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This work has its origin in the growing demands of energy regulations to meet future local targets and to propose a global implementation framework. A literature review related to conventional electrical energy storage systems has been carried out, presenting different cases analyzed at building scale to deepen in nature-inspired processes that propose reductions in environmental impact and present improvements in these storage devices. The use of batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, is the most prominent among the electrical storage applications; however, improvements have been proposed through hydrogen batteries or the implementation of more environmentally friendly materials to manufacture the electrodes. In this sense, oriented to creating systems designed to protect the environment, important advances have been made in the development of storage systems based on biomimetic strategies. The latter range from the generation of energy through the respiratory processes of microorganisms to the recreation of the generation, storage, and release of energy using the thermoelectric and thermoregulatory characteristics of some insects. These facts show that the trend in research towards improving existing systems continues but reinforces the idea that new solutions must be environmentally friendly, so there is still a long way to improving the processes established thus far.
Alisson Dodón; Vanessa Quintero; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora. Bio-Inspired Electricity Storage Alternatives to Support Massive Demand-Side Energy Generation: A Review of Applications at Building Scale. Biomimetics 2021, 6, 51 .
AMA StyleAlisson Dodón, Vanessa Quintero, Miguel Chen Austin, Dafni Mora. Bio-Inspired Electricity Storage Alternatives to Support Massive Demand-Side Energy Generation: A Review of Applications at Building Scale. Biomimetics. 2021; 6 (3):51.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlisson Dodón; Vanessa Quintero; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora. 2021. "Bio-Inspired Electricity Storage Alternatives to Support Massive Demand-Side Energy Generation: A Review of Applications at Building Scale." Biomimetics 6, no. 3: 51.
The surprise arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic produced an accelerated transition in all educational institutions, forcing them to take advantage of digital technologies and the Internet to ensure that their operation could keep going. In this document, a study of various scientific articles, reports, publications, and existing documentation on the digital transformation processes launched in the different Latin American universities was carried out, presenting the methodological proposals promoted toward the new modalities of remote education, the reinvention of administrative processes, and the support provided to the university community to reduce the digital divide. An online survey was designed to know the advances in the digital transformation (DT) of 20 universities in Latin America. Outcomes of the online survey supply insights in four key DT objectives: teaching and learning, student support, research, and administration. Also, a case study of the implementation and monitoring of the DT model at the Technological University of Panama and its projections was considered.
Aris Castillo; Vladimir Villarreal; Dafni Mora; Lineth Alaín. State of Digital Transformation in the Universities of Central America. Non-Formal and Informal Science Learning in the ICT Era 2021, 109 -128.
AMA StyleAris Castillo, Vladimir Villarreal, Dafni Mora, Lineth Alaín. State of Digital Transformation in the Universities of Central America. Non-Formal and Informal Science Learning in the ICT Era. 2021; ():109-128.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAris Castillo; Vladimir Villarreal; Dafni Mora; Lineth Alaín. 2021. "State of Digital Transformation in the Universities of Central America." Non-Formal and Informal Science Learning in the ICT Era , no. : 109-128.
In recent years, demographic growth has caused cities to expand their urban areas, increasing the risk of overheating, creating insurmountable microclimatic conditions within the urban area, which is why studies have been carried out on the urban heat island effect (UHI) and its mitigation. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the cooling potential in the application of strategies based on biomimicry for the microclimate in a historical heritage city of Panama. For this, three case studies (base case, case 1, and case 2) of outdoor thermal comfort were evaluated, in which the Envi-met software was used to emulate and evaluate the thermal performance of these strategies during March (highest temperature month) and October (rainier month). The strategies used were extracted from the contrast of zebra skin, human skin, evaporative cooling, and ant skin. The results showed a reduction of 2.8 °C in the air temperature at 11:00, the radiant temperature decreased by 2.2 °C, and the PET index managed to reduce the thermal comfort indicator among its categories. The importance of thinking based on biomimicry in sustainable strategies is concluded; although significant changes were obtained, high risks of discomfort persist due to the layout and proximity of the building.
