Manuela Almeida
Universidade do Minho, Engenharia Civil, Faculty Member
Os edifícios da zona mais antiga da cidade de Bragança apresentam, em alguns casos, anomalias devidas à presença de humidade ascensional. Este estudo envolve a caracterização do património construído do Centro Histórico e a realização de... more
Os edifícios da zona mais antiga da cidade de Bragança apresentam, em alguns casos, anomalias devidas à presença de humidade ascensional. Este estudo envolve a caracterização do património construído do Centro Histórico e a realização de uma série de ensaios num edifício seleccionado, com o objectivo de analisar o comportamento e modo de aplicação de produtos comerciais destinados a solucionar problemas de humidade ascensional. Dois dos produtos impedem a ascensão de água no interior da parede, enquanto que o terceiro produto facilita a sua evaporação.Robbialac, Cimpor, Secil Martinganç
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Abstract: With the objective of fostering the energy efficiency of the building sector as well as of the integration of renewable energy sources, the adoption of near Zero Energy Buildings ( nZEB) concepts (buildings that have a very high... more
Abstract: With the objective of fostering the energy efficiency of the building sector as well as of the integration of renewable energy sources, the adoption of near Zero Energy Buildings ( nZEB) concepts (buildings that have a very high energy performance) in new and in existing buildings, is currently being promoted by the SouthZEB project. This Project, initiated in March 2014, is developing, in 30 months, certified training modules targeted towards engineers, architects, municipality technicians and decision makers in Southern European countries, including Portugal. Training modules definition considers the experience and know-how of the front-runner countries (Austria, UK and Northern Italy) participating in the project, but are also based on the counselling of representatives of the main nZEB stakeholders in each of the Southern European countries partnering the SouthZEB project (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus), the so-called SouthZEB National Support Groups. This paper, ...
Daylight illuminance levels and their spatial distribution are important design elements to achieve indoor visual comfort conditions and sustainability in buildings during the operation stage. While a proper daylighting scheme increases... more
Daylight illuminance levels and their spatial distribution are important design elements to achieve indoor visual comfort conditions and sustainability in buildings during the operation stage. While a proper daylighting scheme increases the efficiency of the building, the excessive use of glazed surfaces can contribute to thermal and visual discomfort, hence increasing the cooling demand and use of artificial lighting. Solar control film (SCF) is a self-adhesive thin film that can be applied on glazing systems of existing buildings for retrofitting purposes to modify thermal and optical properties of the glass substrate. This paper analyses experimentally the impact of single glazing with different SCFs on the indoor illuminance levels and respective distribution on horizontal work plane by comparing the measured absolute values and the useful daylight illuminance metric. Field experiments using a small scale model with the glazing oriented to the south, in Lisbon, were performed fo...
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A construção civil é um setor responsável pela geração de grandes impactos ambientais, visando minimizar esses impactos, foram criadas normas e selos ambientais para a construção. Este artigo apresenta um estudo preliminar comparativo... more
A construção civil é um setor responsável pela geração de grandes impactos ambientais, visando minimizar esses impactos, foram criadas normas e selos ambientais para a construção. Este artigo apresenta um estudo preliminar comparativo entre os requisitos da Norma ISO 21931:2010 de Construção Sustentável, os requisitos dos selos AQUA-HQE, o LEED e a Norma de Desempenho NBR 15575:2013. Para tanto, foi realizado uma pesquisa bibliográfica para realizar uma análise comparativa dos requisitos de cada uma delas, tendo em vista conhecer aqueles comuns a todas elas. Como resultado deste trabalho foi identificado que a norma de desempenho, o selo AQUA e o LEED estão bem alinhados com os critérios de sustentabilidade, conforto e saúde do usuário, e já a norma ISO 21931 possui alguns desses itens como opcionais.
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Bolsa de Doutoramento PD/BD/135162/2017, atraves do Programa Doutoral EcoCoRe. Este trabalho foi suportado financeiramente pelo: Projecto POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007457 - CONSTRUCT - Institute of R&D In Structures and Construction com apoio... more
Bolsa de Doutoramento PD/BD/135162/2017, atraves do Programa Doutoral EcoCoRe. Este trabalho foi suportado financeiramente pelo: Projecto POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007457 - CONSTRUCT - Institute of R&D In Structures and Construction com apoio financeiro do FEDER atraves do COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) – e por fundos nacionais atraves da FCT.
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Dada a pertinência da eficiência energética, novas tecnologias e processos têm surgido para auxiliar as equipas de projeto a melhorar o desempenho energético dos edifícios. De entre elas, destaca-se o Building Information Modelling (BIM),... more
Dada a pertinência da eficiência energética, novas tecnologias e processos têm surgido para auxiliar as equipas de projeto a melhorar o desempenho energético dos edifícios. De entre elas, destaca-se o Building Information Modelling (BIM), que proporciona aos projetistas novas oportunidades, desafios e apoio na otimização energética dos seus projetos
In order to mitigate climate changes induced by human action, the European Union settled a long term goal of reducing, up to 2050, the carbon emissions to 80 to 95% of 1990 values. At the level of the built environment it is expected to... more
In order to mitigate climate changes induced by human action, the European Union settled a long term goal of reducing, up to 2050, the carbon emissions to 80 to 95% of 1990 values. At the level of the built environment it is expected to reduce carbon emissions to about 90% of the values of 1990 in that period. In order to promote this achievement, EU established the “nearly-zero energy” buildings concept that emerged in the context of the EPBD recast. This directive determines that by 31 December 2020, all new buildings must be nearly zero-energy buildings and all member states must develop policies and take measures to stimulate the transformation of the building stock also into nearly zero-energy buildings. In the actual context, this is a major challenge since there isn’t yet enough knowhow to do it and the existing standards and regulations regarding energy consumption are mainly focused on new buildings and do not respond effectively to the numerous constraints of the existing ...
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To promote energy efficient buildings, with low energy consumption and energy generation onsite, innovative renovation projects are needed that can act as forerunners and inspiration but also serve as best practice examples for the expert... more
To promote energy efficient buildings, with low energy consumption and energy generation onsite, innovative renovation projects are needed that can act as forerunners and inspiration but also serve as best practice examples for the expert audience and the general public. Within this IEA EBC Annex 56 project, six different Case Studies from six European countries were compiled and analysed . The Case Studies are both residential and non-residential buildings, which serve as model projects for renovations in each individual country. The specific aim of the case study activity of this IEA EBC Annex 56 project is to provide significant and useful feedback from practice on a scientific basis
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ABSTRACT: The Portuguese housing sector experienced a significant growth throughout the 20 century, particularly in the last quarter, after the democratic revolution in 1974. In fact, the number of buildings built between 1970 and 1990... more
ABSTRACT: The Portuguese housing sector experienced a significant growth throughout the 20 century, particularly in the last quarter, after the democratic revolution in 1974. In fact, the number of buildings built between 1970 and 1990 ismore than one third of the buildings actually existing in Portugal. Therefore most of them were built before the publication of the first regulation concerning the energy efficiency in buildings. Regarding this scenario, it would be expected that rehabilitation activities would represent most of the current construction activities. However, given some remaining barriers from old social policies, this situation is not observed; actually building retrofitting is the least significant sector, accentuating the degradation level of major part of the Portuguese housing stock. Several studies show that the main problems are found in the building’s envelope elements, such as roofs and facades. Based on this context, the aim of this paper is to introduce som...
