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The performance of a solar lighting and heating system (SLHS) based on the spectral splitting effect of nanofluids is presented in this paper. SLHS through nanofluids would split the sunlight spectrum into different wavelength, and then introduce the visible light into the offices for lighting and absorb infrared energy to generate hot water. The Energy Plus software was used to analyze the energy consumption of typical office building located in the city of Harbin in China coupled with SLHS. Based on the simulation results two lighting zones were identified in the offices and the optimal lighting control strategy was developed for a full year. The performance models of SLHS with different light-receiving areas of 10 m2 and 40 m2 were simulated and validated using the existing experimental data. The overall energy-saving of the offices over a full year were analyzed using the validated model. Results demonstrated that for SLHS with the area of 40 m2, the rate of the energy saving in the offices due to lighting and hot water systems were 58.9%, and 19.3%, respectively. The system also had the additional benefit of reducing the cooling load of the air conditioning system during summer period together with improving the quality of the indoor environment resulting in better health and productivity of the occupants.

One of the most effective measures for building energy conservation is the implementation of energy codes. The building energy codes introduction in Iran started two decades after the first oil crisis in the early 1970s by establishing the building energy conservation regulation called Issue 19. Nowadays, due to some financial and executive barriers, the implementation of Issue 19 is faced with some difficulties. The most critical obstacle is the low price of energy carriers, which lead to high subsidies of energy and the reluctance of the building owners to implement the regulation. The main goal of this paper is the introduction of an innovative financial and executive mechanism for implementation of Issue 19 in both new and existing buildings to achieve sustainability and resiliency. The cost–benefit analysis approach, along with SWOT technique and a comprehensive review of global experiences, was applied to introduce proper financial and executive mechanisms to determine the economic and social aspects of energy conservation programs for implementation of energy saving in buildings. The presented mechanism indicates the role of all different related parties, such as the government, banking system, energy-saving companies, building owners, and municipality, to achieve this goal. The results indicated that with a cost of $10 million, the benefits of implementation of the introduced mechanism are over 5.78 billion dollars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In recent years, with the rapid development of China's economy, China's energy demand has also been growing rapidly. Promoting the use of renewable energy in China has become an urgent need. This study evaluates the potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation on the roofs of residential buildings in rural areas of mainland China and calculates the area that can used for generating energy, the installed capacity, and the power generation, and conducts a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of investing in the construction of distributed PV systems in various provinces. The findings unveiled in this study indicate that China still has more than 6.4 billion m2 of rural construction area available for the installation of PV modules. If this is all used for solar power generation, the annual power generation can reach up to 1.55 times the electricity consumption of urban and rural residents for the whole society. Through a comprehensive evaluation of energy efficiency and economic benefits, the Chinese mainland can be divided into three types of resource areas. The three types of resource areas have their own advantages and disadvantages. According to their own characteristics and advantages, we can reasonably formulate relevant policies to accelerate the development of PV system application in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]