With the combined heating of ground and leeward wall, airflow rotation would be enhanced, velocity near the leeward wall and upper outflow regions in a street canyon would be increased, when the <em>Ri</em> < -10.5 on the ground or the <em>Gr</em> > 1.16 × 10<sup>12</sup> on the leeward, the velocity distribution is relatively stable. In contrast with steady modelling schemes, less vortices occur under continuous unsteady surface heating conditions. Due to the accurate prediction, numerical model with unsteady multi-surface heating scheme is suggested for street canyon environment assessment. The findings underscore the critical role of coupling thermal effect in shaping street canyon microclimates, providing insights for environment optimizing in dense cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112873"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Fadel Al Kahlout , Faizal Baharum , Anas A.M. Alqanoo
{"title":"Transparent wood for next-generation windows: A review of thermal transmittance, solar heat gain coefficient, and energy performance","authors":"Ahmad Fadel Al Kahlout , Faizal Baharum , Anas A.M. Alqanoo","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transparent wood (TW), derived from sustainable biomass, is an innovative material with the potential to revolutionize energy-efficient building technologies and contribute to global climate initiatives. Its high mechanical strength, optical transmittance, and low thermal conductivity make it a promising candidate for sustainable architectural applications. In contrast to natural wood, TW overcomes structural limitations and mechanical degradation, making it suitable for load-bearing components. However, most existing reviews focus on its fabrication, mechanical properties, and optical performance, often overlooking its thermal and solar heat management capabilities. A critical gap in the existing literature is the lack of a comparative analysis of TW's thermal transmittance (U-factor) and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) across different configurations. Furthermore, limited studies have examined the impact of nanomaterial integration on TW's thermal conductivity, ultraviolet (UV) blocking, and optical properties. Additionally, the absence of a direct correlation between TW's thermal-optical performance and international window standards (e.g., NFRC 100–2023) restricts its practical implementation in energy-efficient buildings. This review systematically evaluates the advancements in TW technology and its potential for thermal and solar performance enhancement, particularly through nanoparticle integration. It synthesizes findings from recent studies to analyze interactions among U-factor, SHGC, optical transmittance, UV blocking, thermal conductivity, and heat flux. Particular emphasis is given to the role of nanoparticles in optimizing multifunctional properties for smart window applications. The findings emphasize the transformative potential of nanoparticle-enhanced TW in reducing cooling demand, improving energy efficiency, and advancing sustainable construction practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112880"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Could hybrid work schedules offer infection risk reductions? Insights from a CO2 sensor and modeling study","authors":"Yoonhee Jung , Kyle T. Wilson , Amanda M. Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hybrid work schedules are increasingly popular in post-COVID-19 work culture, and their potential for reducing communicable disease transmission is unknown. Our study objectives were to measure and compare carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations and estimate subsequent infection risks in an office on “anchor days” vs. \"hybrid days.\" We installed two CO<sub>2</sub> sensors in a breakroom connected to multipole staff areas in a 512 m<sup>2</sup> office. Measured CO<sub>2</sub> and office-reported occupancy data informed a Rudnick & Milton-adapted Wells-Riley model to estimate COVID-19 risks. Four modeling cases examined how uncertainty in infection prevalence and the proportion of symptomatic, in-person workers would impact COVID-19 risks. Air exchange rates (AER) were estimated with CO<sub>2</sub> measures. Linear models were used to assess season-adjusted associations between occupancy, day type, and mean and maximum CO<sub>2</sub>. CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations peaked (∼1500 ppm) on anchor days in Spring and Winter, with the lowest AERs estimated for these seasons. When assuming the same prevalence of infectious individuals, infection risks on hybrid workdays were 0.06–0.13 less than on anchor days. Behavioral assumptions (i.e., proportions of those who would work in-person even if symptomatic), had a notable impact on infection risk reductions offered by hybrid workdays. Occupancy and day type were associated (<em>p</em> < 0.001) with mean and maximum CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, adjusting for season. We provide initial support that hybrid work schedules may reduce infectious disease transmission. More data are needed to understand how work culture regarding concealed illnesses and preferences for working in person on hybrid days may affect the effectiveness of hybrid workdays in reducing risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112878"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143726056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jihwan Song , Jiwon Kim , Jeonghoon Jo , Kinam Kang , Sungmin Yoon
