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Adopting a multiscale approach is crucial for optimizing urban and building performance, prompting inquiries about the link between a technology’s local efficiency (building scale) and its broader impact (city-wide). To investigate this correlation and devise effective strategies for enhancing building and city energy performance, we experimentally examined a commercial nano-ceramic Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) on a small-scale building and assessed numerically its influence on mitigating Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) at a city scale, translated in our case by the use of the thermal comfort index: the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Our results reveal that the coating significantly curbs heat transfer locally, reducing surface temperatures by over 50 ∘C compared to traditional roofs and attenuating more than 70% of heat flux, potentially alleviating air conditioning demands and associated urban heat effects. However, implementing such coatings across a city does not notably advance overall efficiency and might trigger minor overheating on thermal perception. Hence, while nano-ceramic coatings indirectly aid UHI mitigation, they are not a standalone fix; instead, an integrated strategy involving efficient coatings, sustainable urban planning, and increased vegetation emerges as the optimal path toward creating enduringly sustainable, pleasant, and efficient urban environments to counter urban heat challenges effectively.

Our study explores the utilization of a phase change material (PCM) to optimize energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings in tropical climates. Employing a comprehensive multi-scale approach, this research encompasses both microscopic and macroscopic analyses to rigorously evaluate the PCM’s performance under various environmental conditions. It evaluates the effect of PCMs on ambient conditions in the face of temperature variations and high humidity, utilizing experimental methods at different scales (microscopic and macroscopic). Microscopic analyses reveal the composite structure of the PCM, consisting of microencapsulated paraffin within a cellulose fiber matrix. At a macroscopic scale, experiments using two real-scale test cells evaluated thermal performance and its influence on thermal comfort. Temperature and humidity data were meticulously collected over an extended period to assess the PCM’s impact on indoor regulation. We employed type T thermocouples and flux meters to monitor thermal dynamics and energy flux across the building walls. This setup facilitated a detailed comparison of temperature variations and thermal comfort metrics between the PCM-equipped test cell and a control cell. The results indicate a seasonal duality of the PCM: beneficial in winter for thermal regulation but problematic in summer due to excessive heat retention. The conclusions highlight the importance of carefully selecting and adapting PCMs for tropical climates, thus providing valuable insights for designing sustainable buildings in regions facing similar climatic challenges.

Building solar protection regulations is essential to save energy in hot climates. The protection performance is assessed using a shading factor computation that models the sky irradiance and the geometry of shadow obstructing the surface of interest. While Building Information Modeling is nowadays a standard approach for practitioners, computing shadow geometry in BIM authoring tools is natively impossible. Methods to compute shadow geometry exist but are out of reach for the usual BIM authoring tool user because of algorithm complexity and non-friendly BIM implementation platform. This study presents a novel approach, dubbed solid clipping, to calculate shadow geometry accurately in a BIM authoring tool. The aim is to enhance project delivery by enabling solar control verification. This method is based on typical Computer Aided Design (CAD) in BIM authoring tools. The method is generic enough to be implemented using any BIM authoring tool’s visual and textual API. This work demonstrates that a thermal regulation, here the French overseas one, can be checked concerning solar protection, thanks to a BIM model. Beyond automation, this paper shows that, by directly leveraging the BIM model, designs presently not feasible by the usual process can be studied and checked.

This paper deals with the empirical validation of a building thermal model of a complex roof including a phase change material (PCM). A mathematical model dedicated to PCMs based on the heat apparent capacity method was implemented in a multi-zone building simulation code, the aim being to increase the understanding of the thermal behavior of the whole building with PCM technologies. In order to empirically validate the model, the methodology is based both on numerical and experimental studies. A parametric sensitivity analysis was performed and a set of parameters of the thermal model has been identified for optimization. The use of the generic optimization program called GenOpt® coupled to the building simulation code enabled to determine the set of adequate parameters. We first present the empirical validation methodology and main results of previous work. We then give an overview of GenOpt® and its coupling with the building simulation code. Finally, once the optimization results are obtained, comparisons of the thermal predictions with measurements are found to be acceptable and are presented.