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A urbanizacao de Vila d’Este e uma das mais importantes urbanizacoes de “habitacao de custos controlados” em Portugal, com um total de 109 edificios, alojando cerca de 17 mil habitantes. Tendo por base o processo de reabilitacao em curso,... more
A urbanizacao de Vila d’Este e uma das mais importantes urbanizacoes de “habitacao de custos controlados” em Portugal, com um total de 109 edificios, alojando cerca de 17 mil habitantes. Tendo por base o processo de reabilitacao em curso, e realizada uma analise de custos de ciclo de vida. O objetivo e identificar os niveis otimos de rentabilidade dos requisitos energeticos aplicaveis na reabilitacao dos edificios e em cada um dos seus componentes com relevância no desempenho energetico, bem como identificar os niveis de desempenho energetico compativeis com o conceito de edificios de necessidades quase nulas de energia. Os resultados desta avaliacao serao de utilidade relevante para o desenvolvimento do plano nacional para a reabilitacao do parque edificado existente como previsto na Diretiva Europeia para o Desempenho Energetico dos Edificios de 2010.
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Os autores agradecem o apoio financeiro concedido pelo programa Erasmus Mundus ISAC – Improving Skills Across Continents a presente pesquisa.
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This document reports the importance of the category of consciousness and education for sustainability in the school environment. Education in school has a potential to make the benefits of the building construction visible for society... more
This document reports the importance of the category of consciousness and education for sustainability in the school environment. Education in school has a potential to make the benefits of the building construction visible for society and media, showing to the students, parents and communities how sustainability in built environment could improve the people life in economic, social and environment aspects. Thus, this paper addresses the main events related to sustainability, such as the Stockholm Conference, the Brundtland report, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and Agenda 21, until reaching the necessity of the elaboration of Methodologies for environmental assessment of building, and later, the development of the specific methodologies according to the buildings. It is also described some examples of sustainability in schools in Germany, Finland and Italy and what kind of sustainable systems those countries are currently using.
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Santiago de Chile is a city with a semi-arid climate, with prolonged periods of high temperature and solar radiation. In recent years, in this city, office buildings have been built with high window to wall ratio (WWR) facades. 65% of the... more
Santiago de Chile is a city with a semi-arid climate, with prolonged periods of high temperature and solar radiation. In recent years, in this city, office buildings have been built with high window to wall ratio (WWR) facades. 65% of the office buildings built in the period 2005-2014 have a WWR higher than 60%. Only 5% of these buildings showed an efficient glazed façade solar protection device. One of these systems corresponds to an exterior textile solar protection. This type of systems, together with the perforated screens, could be effective solutions for the solar protection of glazed facades, reducing the cooling energy consumption of buildings, without risking the visual comfort of the occupants. The objective of this research is to evaluate the solar transmission and lighting of seven perforated solar protection systems. Three of these systems correspond to external textile solar protections, and the remaining four are perforated metallic screens. The evaluation was carried...
Improving energy efficiency in existing buildings is a great challenge. These buildings have their own limitations related with their design, location and function. To study the possibilities of cost-effectively improve the thermal... more
Improving energy efficiency in existing buildings is a great challenge. These buildings have their own limitations related with their design, location and function. To study the possibilities of cost-effectively improve the thermal performance of these buildings and increase the chances of reaching the nearly zero energy (nZEB) target, one building of Rainha Dona Leonor neighbourhood has been analysed. The purpose of the study was to analyse the robustness of the cost optimal methodology when renovating towards nZEB targets. With this work it was possible to understand that the most cost effective package of renovation measures to achieve cost optimal levels and to achieve the nZEB target are very similar and these results do not suffer major changes when variations on the energy prices, discount rates or photovoltaic (PV) costs are considered. However, these changes make the use of PV more cost-effective and nZEB levels become, sometimes, also cost optimal levels. Cost optimal, nZE...
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Intelligent Energy Europe programme for its financial support, Grant agreement no.IEE/09/631/SI2.558225
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Buildings are one of the major consumers of energy in Europe. This makes them an important target when aiming to reduce the energy consumptions and carbon emissions. The majority of the European building stock has already some decades and... more
Buildings are one of the major consumers of energy in Europe. This makes them an important target when aiming to reduce the energy consumptions and carbon emissions. The majority of the European building stock has already some decades and so it needs renovation in order to keep its functionality. Taking advantage of these interventions, the energy performance of the buildings may also be improved. In Portugal the renovation techniques, both regarding energy efficiency measures as well as measures for the use of renewable energy sources, are normally planned at the building scale. It is important to explore the possibility of having large scale interventions, has it has been done in other countries, namely at neighbourhood scale with district energy system in order to optimize the results in terms of costs and environmental impact.
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The work within IEA EBC is co-funded by different national authorities and the individually participating national organisations – universities and private companies. Without their contributions, this work had not been possible
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In the last decades, public and governmental awareness on thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) has been growing. In buildings the number of potential pollutants is significant, and even low concentration levels can cause health... more
In the last decades, public and governmental awareness on thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) has been growing. In buildings the number of potential pollutants is significant, and even low concentration levels can cause health problems (increased incidence of asthma and allergies, for example) if combined effects are considered. Therefore, the assessment of IAQ is very important to ensure health, well-being and productivity. This paper presents the results of a thermal comfort conditions and IAQ assessment of two hospital buildings with natural ventilation. The air temperature, the black bulb temperature, air velocity, relative humidity and the concentration of suspended particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds were measured. A standard questionnaire was delivered to the occupants to also obtain a subjective assessment of the thermal comfort and IAQ conditions. The goal of this study was to verify the thermal and I...
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Wind tunnel tests are a reliable tool to determine the effect of natural ventilation on buildings. This paper presents results of wind tunnel tests conducted to evaluate the influence of ventilation modules positioning on a facade system.... more
Wind tunnel tests are a reliable tool to determine the effect of natural ventilation on buildings. This paper presents results of wind tunnel tests conducted to evaluate the influence of ventilation modules positioning on a facade system. Modules positioning was modified, resulting in different facade configurations. The tests were carried out with the use of a model, varying the position of the ventilation modules in the facade configuration. The cases tested were six ventilation modules positioned below the window sill (ventilated window sill), and three ventilation modules positioned above and below the facade. The facade system proposed was movable and interchangeable so that the same basic model could be used to test the possibilities for ventilation.Wind speedmeasurements were taken inside and outside themodel for the different facades configurations to evaluate the best performance in relation to natural ventilation. Single sided and Cross ventilation were considered for wind...