{"title":"Identifying occupant behavioral impacts on stack effect in high-rise residential buildings: Field measurements","authors":"Jihwan Song , Jiwon Kim , Jeonghoon Jo , Kinam Kang , Sungmin Yoon","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In high-rise residential buildings, the winter stack effect is a significant driving force for the overall air movement. The stack-driven pressure distribution has a substantial impact on indoor air quality, heating loads, comfort, system performance, and habitability, exhibiting different patterns in each unit on each floor. In such scenarios, the behavior of occupants in real building operations can significantly increase the stack-driven pressure differences and related problems. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of resident behavior in high-rise residential buildings on the stack-driven pressure distribution across a building through field measurements conducted in a real building operation. This study distinguishes between the behavioral patterns of occupants in common areas and individual units. The field measurement results showed that the momentary opening of the main entrance doors owing to occupants entering or leaving the building increased the stack effect pressure difference in the high-rise units by up to 55 %. The operation of the bathroom exhaust and kitchen hoods in the dwelling unit increased the pressure difference at the dwelling entrance door by a maximum of 66 Pa. In addition, it was observed that the exhaust performance of the upper-level units decreased according to the airtightness of envelopes and unit entrance doors. Based on the findings of real-time measurements in actual building operations, knowledge and recommendations for mitigating the stack effect during building operations were provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 112866"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I Dewa Gede Arya Putra , Hideyo Nimiya , Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan , Tetsu Kubota , Han Soo Lee , Muhammad Nur Fajri Alfata , Donaldi Sukma Permana , Reza Bayu Perdana
{"title":"Development of untypical meteorological year in the hot and humid climate of Indonesia: An application for thermal stress assessment","authors":"I Dewa Gede Arya Putra , Hideyo Nimiya , Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan , Tetsu Kubota , Han Soo Lee , Muhammad Nur Fajri Alfata , Donaldi Sukma Permana , Reza Bayu Perdana","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112877","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban open spaces, which are crucial for outdoor activities, are increasingly vulnerable to deviations in thermal comfort due to extreme/untypical climates. The use of typical meteorological year (TMY) datasets for designing built environments has limitations in accounting for climate deviations caused by extreme/untypical climates. Therefore, there is a need to develop new datasets that more accurately represent atypical climates and can be used for adaptive strategies under these atypical conditions. This study aims to develop the untypical meteorological year (UTMY) dataset consisting of minimum untypical meteorological year (UTMY-N) and maximum untypical meteorological year (UTMY-M) datasets which is applied for thermal stress assessment, through a case study in the hot and humid climate of Indonesia. Finkelstein-Schafer statistics with weighting applied to more climate variables, including global horizontal irradiance (GHI), temperature, dew point temperature, and wind speed were used to select extreme/untypical years. The large weighting of the GHI and temperature variables influenced the selection of extreme/untypical years that represent extremes for these variables compared with other variables in the UTMY dataset. The average annual temperature in the UTMY-M dataset across 106 sites is 0.2 °C to 1.0 °C higher than that in the TMY dataset, while the UTMY-N dataset is 0.4 °C to 1.8 °C lower. Compared with the TMY dataset, monthly and annual thermal stress calculations using the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) derived from the UTMY dataset are more effective in assessing the farthest thermal stress deviations (the upper maximum and lower minimum limits) under untypical climate conditions in each climate zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112877"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating physiological markers and environmental factors for thermal comfort in moving vehicles","authors":"Sohyun Eom, Chungyoon Chun","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study develops a predictive model for passenger thermal comfort in moving vehicles by integrating physiological signals and environmental parameters. The experiments were conducted inside a moving vehicle under real road conditions to ensure the accuracy and applicability of the findings. A total of 60 field experiments were conducted during summer with 30 male participants (aged 19–39) under three cooling scenarios, combining ventilated seats and air conditioning. The non-uniform exposure conditions included upper air temperature variations from 23 °C to 33 °C and solar radiation fluctuations up to 200 W/m². Physiological signals, such as facial and wrist skin temperatures and heart rate variability (HRV), were continuously recorded. The analysis identified nose skin temperature (<em>r</em> = 0.632, <em>p</em> < .001), High(1000 mm above the vehicle floor) air temperature, and body fat percentage as key predictors of thermal preference. A machine learning model was trained using decision tree-based algorithms (Random Forest, XGBoost, CatBoost, and LGBM), achieving 90 % accuracy in predicting passenger thermal preference. The model's explainability, assessed using SHAP values, confirmed the dominance of nose skin temperature and upper air temperature in influencing thermal perception. By integrating real-time physiological data with adaptive climate control, this study provides a data-driven approach to enhancing passenger comfort. Future research should expand demographic diversity, seasonal testing, and modeling of additional physiological markers to improve applicability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112875"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Framework