Twenty first century standards for thermal comfort : fostering low carbon building design and operation

Nearly 50% of energy consumed in the developed world is consumed in buildings. Despite regulation intent, many new buildings are energy profligate. Thermal comfort standards are partly responsible for this increase in consumption. In this volume, Roaf et al. have described the evolution of current comfort standards and problems inherent in buildings they shape, and have discussed two new methods of regulating thermal comfort in buildings which recognize human adaptation and have potential for reduced energy demand. These new methods incorporate adaptation through a fixed heating and cooling threshold approach (similar to Japanese Cool-Biz) or through heating and cooling setpoints calculated based on outdoor conditions(using CEN standard equations). The impact on comfort and energy demand of these new approaches is investigated for a London office building. Variables such as future climate, future building upgrades, setback temperatures, internal gains and ventilation are also explored. Adoption of the new approaches gave a 50% reduction in heating and cooling energy for the simulated office. The new approach together with optimized setback temperatures, ventilation strategies and higher efficiency equipment gives predicted heating and cooling energy demand close to zero. Recommendations for future regulation, design and operation of buildings are proposed

Creative use of BIPV materials: barriers and solutions

Inventive use of photovoltaic (PV) materials in architecture can be developed through use of PV in artworks. This is particularly important in increasing the uptake of building-integrated building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), by developing novel methods of combining and installing PV materials. Current examples of PV artwork and design are examined, from small to large scale, to assess the current design limitations. The design of two PV artworks is discussed in detail, including an artwork that uses the principle of the luminescent solar concentrator (LSC), to show the way in which design hurdles are discovered and overcome. Challenges range from difficulties in obtaining small quantities of PV materials; the balance between efficiency and artistic effect; through to technical and siting issues that an artist must address when designing a functional PV structure. Methods of overcoming these barriers are explored, including the use of lumogen dyes in encapsulant materials

Adaptation responses to climate change differ between global megacities

Urban areas are increasingly at risk from climate change, with negative impacts predicted for human health, the economy and ecosystems1, 2. These risks require responses from cities to improve their resilience. Policymakers need to understand current adaptation spend to plan comprehensively and effectively. Through the measurement of spend in the newly defined ‘adaptation economy’, we analyse current climate change adaptation efforts in ten megacities. In all cases, the adaptation economy remains a small part of the overall economy, representing a maximum of 0.33% of a city’s gross domestic product (here referred to as GDPc). Differences in total spend are significant between cities in developed, emerging and developing countries, ranging from £15 million to £1,600 million. Comparing key subsectors, we demonstrate the differences in adaptation profiles. Developing cities have higher proportional spend on health and agriculture, whereas developed cities have higher spend on energy and water. Spend per capita and percentage of GDPc comparisons more clearly show disparities between cities. Developing country cities spend half the proportion of GDPc and significantly less per capita, suggesting that adaptation spend is driven by wealth rather than the number of vulnerable people. This indicates that current adaptation activities are insufficient in major population centres in developing and emerging economies

Building sustainability assessment methods

Over last 15 years it has been increasingly important to understand the sustainability performance of buildings across a broad range of considerations. This has stimulated the development of a number of sustainability assessment tools intended to measure objectively a project's impact in sustainability terms and so encourage designers and planners to improve a building's performance. This paper examines the nature and contribution, as well as the limitations, of current sustainability rating assessment tools in evaluating building sustainability in different countries. Two yardsticks are used to review the current tools: first, how well they relate to the goal of sustainable development, and second, how adequately they adhere to the principles of objective assessment. Scope for further development of sustainability assessment tools is identified – in particular, the need for tools to assess more adequately how buildings provide well-being, and to expand how assessment systems capture qualitative information. The paper proposes that methodology and procedures of assessment methods should feature the broad participation of user groups drawn from the public. This paper was first published in the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability and is reproduced with their permission http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/content/journals Permission is granted by ICE Publishing to print one copy for personal use. Any other use of these PDF files is subject to reprint fees.</p