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The relevance of the building sector in the global energy use as well as in the global carbon emissions makes the improvement of the overall ener gy performance of existing buildings an important part of the actions to mitigate climate c... more
The relevance of the building sector in the global energy use as well as in the global carbon emissions makes the improvement of the overall ener gy performance of existing buildings an important part of the actions to mitigate climate c hanges. Regardless of this potential, large scale building renovation has been found hard to tr igge , with present standards mainly focused on new buildings, not responding effectivel y to the technical, functional and economic constraints of the existing ones. One of t he common problems in the assessment of building renovation scenarios is that only energy s avings and costs are normally considered, despite the fact that the investment on energy effi ci ncy yield several benefits beyond the value of saved energy (the so-called co-benefits). To demonstrate and highlight the relevance of co-be nefits achieved in the renovation process, a Portuguese neighbourhood with nearly 17.000 inhab itants that has been recently renovated is analysed in search ...
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The European roadmap towards a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 raised the awareness about buildings energy performance due to their potential for cost-effective energy consumption and carbon emissions reductions. For the evaluation... more
The European roadmap towards a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 raised the awareness about buildings energy performance due to their potential for cost-effective energy consumption and carbon emissions reductions. For the evaluation of the levels of energy performance of buildings, the European Commission presented the Cost Optimal Methodology allowing comparing different energy performance levels of buildings and buildings components and identifying those with the lowest associated cost considering the building life cycle. This study, using four reference buildings from the Portuguese building stock, where some scenarios for the improvement of their energy performance were analysed with the purpose of identifying the cost-optimal levels, compares the economic performance of different measures. Results provide guidance for the assertive combination of elements for new buildings and for building packages of renovation of measures, as well as for the choice of individual measure...
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ABSTRACT: This paper presents the structural adaptation of the residential buildings Le Navi in Florence. As well as tackling the typological, architectural and environmental obsolescence of the multi-storey blocks, the refurbishment... more
ABSTRACT: This paper presents the structural adaptation of the residential buildings Le Navi in Florence. As well as tackling the typological, architectural and environmental obsolescence of the multi-storey blocks, the refurbishment programme also achieved ...
The correct specification of glazings for façades can reduce the energy consumption in buildings. The heat exchange occurs through transparent surfaces and radiation reaches the building as light and heat. Therefore, glazings... more
The correct specification of glazings for façades can reduce the energy consumption in buildings. The heat exchange occurs through transparent surfaces and radiation reaches the building as light and heat. Therefore, glazings significantly contribute to the heat transfer between outdoor and indoor spaces and act directly on daylighting and thermal comfort. This paper reports on the spectrophotometric characterization of glazings transmittance for the study of components of a modular façade system and its suitability for the climate of Portugal (temperate climate). The study focused on results of spectrophotometric measurements of optical properties, specifically the transmittance of some types of glazings (solar control, self-cleaning, low-e, float, and extra-clear) and two types of double glazings. The results show the percentage of transmission to ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions and its importance, which enabled the analysis of the glazing efficiency regarding daylighting and the correlation to thermal performance. Subsidies and indications for the specification and adequate uses of transparent surfaces have been presented and complemented the datasheets available from the manufactures.
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It is increasingly recognised that the energy renovation of the existing building stock will be determinant for achieving 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation targets in Europe. As operational energy is being dramatically reduced through... more
It is increasingly recognised that the energy renovation of the existing building stock will be determinant for achieving 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation targets in Europe. As operational energy is being dramatically reduced through regulatory efforts and funding from the European Union, the relevance of the environmental performance of these interventions becomes higher, namely regarding embodied energy and carbon emissions associated with the materials that compose the renovation solutions. Although some studies address these impacts in buildings, the range of studies focusing on the neighbourhood scale is limited. This article presents a methodological framework combining a life cycle cost assessment (LCC) and a life cycle assessment (LCA). The purpose is to assess the relevance of embodied energy and carbon emissions on the cost-effectiveness of building renovation solutions towards nZEB at the neighbourhood scale by comparing an operational energy approach and a whole life cycle ...
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CIES2020: As Energias Renováveis na Transição Energética: Livro de Comunicações do XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia Solar. Helder Gonçalves, Manuel Romero (Ed.). Lisboa, Portugal: LNEG, 3-5 Novembro,... more
CIES2020: As Energias Renováveis na Transição Energética: Livro de Comunicações do XVII Congresso Ibérico e XIII Congresso Ibero-americano de Energia Solar. Helder Gonçalves, Manuel Romero (Ed.). Lisboa, Portugal: LNEG, 3-5 Novembro, 2020, p. 1157-1165. ISBN: 978-989-675-076-3
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Peritoneal fast transport in incident peritoneal dialysis patients is not consistently associated with systemic inflammation
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Received: 28 March 2021 Accepted: 20 May 2021 In this paper, the energy and environmental impacts of a passive retrofit action, involving the installation, on an office building, of a second-skin system with the external layer made of a... more
Received: 28 March 2021 Accepted: 20 May 2021 In this paper, the energy and environmental impacts of a passive retrofit action, involving the installation, on an office building, of a second-skin system with the external layer made of a PVC-coated polyester fabric, were evaluated in terms of primary energy saving and carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The primary energy consumption and the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions associated with the considered case studies were evaluated through the dynamic simulation software TRNSYS, across a whole year. The study was carried out considering five cities (Athens, Barcelona, Lisbon, Marseille and Naples) in five different countries in southern Europe upon varying the orientation of the two main façades of building (north-south and east-west orientation were considered). The office building was modeled in detail considering different construction characteristics upon varying the country. The simulation results highlight that the best res...
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Este trabalho foi financiado por: Projeto POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007457 - CONSTRUCT - Instituto de I&D em Estruturas e Construcoes - financiado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), atraves do COMPETE2020 – Programa... more
Este trabalho foi financiado por: Projeto POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007457 - CONSTRUCT - Instituto de I&D em Estruturas e Construcoes - financiado pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), atraves do COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) e por fundos nacionais atraves da Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia I.P.; Bolsa FCT PD/BD/52658/2014.
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MORE-CONNECT is funded by the European Commission within the framework of the Horizon 2020 program
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Promoting the improvement of the overall energy performance of buildings is a relevant part of the European climate action and the Roadmap for moving towards a competitive low carbon economy in 2050, with an expectation of reducing... more
Promoting the improvement of the overall energy performance of buildings is a relevant part of the European climate action and the Roadmap for moving towards a competitive low carbon economy in 2050, with an expectation of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 90% when compared to 1990 values, in the area of the built environment. The recast of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) introduced the goal of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) for all new buildings from January 1st, 2021 and plans should be drawn to stimulate the transformation of existing buildings that are refurbished into the same concept. EPBD also requires that all European Member States must ensure that the minimum energy performance requirements for buildings are set to achieve optimal levels, i.e. the energy performance levels that lead to the minimum cost during the life cycle. Therefore, Cost Optimality and nZEB are two fundamental concepts within the current European Union ...