Kevin Araque; Paola Palacios; Dafni Mora; Miguel Chen Austin. Biomimicry-Based Strategies for Urban Heat Island Mitigation: A Numerical Case Study under Tropical Climate. Biomimetics 2021, 6, 48 .
AMA StyleKevin Araque, Paola Palacios, Dafni Mora, Miguel Chen Austin. Biomimicry-Based Strategies for Urban Heat Island Mitigation: A Numerical Case Study under Tropical Climate. Biomimetics. 2021; 6 (3):48.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKevin Araque; Paola Palacios; Dafni Mora; Miguel Chen Austin. 2021. "Biomimicry-Based Strategies for Urban Heat Island Mitigation: A Numerical Case Study under Tropical Climate." Biomimetics 6, no. 3: 48.
Trees are resources that provide multiple benefits, such as the conservation of fauna, both terrestrial and marine, a source of food and raw material, and offering protection in storms, which makes it practical to understand their behavior against different phenomena. Such understanding may be possible through process modeling. Studies confirm that mangrove forests can store more carbon than other forests, influencing the fight against global warming. Thus, a critical and systematic review was carried out regarding studies focusing on mangroves to collect information on the models that have been applied and the most influential variables highlighted by other authors. Applying a systematic search for the most relevant topics related to mangroves (basic as well as recent information), it is possible to group models and methods carried out by other authors to respond to certain behaviors presented by mangroves. Moreover, possible structuring of a mathematical model applied to a species of interest thanks to the analyzed references could provide justified information to the authorities on the importance of these forests and the benefits of their preservation and regeneration-recovery.
Jefferson Brooks; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora; Nathalia Tejedor-Flores. A Critical Review on Mathematical Descriptions to Study Flux Processes and Environmental-Related Interactions of Mangroves. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6970 .
AMA StyleJefferson Brooks, Miguel Chen Austin, Dafni Mora, Nathalia Tejedor-Flores. A Critical Review on Mathematical Descriptions to Study Flux Processes and Environmental-Related Interactions of Mangroves. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6970.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJefferson Brooks; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora; Nathalia Tejedor-Flores. 2021. "A Critical Review on Mathematical Descriptions to Study Flux Processes and Environmental-Related Interactions of Mangroves." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6970.
Occupancy modeling in office buildings is still in progress and needs to be developed by using observable data. In this paper, an office building under the Mediterranean climate was instrumental in the collection of both indoor environmental parameters (air temperature and relative humidity, CO2, VOC) and user action-related variables (electricity power, window, door state, and air conditioning use). Each parameter was monitored along with the occupancy state at a one-minute time step for two years. The purpose of the investigation was to evaluate the potential application of three straightforward models, such as the Law of Total Probability (LTP), Naïve Bayes classifier (NB), and Classification and Regression Tree (CART), to estimate the occupancy state using the indoor measurements. Thirty-four (34) different combinations of parameters were applied on the developed models; the true positive rate (TPR), true negative rate (TNR), and accuracy were used as evaluation metrics. The results confirmed that the performances of the models were influenced by both the number and the typology of the used parameters. In particular, the CART model was found to be the least affected by them; almost half of the parameters’ combinations provided accuracies higher than 93% and TNR higher than TPR. Accuracies of the order of 90% were obtained with NB and LTP.
Gianmarco Fajilla; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. Assessment of probabilistic models to estimate the occupancy state in office buildings using indoor parameters and user-related variables. Energy and Buildings 2021, 246, 111105 .
AMA StyleGianmarco Fajilla, Miguel Chen Austin, Dafni Mora, Marilena De Simone. Assessment of probabilistic models to estimate the occupancy state in office buildings using indoor parameters and user-related variables. Energy and Buildings. 2021; 246 ():111105.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianmarco Fajilla; Miguel Chen Austin; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. 2021. "Assessment of probabilistic models to estimate the occupancy state in office buildings using indoor parameters and user-related variables." Energy and Buildings 246, no. : 111105.