Urban resilience:two diverging interpretations

This paper uses two diverging interpretations of resilience to review and assess current UK policies for urban resilience. Both developed in scientific studies, the first interpretation is based on a mechanistic model of systems that can recover their original state after shocks, and the second is based on an evolutionary model enabling adaptation to disturbances. The literature review demonstrates that at present urban resilience is predominantly associated with the former. By contrast, only few policies and studies are inspired by the latter, although this is better suited to analyse dynamics of urban adaptation and manage cities accordingly. The contribution of this paper to an understanding of urban resilience is therefore twofold. First, an identification of the long-term consequences on the built environment associated with each model is provided, with the mechanical model ultimately hindering adaptation. Second, some approaches to generate effective responses to environmental and societal change are identified. Ultimately, this paper emphasises that the idea of a resilient city is fit for this age characterised by uncertainty, albeit it requires the recognition within planning practice that urban adaptation cannot be attained with current methodologies, and that much can be learned from theories on the resilience of ecosystems.

A study of the impact of individual thermal control on user comfort in the workplace: Norwegian cellular vs. British open plan offices

In modern offices, user control is being replaced by centrally operated thermal systems, and in Scandinavia, personal offices by open plan layouts. This study examined the impact of user control on thermal comfort and satisfaction. It compared a workplace, which was designed entirely based on individual control over the thermal environment, to an environment that limited thermal control was provided as a secondary option for fine-tuning: Norwegian cellular and British open plan offices. The Norwegian approach provided each user with control over a window, door, blinds, heating and cooling as the main thermal control system. In contrast, the British practice provided a uniform thermal environment with limited openable windows and blinds to refine the thermal environment for occupants seated around the perimeter of the building. Field studies of thermal comfort were applied to measure users’ perception of thermal environment, empirical building performance and thermal control. The results showed a 30% higher satisfaction and 18% higher comfort level in the Norwegian offices compared to the British practices. However, the energy consumption of the Norwegian case studies was much higher compared to the British ones. A balance is required between energy efficiency and user thermal comfort in the workplace

Histomorphological study of the spinal growth plates from the convex side and the concave side in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Asymmetrical growth of the vertebrae has been implicated as one possible etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The longitudinal vertebral growth derives from the endochondral ossification of the vertebral growth plate. In the present study, the growth plates from the convex and concave side of the vertebrae were characterized by the method of histology and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the growth activity, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Normal zoned architectures were observed in the convex side of the growth plate and disorganized architectures in the concave side. The histological grades were significantly different between the convex and the concave side of the growth plate in the apex vertebrae (P < 0.05). The histological difference was also found significant statistically between end vertebrae and apex vertebrae in the concave side of vertebral growth plates (P < 0.05). The proliferative potential indexes and apoptosis indexes of chondrocytes in the proliferative and hypertrophic zone in the convex side were significantly higher than that in the concave side in the apex vertebral growth plate (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference of the proliferative potential index (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA index) between convex side and concave side at the upper end vertebra (P < 0.05). The difference of the proliferative potential index and apoptosis index were found significant statistically in the concave side of the vertebral growth plate between end vertebrae and apex vertebrae (P < 0.05). The same result was also found for the apoptosis index (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labeling assay, TUNEL index) in the convex side of vertebral growth plate between end vertebrae and apex vertebrae (P < 0.05). Some correlation were found between radiographic measurements and proliferation and apoptosis indexes. The difference in histological grades and cellular activity between the convex and concave side indicated that the bilateral growth plate of the vertebrae in AIS patients have different growth kinetics which may affect the curve progression

Statutory Assessment of the class? Supporting the additional needs of the learning context

This paper considers issues of funding of support for students facing difficulties in learning, and the role of assessment and labelling within this process. It explores the tensions within this process using a Foucauldian framework, and from the key perspectives of social justice and rights. Drawing on a range of literature it identifies the focus upon the individual within assessment processes around the world, and then considers in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the current form of Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs within England. The paper proposes an alternative funding system that resolves shortcomings within the individual approach and the English system. It suggests that a Class Funding Approach could build on a notion of justice for all, reduce the opportunities for wide variations in provision, and minimise the negative impact of current dividing practices