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O presente capítulo apresenta uma metodologia para a determinação das soluções de reabilitação de custo ótimo, ou seja, das soluções que apresentem o menor custo considerando o investimento na operação de reabilitação e os custos de... more
O presente capítulo apresenta uma metodologia para a determinação das soluções de reabilitação de custo ótimo, ou seja, das soluções que apresentem o menor custo considerando o investimento na operação de reabilitação e os custos de utilização do edifício ao longo do seu ciclo de vida, e demonstra a aplicação dessa metodologia num edifício residencial característico do parque edificado de Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A construção de novos edifícios, infraestruturas e a reabilitação deve reger-se pelos princípios de desenvolvimento sustentável. A reabilitação de edifícios pode contribuir para uma melhoria do desempenho ambiental das cidade e da... more
A construção de novos edifícios, infraestruturas e a reabilitação deve reger-se pelos princípios de desenvolvimento sustentável. A reabilitação de edifícios pode contribuir para uma melhoria do desempenho ambiental das cidade e da qualidade de vida dos seus cidadãos. O presente trabalho tem como finalidade otimizar, sob o ponto de vista de eficiência energética e sustentabilidade, a solução de reabilitação a aplicar na cobertura de um caso de estudo. Para a avaliação do nível de sustentabilidade de diferentes soluções de reabilitação da envolvente vertical exterior dos edifícios, isto é do seu nível de desempenho global baseado em indicadores ambientais, sociais e económicos, será utilizada a Metodologia de Avaliação Relativa da Sustentabilidade de Soluções Construtivas (MARS-SC). Os resultados obtidos neste estudo resultam da aplicação da referida metodologia a um caso de estudo. A aplicação a um caso de estudo, correspondente a um edifício unifamiliar convencional em Portugal, per...
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... C16 Improving the Quality of Existing Urban Building Envelopes NEEDS edited by: Ebbe Melgaard George Hadjimichael Manuela Almeida Leo GW ... Urban Building Envelopes 81 T. Stojkov General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions... more
... C16 Improving the Quality of Existing Urban Building Envelopes NEEDS edited by: Ebbe Melgaard George Hadjimichael Manuela Almeida Leo GW ... Urban Building Envelopes 81 T. Stojkov General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions in the Maltese Urban Building ...
General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions in the Cyprian Urban Building Envelopes George Hadjimichael, Town Planning and Housing Department Christos Efstathiades, Ministry of Communication & Works Petros Lapithis. PA Lapithis... more
General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions in the Cyprian Urban Building Envelopes George Hadjimichael, Town Planning and Housing Department Christos Efstathiades, Ministry of Communication & Works Petros Lapithis. PA Lapithis Architectural Firm ABSTRACT: ...
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Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and POPH/FSE-MCTES for the financial support for this study under Reference SFRH/BD/112703/2015
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During the recent years followed by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), most of business and industries around the globe have been hardly hit to the limit that it still struggling to survive, suffering from the crisis financial... more
During the recent years followed by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), most of business and industries around the globe have been hardly hit to the limit that it still struggling to survive, suffering from the crisis financial consequences. For instance, in the construction industry; many construction projects have been suspended or totally cancelled. Nevertheless, among this dilemma, a call has been raised to use the sustainable practices to mitigate the effects of the GFC on construction industry. For the first look, it seems that there is contradiction since the sustainable solutions are often associated with an increase in the initial cost, undoubtedly, the sustainable practices have many advantages in both economic and environment aspects, however, the question which needs to be addressed here is, to what extent using such sustainable practices can mitigate the negative effects of the economic downturn on construction industry. Therefore, it is a challenging argument for using ...
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Os autores agradecem ao Programa Erasmus Mundus ISAC - Improving Skills Across Continents pelo apoio financeiro a esta pesquisa.
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Nowadays, the sustainability of buildings has an extreme importance. This concept goes towards the European aims of the Program Horizon 2020, which concerns about the reduction of the environmental impacts through such aspects as the... more
Nowadays, the sustainability of buildings has an extreme importance. This concept goes towards the European aims of the Program Horizon 2020, which concerns about the reduction of the environmental impacts through such aspects as the energy efficiency and renewable technologies, among others. Sustainability is an extremely broad concept but, in this work, it is intended to include the concept of sustainability in buildings. Within the concept that aims the integration of environmental, social and economic levels towards the preservation of the planet and the integrity of the users, there are, currently, several types of tools of environmental certification that are applicable to the construction industry (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, SBTool, among others). Within this context, it is highlighted the tool SBTool (Sustainable Building Tool) that is employed in several countries and can be subject to review in institutions of basic education, which are the base for the formation of the critical ...
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Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia e ao POPH/FSE-MCTES pelo apoio a este estudo atraves da bolsa com a referencia SFRH/BD/112703/2015.
Research Interests: Reabilitação and Conforto
The use of thermal insulation materials to achieve energy efficient buildings is intended in most cases to meet the heating and cooling needs of the operational phase. By means of an exploratory methodology, namely literature review, this... more
The use of thermal insulation materials to achieve energy efficient buildings is intended in most cases to meet the heating and cooling needs of the operational phase. By means of an exploratory methodology, namely literature review, this paper aims to identify more sustainable insulation materials and concomitantly present the paradoxical effect of other insulation materials with high Global Warming Potential (GWP). The role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Ecodesign and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tools is highlighted for the design, comparison and selection of materials. As a main conclusion, the general lack of environmental information from producers, together with prices that do not internalize Life Cycle Costs (LCC), have led to the use of insulation materials with a high carbon footprint and the “insulation paradox”.
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This work intends to show a methodology developed for the identification and resolution of buildings rehabilitation problems. The main goal of the present methodology is to support and help the decision-makers in order to achieve a... more
This work intends to show a methodology developed for the identification and resolution of buildings rehabilitation problems. The main goal of the present methodology is to support and help the decision-makers in order to achieve a capable and sustainable resolution of present problems, without compromising the needs for future interventions. This kind of tools is fundamental to avoid current mistakes and errors. In Portugal this type of tools is scarce. This methodology consists of a database system containing the available information concerning all the parameters involved in the rehabilitation process. The developed methodology was implemented with the assistance of a computational system developed from the start which, by means of pre-established relationships, allows the identification of the best intervention solutions and rehabilitation works to be carried out. 1
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As EU existing buildings stock account for 40% of the total energy consumption, it is important to take measures to reduce these needs and, consequently, reduce the EU external energy dependency as well as reducing the greenhouse gas... more
As EU existing buildings stock account for 40% of the total energy consumption, it is important to take measures to reduce these needs and, consequently, reduce the EU external energy dependency as well as reducing the greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with what is prescribed in the EU Directive 2002/91/EU on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EPBD) and reinforced with the "EPBD-recast". The implementation of energy efficiency measures in the existing building stock is necessary to meet the 2020 targets. Thus, energy refurbishment of existing buildings is essential to achieve these goals. However, during the buildings refurbishment, energy issues should not be the only concerns since the indoor air quality is also as important. When planning a building refurbishment it is then necessary to take into account the energy efficiency exigencies and also the indoor air quality. To do so, the main problems of the existing buildings should be identified, in order to do the righ...
