This research project investigates the viability of using renewable energy sources and passive solar design in Saskatchewan, with its harsh climate, abundant energy resources, and absence of financial incentives for residential renewable energy systems. <p>An experimental Ready-To-Move (RTM) house, using passive solar design and stand-alone solar and wind power with gas generator backup, was designed and built and has been tested for a one year period from January to December, 2006.<p>The design methodology was based on well established design procedures for passive solar homes and renewable energy systems that are documented in the literature. A data collection system was used to record solar and wind charging currents, and battery status and temperature data was recorded on a daily basis. Average household loads were estimated from this data. <p>For 2006, the power generation of the solar array was 990 kWh, which was better than the expected output of 927 kWh. However, the wind generator produced only 475 kWh, which was substantially less the expected output of 1430 kWh. Average wind speeds were lower than the normal for 2006 and power production was less than the manufacturers projections for the specified wind speeds. Financial analysis showed that the lack of incentives and net metering made an off-grid system economically feasible only in remote locations where the cost of grid connection is over $20,000.

This research project investigates the viability of using renewable energy sources and passive solar design in Saskatchewan, with its harsh climate, abundant energy resources, and absence of financial incentives for residential renewable energy systems. <p>An experimental Ready-To-Move (RTM) house, using passive solar design and stand-alone solar and wind power with gas generator backup, was designed and built and has been tested for a one year period from January to December, 2006.<p>The design methodology was based on well established design procedures for passive solar homes and renewable energy systems that are documented in the literature. A data collection system was used to record solar and wind charging currents, and battery status and temperature data was recorded on a daily basis. Average household loads were estimated from this data. <p>For 2006, the power generation of the solar array was 990 kWh, which was better than the expected output of 927 kWh. However, the wind generator produced only 475 kWh, which was substantially less the expected output of 1430 kWh. Average wind speeds were lower than the normal for 2006 and power production was less than the manufacturers projections for the specified wind speeds. Financial analysis showed that the lack of incentives and net metering made an off-grid system economically feasible only in remote locations where the cost of grid connection is over $20,000.

The primary obstacle to continued downscaling of charge-based electronic devices in accordance with Moore's law is the excessive energy dissipation that takes place in the device during switching of bits. Unlike charge-based devices, spin-based devices are switched by flipping spins without moving charge in space. Although some energy is still dissipated in flipping spins, it can be considerably less than the energy associated with current flow in charge-based devices. Unfortunately, this advantage will be squandered if the method adopted to switch the spin is so energy-inefficient that the energy dissipated in the switching circuit far exceeds the energy dissipated inside the system. Regrettably, this is often the case, e.g., switching spins with a magnetic field or with spin-transfer-torque mechanism. In this dissertation, it is shown theoretically that the magnetization of two-phase multiferroic single-domain nanomagnets can be switched very energy-efficiently, more so than any device currently extant, leading possibly to new magnetic logic and memory systems which might be an important contributor to Beyond-Moore's-Law technology. A multiferroic composite structure consists of a layer of piezoelectric material in intimate contact with a magnetostrictive layer. When a tiny voltage of few millivolts is applied across the structure, it generates strain in the piezoelectric layer and the strain is transferred to the magnetostrictive nanomagnet. This strain generates magnetostrictive anisotropy in the nanomagnet and thus rotates its direction of magnetization, resulting in magnetization reversal or 'bit-flip'. It is shown after detailed analysis that full 180 degree switching of magnetization can occur in the "symmetric" potential landscape of the magnetostrictive nanomagnet, even in the presence of room-temperature thermal fluctuations, which differs from the general perception on binary switching. With proper choice of materials, the energy dissipated in the bit-flip can be made as low as one attoJoule at room-temperature. Also, sub-nanosecond switching delay can be achieved so that the device is adequately fast for general-purpose computing. The above idea, explored in this dissertation, has the potential to produce an extremely low-power, yet high-density and high-speed, non-volatile magnetic logic and memory system. Such processors would be well suited for embedded applications, e.g., implantable medical devices that could run on energy harvested from the patient's body motion.

