The energy efficiency of a building is directly related to the heat transfer between the building and the outside environment. In order to limit the heat transfer to the building by solar radiation cool roofs have been developed which increase the solar reflectivity of roofs. This report investigates the potential application of high reflectivity coatings to roofs at Pomona College and the energy benefits that could result. Cool roofs are used to address two prevalent environmental concerns: high cooling loads and Urban Heat Islands. These two problems are linked and exhibit the potential micro and mesoscale benefits of reducing roof surface temperature. Cool roofs are part of a larger set of solutions to tackle these two issues and so must be considered in the context of the multitude of other mitigation measures. This report discusses the ways in which a cool roof affects a building envelope and Urban Heat Islands, and what this means in the context of Southern California and Pomona College. Due to the already energy efficient clay tile on most Pomona roofs, the gains from reflective coatings would be limited. However there are several flat roofs on campus that could benefit from the application of a reflective coating. These benefits would come in the form of cooling energy cost reduction to individual buildings. These benefits would not be so drastic as to necessitate immediately applying reflective coatings, but flat roofs should be updated with an energy efficient coating as part of regularly scheduled resurfacing

Världens energiförbrukning ökar ständigt. Detta ger upphov till stora miljöproblem där klimatförändringen är ett av de största problemen. Hushållens energiförbrukning står idag för en betydande del av den totala energianvändningen. Det är därför viktigt att effektivisera hushållens energianvändning för att reducera deras påverkan på miljön. Vitvaror, som står för en stor del av hushållens energianvändning, har en stor potential att energieffektiviseras. Ett exempel på en vitvara där mycket energi kan sparas är diskmaskiner. Diskmaskiner tvättar, sköljer och torkar smutsig disk. Med dagens diskmaskiner går det åt mindre energi och vatten än vad det gjorde förr, då detta arbete gjordes för hand. Det finns dock fler åtgärder som kan utföras för att minska diskmaskinernas energiförbrukning. Det läggs bl.a. ned mycket arbete på att minska energiförbrukningen vid uppvärmningen av vattnet i diskmaskinerna och för att minska den energi som går åt i torkfasen. En diskmaskin där uppvärmningen sker via en värmepump utvecklas av Asko Appliances AB. Värmen som behövs i diskmaskinen tar värmepumpen från en vattenbehållare, vilket får vattnet att frysa till is. Torkningen av disken i denna diskmaskin kommer att ske genom att den fuktiga luften inuti diskmaskinen förs ut med hjälp av en fläkt. Den drivs sedan, genom en luftspalt, förbi islagret där fukten i luften kondenseras mot den kalla yta som skapas av islagret. Luften förs sedan tillbaka till diskmaskinen. I detta examensarbete utvärderas denna torkmetod. Den jämförs även med den teknik som används av Asko Appliances AB idag, där den fuktiga luften förs ut ur diskmaskinen till det rum där diskmaskinen står samtidigt som rumsluft förs in. Försök kommer att utföras på en diskmaskin med ett externt islager. Utvärderingen av torkningen i försöken gjordes med hjälp av torksyning. En matematisk modell med en energibalans över torkfasen har också byggts. Simuleringar utfördes på modellen och resultaten verifierades med försöken. Från modellen beräknades mängden vatten som torkas inuti diskmaskinen under torkfasen. Resultaten från torksyningen visade att torkmetoden med islager fungerar bättre än torkmetoden som används av Asko Appliances AB idag. Höga temperaturer och luftflöden visade sig ge det bästa torkresultatet enligt både försöken och modellen. Enligt modellen är torkningen mest energieffektiv då starttemperaturen är 70 °C, men eftersom så mycket vatten som sitter på diskmaskinens väggar då torkas är den starttemperaturen inte den mest effektiva i verkligheten. Den starttemperatur som är mest energieffektiv är 60 °C. Då torkas disken lika bra och det används 0,5 MJ mindre energi än då starttemperaturen är 70 °C. / The energy consumption is constantly increasing. The results are major environmental issues in which climate change is one of the biggest problems. Household energy consumption currently account for a significant share of the total energy consumption. Therefore it is important to improve household energy consumption to reduce household environmental impact. Appliances, which accounts for a large portion of household energy use, have a great potential for energy improvement. One example of an appliance where much energy can be saved is dishwashers. Dishwashers wash, rinse and dry dirty dishes. The dishwashers produced today uses less energy and water than before, when this work was done by hand. There are still more actions that can be taken to reduce the dishwasher's energy consumption. A lot of efforts are made among other things to reduce the energy consumption during the heating of the water inside the dishwasher and to reduce the energy consumed during the drying phase. A dishwasher where the heating occurs by a heat pump is developed by Asko Appliances AB. The heat pump takes the heat that is needed for the dishwasher from a water tank, causing the water to freeze. The drying of the dishes in this dishwasher will be done by letting the humid air inside the dishwasher out, using a fan. The air is then driven past the ice stock by making it go through an air gap, where the moisture condenses from the air on the cold surface created by the ice. The air then returns back into the dishwasher. In this thesis, this drying method is evaluated and compared with the technology used by Asko Appliances AB today, where the humid air is leaving the dishwasher and is brought into the room where dishwasher stands while air from the room is entering. Experiments will be performed on a dishwasher with an external ice stock. The evaluation of the drying process experiment was done using inspection. A mathematical model with an energy balance over the drying phase was built. Simulations were performed on the model and the results were verified by the experiments. With the model, the amount of water that evaporates inside the dishwasher during the drying phase was calculated. Results from the inspection showed that the drying method using the ice stock better performs than the drying method used by Asko Appliances AB today. High temperatures and air flow rates were found to provide a better result according to the experiments and the model. The drying is according to the model most energy efficient when the starting temperature is 70 °C, but since so much water located on the dishwasher walls is dried at that starting temperature, the in reality most efficient starting temperature is 60 °C. Then the dish is dried just as well and the energy consumption is 0.5 MJ less than when the starting temperature is 70 °C.

