Search

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has set a target to achieve carbon-neutral building stock and generate 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050. While Model Predictive Control (MPC) can contribute significantly to energy flexibility in buildings, its remote implementation remains relatively unexplored, especially in the residential sector. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the reliability, robustness, and computational efficiency of a cloud-based application of an MPC called Smart Energy Management (SEM) on a multi-family residential building. The SEM was tested on a virtual building model in TRNSYS using an open-source distributed event streaming platform for data exchange and synchronization. Simplified models for thermal behavior prediction, including an R3C3 model of the building, were developed in C++. The SEM was evaluated in eight scenarios with varying weather conditions, optimization criteria, and runtime periods. The results demonstrate that the SEM maintains stability and robustness over a 2-week period with a 15-minute planning resolution while ensuring thermal comfort. The C++ implementation of the optimization algorithm enables SEM deployment on low-spec servers, supporting cost-effective applications in real buildings with minimal intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing economy, social justice, and environmental protection while achieving decarbonisation and adapting to climate change poses a significant challenge for nations, regions, and cities. The Sustainable Development Goals and the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans are widely used plans designed to oversee mitigation and adaptation actions. However, despite the common topics addressed by both, the absence of a common framework and the multiplicity of indicators proposed imply an extra effort in their implementation and evaluation, as well as the difficulty of evaluating peer benchmarking. Hence, this review focuses on identifying frequently proposed indicators, highlighting potential links among metrics and establishing a list of potential indicators. The bibliographic analysis conducted allowed the identification of more than 80 sources and 410 different metrics. The study reveals the diversity of approaches chosen to define a set of indicators and underscores the need for a harmonised framework to effectively compare and monitor European regions and cities. Moreover, thanks to this study, a list of potential indicators and the methodology for populating them was established, allowing better coherence among the initiatives and a starting point for small regional and local administrations that often struggle with the availability of data and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus on the definition of participatory or collaborative practices in relation to audiovisual media. The same term has been used to name a range of similar practices although they have important differences that should be described. Moreover, different terms have been used to refer to the same practice. The present article provides a conceptual proposal for this mode of creation, which originated and has been essentially developed in the field of non-fiction. We first conducted a systematic review of the literature, which corroborated the starting premise and allowed us to propose the concept 'collaborative modes of audiovisual media' compared with other terms that are currently employed. We then explored the characterisation of the object of study and the historical uses of the different concepts that are applied to this type of audiovisual creation. The definition obtained recognises the plurality of the concept and reveals its basic characteristics. Then, we have compared this notion with recent contributions on collaborative creation in the context of digital communication. In conclusion, this article offers a theoretical model to further research this object of study, acknowledging the differences among practices and facilitating a deeper insight into the productive connections that they share. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ISO 52000–1:2017 is the overarching Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) standard, providing the general framework of the EPB assessment. It is applicable to the assessment of overall energy use of a building, by measurement or calculation, and the calculation of energy performance in terms of primary energy or other energy-related metrics. ISO 52000–1 provides general profound guidelines, but also gives the freedom to adapt the guidelines with national standards and regulations. This article focuses on design stage energy performance assessment in the framework of syn.ikia project, which aims to deliver a blueprint for an Integrated Design Process of sustainable plus energy buildings and neighbourhoods, leading the way to plus energy districts and cities. This project has four demonstration sites and the one being in focus of this article is located in Catalonia, Spain. Even though this project and Spanish Technical code both are based on ISO 52000–1, the criteria of calculation boundaries of those two vary in some degree, and that can cause great difference in the primary energy balance. In the calculation of the energy balance the criteria of syn.ikia considers all common energy uses in a building, including heating, cooling, ventilation, dehumidification, domestic hot water and lighting, while the Spanish Technical Code excludes lighting consumption. The main difference however is caused due to the fact that in syn.ikia hypothesis the exported energy is being considered in the calculation of how much non-renewable energy is avoided from the grid, while Spanish Technical Code excludes it. For the evaluation of these differences, a simplified monthly primary energy calculation tool is developed during the evaluation framework of key performance indicators of the project. The analysis of the calculation framework hypothesis is presented, analyzing the effects of the assessment boundaries, different primary energy balance calculation hypothesis and building design alternatives.

Canine and human leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is considered an emerging disease in the Mediterranean basin (1). In addition to dogs, several wild mammals have been found infected by [...]