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ABSTRACT: Many regulations and initiatives to promote the reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions have been implemented in the building sector. However, they are mostly targeted for new buildings. In order to have an... more
ABSTRACT: Many regulations and initiatives to promote the reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions have been implemented in the building sector. However, they are mostly targeted for new buildings. In order to have an effective impact and reach the goals that are being established, it is necessary to act in new but especially in the existing buildings, which correspond to the majority of the European building stock. Building renovation improves the buildings' energy performance, reducing the carbon emissions related to the operation of the building but the renovation involves adding new materials and technical systems. The production process of these new materials uses energy (embodied energy) and releases carbon emissions. In this sense, after a certain level of energy efficiency, the materials added to the building may have more embodied energy than the energy savings they will lead to. To evaluate the relevance of the embodied energy in building renovation, I...
ABSTRACT: Nowadays, the sustainability of buildings has an extreme importance. This concept goes towards the European aims of the Program Horizon 2020, which concerns about the reduction of the environmental impacts through such aspects... more
ABSTRACT: Nowadays, the sustainability of buildings has an extreme importance. This concept goes towards the European aims of the Program Horizon 2020, which concerns about the reduction of the environmental impacts through such aspects as the energy efficiency and renewable technologies, among others. Sustainability is an extremely broad concept but, in this work, it is intended to include the concept of sustainability in buildings. Within the concept that aims the integration of environmental, social and economic levels towards the preservation of the planet and the integrity of the users, there are, currently, several types of tools of environmental certification that are applicable to the construction industry (LEED, BREEAM, DGNB, SBTool, among others). Within this context, it is highlighted the tool SBTool (Sustainable Building Tool) that is employed in several countries and can be subject to review in institutions of basic education, which are the base for the formation of the...
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Improving energy efficiency in existing buildings is a great challenge. These buildings have their own limitations related with their design, location and function. To study the possibilities of cost-effectively improve the thermal... more
Improving energy efficiency in existing buildings is a great challenge. These buildings have their own limitations related with their design, location and function. To study the possibilities of cost-effectively improve the thermal performance of these buildings and increase the chances of reaching the nearly zero energy (nZEB) target, one building of Rainha Dona Leonor neighborhood has been analyzed. The purpose of the study was to find the most cost-effective renovation solution for this case study and assess in what way this solution contributes to reaching the nZEB target. With this work it was possible to understand that the energy performance of this kind of buildings can be firstly improved through renovation measures applied to the envelope but, above a certain level, changing the existing equipment and the energy source become more cost-effective. housing face severe economical, technical, legislative, social and organizational barriers. The lack of money, the split incenti...
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The “in-situ” measurements acquired to characterize full-scale electric-driven glasses, able to dynamically switch from opaque to transparent state, were used to develop, calibrate and validate thermal and visual simulation models of... more
The “in-situ” measurements acquired to characterize full-scale electric-driven glasses, able to dynamically switch from opaque to transparent state, were used to develop, calibrate and validate thermal and visual simulation models of these devices. The validated models were then used, in the simulation software TRNSYS, to assess the ability of these dynamic glasses to control the indoor conditions and reduce cooling load. The analysis was conducted for an office in an historical building, comparing the simulation results associated to the electric-driven glasses with those of the conventional double-glazing ones, from energy and visual points of view. Two different switching strategies were considered: i) Daylight strategy and ii) Thermal strategy. The use of electric-driven glasses allows from the thermal point of view to reduce about 12.5% of the cooling load, while from a visual point of view, to reach the highest values of Useful Daylight Illuminance, if controlled following the...
The correct specification of glazings for façades can reduce the energy consumption in buildings. The heat exchange occurs through transparent surfaces and radiation reaches the building as light and heat. Therefore, glazings... more
The correct specification of glazings for façades can reduce the energy consumption in buildings. The heat exchange occurs through transparent surfaces and radiation reaches the building as light and heat. Therefore, glazings significantly contribute to the heat transfer between outdoor and indoor spaces and act directly on daylighting and thermal comfort. This paper reports on the spectrophotometric characterization of glazings transmittance for the study of components of a modular façade system and its suitability for the climate of Portugal (temperate climate). The study focused on results of spectrophotometric measurements of optical properties, specifically the transmittance of some types of glazings (solar control, self-cleaning, low-e, float, and extra-clear) and two types of double glazings. The results show the percentage of transmission to ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions and its importance, which enabled the analysis of the glazing efficiency regarding dayl...
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In this paper, the "in situ" measurements acquired to characterize full-scale electric-driven glasses, able to switch from opaque to transparent state thanks to an electric field, were used to develop, calibrate and validate... more
In this paper, the "in situ" measurements acquired to characterize full-scale electric-driven glasses, able to switch from opaque to transparent state thanks to an electric field, were used to develop, calibrate and validate thermal and visual simulation models of these devices, by means of the simulation software TRNSYS. The validated simulation models were then used, in the same simulation software, to assess the ability of the electric-driven glasses, integrated in historical buildings, to control the indoor comfort conditions as well as to evaluate their ability for reducing cooling energy consumption. The analysis was conducted for an office located in an historical building, comparing the simulation results associated to the electric-driven window with those of a conventional double-glazing window, from energy and visual points of view. The energy and visual analyses were carried out considering two different switching strategies: i) Daylight strategy and ii) Thermal...
An ecological mortar is designed from industrial sub-products, with the objective of utilizing both the slag residues, generated during steel manufacturing processes, and the waste from Polyurethane Foam (PF) panels, generated during... more
An ecological mortar is designed from industrial sub-products, with the objective of utilizing both the slag residues, generated during steel manufacturing processes, and the waste from Polyurethane Foam (PF) panels, generated during refrigerator chamber manufacturing processes. The ecological mortar design involves the dosing of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag, together with finely ground Polyurethane Foam, cement, and additives. An energy efficient prefabricated block is designed with the mortar, for use in construction, and its energy performance is assessed as a material inserted within the envelope of a service sector (hospital) building, either as an exterior skin, or as an enclosing component within the façade interior. The main contribution of this research is the characterization of the thermo-physical and mechanical properties of a new prefabricated panel made with recycled materials. The full characterization of the properties of these new materials is presented and discu...