Winter road maintenance activities are crucial for maintaining the accessibility and traffic safety of the road network at northerly latitudes during winter. Common winter road maintenance activities include snow ploughing and the use of anti-icing agents (e.g. road salt, NaCl). Since the local weather is decisive in creating an increased risk of slippery conditions, understanding the link between local weather and conditions at the road surface is critically important. Sensors are commonly installed along roads to measure road weather conditions and support road maintenance personnel in taking appropriate actions. In order to improve winter road maintenance, more precise information about road surface conditions is essential. In this thesis, different methods for estimation of road weather are developed, discussed and tested. The methods use the principles of infrared thermometry, image analysis and spectroscopy to describe ice formation, snow accumulation and road surface wetness in specific patches or along road sections. In practical applications, the methods could be used for better planning of snow clearing operations, forecasting of ice formation and spreading of road salt. Implementing the proposed methods could lead to lower maintenance costs, increased traffic safety and reduced environmental impact. / <p>QC 20121116</p>

Much of the existing commercial building stock is aging and will be in need of upgrades now or within the next twenty years. Typically, enclosure retrofits consist of adding insulation to the exterior or interior of the existing façade. In this thesis, an alternative solution is examined, whereby a glass façade is added to the exterior of the existing building, forming a double façade. For historic buildings, this could preserve and protect the existing façade without completely covering it up. For outdated buildings, this could modernize the existing façade, giving it the all-glazed appearance that is currently so popular among architects. Regardless of the retrofit motive, it is important to be able to quantitatively compare retrofit solutions to make informed design decisions. As such, building simulation can be an important design tool. At present, there is no available simulation tool that can easily and accurately model a double façade; therefore, a double façade (DoFa) model was developed to fill this gap. A spreadsheet-based, lumped model was created and validated using current complex fenestration models and limited experimental data. Further experimental data is required to validate all aspects of the model. Results showed that the DoFa model can achieve accurate results; however, further development is needed to predict optical properties of venetian blinds and convective coefficients for natural airflow in double façade cavities. The model was used to compare double façades to traditional glazing systems. Results indicated that double façades can perform comparably to double glazing with outdoor shading in summer, and triple glazing in winter. However, the results are only valid for the tested glazing systems. In a second application, the DoFa model was modified to simulate an entire enclosure to compare a double façade retrofit to more traditional retrofit strategies. Results suggested that a double façade provides a good improvement in winter performance, though summer overheating is a concern. For the case study examined, a double façade would have performed better than the chosen retrofit of replacing the windows with double glazing and indoor shading, without insulating the opaque components. The DoFa model can be very useful in creating double façade preliminary design and operation strategies. At present, the DoFa model is an instantaneous, stand-alone tool. Further development is needed to pair the DoFa model with whole building energy simulations.