Student Number : 9709225V - MSc project report - School of Construction Economics and Management - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / This research was conducted in order to highlight the misconception that there may be a single answer to the challenges of energy efficient design; a “single elixir that will be the answer to all problems” (Holm, 1996). Existing literature pertaining to energy efficient design principles was analysed and tested against a well known example of Southern African energy efficient building practice; the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC). BOTEC was selected as the case study for this investigation because it was designed to be a living exhibition of energy efficient design and as such a manual or ‘elixir’ for alternate design. BOTEC was analysed on site, personal interviews were held with the architect and a questionnaire was circulated to the users of the building in order to observe whether the principles used at the BOTEC building are appropriate and represent the “single elixir, the answer to all problems,” with regard to energy efficient design (Holm, 1996). Although BOTEC appears to perform well, interviews with the users of the BOTEC building suggest that the building does not perform well in winter at all. Interviews with the architectural consultant who worked on the BOTEC building expose a simple oversight in design which leads to ‘this building’s underperformance in winter’. In concurrence with Holm therefore, this report ultimately shows that there are no perfect solutions to energy efficient design and by applying a once successful solution without taking cognisance of specific climatic and geological differences, the building will not function correctly.

China has become one of the world’s economic engines. One major driving force is the rapid urbanization. Such fast development results in resource and energy depletion, pollution and environmental deterioration. The government has recently endorsed green buildings and urged ministries to work out a national action plan. It is predicted that green building will be the next big thing in China. But before importing any foreign green technology and green designs, is there something to be learned from the Chinese ancestors? In the long history of China, the Chinese have always employed a system of construction with the influences of geography, climate, culture, philosophy, economy and politics deeply rooted in China, making the Chinese traditional architecture distinct. Embedded in the formation of the city, siheyuan 四合院, the courtyard house in Beijing was one exceptional dwelling example that inherited the quintessence of the thousand years of building experiences and knowledge of the ancestors. This traditional urban type not only celebrated the rich and unique cultural heritage of China, it also played an important role in maximizing the natural forces to create a pleasant and comfortable environment for living. Population growth, political and economic reforms over time however have drastically changed the fate of this historical heritage. Especially under the pressure of the fast development and economic boom after the introduction of the Open Door Policy in 1978, the traditional courtyards were the first to be demolished due to the lack of modern facilities and the inability to accommodate the growing population. They were often replaced by apartment blocks and high-rise towers – imported types based on planning regulations developed in the West, outside the cultural and environmental milieu of Beijing. As a result, the city is now filled with many energy intensive buildings that eat away both the “city’s essence” and the valuable natural resources. With the current policy and ambition of China, the teardown courtyard sites within the old city wall that are still waiting for development offer the potential to address the remediation and reinterpretation of the traditional typology in a contemporary city. The thesis investigates the essences of the traditional courtyard house and explores the way to apply such qualities to the design of a new courtyard typology in contemporary Beijing. The proposal anticipates a holistic approach on both environmental, social, cultural and economic level, so as to carry out preservation that manifests in experience rather than physical restoration, and to create a project that is truly sustainable.