The increasing concern expressed by building designers in Panama, due to new building-energy regulations, regarding sustainable development goals and energy efficiency, is leading architects to reanalyse their design strategies and evaluate the vernacular architecture. The main implications of the hot-humid climate characteristics stipulate that the need for cooling of indoor environments drives buildings’ design and settlements. This work aims to assess the use of bioclimatic architecture strategies in three existing building typologies design in Panama, in terms of thermal comfort performance. The approach adopted here is to compare and analyse the vernacular architecture with current architecture. Besides, to evaluate bioclimatic architecture strategies based on recent investigations and the guidelines proposed by Givony, Olgyay, among others. A numerical assessment was performed on the dynamic simulation software DesignBuilder, where the building’s passive strategies are evaluated in terms of operative temperature, relative humidity (rH), PMV, PPD, and discomfort hours (DH). All three houses, the HVA, HCA, and HRES were tested in three different locations within Panama City. Results showed that the strategies in HVA perform best for reducing rH levels, but the HRES performs best in overall thermal comfort performance, apart yet from the high rH levels encountered.
Miguel Chen Austin; Milvia Castillo; Ángela De Mendes Da Silva; Dafni Mora. Numerical Assessment of Bioclimatic Architecture Strategies for Buildings Design in Tropical Climates: A Case of Study in Panama. E3S Web of Conferences 2020, 197, 02006 .
AMA StyleMiguel Chen Austin, Milvia Castillo, Ángela De Mendes Da Silva, Dafni Mora. Numerical Assessment of Bioclimatic Architecture Strategies for Buildings Design in Tropical Climates: A Case of Study in Panama. E3S Web of Conferences. 2020; 197 ():02006.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Chen Austin; Milvia Castillo; Ángela De Mendes Da Silva; Dafni Mora. 2020. "Numerical Assessment of Bioclimatic Architecture Strategies for Buildings Design in Tropical Climates: A Case of Study in Panama." E3S Web of Conferences 197, no. : 02006.
In the Panama context, energy consumption in the building sector is mostly related to the conditioning of indoor spaces for cooling and lighting. Different nature strategies can be mimic to strongly impact these two aspects in the building sector, such as the ones presented here. A comprehensive analysis regarding literature related to biomimicry-based approaches destined to improve buildings designs is presented here. This analysis is driven by the increasing energy regulations demands to meet future local goals and to propose a framework for applications in Panama. Such biomimicry-based approaches have been further analyzed and evaluated to propose the incorporation of organism-based design for three of the most climate types found in Panama. Consequently, a SWOT analysis helped realized the potential that biomimicry-based approaches might have in improving the odds of in meeting the local and global regulations demands. The need for multidisciplinary collaboration to accomplish biomimicry-based-designed buildings, brings an increment in the competitivity regarding more trained human-assets, widening the standard-construction-sector thinking. Finally, the analysis presented here can serve as the foundation for further technical assessment, via numerical and experimental means.
Miguel Chen Austin; Dagmar Garzola; Nicole Delgado; José Ulises Jiménez; Dafni Mora. Inspection of Biomimicry Approaches as an Alternative to Address Climate-Related Energy Building Challenges: A Framework for Application in Panama. Biomimetics 2020, 5, 40 .
AMA StyleMiguel Chen Austin, Dagmar Garzola, Nicole Delgado, José Ulises Jiménez, Dafni Mora. Inspection of Biomimicry Approaches as an Alternative to Address Climate-Related Energy Building Challenges: A Framework for Application in Panama. Biomimetics. 2020; 5 (3):40.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMiguel Chen Austin; Dagmar Garzola; Nicole Delgado; José Ulises Jiménez; Dafni Mora. 2020. "Inspection of Biomimicry Approaches as an Alternative to Address Climate-Related Energy Building Challenges: A Framework for Application in Panama." Biomimetics 5, no. 3: 40.
