[pt] Apesar de a infraestrutura ser considerada um fator fundamental do crescimento econômico, pouco se conhece a respeito dos impactos de deficiências de infraestrutura sobre o comportamento das firmas. Usando dados da Pesquisa Industrial Anual, investigamos como as indústrias reagiram às restrições impostas pelo racionamento de energia elétrica brasileiro de 2001/2. A estratégia de identificação explora a imprevisibilidade da ocorrência e localização geográfica do racionamento como experimento natural que permite comparações entre firmas em regiões racionadas e não racionadas. Os resultados mostram que o racionamento acarretou uma diminuição anual média de 6,8% no valor da transformação industrial e substituição de energia elétrica por outras fontes. Os impactos do racionamento apresentaram maior magnitude entre as firmas exportadoras e com alta intensidade elétrica. / [en] Despite being considered an important component of economic growth, little is known about the impacts of infrastructure on the behaviour of industrial firms. In this article we investigate how firms reacted to the restrictions imposed by the Brazilian energy rationing of 2001/2. We exploit the unpredictability of the occurrence and geographical location of the rationing as a natural experiment that allows comparing firms in rationed and non-rationed regions. The results show that the rationing resulted in an average annual variation of -6,8% in value added and a substitution of electrical energy by other sources. Results were of greater magnitude for energy intensive and exporting firms.

The aim of this project is to examine the energy consumption of Nåntuna elementary school in Uppsala, in order to suggest improvements, making the building more energy efficient. The aim also includes calculating savings and the pay-off time for each energy reducing measure. This project is performed together with Skolfastigheter and STUNS on the initiative of Uppsala Energy Stories. The study includes an examination of the energy consumption of the building, energy calculations and a proposal of actions for improvements with cost estimations and pay-off time calculated. The conclusion includes performing following actions: installing low-flushing taps, changing to LED lighting with attendance time and daylight control, replacing the ventilation system, lowering the air flows in the ventilation and also installing solar power. Calculating both the best and the worst case scenario gives an interval for possible outcomes in the result. According to calculations, installing low-flushing taps will have a pay-off time of 1.7-2.3 years and a yearly saving of 1 300-1 800 kr, LED lighting a pay-off time of 25.5-31 years and savings of 24 700-29 900 kr per year, ventilation a pay-off time of 6-7.7 years and a yearly saving of 65 400-76 400 kr and lastly an installation of solar power a pay-off time of 5.9-9.6 years and savings of 24 000-30 000 kr per year.

The application of retrofit options to existing heritage buildings has become one of the most interesting topics in construction. In Victoria, BC, Canada, only 4% of commercial or institutional heritage buildings have been upgraded to current building codes in the last 10 years. Remaining 96% buildings exist with poor energy performance characteristics and a risk to occupant safety in the event of a damaging earthquake. This study investigates the importance and benefits of simultaneous energy and seismic retrofitting of existing heritage buildings. It presents a case study for a building with identifiable heritage value, located in Victoria, BC, Canada, and analyzes five feasible options in terms of energy retrofitting and presents a solution for both seismic and energy upgrading. To this aim, the energy retrofit options are compared based on the amount of saved energy, annual heating demand and estimated costs. The seismic solution is designed based on the weakness and needs of the building, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the best solution is selected for a building that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. This study shows that the integration of energy and seismic retrofitting of heritage buildings provides economic benefits to owners while improving energy savings and building safety. / Graduate / 2021-08-31

Providing conditioned and fully controlled room is the final goal for having a comfortable building. But on the other hand making smart controllers to provide the required cooling or heating load depending on occupants' real time feeling is necessary. This study has emphasized on finding a meaningful and steady state parameter in human body that can be interpreted as comfort criterion which can be expressed as the general occupants' sensation through their ambient temperature. There are lots of researches on human physiological behavior in different situations and also different body parts reaction to the same ambient situation. Body parts which have the biggest reliable linear fluctuation to the changes are the best subject for this research. For these tests, wrist and palm have been selected and their temperatures on different people have been measured accurately with thermal camera to follow the temperature trend on various comfort levels. It is found that each person reaches to his own unique temperature on these two spots, when he/ she feels comfortable, or in other word each person's body temperature is a precise nominate for comfort feeling of that individual. So in future by having this unique comfort parameter and applying them to the HVAC system temperature control, controlling the dynamic temperature and correlating the indoor condition depending on the occupants instant thermal comfort level, would be a rational choice to bring convenience while energy has been saved more.

The doctoral thesis pays attention to the system approach to the nonstationary computational modelling of heat transfer for energy saving buildings. The created computational tool supports the optimization of selected design parameters.

The master´s thesis deals with influence of the insulation of the detached house on the costs associated with heating and the effect on the usual price of detached house. In the theoretical part of the thesis are given the basic concepts of heat, the topic of energy intensity of buildings, methods of thermal insulation, types of thermal insulation, the development of thermal properties of burnt brickwork and valuation. In the practical part there are designed variants of economy measures and there are calculations of heat losses of the current state and newly proposed variants. Then follows the energy savings assessment, payback period and the effect on the price of a usual detached house.

The dissertation work deals with the issue of water treatment and possibilities of energy savings during the operation of sewage treatment plants. The aim of the work is to find the potential of alternative energy use, economical consumption, improvement of the facility system management and quality improvement of the wastewater treatment process. In the first part of the work, operating processes, energy flows and energy savings are discussed. To analyze the problematics, larger sewage treatment plants were chosen. Thanks to their size, it was easier to find critical points and test the usage of renewable sources in operation. After the energy audit, the individual processes were assessed and real operation pitfalls were determined. Further steps led to focusing on smaller facilities up to 2 000 PE. This step was carried out with the intention of preparing these plants for the planned legislative change and helping to create or modernize more energy-efficient solutions. Thanks to the establishment of consortium of Brno University of Technology, the Department of Electric Power Engineering and a company dealing with water treatment and automation control, a solution was created that modernize the electrical, automation and water treatment part of the plant operation. This innovative application was installed in the sewage treatment plant, where the issues were debugged, control algorithms were tested and the entire operation was launched in automatic mode. At the end of the wastewater treatment plant modernization, PV panels were installed on the roof, thus partially suppling the object with renewable energy.

The subject of my master´s thesis “Multi-functional Building” is to make operating project documentation to a building in Boskovice that is drawn as an energy saving house. The concept of the house respects the territorial plan of the city and complements the existing buildings. The house has a basement and three floors with a hipped roof. In the basement there is a cellar and technical background for the object in the 1st floor are 2 establishments , hairdressing salon and a cafe and 2nd floor and 3rd floor are designed for housing.

Investments in energy saving of buildings is associated with a reduction in the operating costs, but it is also an effort to improve the quality of the environment. The main impulse are constantly rising energy prices and deteriorating air quality. The diploma thesis deals with the return on investment in thermal insulation of residential houses. The theoretical part describes the different definitions from the field of investments, pricing and energy modifications. In the practical part are considered two apartment buildings, the first insulated, non-insulated second. The next step is quantifying of the investment cost of such insulation designed with the calculation of payback period, net present value and internal rate of return. At the end of the work is the evaluation of the effectiveness of investments.

The aim of thesis is the energy evaluation of building for public facilities - kindergarten. From the beginning work deals with the analysis of a given topic, standard and legal regulations associated with the topic. This knowledge is further applied to a specific building. It follows by evaluation of the current state of the building, its systems, internal environment and analysis of measures leading to energy savings and ensuring the quality of the indoor environment of building. Work also deals with experimental measurements of selected parameters of the internal environment.