2021 9th International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC)
This paper presents the key points of an exploration conducted for a research focusing on finding... more This paper presents the key points of an exploration conducted for a research focusing on finding the most suited BIM workflow for energy efficiency oriented retrofit of individual residential buildings. The research presented in this paper focuses on Binayate software tools and aims to explore what these tools provide as potential for the BIM (Building Information Modeling) paradigm and how much they can fit in a regular BIM workflow used in mainstream Architecture agencies. The conducted energy analysis is focused on energy efficiency oriented retrofitting for individual residential housing. Using a case study, the research consists mainly on three parts: drafting an overview of the possibilities offered by Binayate toolset, testing the interoperability of Binayate with other BIM software tools and comparing the results generated by Binayate with previous results conducted by TRNSYS and with data gathered in-situ post-retrofit. The results of this ongoing exploration so far show some positive outcomes, yet many limitations of Binayate 3D in terms of modeling, a lack of interoperability with between Binayate Performancielle, Binayate 3D and other BIM software tools and a gap of 17% between results generated by Binayate Performancielle and the results conducted with TRNSYS that helped achieve a successful case of energy efficiency oriented retrofit.
2015 3rd International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC), 2015
This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space he... more This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space heating of a Turkish bathroom (Hammam) through a heated floor, in Marrakech. Two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. Moreover, an optimization study has been made for the collector area, the inclination of the solar collectors, storage tank, pipes material and pumps flow rates. Dynamic simulation of the Hammam coupled with the floor heating system was conducted using TRNSYS software. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements during four days of the 2015 winter season. Simulations and monitoring results are compared using in-situ measured weather data, while the parametric study was performed along a typical meteorological data (TMY). Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed good accordance with a maximum deviation of 1.5 °C and a maximum relative difference less than 4%. Simulation results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam operative temperature to reach the desired one, since it ranges between 36 °C and 39 °C for a sunny day in winter; while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the former allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, so it avoids day/night temperature large fluctuations thanks to thermal storage inertia. Nevertheless, the configuration of the floor heating system with a storage tank does not achieve the desired temperature for the floor of the Hammam. Furthermore, results of simulations show that the use of serpentine of PEX tubes, 4 m2 water solar collectors with 80 kg.h-1 flow rate works properly for the configuration without thermal storage, since the Hammam air temperature has to be maintained at around 37 °C.
ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities, 2021
This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family ... more This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family house on its energy performance and its indoor thermal comfort in several climates. Two of these scenarios are based on the Moroccan Thermal Regulation in Constructions (RTCM) while the third is the one proposed in this study. The climates range from group B to group C of the Köppen climate classification. The results show that the proposed renovation scenario allows reducing the heating load by 19–42% and the cooling load by 29–60% depending on the climate. Furthermore, the RTCM retrofit scenario leads to summer overheating in all climates. One of the main reasons for this overheating is the insulation of the slab-on-grade floor as this insulation increases the annual heating/cooling energy needs of the house by 6–10%. Moreover, the cavity wall technique was found to be the best option for external walls, instead of using high thermal insulating material, in hot climates. The analysis o...
2014 International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC), 2014
ABSTRACT The objective of this work is to improve the energy performance of a residential buildin... more ABSTRACT The objective of this work is to improve the energy performance of a residential building in Marrakech. A study of the effect of thermal insulation of the envelope and the thermal inertia of the ground and furniture on heating/cooling loads was done. The building is a two floors house, built on-ground with an east-west orientation. North and south walls are affixed to the neighboring houses of the same type. The energy performance of the building are determined through a numerical study; which is achieved by dynamic multizone modeling of several configurations of the house using the TRNSYS software. The simulations were performed over a year through TMY weather file [1]. To validate the simulation results, a monitoring for each area of the house was realized. The simulation results show that the roof insulation can reduce the heating/cooling loads by 11% and 53% respectively. In addition, the external walls insulation by an air gap allows us to reduce the heating and cooling loads by 27.4% and 16.7% respectively. Moreover, coupling the building with the ground reduces the average temperature of the ground floor by about 4°C in summer, and increases it by approximately 1°C in winter. On the other hand, the thermal inertia of furniture has a negligible effect on the heating and cooling loads. It reduces the cooling load by almost 1.2%, while it reduces the thermal load during the winter season by 1.1%.