for Facilitating Low-Income Net-Zero Energy Housing Delivery in Developing Countries: Insights from a Practical Case in South Africa","authors":"Alireza Moghayedi , Bankole Osita Awuzie","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112847","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112847","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Providing sustainable and affordable housing for low-income populations is challenging, exacerbated by housing backlogs, energy crises, and the need for carbon-neutral transitions. While innovative building technologies (IBTs) and Net-Zero Energy (NZE) solutions have been proposed, their adoption in South Africa's low-cost housing is limited due to the lack of a coherent framework. This study fills this gap by developing a framework using ISO14040, EN 15978, and RICS whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) principles for delivering optimal sustainability and affordability in IBT-enabled LI-NZEHs. An assessment of South Africa's first IBT-enabled LI-NZEH prototype showed a 97% reduction in CO2 emissions and an 82% reduction in life cycle costs compared to a conventional low-income house, due to IBTs, lower operational costs, and zero energy operation. Additionally, sensitivity analysis results indicate that LI-NZEH is less sensitive to price fluctuations, further reinforcing its long-term economic viability. These results led to the creation of a framework for delivering IBT-enabled LI-NZEHs in South Africa, aiming to address energy crises, improve low-income households' quality of life, and reduce centralized energy demand. The affordability and sustainability benefits, along with job creation and reduced transportation emissions through local manufacturing, present a compelling case for their adoption. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers, developers, and researchers tackling housing and energy challenges in South Africa and similar contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112847"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AI agent-based indoor environmental informatics: Concept, methodology, and case study","authors":"Jaemin Hwang , Sungmin Yoon","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Analyzing and improving indoor environments requires continuous intervention from human experts, which is challenging in practice. To address this limitation, an ontology-based AI agent system can be employed. This study proposes a conceptual model of AI agent-based indoor environmental informatics (IEI), develops an indoor environmental ontology by extending Brick schema, and demonstrates its application in real indoor environment. AI agent-based IEI is an approach that builds an integrated information system to capture relationships among indoor environments, occupants, and building systems so that utilizes AI agent for continuous indoor environment management. The AI agent leverages indoor environmental ontology, intrusive data, and indoor environmental toolkit to perform holistic analysis of indoor thermal environments and provides strategies for enhancing thermal comfort during the operational phase. The proposed concept was implemented in the Dynamo environment and applied to an office space. For the collection of real indoor environmental data, intrusive measurement was conducted over five days, and an indoor environmental ontology for the target space was developed. Indoor environmental toolkit used for the system included spatial coordinate extractor (SCE) for extracting spatial element coordinates, ontology file generator (OFG) for creating ontology files, and predicted mean vote (PMV) model for calculating PMV. The AI agent identified a PMV variation of 0.77, a discomfort rate of 28.2 %, and the disparity between physical sensor data and occupants’ subjective thermal comfort. Furthermore, the AI agent suggested practical strategies for improvement, including determining window status based on outdoor temperature, adjusting air conditioner operation, and modifying occupant seating arrangements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 112879"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143739580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Entropy generation due to air distribution in rooms","authors":"Zhenhua Xia , Mats Sandberg , Yuguo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Displacement ventilation and mixing ventilation are methods of air distribution that create different airflow patterns in rooms. Moreover, these two methods of air distribution involve diverse processes, such as turbulent flow, heat transfer and mass transfer. It is challenging to describe and compare the impact of these processes on the natural environment in a simple manner. Entropy generation, which represents energy degradation, is a direct and effective parameter for assessing irreversibility in multi-process systems. In this study, heat transfer irreversibility is found to be the primary source of entropy generation in displacement ventilation and mixing ventilation systems. In the tested scenarios, the entropy generation in a displacement ventilation system is approximately 30 % less than that in a mixing ventilation system. During space cooling, this difference in entropy generation is evidenced by the tendency of air to flow towards a uniform mixing state in mixing ventilation. When indoor air can be assumed to be completely mixed, a simplified model can effectively predict entropy generation. Considering entropy and exergy balance, the exergy efficiency for a displacement ventilation system is 25.2 %, whereas that for a mixing ventilation system is only 9.2 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9273,"journal":{"name":"Building and Environment","volume":"276 ","pages":"Article 112870"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}