China has become one of the world’s economic engines. One major driving force is the rapid urbanization. Such fast development results in resource and energy depletion, pollution and environmental deterioration. The government has recently endorsed green buildings and urged ministries to work out a national action plan. It is predicted that green building will be the next big thing in China. But before importing any foreign green technology and green designs, is there something to be learned from the Chinese ancestors? In the long history of China, the Chinese have always employed a system of construction with the influences of geography, climate, culture, philosophy, economy and politics deeply rooted in China, making the Chinese traditional architecture distinct. Embedded in the formation of the city, siheyuan 四合院, the courtyard house in Beijing was one exceptional dwelling example that inherited the quintessence of the thousand years of building experiences and knowledge of the ancestors. This traditional urban type not only celebrated the rich and unique cultural heritage of China, it also played an important role in maximizing the natural forces to create a pleasant and comfortable environment for living. Population growth, political and economic reforms over time however have drastically changed the fate of this historical heritage. Especially under the pressure of the fast development and economic boom after the introduction of the Open Door Policy in 1978, the traditional courtyards were the first to be demolished due to the lack of modern facilities and the inability to accommodate the growing population. They were often replaced by apartment blocks and high-rise towers – imported types based on planning regulations developed in the West, outside the cultural and environmental milieu of Beijing. As a result, the city is now filled with many energy intensive buildings that eat away both the “city’s essence” and the valuable natural resources. With the current policy and ambition of China, the teardown courtyard sites within the old city wall that are still waiting for development offer the potential to address the remediation and reinterpretation of the traditional typology in a contemporary city. The thesis investigates the essences of the traditional courtyard house and explores the way to apply such qualities to the design of a new courtyard typology in contemporary Beijing. The proposal anticipates a holistic approach on both environmental, social, cultural and economic level, so as to carry out preservation that manifests in experience rather than physical restoration, and to create a project that is truly sustainable.

Master of Architecture / Department of Architecture / Gary J. Coates / Buildings account for a large part of total U.S. energy consumption and generate far more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector of the economy. The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate how buildings can be designed in a way that helps to mitigate global environmental problems, while resolving local urban design, architecture and social issues. This purpose was achieved by designing a zero-energy garage apartment for a site located along an alley in Manhattan, Kansas. The methodology for the design was to: identify a client; define project goals and design criteria; determine solar and geothermal renewable energy system requirements; design the garage apartment by employing energy efficient strategies relating to bioregional design and passive solar design; identify eco-friendly materials obtainable within a 500-mile radius of the site; and identify energy-efficient construction methods. The energy performance of the garage apartment was constantly monitored using eQUEST and Energy-10 simulation softwares. Operational definitions: Garage apartment- a building behind the main building[superscript]1, which is part of the same plot as the main building. It is also called a 'backhouse', 'granny flat' or a 'rear house'. Zero-energy house- for this thesis, a grid connected self-standing zero-energy house, which results in zero utility bills throughout the year.

This work presents a new energy saving technique for modern digital designs. We propose Time Interleaved Multi-Rail (TIMR) - a method for providing two dynamic supply rails to a circuit. This technique uses the first supply rail to mask the transition delay while changing the voltage of the second rail. We examine the design of TIMR as well as the implementation and considerations. We propose a number of control schemes that range from traditional DVFS to "race to sleep". This thesis also shows simulations of the technique using a existing voltage regulator in order to find the time and energy overhead of implementing the design. We find a 100μs switching time delay and 118μJ energy overhead associated with changing the voltage rail. This work concludes with comparisons to current energy saving techniques. / Graduation date: 2012