The purpose of this research is to assess thermal performance and energy saving of a residential ... more The purpose of this research is to assess thermal performance and energy saving of a residential building in the hot semi-arid climate of Marrakech (Morocco). The studied house is built as usual in Marrakech without any thermal insulation except for its external walls, facing East and West, which are double walls with a 5 cm air gap in between (“cavity wall” technique). The cavity wall effective thermal conductivity was carefully calculated taking into account both radiation and convection heat transfers. Experimental results, obtained from winter and summer monitoring of the house, show well dampening of air temperature, thanks to its thermal inertia. However, this temperature remained outside the standard thermal comfort zone leading to large cooling/heating load. Simulation results indicate that the cavity wall contributes to an overall reduction of 13% and 5% of the house heating and cooling loads respectively. Moreover, the addition of XPS roof thermal insulation significantly ...
This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space he... more This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space heating of a Turkish bathroom (Hammam) through a heated floor, in Marrakech. Two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. Moreover, an optimization study has been made for the collector area, the inclination of the solar collectors, storage tank, pipes material and pumps flow rates. Dynamic simulation of the Hammam coupled with the floor heating system was conducted using TRNSYS software. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements during four days of the 2015 winter season. Simulations and monitoring results are compared using in-situ measured weather data, while the parametric study was performed along a typical meteorological data (TMY). Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed good accordance with a maximum deviation of 1.5 °C and a maximum relative difference less than 4%. Simulation results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam operative temperature to reach the desired one, since it ranges between 36 °C and 39 °C for a sunny day in winter; while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the former allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, so it avoids day/night temperature large fluctuations thanks to thermal storage inertia. Nevertheless, the configuration of the floor heating system with a storage tank does not achieve the desired temperature for the floor of the Hammam. Furthermore, results of simulations show that the use of serpentine of PEX tubes, 4 m2 water solar collectors with 80 kg.h-1 flow rate works properly for the configuration without thermal storage, since the Hammam air temperature has to be maintained at around 37 °C.
This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family ... more This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family house on its energy performance and its indoor thermal comfort in several climates. Two of these scenarios are based on the Moroccan Thermal Regulation in Constructions (RTCM) while the third is the one proposed in this study. The climates range from group B to group C of the Köppen climate classification. The results show that the proposed renovation scenario allows reducing the heating load by 19–42% and the cooling load by 29–60% depending on the climate. Furthermore, the RTCM retrofit scenario leads to summer overheating in all climates. One of the main reasons for this overheating is the insulation of the slab-on-grade floor as this insulation increases the annual heating/cooling energy needs of the house by 6–10%. Moreover, the cavity wall technique was found to be the best option for external walls, instead of using high thermal insulating material, in hot climates. The analysis o...
Abstract This paper deals with a numerical and experimental study of energy performance as well a... more Abstract This paper deals with a numerical and experimental study of energy performance as well as an economic study of a solar under floor heating system for a traditional bathroom (Hammam). Prior to this, the solar under floor heating system was designed via a parametric study conducted by means of dynamic simulations for the solar collectors area and inclination, the storage tank, the piping materials, the pumps mass flow rates, the temperature regulation and the thickness of the active slab. Moreover, two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements as well as IR thermography. Good agreement between simulation and experimental results was found with 94% of the discrepancies less than 1 °C. Numerical results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam's operative temperature to reach the desired one. The latter ranges between 30 °C and 37 °C for sunny days in winter, while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the thermal storage system allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, as it avoids large day/night temperature fluctuations thanks to its thermal inertia. Nevertheless, the solar floor heating system configuration with storage tank does not achieve the desired floor surface temperature of the Hammam. Furthermore, it was stated that the best configuration, which leads to an operative temperature of around 35 °C inside the Hammam, is that with cross-linked polyethylene serpentine tubes (PEX) inserted in a concrete slab of 5 cm thickness, 4 m 2 water solar collectors with 80 kg h −1 mass flow rate and temperature regulation difference of 5 °C. On the other hand, the studied solar floor heating system exhibits high to excellent energy performance depending on the use of the Hammam and auxiliary heating is almost not needed for a rational use. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the solar floor heating system of the Hammam indicates that the annual heating energy consumption is reduced by at least 72%. Moreover, the annual energy savings are about 950 MAD (around 97 USD) and 690 MAD (around 70 USD) respectively compared to the electric and gas heating systems. The payback period of the solar system is then around 6 and 8 years respectively. Over the lifetime of the solar system, which is assumed to be 15 years, its cumulative reduction of the CO 2 emissions is up to 10 tons.