With the aim of promoting Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in Panama, the implementation of low-consumption techniques is studied here via dynamic simulations. For this, a Test model based on the generic construction materials for envelope composition implemented in Panama’s standard buildings was developed in DesignBuilder software to evaluate some low-consumption techniques, such as occupancy profile change, free cooling strategies, and modifications of the envelope composition. The envelope composition of an NZEB encountered in Playa Venao, Panama, is also examined. After implementing the low-consumption techniques, the net energy consumption of the Test model remains far from laying within the energy ranges to be considered as an NZEB. However, this numerical study has shown promising results using few low-consumption techniques, which have managed to reduce the energy consumption of the building in 35% with respect to the original energy consumption of the Test model reference.
Dafni Mora; Jesús Araúz; Miguel Chen Austin. Towards nearly zero energy buildings in Panama through low-consumption techniques: A numerical study. SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MATERIAL SCIENCE, SMART STRUCTURES AND APPLICATIONS: ICMSS-2019 2019, 2191, 020114 .
AMA StyleDafni Mora, Jesús Araúz, Miguel Chen Austin. Towards nearly zero energy buildings in Panama through low-consumption techniques: A numerical study. SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MATERIAL SCIENCE, SMART STRUCTURES AND APPLICATIONS: ICMSS-2019. 2019; 2191 (1):020114.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDafni Mora; Jesús Araúz; Miguel Chen Austin. 2019. "Towards nearly zero energy buildings in Panama through low-consumption techniques: A numerical study." SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MATERIAL SCIENCE, SMART STRUCTURES AND APPLICATIONS: ICMSS-2019 2191, no. 1: 020114.
With the purpose of giving recommendations about building construction techniques in Panama to reduce the energy consumption, this article presents the results obtained from thermal dynamic simulations carried out for a generic building inspired on the building structure implemented in the Technological University of Panama Campus. This before by considering its geographical location, meteorological data, and composition of walls, floors, ceilings and windows. This simulation aims to study the thermal behavior of the building depending merely on its envelope features, specifically, on the variation of "window to wall" ratio (WWR) and on the addition of internal and external insulation layers on the external walls. Results showed that one of the most relevant features of the envelope is the WWR, which improved the indoor conditions significantly if minimized. However, adding insulation layer does not improve the building indoor conditions.
Jesus Arauz; Dafni Mora; Miguel Chen Austin. Impact of the Envelope Layout in the Thermal Behavior of Buildings in Panama: A Numerical Study. 2019 7th International Engineering, Sciences and Technology Conference (IESTEC) 2019, 209 -214.
AMA StyleJesus Arauz, Dafni Mora, Miguel Chen Austin. Impact of the Envelope Layout in the Thermal Behavior of Buildings in Panama: A Numerical Study. 2019 7th International Engineering, Sciences and Technology Conference (IESTEC). 2019; ():209-214.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJesus Arauz; Dafni Mora; Miguel Chen Austin. 2019. "Impact of the Envelope Layout in the Thermal Behavior of Buildings in Panama: A Numerical Study." 2019 7th International Engineering, Sciences and Technology Conference (IESTEC) , no. : 209-214.
An experimental set-up was built in an office with the aim of obtaining information regarding occupancy patterns by monitoring occupancy state, air temperature, relative humidity, CO2, VOC, door and window opening, and electricity usage. Heuristic approaches were applied: cluster analysis and models based on logical flowcharts. Cluster analysis was implemented in the ground truth occupancy data to identify daily occupancy patterns by considering different time steps. Clusters marked by daily occupancy lower and greater than 40% were identified. Furthermore, in high occupancy clusters, the analysis distinguished groups in which the day with the highest occupancy was lower or greater than 40%. The same approach was applied with continuous parameters to verify the ability of sensors to replicate the characteristics of each identified cluster. CO2 and power clusters showed similarities in the number of clusters, days in each cluster, and occupancy percentage. In addition, both continuous and binary variables were used in models based on logical flowcharts to describe hourly occupancy profiles. The best solution with one parameter returned an error of 12%, by using two parameters an error of 10%. Models with three parameters showed errors of less than 10%, accuracy did not improve significantly by adding the fourth parameter.