Tomtmarkerna i urban bebyggelse blir allt mer attraktiva. En minskning av byggnadsarean medger positiva ekonomiska effekter på markkostnaden då tomtpriserna tenderar att bli allt högre i stadsmiljö. En stor del av totalkostnaden vid nyproduktionen av ett enbostadshus är tomtpriset. Framtidens enbostadshus bör utformas med ett begränsat tomtbehov samt uppfylla framtida energikrav.   Examensarbetet har utförts i samarbete med småhustillverkaren Eksjöhus, vilka till följd av de ökade markpriserna upplever en minskad efterfrågan för nyproduktion av småhus. Likt övriga hustillverkare står Eksjöhus också inför uppfyllandet av framtida energikrav.   Syftet med examensarbetet är att utforma framtidens enbostadshus, genom att effektivisera tomtutnyttjandet och förbättra energiprestandan. Frågeställningarna vilka besvaras i arbetet är ”Vilken är den minsta möjliga bostadsarean för entréplanet i ett enbostadshus, med bibehållen tillgänglighet enligt svenska krav?”, ”Hur kan rumsfunktionerna disponeras för ett enbostadshus i tre våningar med bibehållna boendekvalitéer?”, ”Hur kan ett enbostadshus utformas för att klara EUs direktiv för år 2020 beträffande byggnaders energiprestanda?”. Målet med arbetet är att utforma ett enbostadshus i tre våningar med minsta möjliga bostadsarea på entréplanet, som klarar EUs direktiv för år 2020 beträffande byggnaders energiprestanda.   En litteraturstudie genomfördes för att utreda kompaktboendets effekter på boendekvalitén samt energieffektiv byggnadsutformning. En fallstudie av tre byggnader utreddes boende i flera plan. Utformningen av framtidens enbostadshus genomfördes i ett skissarbete och slutligen beräknades byggnaden för att uppfylla den rådande kravspecifikationen för NNE-hus.   En yteffektiv planutformning åstadkoms genom överlappandet av betjäningsareor, effektiv disposition av rumsfunktioner samt gemensamma kommunikationsytor. Entréplanets utformning resulterade i en bostadsarea på 51,4 m2. Byggnaden är utformad för att tillgodose kravet på tillgänglighet i enlighet med BBR och SIS. Rumsfunktionerna som finns representerade på entréplanet är kök, badrum, avskiljbar sängplats samt utrymme för sittgrupp, matplats, tvätt och förvaring. Plan 2 utgörs till största del av ett vardagsrum vilket knyts samman med entréplanets sociala funktioner. Byggandens privata våning utgörs av plan 3 vilket inrymmer två av byggandens tre sovrum.   Byggnaden följer nu gällande krav för 2020-målet, utformat som ett NNE-hus genom en energieffektiv utformning och egenproduktion av el från solceller. Vår slutsats är att förhållande, disponering, kommunikation av rumsfunktioner samt åtskild placering av privata och sociala utrymmen är väsentligt för att minimera bostadsarean samt för att bibehålla en god bostadskvalité. / Building plots in urban settlements are becoming more attractive. A reduction of the gross floor area allows a positive economic impact on the cost when the prices tend to become high in urban settlements. A large amount of the total cost for the production of a new one-family house is the price of the building plot. The future one-family house should be designed with a limited need of land and also meet future energy demands.   The work was performed in collaboration with the small house manufacturer Eksjöhus, which due to the increased price of land are experiencing a decline in demand for construction of new one-family houses. Like the rest of the small house manufacturer, Eksjöhus are also facing the fulfillment of future energy requirements.   The purpose of this study is to design tomorrow's one-family house, by increasing the efficiency of land use and to improve the energy performance. The questions, which are answered in this work are "What is the minimum floor space for the ground floor of a one-family house, while maintaining accessibility according to Swedish demands?", "How can room functions be arrange for a one-family house in three floors with maintained housing qualities?", "How can a one-family house be designed to meet the future EU energy strategy towards 2020 concerning energy performance of buildings? ". The goal of this work is to design a one-family house in three floors with a minimum floor space on the entrance floor, which meet the future EU energy strategy towards 2020.   A literature study was conducted to investigate the impact of compact living on the living quality and energy efficient building design. In a case study of three buildings, housing in several floors was investigated. The design of a future onefamily house was conducted in a sketch work and finally the building was calculated to fulfill the current specification for a Zero-energy building.   A space-efficient plan design is accomplished by overlap the service areas, efficient disposition of room functions and by shared communication areas. The design of the entrance floor resulted in a gross internal area of 51,4 m2. The building is designed to meet the requirement of accessibility according to BBR and SIS.   Room functions which are represented on the entrance floor are kitchen, bathroom, separable bed space and space for sitting, dining, laundry and storage. Plan 2 consists of a large living room which is connected to the social functions on the entrance floor. The private floor of the building is plan 3 which consist of two of the building's three bedrooms.   The building is designed to meet the future EU energy strategy towards 2020. The building is a Zero-energy building due to the energy efficient design and the selfproduction of electricity from solar cells.   Our conclusion is that the relationship, disposition, communication and the separate placement of private and social spaces is essential to reduce the living space and to maintain good housing quality.