Energy Rating is a crucial consideration in modern building design, affirmed by the new EC Directive on the energy performance of buildings. Energy represents a high percentage of the running costs of a building, and has a significant impact on the comfort of the occupants. This book represents detailed information on energy rating of residential buildings, covering: * Theoretical and experimental energy rating techniques: reviewing the state of the art and offering guidance on the in situ identification of the UA and gA values of buildings. * New experimental protocols to evaluate energy performance: detailing a flexible new approach based on actual energy consumption. Data are collected using the Billed Energy Protocol (BEP) and Monitored Energy Protocol (MEP) * Energy Normalization techniques: describing established methods plus a new Climate Severity Index, which offers significant benefits to the user. Also included in this book are audit forms and a CD-ROM for applying the new rating methodology. The software, prepared in Excel, is easy to use, can be widely applied using both deterministic and experimental methods, and can be adapted to national peculiarities and energy policy criteria. Energy Performance of Residential Buildings offers full and clear treatment of the key issues and will be an invaluable source of information for energy experts, building engineers, architects, physicists, project managers and local authorities. The book stems from the EC-funded SAVE project entitled EUROCLASS. Participating institutes included: * University of Athens, Greece * Belgium Building Research Institute, Belgium * University of Seville, Spain * Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

In the 1990s, the issue of human resource development in Malaysia has gained prominence in public and private policy circles. Discussions center around training policy, where there are concerns about acute labor shortages, and around industrial development policy, which strives to maintain a skilled and well-trained workforce to increase competitiveness and attract foreign direct investment. But policymakers have been forced to make critical decisions on resource allocation and to design policies without access to comprehensive training data, especially from the private sector. This usually results in supply-oriented policies stemming from mismatches between skills supplied by public training institutions and those actually needed by industry. This report attempts to fill this information gap on private sector training as an aid in formulating training policies that are more demand-driven. The report contains rigorous analysis of private sector-led training and addresses the issue of whether firms in Malaysia underinvest in training. Data came from the Malaysia Economic Planning Units 1994-95 survey and analysis of 2,200 manufacturing firms. The survey elicited information on firm-sponsored training and on a wide range of firm attributes, including size, industry, local or foreign ownership, equipment technology, quality control systems, markets and exports, workforce characteristics, wages and other compensation, and production. The data document, for the first time, the incidence and characteristics of training in Malaysian industry, across firms of different sizes, ownership, and output profiles. The data create an unprecedented opportunity to study the critical links between training, new technology, and quality control. A joint publication of the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Malaysia Economic Planning Unit.

Energy performance policy in the building sector - such as is described by EU Directive known as EPBD - has the aim of reducing energy consumption in buildings. This title contributes to knowledge about the content of energy performance policy and concludes that the effect of energy performance policy in encouraging innovation is limited.

In previous years we have seen a recognition of the significant potential that exists for reducing energy use through innovation in residential buildings. This study investigates innovation challenges and identifies opportunities that could lead to a rapid increase in the adoption of highly energy-efficient housing concepts, particularly that of the passive house. To this end, it exemplifies, interprets and develops the innovation adoption theory through an investigation of views and experiences on the supply side, the demand side and the policy side. It highlights successful innovation trajectories and barriers experienced by businesses. It addresses both problems and positive experiences from the perspective of the end user and investigates different policy approaches. As such, the research reveals important features of innovation-adoption strategies in the building sector. It shows how multi-player enterprise collaboration plays a key role, and the study also recommends the development of quality assurance schemes. It makes a valuable contribution to discussions about how active the role of government policymakers and enterprise networks should be.

Energy Efficient Buildings A complete and authoritative discussion of the fundamentals of designing and engineering energy efficient buildings In Energy Efficient Buildings: Fundamentals of Building Science and Thermal Systems, distinguished engineer and architect Dr. John Zhai delivers a comprehensive exploration of the design and engineering fundamentals of energy efficient buildings. The book introduces the fundamental knowledge, calculations, analyses, and principles used by designers of energy efficient buildings and addresses all essential elements of the discipline. An essential guide for students studying civil, architectural, mechanical, and electrical engineering with a focus on energy, building systems, and building science, the book provides practical in-class materials, examples, and actual design practices, as well as end-of-chapter questions (with solutions) and sample group projects. Readers will find: A thorough introduction to the cross-disciplinary approach to the design of energy efficient buildings Comprehensive explorations of all critical elements of energy efficient building design, including standards and codes, psychometrics, microclimate, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, HVAC systems, and more In-depth discussions of the foundational knowledge, calculations, analysis, and principles needed to design energy efficient buildings Practical in-class examples and end-of-chapter questions with solutions for students, and design guidance and sample group projects for use in course lectures and actual design practices. Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying building environmental systems, building systems in construction, and mechanical and electrical systems in construction, Energy Efficient Buildings: Fundamentals of Building Science and Thermal Systems will also earn a place in the libraries of practicing civil, architectural, and mechanical engineers.

Retrofitting expresses, in a traditional approach, the process of improving something after it has been manufactured, constructed, or assembled. These systems integrate new technologies, new functions, and new services that increase the energy performance in existing private, public, and commercial buildings. Retrofitting for Optimal Energy Performance is a comprehensive reference source that examines environmentally conscious technologies and their applications in advancing retrofitting practices. Providing relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the area, it highlights an array of topics such as climate change, energy management, and optimization modeling, and is essential for academicians, students, researchers, engineers, architects, entrepreneurs, managers, policymakers, and building owners.

Buildings are one of the main causes of the emission of greenhouse gases in the world. Europe alone is responsible for more than 30% of emissions, or about 900 million tons of CO2 per year. Heating and air conditioning are the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. Most buildings currently in use were built with poor energy efficiency criteria or, depending on the country and the date of construction, none at all. Therefore, regardless of whether construction regulations are becoming stricter, the real challenge nowadays is the energy rehabilitation of existing buildings. It is currently a priority to reduce (or, ideally, eliminate) the waste of energy in buildings and, at the same time, supply the necessary energy through renewable sources. The first can be achieved by improving the architectural design, construction methods, and materials used, as well as the efficiency of the facilities and systems; the second can be achieved through the integration of renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) in buildings. In any case, regardless of whether the energy used is renewable or not, the efficiency must always be taken into account. The most profitable and clean energy is that which is not consumed.

The design and construction of the appropriate building envelope is one of the most effective ways for improving a building's thermal performance. Thermal Inertia in Energy Efficient Building Envelopes provides the optimal solutions, tools and methods for designing the energy efficient envelopes that will reduce energy consumption and achieve thermal comfort and low environmental impact. Thermal Inertia in Energy Efficient Building Envelopes provides experimental data, technical solutions and methods for quantifying energy consumption and comfort levels, also considering dynamic strategies such as thermal inertia and natural ventilation. Several type of envelopes and their optimal solutions are covered, including retrofit of existing envelopes, new solutions, passive systems such as ventilated facades and solar walls. The discussion also considers various climates (mild or extreme) and seasons, building typology, mode of use of the internal environment, heating profiles and cross-ventilation - Experimental investigations on real case studies, to explore in detail the behaviour of different envelopes - Laboratory tests on existing insulation to quantify the actual performances - Analytical simulations in dynamic conditions to extend the boundary conditions to other climates and usage profiles and to consider alternative insulation strategies - Evaluation of solutions sustainability through the quantification of environmental and economic impacts with LCA analysis; including global cost comparison between the different scenarios - Integrated evaluations between various aspects such as comfort, energy saving, and sustainability