Dafni Mora; Gianmarco Fajilla; Miguel Chen Austin; Marilena De Simone. Occupancy patterns obtained by heuristic approaches: Cluster analysis and logical flowcharts. A case study in a university office. Energy and Buildings 2019, 186, 147 -168.
AMA StyleDafni Mora, Gianmarco Fajilla, Miguel Chen Austin, Marilena De Simone. Occupancy patterns obtained by heuristic approaches: Cluster analysis and logical flowcharts. A case study in a university office. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 186 ():147-168.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDafni Mora; Gianmarco Fajilla; Miguel Chen Austin; Marilena De Simone. 2019. "Occupancy patterns obtained by heuristic approaches: Cluster analysis and logical flowcharts. A case study in a university office." Energy and Buildings 186, no. : 147-168.
The paper presents a review of the literature on the use of the questionnaire as a tool for collecting energy data in residential buildings. Numerous studies used the questionnaire to gather necessary information for different purposes. However, even using the same tool, the procedures differ in terms of distribution and compilation, contact with the interviewees and type of proposed questions. One hundred thirty-seven studies were considered in the review, including both scientific articles and surveys reports. The available works were analysed and classified according to the geographical origin, period, sample size, sample structure, data collection methods, response rate, data processing, and objectives of the investigation. In the 80% of the selected studies, the questionnaire is used as unique tool for data collection, albeit cases in which the questionnaire is coupled with other survey techniques, such as field measurements and time use surveys, have also been recorded. The in-person interview is the most common completion option in the sample and it is also the method that produces the highest response rate (77.6%). Generally, the collected data are subjected to statistical processing (over 80% of the cases). Regarding the objective of the surveys, the questionnaire is mainly employed for investigations on energy consumption and occupants’ behaviour, but also other purposes were identified. Overall, the revised sample and the experiences reported are largely varied and heterogeneous. The lack of a homogeneous methodology appears in the use of an extremely diversified terminology. Therefore, the codification of a reference method and the standardisation of the nomenclature would be desirable. It would be useful to define general guidelines to be followed when designing surveys by using questionnaires. The review provides some suggestions and guidance on the use of questionnaire, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and represents a source of information for future researches focused on the energy performance of buildings.
Cristina Carpino; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. On the use of questionnaire in residential buildings. A review of collected data, methodologies and objectives. Energy and Buildings 2019, 186, 297 -318.
AMA StyleCristina Carpino, Dafni Mora, Marilena De Simone. On the use of questionnaire in residential buildings. A review of collected data, methodologies and objectives. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 186 ():297-318.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Carpino; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. 2019. "On the use of questionnaire in residential buildings. A review of collected data, methodologies and objectives." Energy and Buildings 186, no. : 297-318.
The aim of the study was to create and administer a questionnaire to collect data and obtain typical occupancy profiles of residential buildings. The survey was developed by considering previous experiences conducted in the University of Calabria since 2012, and it was distributed among 80 families via email, face-to-face and through social network. Different levels of occupancy (high, medium and low) and different sub-categories of high occupancy (morning, afternoon, and intermediate) were individuated by processing the gathered data. Buildings energy consumption was investigated with regard to occupancy categories, and correlations were found.
Cristina Carpino; Gianmarco Fajilla; Angela Gaudio; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. Application of survey on energy consumption and occupancy in residential buildings. An experience in Southern Italy. Energy Procedia 2018, 148, 1082 -1089.
