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Low-energy cases can be designed more efficiently by using analytical optimization. The non-linear thermal performance of buildings has led to the development of optimization techniques based on simulation. In building optimization, it is important to achieve superior solutions while minimizing calculation expenses. This study aims to optimize an Australian office building using the Balanced Tree Growth Optimizer (BTGO). It has resulted that more than 11.7 % of energy can be saved by the optimization process and also some energy-saving measures. A comparison of the utilized algorithm with benchmark algorithms including the Nelder-Mead method, hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization, Hooke-Jeeves, and Ant Colony Optimization for continuous domain showed that the BTGO can achieve better solutions and needs less computational time.

The thrust to find new technology and materials has been greatly increasing due to environmental and technological challenges in the progressive world. Among new standard materials and advanced nano-materials that possess a huge potential and superior thermal, mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties, which have made them excellent and suitable components for mechanical engineering applications. The current review paper deals with recent enhancements and advances in the properties of nano-structured glasses and composites in terms of thermal and mechanical properties. A fabrication method of nano-structured glass has briefly been discussed and the phase change material (PCM) method outlined. The comprehensive review of thermal and optical properties confirms that nano-fabricated glasses show both direct and indirect running of band gaps depending on selective nano-structuring samples. The electrical and magnetic properties also show enhancement in electrical conductivity on nano-structured glasses compared to their standard counterparts. The realistic changes in thermal and mechanical properties of nano-structured glasses and composites are commonly attributed to many micro- and nano-structural distribution features like grain size, shape, pores, other flaws and defects, surface condition, impurity level, stress, duration of temperature effect on the selective samples. Literature reports that nano-structuring materials lead to enhanced phonon boundary scattering which reduces thermal conductivity and energy consumption.