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A major challenge our society faces today is the energy consumption of buildings. Building stock is responsible for about 40% of energy consumption worldwide. The same applies to Kosovo, where a large number of houses are poorly... more
A major challenge our society faces today is the energy consumption of buildings. Building stock is responsible for about 40% of energy consumption worldwide. The same applies to Kosovo, where a large number of houses are poorly weatherized and inefficient in terms of energy consumption. Most of the energy consumption in the household sector in Kosovo is dedicated to the needs for heating purposes. Furthermore, many of these houses use wood or coal for heating, releasing a lot of gases in the air and so contributing to an increased air pollution both indoors and outdoors. The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” aims to address the issue of energy efficiency for these houses. Specifically, in this study we intend to evaluate various retrofit measures applicable in the country for typical masonry houses and identify the cost-efficient solution. This paper reports the initial results of the study and discusses related challenges.
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Abstract The reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions in the building sector is an important target for actions to mitigate the climate changes and different actions are being carried out to promote a transition to a low... more
Abstract The reduction of the energy consumption and carbon emissions in the building sector is an important target for actions to mitigate the climate changes and different actions are being carried out to promote a transition to a low carbon built environment. However, present standards are mainly focused on new buildings which may result counter-productive in existing ones, due to their technical, functional and economic constraints. One of the most common problems in the current way of assessing building renovation scenarios is that only energy savings and cost are considered, disregarding additional benefits. Many studies, based on real cases, have already highlighted the relevance of these so-called co-benefits, which can be felt at the building level (and therefore they should be considered in the definition of the renovation measures) and also at the level of society. The present investigation has been developed under the scope of IEA EBC Annex 56 project, and a method to integrate co-benefits in the evaluation of the renovation scenarios towards both the nearly-zero emissions and the nearly-zero energy objectives is proposed. It has been applied to case-studies from several European countries and based on subsequent findings recommendations for policy makers and professional owners are presented.
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Buildings are responsible for several negative impacts on the environment, most of them related to nonrenewable energy consumption, increasing the concern regarding buildings energy efficiency. In this context, computer software has been... more
Buildings are responsible for several negative impacts on the environment, most of them related to nonrenewable energy consumption, increasing the concern regarding buildings energy efficiency. In this context, computer software has been used to estimate the energy needs of the built environment, and the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology can be used to simplify this process. This study aims to validate a BIM-based framework to streamline the energy analysis of Portuguese buildings, based on the method of the national regulation for the thermal performance of residential buildings. Currently, designers need to spend considerable time assessing all the building characteristics and performing the mandatory calculations for energy performance analysis. It is also intended to link the results of the energy simulation with a Building Sustainability Assessment method—SBToolPT-H. The purpose is to demonstrate how it is possible to benefit from this approach to simultaneously ...
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The growing debate about global environmental problems is evident in several spheres of society. The concern for the future of the planet is used as a political slogan, inspiring the creation of new laws and encouraging academic research... more
The growing debate about global environmental problems is evident in several spheres of society. The concern for the future of the planet is used as a political slogan, inspiring the creation of new laws and encouraging academic research that serves this purpose, as well as increasing the number of government agencies concerned with this matter. The 21st century is considered the “century of sustainable development”. Sustainability education in high schools has the potential to make the benefits of civil construction more visible to society and media by showing students, parents, and communities in general how sustainability in the built environment can improve their lives in economic, social, and environmental aspects. This study was applied in three high schools of Juiz de Fora (Brazil) and Guimarães (Portugal). These high schools have similar characteristics regarding teaching patterns and commitment to strengthening sustainability in their respective regions and reflect their so...
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The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context... more
The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context of environmental awareness and climate change, it is relevant to understand their features/strategies and how they perform. This work analyses the energy performance and thermal condition evaluation of a vernacular timber building–palheiro–from Praia de Mira, through in situ measurements, subjective analysis and energy simulation provided by DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus. The results show a good or satisfactory thermal performance during most of the seasons by passive means only. Despite, it was not possible to guarantee thermal comfort conditions for the occupants during winter. In the energy performance analysis, five scenarios, with different external walls, were compared. In the two scenarios that satisfy the maximum U-value for the climate zone, the ...
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A large-scale energy renovation intervention in existing buildings has been consistently presented as the most significant opportunity to contribute to achieving the European targets for 2030 and 2050. One of the key points for such... more
A large-scale energy renovation intervention in existing buildings has been consistently presented as the most significant opportunity to contribute to achieving the European targets for 2030 and 2050. One of the key points for such achievement is the cost-effectiveness of the interventions proposed, which is also closely related to decent housing affordability. Prefabricated modular solutions have been pointed out as a pathway, but there are knowledge gaps regarding both its cost-effectiveness and its environmental performance. Considering a social housing multi-family building in Porto, Portugal, as a case study, this research employs energy simulations, a cost-optimal methodology and a life cycle analysis approach to assess the influence of considering embodied energy and emissions in cost-effectiveness calculations. In general terms, the hierarchical relation between calculated renovation scenarios remain identical, as well as the choice of the cost-optimal combination, which ca...
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In the 1970s and 1980s, the effects of pollution in the atmosphere grew from a local to a global scale, affecting the entire planet. Consequently, economic and social issues began to be increasingly more connected with environmental... more
In the 1970s and 1980s, the effects of pollution in the atmosphere grew from a local to a global scale, affecting the entire planet. Consequently, economic and social issues began to be increasingly more connected with environmental protection. Several measures were taken towards environmental preservation, many of those related to the sustainable construction of buildings. This work intended to make a parallel between comfort indicators among different schools in Brazil, beginning with the specific analyses of schools in Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais, MG), in the Southeast region, and in Macapá (Amapa, AP), in the Amazon or Northern region. This comparison between schools is made to demonstrate the need to adapt methodologies and certifications that promote sustainability in school buildings for each region of Brazil. Questionnaires about ergonomic, thermal, visual and acoustic comfort, and air quality, were applied in two high-school buildings in Juiz de Fora, Academia School and San...
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The construction sector is facing increasingly strict energy efficiency regulations. Existing buildings have specific technical, functional and economic constraints, which, in fulfilling regulations, could lead to costly and complex... more
The construction sector is facing increasingly strict energy efficiency regulations. Existing buildings have specific technical, functional and economic constraints, which, in fulfilling regulations, could lead to costly and complex renovation procedures and also lead to missed opportunities for improving their energy performance. In this article, the methodology for comparing cost-optimality in building renovations, developed in the International Energy Agency (IEA)–Energy in Buildings and Communities (EBC) Annex 56 project, is extended with a life cycle assessment by including embodied primary energy and carbon emissions in the calculations. The objective is to understand the relevance of embodied energy and carbon emissions in the evaluation of the cost effectiveness of building renovation solutions towards nearly zero energy buildings, as well as the effect of the embodied values in the achievable carbon emissions and primary energy reductions expected in an energy renovation. R...