The purpose of this paper is to present the barriers to energy-efficient investments (EEIs) and give reasons to their existence in the marketplace. Furthermore, this paper sets out to investigate what barriers to energy-efficient investments are present for Pilkington Floatglas AB, a firm operating in the glassmaking industry in Halmstad, Sweden. Findings suggest that five barriers act as hinders to energy-efficient investments for Pilkington, where the two most influential barriers are technological uncertainty and economic uncertainty.

The judicious use of energy by industries is a key lever for ensuring a sustainable industrial development. The cost effective application of energy management and energy efficiency measures offers industries with an effective means of gaining both economic and social dividend, also reducing the negative environmental effects of energy use. Unfortunately, industries in developing countries are lagging behind in the adoption of energy efficiency and management measures; as such missing the benefits of implementation. This study is aims at enhance the knowledge of industrial energy efficiency and management strategies in Ghana, by investigating the present level of energy (and efficiency) management practices in Ghana largest industrial park (i.e. Tema industrial area). The study also incorporates the investigation of also investigation of barriers to and driving forces for the implementation of energy efficiency measure; to shed light on the rationale for both the adoption and non-adoption of cost effective industrial energy efficient technologies in Ghana. This study was carried out using a semi-structure interview due to the explorative nature of the study. The interviews were conducted in sessions, in the first session respondents were asked describe the energy management strategies in used in the respective companies. In the second session, respondents were asked to fill a structured questionnaire covering the various aspects of the study. The results reveal that energy is poorly managed in the industrial area and there is an energy efficiency gap resulting from the low implementation energy efficiency measures. In addition the reveals that the important barriers impeding the implementation of cost effective energy efficiency technologies or measures in the surveyed firms principally stems from rational behavior economic barriers, which are deeply linked to the lack of government frameworks for industrial energy efficiency. The study also finds that economic gains related to ‘cost reductions resulting from lowered energy use’ and ‘threats of rising energy prices’ are the most important drivers for implementing energy efficiency measures or technologies.

Energy efficiency is important – but an energy saving potential has yet to reach its full range. Energy services are means to reach that potential and energy companies are stressed as important actors into creating an established market for energy services. Energy services are tools that include providing in-direct services such as energy statistics, audits, declarations, consultations and analysis. It also includes a number of more complex and direct services, for example energy efficiency measurements or service contracts. This report is a result of a study on Danish and Swedish energy companies offering energy services, based on the market they act upon. It aims to find their driving forces for providing energy services. It also looks closer into whether publically and privately owned energy companies differ and if there exist contradictions to both supply energy and energy services at the same time. It also looks into how energy companies are affected and feel about national regulatory instruments. Energy companies in both countries offering energy services are reaching a wide spectrum of client segments and energy services. They often have the possibility to combine and package energy supply with energy services and they can reduce many of the theoretical barriers to energy efficiency by offering energy services. They are driven by a client demand and a closer client relationship, both leading to a decreased supply client fluctuation. A new business opportunity and a green profile strategy are also driving factors. Energy services also help energy companies to decrease heavy investment on existing equipment by having more control over their clients’ energy use and reducing energy utilization tops. Danish energy companies are tied to an energy saving obligation scheme, providing them with conditions, which their market is based, whilst Swedish energy companies offering energy services act on a market that is created by them and their competitors derive from different business backgrounds. There exist an assertive regulatory instrument in Denmark affecting driving factors for public and private energy companies and clients. In Sweden regulatory instruments, such as energy efficiency programmes, subsidises for energy audits and voluntary agreements for industries affect energy companies in a less way than in Denmark, mostly increasing a client demand for energy services. The regulatory instruments in Denmark increase a trust for energy companies as energy service providers as in Sweden they are trusted upon their existing substantial role on the energy market, a reputation of knowledge and experience and a strategy aiming towards visualisation, motivation and education for the clients. Public energy companies feel a responsibility towards their public owners to offer an efficient energy supply and by having a local connection to the municipality they are able to increase competiveness in the region by offering energy services. Private companies are substantially larger than public companies and have a great potential to reach out to a larger number of clients through their existing supply client stock. This is of substantial higher relevance in Sweden than Denmark.