AMA StyleCristina Carpino, Gianmarco Fajilla, Angela Gaudio, Dafni Mora, Marilena De Simone. Application of survey on energy consumption and occupancy in residential buildings. An experience in Southern Italy. Energy Procedia. 2018; 148 ():1082-1089.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Carpino; Gianmarco Fajilla; Angela Gaudio; Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone. 2018. "Application of survey on energy consumption and occupancy in residential buildings. An experience in Southern Italy." Energy Procedia 148, no. : 1082-1089.
This study deals with the estimation of the carbon associated to the Above Ground Biomass, in a permanent plot of measurement located in the Cerro Pelado Tropical Hydrology Observatory in Gamboa, Panama. The objective is to highlight the contribution made by one-hectare of this forest to the local Climate Change mitigation. We employed a relation to carbon storage and sequestration, based on the important species of the tree community with diameter at breast height equal to or greater than 10 cm. It was found an increase in the Above Ground Biomass at the plot, with values of: 193 Mg*ha-1, 218 Mg*ha-11 and 225 Mg*ha-1, for the 2008, 2012 and 2015 censuses, respectively. The net growth in Above Ground Biomass is eliminating approximately 7 to 8 Mg de CO2*ha-1year-1 from the atmosphere, which means that it is acting as a sink and sequestrator of CO2. In this habitat, it is recognizable the important contribution of the Pera arborea species in terms of sustaining carbon sequestration in the Above Ground Biomass.Keywords: Gamboa, Panama, Above Ground Biomass, Climate Change, CO2
José Ulises Jiménez; Reinhardt Pinzón; José Fábrega; Dafni Mora. Contribución del Bosque en Cerro Pelado a la Mitigación del Cambio Climático: Almacenamiento y Secuestro de Carbono. KnE Engineering 2018, 3, 668 -678.
AMA StyleJosé Ulises Jiménez, Reinhardt Pinzón, José Fábrega, Dafni Mora. Contribución del Bosque en Cerro Pelado a la Mitigación del Cambio Climático: Almacenamiento y Secuestro de Carbono. KnE Engineering. 2018; 3 (1):668-678.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Ulises Jiménez; Reinhardt Pinzón; José Fábrega; Dafni Mora. 2018. "Contribución del Bosque en Cerro Pelado a la Mitigación del Cambio Climático: Almacenamiento y Secuestro de Carbono." KnE Engineering 3, no. 1: 668-678.
Sensors were applied in an office building to obtain information regarding user presence and absence intervals. Occupancy was also recorded by manual observation, and indoor parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC) were monitored. Occupants’ behaviors regarding door/window (open/closed) and electric power were considered. Clustering analysis by manual observation was employed to identify similarities in daily or monthly occupancy and to describe possible occupancy profiles. Similar approach was carried out with each monitored parameter and the results of clustering elaboration were compared with the real occupancy profiles to identify which sensor is more effective to measure office occupancy. Furthermore, data were analyzed to explore relationships between occupancy and the magnitude of indoor environmental changes with the objective to identify daily, weekly, or monthly patterns. Single-linkage, complete-linkage, and average-linkage clustering were applied to each dataset. The cophenetic correlation coefficient was used to verify the quality of the results obtained for each variable, and the complete linkage was selected to define the groups. Comparison between occupancy real data clustering and VOC and open/closed door groups demonstrated not similarities. The electricity consumption and CO2 data showed some similarities.Keywords: Occupancy detection, environmental sensor, clustering analysis, Office buildings
Dafni Mora; Marilena De Simone; Gianmarco Fajilla; José R. Fábrega. Occupancy profiles modelling based on Indoor Measurements and Clustering Analysis: Application in an Office Building. KnE Engineering 2018, 3, 711 -720.