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14 The building sector is responsible for consuming approximately 40% of the final energy 15 in Europe. However, more than 50% of this consumption can be reduced through energy-16 efficient measures. Our society is facing not only a... more
14 The building sector is responsible for consuming approximately 40% of the final energy 15 in Europe. However, more than 50% of this consumption can be reduced through energy-16 efficient measures. Our society is facing not only a severe and unprecedented 17 environmental crisis but also an economic crisis of similar magnitude. In light of this, EU 18 has developed legislation promoting the use of the Cost-Optimal (CO) method in order 19 to improve building energy efficiency, in which selection criteria is based on life cycle 20 costs. Nevertheless, studies show that the implementation of energy-efficient solutions is 21 far from ideal. Therefore, it is very important to analyse the reasons for this gap between 22 theory and implementation as well as improve selection methods. This study aims to 23 develop a methodology based on a cost-effectiveness analysis, which can be seen as an 24 improvement to the CO method as it considers the investment willingness of stakeholders 25 in the selection process of energy-efficient solutions. The method uses a simple graphical 26 display in which the stakeholders' investment willingness is identified as the slope of a 27 reference line, allowing easy selection between building solutions. This method will lead 28 to the selection of more desired – from stakeholders' point of view – and more energy-29 efficient solutions than those selected through the CO method. 30
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A influência da Temperatura e da Radiação Solar na Capacidade de Armazenamento Térmico de Elementos Construtivos M. Guedes de Almeida*, Valdemar Garcia®, E. Maldonado+, L. Bragançax * Depto de Física da Escola de Ciências da Universidade... more
A influência da Temperatura e da Radiação Solar na Capacidade de Armazenamento Térmico de Elementos Construtivos M. Guedes de Almeida*, Valdemar Garcia®, E. Maldonado+, L. Bragançax * Depto de Física da Escola de Ciências da Universidade do Minho Gualtar, 4710 Braga ...
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Simulação Térmica de Edifícios baseada пит Modelo de Capacidade Térmica Variável ML Gliedes de Almeida*, E. Maldonado* *Escola de Ciências da Universidade do Minho Depto de Física - Tel. 053 604328, Fax 053 604339 Guatar, 47JO Braga... more
Simulação Térmica de Edifícios baseada пит Modelo de Capacidade Térmica Variável ML Gliedes de Almeida*, E. Maldonado* *Escola de Ciências da Universidade do Minho Depto de Física - Tel. 053 604328, Fax 053 604339 Guatar, 47JO Braga Codex, Portugal +Faculdade de ...
... 1 Mestre em Engenharia Civil, Serviços Técnicos da Universidade do Minho Ricardo Lobão (rjl@stec.uminho.pt) 2 Professora Associada do ... definidas no âmbito das directivas europeias e dos planos nacionais, sob a forma de uma... more
... 1 Mestre em Engenharia Civil, Serviços Técnicos da Universidade do Minho Ricardo Lobão (rjl@stec.uminho.pt) 2 Professora Associada do ... definidas no âmbito das directivas europeias e dos planos nacionais, sob a forma de uma interface gráfica mais clara e simples, que ...
Com a Revolução Industrial, os critérios para a construção de edifícios afastaram-se dos princípios bioclimáticos sendo dada maior importância aos critérios económico e tecnológico. Isto conduziu à construção de edifícios altamente... more
Com a Revolução Industrial, os critérios para a construção de edifícios afastaram-se dos princípios bioclimáticos sendo dada maior importância aos critérios económico e tecnológico. Isto conduziu à construção de edifícios altamente consumidores de energia em que as condições de ...
Page 1. Climamed Congrès méditerranéen des climaticiens 2006 Climamed Congress Lyon, France 20 - 21 November 2006 ACHIEVING THERMAL INERTIA IN LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTIONS Pedro Silva psilva@civil ...
The aim of this paper is to give an overview of housing in Portugal, presenting the building stock characterisation, the related Portuguese legislation and the socio-economic aspects. For this purpose, the main housing building technology... more
The aim of this paper is to give an overview of housing in Portugal, presenting the building stock characterisation, the related Portuguese legislation and the socio-economic aspects. For this purpose, the main housing building technology used in Portugal is described and the problems related to multi-storey family houses are identified.
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Recent European guidelines, as well as national legislation, make mandatory the elaboration of strategic noise maps for residential areas every five-year for cities with more than 250 000 inhabitants. These maps will help to determine and... more
Recent European guidelines, as well as national legislation, make mandatory the elaboration of strategic noise maps for residential areas every five-year for cities with more than 250 000 inhabitants. These maps will help to determine and quantify in what way people are annoyed and disturbed by the surrounding noise. However, there are no European standards for the determination of outdoor
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ABSTRACT The need to reduce energy consumption in buildings leads to the development of new façade systems that can be energy efficient; thus, contributing significantly to heat transfer between outdoor and indoor spaces. Here, the... more
ABSTRACT The need to reduce energy consumption in buildings leads to the development of new façade systems that can be energy efficient; thus, contributing significantly to heat transfer between outdoor and indoor spaces. Here, the versatility and flexibility of the modules are key attributes. For this purpose, this study focused on the thermal performance of Trombe walls and glazings and the glazing daylighting performance of a modular façade system in four different Portuguese cities. Computational simulations for the thermal performance of different arrangements of the modules were accomplished with the DesignBuilder software, while the glazing daylighting performance was studied by means of Ecotect and Desktop Radiance software, and compared with the transmittance curves of glazings. Occupancy profile and internal gains were fixed according to the Portuguese reality for both studies. The main characteristics considered in this research were the use of two double glazings, four different Portuguese climates and one or two Trombe walls in the façade. According to results, the use of Trombe walls and double self-cleaning glazing in the façade showed an important reduction in the energy consumption as well as better daylighting performance.
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ABSTRACT The implementation of energy efficiency measures into the existing building stock is essential to meet the 2020 targets set by the European Union (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and reinforced with the... more
ABSTRACT The implementation of energy efficiency measures into the existing building stock is essential to meet the 2020 targets set by the European Union (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and reinforced with the “EPBD-recast”. Thus, energy refurbishment of existing buildings is fundamental to achieve these goals. However, energy issues should not be the only concerns since the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is also as important. When planning a building retrofit it is then necessary to consider the energy efficiency requirements as well as the IEQ. To do so, the main problems of the existing buildings should be identified. This work presents a study carried out in a large office building to identify the main pathologies related to the energy efficiency and to the IEQ. The main objective of this study was to characterize the actual situation of a building that represents a great number of the Portuguese office buildings in order to identify the principal problems that occurs in this type of buildings, to support the development of a refurbishment project of the building that can optimize both the energy efficiency and the relevant parameters to the IEQ and that are also solutions with potential to be used in other buildings.