2021 9th International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC)
This paper presents the key points of an exploration conducted for a research focusing on finding... more This paper presents the key points of an exploration conducted for a research focusing on finding the most suited BIM workflow for energy efficiency oriented retrofit of individual residential buildings. The research presented in this paper focuses on Binayate software tools and aims to explore what these tools provide as potential for the BIM (Building Information Modeling) paradigm and how much they can fit in a regular BIM workflow used in mainstream Architecture agencies. The conducted energy analysis is focused on energy efficiency oriented retrofitting for individual residential housing. Using a case study, the research consists mainly on three parts: drafting an overview of the possibilities offered by Binayate toolset, testing the interoperability of Binayate with other BIM software tools and comparing the results generated by Binayate with previous results conducted by TRNSYS and with data gathered in-situ post-retrofit. The results of this ongoing exploration so far show some positive outcomes, yet many limitations of Binayate 3D in terms of modeling, a lack of interoperability with between Binayate Performancielle, Binayate 3D and other BIM software tools and a gap of 17% between results generated by Binayate Performancielle and the results conducted with TRNSYS that helped achieve a successful case of energy efficiency oriented retrofit.
2015 3rd International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC), 2015
This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space he... more This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space heating of a Turkish bathroom (Hammam) through a heated floor, in Marrakech. Two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. Moreover, an optimization study has been made for the collector area, the inclination of the solar collectors, storage tank, pipes material and pumps flow rates. Dynamic simulation of the Hammam coupled with the floor heating system was conducted using TRNSYS software. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements during four days of the 2015 winter season. Simulations and monitoring results are compared using in-situ measured weather data, while the parametric study was performed along a typical meteorological data (TMY). Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed good accordance with a maximum deviation of 1.5 °C and a maximum relative difference less than 4%. Simulation results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam operative temperature to reach the desired one, since it ranges between 36 °C and 39 °C for a sunny day in winter; while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the former allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, so it avoids day/night temperature large fluctuations thanks to thermal storage inertia. Nevertheless, the configuration of the floor heating system with a storage tank does not achieve the desired temperature for the floor of the Hammam. Furthermore, results of simulations show that the use of serpentine of PEX tubes, 4 m2 water solar collectors with 80 kg.h-1 flow rate works properly for the configuration without thermal storage, since the Hammam air temperature has to be maintained at around 37 °C.
ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities, 2021
This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family ... more This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family house on its energy performance and its indoor thermal comfort in several climates. Two of these scenarios are based on the Moroccan Thermal Regulation in Constructions (RTCM) while the third is the one proposed in this study. The climates range from group B to group C of the Köppen climate classification. The results show that the proposed renovation scenario allows reducing the heating load by 19–42% and the cooling load by 29–60% depending on the climate. Furthermore, the RTCM retrofit scenario leads to summer overheating in all climates. One of the main reasons for this overheating is the insulation of the slab-on-grade floor as this insulation increases the annual heating/cooling energy needs of the house by 6–10%. Moreover, the cavity wall technique was found to be the best option for external walls, instead of using high thermal insulating material, in hot climates. The analysis o...
2014 International Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conference (IRSEC), 2014
ABSTRACT The objective of this work is to improve the energy performance of a residential buildin... more ABSTRACT The objective of this work is to improve the energy performance of a residential building in Marrakech. A study of the effect of thermal insulation of the envelope and the thermal inertia of the ground and furniture on heating/cooling loads was done. The building is a two floors house, built on-ground with an east-west orientation. North and south walls are affixed to the neighboring houses of the same type. The energy performance of the building are determined through a numerical study; which is achieved by dynamic multizone modeling of several configurations of the house using the TRNSYS software. The simulations were performed over a year through TMY weather file [1]. To validate the simulation results, a monitoring for each area of the house was realized. The simulation results show that the roof insulation can reduce the heating/cooling loads by 11% and 53% respectively. In addition, the external walls insulation by an air gap allows us to reduce the heating and cooling loads by 27.4% and 16.7% respectively. Moreover, coupling the building with the ground reduces the average temperature of the ground floor by about 4°C in summer, and increases it by approximately 1°C in winter. On the other hand, the thermal inertia of furniture has a negligible effect on the heating and cooling loads. It reduces the cooling load by almost 1.2%, while it reduces the thermal load during the winter season by 1.1%.