In this thesis potential for (final and primary) energy and CO2 emission reductions and cost effectiveness of replacing existing household electric appliances and light bulbs with most popular or most energy efficient appliances in a multifamily apartment building in Växjö city is studied. The results showed that there is significant potential to reduce electricity demand and thereby to reduce primary energy use and CO2 emissions. The greatest potential lies with replacing existing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, while the lowest savings seem to be with replacement of microwave ovens. Assuming that reduced electricity demand reduces electricity generation in coal-based steam turbine (CST) technology, annually about 63 MWh of primary energy and 25 ton CO2 emissions could be reduced from the investigated building if the existing refrigerator/freezer, stove/oven, microwave oven, televisions and light bulbs are replaced with the most energy efficient alternatives available in the market today. Also, the results from ‚discounted payback period‛ and ‚cost of conserved energy‛ analyses also showed that it is cost-effective to install the most energy efficient appliances. This study for a single building is based on limited number of interviews, selected appliance types, and number of assumptions about marginal electricity production systems. To generalize the results more such studies in different conditions with measurement of actual energy use of all the household appliances should be conducted, which would help to fully understand the potential of primary energy savings and CO2 emission reductions in Swedish apartment buildings.

Efficient energy use in restaurants Umeå Municipality wishes to combine energy issues with food control, and thus help restaurants to become more energy efficient. During March and April 2010, I visited seven restaurants and interviewed restaurant personnel about current state and application of kitchen appliances, using a checklist to make sure that the same questions were asked at all restaurants. The restaurants were all different sizes and offered different kinds of food. The study mostly focuses on energy efficiency by behaviour and not on location or technology. Almost every restaurant that was visited had the potential to improve in one or more areas, such as kitchen appliances, lamps and lighting fixtures, heating, cooling and ventilation. Concering the behavior of the personnel, it is always possible to be more careful with energy use. Based on a compilation of the responses from the checklist, action proposals were presented to each of the restaurants. The action proposals involve kitchen appliances, lamps and lighting fixtures, heating, cooling and ventilation. The food inspectors will hand out a newly created information sheet based on the obtained interview results to the restaurants in the municipality of Umeå. All restaurants can benefit from learning more about their kitchen appliances and optimize their usage. Some of the restaurants already had good knowledge of energy efficiency issues, but some didn’t have any knowledge at all. Some of the restaurants were really willing to improve their energy efficiency, whereas others didn’t care at all.

It is expected that Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) will greatly improve the quality of our life because of its myriad applications for our human beings. However, one of the challenges is to design energy efficient communication protocols to support the reliable communication as well as to prolong the network lifetime. Cooperative communications have the advantage of spatial diversity to combat multipath fading, thus improving the link reliability and boosting energy efficiency. In this thesis, we investigate the energy efficient cooperative communications for WBAN. We first analyze the outage performance of three transmission schemes, namely direct transmission, single relay cooperation, and multi-relay cooperation. To minimize the energy consumption, we then study the problem of optimal power allocation with the constraint of targeted outage probability. Two strategies of power allocation are considered: power allocation with and without posture state information. Simulation results verify the accuracy of the analysis and demonstrate that: 1) power allocation making use of the posture information can reduce the energy consumption; 2) within a possible range of the channel quality in WBAN, cooperative communication is more energy efficient than direct transmission only when the path loss between the transmission pair is higher than a threshold; and 3) for most of the typical channel quality due to the fixed transceiver locations on human body, cooperative communication is effective in reducing energy consumption.