Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 71-74).

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-118). / With the growing awareness of the rapid disappearance of the global fuel resources, energy conservation became an issue of general concern. Prompted by the results of studies done in the 1970's--which show a marked increase of energy consumption per square foot of office space over the years, as well as differences in consumption between buildings of different periods -- this thesis looks at the features that determine the considerable variation in energy consumption in office buildings from the beginning of the century to our days. An overview of the historic evolution of the highrise offices presents the events that influenced the change in energy performance.The elements that determine the energy use in a building, like its orientation, exterior envelope, interior design, and mechanical systems, are individually analyzed to present a detailed picture of their role. Their characteristics in the periods before and after the second world war are then compared, showing how they determined the energy performance of buildings of the respective periods. / by Nora Anca Niculin. / M.Arch.

A study was performed to gain an understanding of the feasibility of an Earth Coolant Tube for use in cooling and heating air for residences and industry. It was concluded that previous studies did not include the effect of coolant tube depth or coolant tube operation over long periods of time. A numerical methods approach using finite difference form of the general energy conduction equation was used to evaluate these effects. It was concluded that a coolant tube 1 foot in diameter and 100 feet long could provide as much as 1/6 ton of refrigeration for a 4 month time period. It was also concluded that for coolant tube performance. This study also presents estimates on expected rates of energy transfer for coolant tubes, and recommends a simplified approach for designing coolant tubes.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / As the electric utilities face ever increasing peak power production requirements, (mostly from the commercial sector) scheduled "time-of-day" pricing schemes have become imperative. At present, most conservation strategies for commercial buildings focus on the reduction of energy consumption orchestrated (justifiably) by t he expense of electrical energy for lighting and cooling which dominate their loads. However, these conservation schemes, such as higher efficiency lamps, various glazing techniques, etc., do not alter the time of consumption nor do they utilize the lower off-peak electrical rates. The results are as before; high energy costs due to peak (daytime) consumption, and projected savings from the various conservation strategies are overshadowed or not realized. This thesis investigates a decentralized off-peak cooling system for commercial office buildings utilizing the structural mass as the thermal storage medium. The system incorporates an exposed concrete ceiling slab cooled at night with imbedded chilled water pipes and taking full advantage of off-peak electrical rates. The ceiling/slab - waterpipe system is modeled via two-dimensional finite difference methods for transient analysis. The sensitivity of the system to pipe size and spacing, internal loads, water temperatures, and surface geometry is assessed. The analytical results suggest the potential for application, however, additional research must be undertaken to investigate the economic implications of fabrication and to more adequately determine the effects of non-planar surface geometry. / by Rory Christopher Mathis. / M.S.

The following report investigates district cooling systems. This form of technology provides an alternative means of providing cooling. In a traditional cooling system each building would include cooling equipment to serve only that building. District cooling differs in that water is chilled at one location and pumped to two or more buildings. District cooling has many benefits over traditional cooling systems. This report, however, aims to determine the economic benefits (if any) of district cooling systems. The location chosen as a model for this study was the University of Natal (Durban) campus. This campus currently operates a district cooling system serving six buildings. This study is hypothetical in nature, as the cooling system is already finalized and operational. The aim of this dissertation is to answer the question of which would be the more attractive alternative if the University were in a position of having to install a completely cooling system. One of the most important steps in this process is the calculation of cooling loads. The cooling load was estimated for each of the buildings associated with the district cooling system. The LOADEST software package was used to derive these cooling loads. The accuracy of LOADEST software was also validated in this study. The bulk of this report is composed of the preliminary work required to obtain capital and operating costs for cooling systems, including validation of cooling load calculation software. It was felt that this prelimiinary work justified inclusion in the final report to provide accurate representation of the steps taken before any economic evaluation could be reached. The capital and operating costs of the district cooling system and a more traditional system were compared. It was found that the district cooling system reduces operating costs significantly, although it's capital cost is higher than the traditional system against which it was compared. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This study presents a framework for the introduction of energy considerations into the design of office buildings. The method of research and development of this study has been through a literature search combined with personal design experience in the field of commercial buildings, and the previous participation in the national competition for low energy building design. The thesis is in two parts. The first part investigates the historical development of offices up to now and shows that current office design practice establishes a pattern of high energy consumption that is carried forward for decades. It is shown how and where energy is used in office buildings and their urban context. The need to rethink settlement patterns is outlined and the concept of decentralization and mixed use developments is suggested to improve overall energy efficiency in the urban context. The second part presents energy conservation strategies, from a designer's point of view, that improve energy efficiency of office buildings. Five basic strategies are introduced and examined at the planning levels of site, lay-out, form and fabric: i) to control internal heat gains ii) to control solar heat gains iii) to minimize heat losses iv) to optimize natural ventilation v) to maximize daylight capabilities of buildings The thesis shows that the implementation of these strategies presents the architect with considerable scope for innovation rather than imposition. However, it is emphasized that the architect must be aware of the consequences of his design decisions. The factors causing the energy use in office buildings are interrelated. Therefore, once a particular strategy is adopted its consequences have to be recognized and dealt with on all planning levels. The thesis concludes that energy conservation offers architects the opportunity to design offices in a way they need less energy and provide a better working environment than it is the case today. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