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ABSTRACT The building sector is an energy intensive sector, with great potential to reduce energy needs and environmental pollution. Several measures are being taken to increase the energy efficiency and avoid energy consumption in this... more
ABSTRACT The building sector is an energy intensive sector, with great potential to reduce energy needs and environmental pollution. Several measures are being taken to increase the energy efficiency and avoid energy consumption in this sector. A recent trend is the nearly zero energy buildings, which was already adopted by some of the latest regulations, such as the 2010 recast of the European Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). However, to reach these goals, especially considering the existing building stock, new retrofit solutions are required, which must be well adapted to the specific building stock needs, and ensure that the building retrofit can achieve the nearly zero energy buildings standards. This paper presents a new prefabricated retrofit module solution for the facades of existing buildings, and also the steps taken to optimise its performance, which includes a judicious choice of materials, 3D modelling, cost–benefit analysis, use of different simulation tools for performance optimisation and prototyping. It is also shown the implementation of the retrofit module within an integrated retrofit approach, whose final goal was to obtain a building with the minimum possible energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
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ABSTRACT Due to the high energy consumption associated with the building sector, several legal documents with the aim of promoting energy efficiency have emerged in recent years, e.g. the Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance of... more
ABSTRACT Due to the high energy consumption associated with the building sector, several legal documents with the aim of promoting energy efficiency have emerged in recent years, e.g. the Directive 2002/91/EC on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD) and its recast on 19 May 2010, Directive 2010/31/EU. The EPBD led many countries to adjust their own building energy-related regulations. The Portuguese thermal regulation for residential buildings, “Regulamento das Características do Comportamento Térmico de Edifícios (RCCTE)”, is a part of the transposition of the EPBD to Portuguese law.The main objective of this paper is to analyse the RCCTE in order to study the influence of some parameters considered important to the energy efficiency of buildings on energy performance and on the final energy certification rating.
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ABSTRACT This research has the goal of determining, comparing and substantiating the actual outcome of using sustainable practices, from a financial and environmental comfort point of view. The selected context was of interest due to the... more
ABSTRACT This research has the goal of determining, comparing and substantiating the actual outcome of using sustainable practices, from a financial and environmental comfort point of view. The selected context was of interest due to the challenge of quality sustainable construction at controlled costs, meant for inhabitants of the Portuguese cooperative housing, due to its economical implications and especially its social ones. Two case studies of cooperative housing developments built in Portugal are presented, the first with characteristics of traditional construction and the second including sustainable building features. With these examples, it is intended to demonstrate that it is possible to build below cost limits imposed by law in order to substantially reduce energy consumption costs for heating and cooling as well as for domestic water heating. So, calculations of energy savings in indoor heating and cooling, as well as for domestic water heating are presented in this article for two specific situations: first, for a standard comfort use of housing, as opposed to a situation of real consumption of housing developments as obtained by monitoring carried out for one year in the same dwellings studied for standard comfort. The causes that lead to a substantial decrease in energy consumption in the building of sustainable construction are also described, as a starting point to the improvement of future cooperative housing. Finally are presented, for each of the two situations, calculations of the payback period of investment, according to the specific incremental cost in sustainable construction and the benefits in reducing consumptions. The results show an effective contribution to the improvement of the environment and environmental comfort, due to sustainable construction.
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To achieve an adequate quality of buildings it is necessary to consider a set of aspects that are interconnected and influence each other, not always in a favourable way. The selection of the most suitable construction solution and... more
To achieve an adequate quality of buildings it is necessary to consider a set of aspects that are interconnected and influence each other, not always in a favourable way. The selection of the most suitable construction solution and materials for the building elements must ...
As EU buildings account for 40% of the total energy consumption, it is important to take measures to reduce these needs and, consequently, reduce the EU energy dependency as well as the greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with what is... more
As EU buildings account for 40% of the total energy consumption, it is important to take measures to reduce these needs and, consequently, reduce the EU energy dependency as well as the greenhouse gas emissions, in accordance with what is prescribed in the EU ...
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9 The Design of Optimal Openings Manuela Almeida, Eduardo Maldonado, Matheos Santamouris and Gérard Guarracino INTRODUCTION The air exchange rates in naturally ventilated buildings depend upon the internal and external geometry of the... more
9 The Design of Optimal Openings Manuela Almeida, Eduardo Maldonado, Matheos Santamouris and Gérard Guarracino INTRODUCTION The air exchange rates in naturally ventilated buildings depend upon the internal and external geometry of the building and upon the local ...
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Abstract. Building plan and shape are the result of a complex process. Functional, technical and aesthetic considerations all contribute to the building design. Wind, solar availability, shelter, exposure, air quality and noise conditions... more
Abstract. Building plan and shape are the result of a complex process. Functional, technical and aesthetic considerations all contribute to the building design. Wind, solar availability, shelter, exposure, air quality and noise conditions will affect the relationship between the building ...
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... M.Tsitoura, T.Tsoutsos, D.Kolokotsa: Comfort conditions in urban open spaces in Crete. ... A.Michael, M.Eftychi, F.Bougiatioti: Brick transformation: A bioclimatic design approach. ... A.Spanou, K.Vasilakopoulou, M.Santamouris: Energy... more
... M.Tsitoura, T.Tsoutsos, D.Kolokotsa: Comfort conditions in urban open spaces in Crete. ... A.Michael, M.Eftychi, F.Bougiatioti: Brick transformation: A bioclimatic design approach. ... A.Spanou, K.Vasilakopoulou, M.Santamouris: Energy performance and lighting design of an historic ...
1,4 DST, SA, Braga, Portugal 1 psilva@civil.uminho.pt; 4 vasco.mesquita@dstsgps.com; 2,3 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal 2 malmeida@civil.uminho.pt; 3 braganca@civil.uminho.pt ... The goal of this... more
1,4 DST, SA, Braga, Portugal 1 psilva@civil.uminho.pt; 4 vasco.mesquita@dstsgps.com; 2,3 Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal 2 malmeida@civil.uminho.pt; 3 braganca@civil.uminho.pt ... The goal of this study is to ...
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Portugal SB07. Sustainable Construction, Materials and Practices L Bragança et al. (Eds.) ¡OS Press. 2007 © 2007 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved. Foreword The international conference "Portugal SB07: Sustainable... more
Portugal SB07. Sustainable Construction, Materials and Practices L Bragança et al. (Eds.) ¡OS Press. 2007 © 2007 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved. Foreword The international conference "Portugal SB07: Sustainable Construction, Materials and Practices - ...
The driving force of the thermal regulations revision in the European Union (EU) was the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive EPBD (European Commission, 2003). The main objectives of the EPBD are the harmonization of all... more
The driving force of the thermal regulations revision in the European Union (EU) was the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive EPBD (European Commission, 2003). The main objectives of the EPBD are the harmonization of all thermal ...
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... Pode pois constatar-se, que ao fechar uma varanda, se regista um aumento muito significativo do contributo da energia térmica de origem solar, de cerca de 200%. Verifica-se também que, contrariamente ao que aconteceu ...
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General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions in the Cyprian Urban Building Envelopes George Hadjimichael, Town Planning and Housing Department Christos Efstathiades, Ministry of Communication & Works Petros Lapithis. PA Lapithis... more
General Overview of the Problems, Needs and Solutions in the Cyprian Urban Building Envelopes George Hadjimichael, Town Planning and Housing Department Christos Efstathiades, Ministry of Communication & Works Petros Lapithis. PA Lapithis Architectural Firm ABSTRACT: ...