The purpose of this research is to assess thermal performance and energy saving of a residential ... more The purpose of this research is to assess thermal performance and energy saving of a residential building in the hot semi-arid climate of Marrakech (Morocco). The studied house is built as usual in Marrakech without any thermal insulation except for its external walls, facing East and West, which are double walls with a 5 cm air gap in between (“cavity wall” technique). The cavity wall effective thermal conductivity was carefully calculated taking into account both radiation and convection heat transfers. Experimental results, obtained from winter and summer monitoring of the house, show well dampening of air temperature, thanks to its thermal inertia. However, this temperature remained outside the standard thermal comfort zone leading to large cooling/heating load. Simulation results indicate that the cavity wall contributes to an overall reduction of 13% and 5% of the house heating and cooling loads respectively. Moreover, the addition of XPS roof thermal insulation significantly ...
This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space he... more This paper deals with the energy performances and thermal behavior of a solar system for space heating of a Turkish bathroom (Hammam) through a heated floor, in Marrakech. Two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. Moreover, an optimization study has been made for the collector area, the inclination of the solar collectors, storage tank, pipes material and pumps flow rates. Dynamic simulation of the Hammam coupled with the floor heating system was conducted using TRNSYS software. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements during four days of the 2015 winter season. Simulations and monitoring results are compared using in-situ measured weather data, while the parametric study was performed along a typical meteorological data (TMY). Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed good accordance with a maximum deviation of 1.5 °C and a maximum relative difference less than 4%. Simulation results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam operative temperature to reach the desired one, since it ranges between 36 °C and 39 °C for a sunny day in winter; while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the former allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, so it avoids day/night temperature large fluctuations thanks to thermal storage inertia. Nevertheless, the configuration of the floor heating system with a storage tank does not achieve the desired temperature for the floor of the Hammam. Furthermore, results of simulations show that the use of serpentine of PEX tubes, 4 m2 water solar collectors with 80 kg.h-1 flow rate works properly for the configuration without thermal storage, since the Hammam air temperature has to be maintained at around 37 °C.
This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family ... more This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single-family house on its energy performance and its indoor thermal comfort in several climates. Two of these scenarios are based on the Moroccan Thermal Regulation in Constructions (RTCM) while the third is the one proposed in this study. The climates range from group B to group C of the Köppen climate classification. The results show that the proposed renovation scenario allows reducing the heating load by 19–42% and the cooling load by 29–60% depending on the climate. Furthermore, the RTCM retrofit scenario leads to summer overheating in all climates. One of the main reasons for this overheating is the insulation of the slab-on-grade floor as this insulation increases the annual heating/cooling energy needs of the house by 6–10%. Moreover, the cavity wall technique was found to be the best option for external walls, instead of using high thermal insulating material, in hot climates. The analysis o...
Abstract This paper deals with a numerical and experimental study of energy performance as well a... more Abstract This paper deals with a numerical and experimental study of energy performance as well as an economic study of a solar under floor heating system for a traditional bathroom (Hammam). Prior to this, the solar under floor heating system was designed via a parametric study conducted by means of dynamic simulations for the solar collectors area and inclination, the storage tank, the piping materials, the pumps mass flow rates, the temperature regulation and the thickness of the active slab. Moreover, two configurations with or without thermal storage were compared. The Hammam was monitored via air temperature and humidity measurements as well as IR thermography. Good agreement between simulation and experimental results was found with 94% of the discrepancies less than 1 °C. Numerical results show that the system without thermal storage allows the Hammam's operative temperature to reach the desired one. The latter ranges between 30 °C and 37 °C for sunny days in winter, while the system with thermal storage leads to at least 10 °C operative temperature lower compared to system without thermal storage. In addition, the thermal storage system allows having quasi-constant floor temperature that depends on the storage volume, as it avoids large day/night temperature fluctuations thanks to its thermal inertia. Nevertheless, the solar floor heating system configuration with storage tank does not achieve the desired floor surface temperature of the Hammam. Furthermore, it was stated that the best configuration, which leads to an operative temperature of around 35 °C inside the Hammam, is that with cross-linked polyethylene serpentine tubes (PEX) inserted in a concrete slab of 5 cm thickness, 4 m 2 water solar collectors with 80 kg h −1 mass flow rate and temperature regulation difference of 5 °C. On the other hand, the studied solar floor heating system exhibits high to excellent energy performance depending on the use of the Hammam and auxiliary heating is almost not needed for a rational use. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the solar floor heating system of the Hammam indicates that the annual heating energy consumption is reduced by at least 72%. Moreover, the annual energy savings are about 950 MAD (around 97 USD) and 690 MAD (around 70 USD) respectively compared to the electric and gas heating systems. The payback period of the solar system is then around 6 and 8 years respectively. Over the lifetime of the solar system, which is assumed to be 15 years, its cumulative reduction of the CO 2 emissions is up to 10 tons.
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Papers by Abderrahim Brakez