M.Sc. / This study compares the electricity consumption of two buildings, of similar architectural design, in Simba Office Park, Sandton, in Johannesburg. One of the buildings (Block AB) has not been retrofitted for energy efficiency, whilst the other building (Block C) is a retrofitted building. The hypothesis postulates that the retrofitted building would use less energy than the non-retrofitted one. The research methodology employed has been used internationally, as in the case reported by Levine et al. (1996), who did a study in the United States of America on retrofitting for achieving energy efficiency. Dong et al. (2005) investigated the energy savings due to the retrofitting of old Singaporean commercial office buildings. In this case, six buildings were compared before and after retrofitting, using utility bill and weather data. There have also been similar studies in China (Xu et al, 2006) and Budapest (Urge-Vorsatz & Novikova, 2008). The Budapest study also unpacked the cost of retrofitting. Using methods advocated by Probst (2004), Yalcintas (2008) and Yalcintas & Kaya (2009) for collecting data on floor space, building parameters and design, this study also collected electricity consumption data based on meter readings for the same blocks over the period March 2009 to April 2010. The retrofitting measures were documented and the associated costs noted. Interviews were conducted with key personnel such as the Central Energy Fund (CEF) House executives, the site electrical engineer, the developer, and Simba Office Park managers. Block AB had the least number of energy-efficient installations. Block C was found to be fully retrofitted, at a cost of more than R4 million. However, the energy management system, required to manage and monitor energy use, was only fully installed by November 2009. The results of this study are significant. It was found that energy consumption for Block C far exceeded that for Block AB. Thus, in this case, retrofitting did not reduce electricity consumption. The results demonstrate that in order to fully understand energy use, data collection and analysis must be ongoing. This verifies the findings of Ali (2008), Armstrong (2009) and Yalcintas & Kaya (2009) who found that we need to shift from managing buildings to managing energy use and assess and verify any recorded savings to ensure energy conservation. Computer-based building management systems play a major role in such management. Such a system was only partially in use in Block C for the duration of the study period. Thus, another finding was that the energy management system needs to be fully operational in real time, or else energy efficiencies cannot be achieved and data sets will be incomplete. This conclusion reflects the findings of Hirst (1980).

Incorporating insulation material with phase change materials (PCMs) could help enhance the insulation capability for further building energy savings by reducing the HVAC loadings. During the phase change process between the solid and liquid states, heat is being absorbed or released by PCMs depending on the surrounding temperature. This research explores the benefits of a polyurethane (PU)-PCM composite insulation material through infiltrating paraffin wax as PCM into PU open cell foam. The new PU-PCM composite provides extra shielding from the exterior hot temperatures for buildings. Through this study, it was demonstrated that PU-PCM composite insulation could potentially help building energy savings through reducing the loads on the HVAC systems based on the building energy modeling using EnergyPlus. The Zero Energy Lab (ZØE) at the University of North Texas was modeled and studied in the EnergyPlus. It is a detached building with all wall facades exposed to the ambient. It was determined that the new PU-PCM insulation material could provide 14% total energy saving per year and reduce the electricity use due to cooling only by around 30%.