AMA StyleDafni Mora, Marilena De Simone, Gianmarco Fajilla, José R. Fábrega. Occupancy profiles modelling based on Indoor Measurements and Clustering Analysis: Application in an Office Building. KnE Engineering. 2018; 3 (1):711-720.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDafni Mora; Marilena De Simone; Gianmarco Fajilla; José R. Fábrega. 2018. "Occupancy profiles modelling based on Indoor Measurements and Clustering Analysis: Application in an Office Building." KnE Engineering 3, no. 1: 711-720.
Occupant sensing and data acquisition are essential elements for occupant behavior research. A wide range of different types of sensors has been implemented to collect rich information on occupants and their interactions with the built environment, such as presence, actions, power consumption, etc. This information establishes a foundation to study the physiological, psychological, and social aspects of occupant behavior. This chapter summarizes existing occupancy and occupant behavior sensing and data acquisition technologies in terms of field applications, and develops nine performance metrics for their evaluation. The reviewed technologies focus on both occupants’ presence and interactions with the built environment, and are grouped into six major categories: image-based, threshold and mechanical, motion sensing, radio-based, human-in-the-loop, and consumption sensing. This chapter provides an overview and discussion of different current state-of-the-art and future sensing technologies for researchers.
Bing Dong; Mikkel Baun Kjærgaard; Marilena De Simone; H. Burak Gunay; William O'Brien; Dafni Mora; Jakub Dziedzic; Jie Zhao. Sensing and Data Acquisition. Exploring Occupant Behavior in Buildings 2017, 77 -105.
AMA StyleBing Dong, Mikkel Baun Kjærgaard, Marilena De Simone, H. Burak Gunay, William O'Brien, Dafni Mora, Jakub Dziedzic, Jie Zhao. Sensing and Data Acquisition. Exploring Occupant Behavior in Buildings. 2017; ():77-105.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBing Dong; Mikkel Baun Kjærgaard; Marilena De Simone; H. Burak Gunay; William O'Brien; Dafni Mora; Jakub Dziedzic; Jie Zhao. 2017. "Sensing and Data Acquisition." Exploring Occupant Behavior in Buildings , no. : 77-105.
Residential energy consumptions are determined by the interaction of many factors. Apart from physical characteristics such as climate, heating type, age, and size of the house, occupants’ behavior and socio-economic aspects are critical. Furthermore, the relative impact of the occupants’ characteristics and behavior seems to differ in various investigations confirming the importance of contextual analysis. In this study, different procedures for obtaining occupancy profiles are described and applied with reference to a residential building stock located in Mediterranean climatic conditions (Italy). The heating and domestic hot water (DHW) energy consumptions and indoor comfort conditions of a representative building were determined by introducing different occupant scenarios in dynamic simulations. The occupancy profiles were built by means of data collected at the University of Calabria using surveys, interviews, bills, and statistical elaborations. Considering different modes of use of the dwelling (Regulations, Current-use, and Statistical), in the simulation process, all the inputs of occupancy, ventilation, lighting, DHW, and heating operation were modified. The Regulations occupancy profile produces an underestimation of heating energy consumption. Additionally, primary energy for DHW is strongly affected by the family composition. The effect of the occupants’ preferences on the energy performance of the building was investigated: mainly energy consumptions and internal comfort conditions vary with the set point temperature and the duration of ventilation. The analysis provides reference procedures for obtaining occupancy profiles. Furthermore, the simulation results demonstrate the significant dependence of heating and DWH primary energy consumption on the characteristics and preferences of occupants in the Mediterranean climate.
Dafni Mora; Cristina Carpino; Marilena De Simone. Energy consumption of residential buildings and occupancy profiles. A case study in Mediterranean climatic conditions. Energy Efficiency 2017, 11, 121 -145.
AMA StyleDafni Mora, Cristina Carpino, Marilena De Simone. Energy consumption of residential buildings and occupancy profiles. A case study in Mediterranean climatic conditions. Energy Efficiency. 2017; 11 (1):121-145.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDafni Mora; Cristina Carpino; Marilena De Simone. 2017. "Energy consumption of residential buildings and occupancy profiles. A case study in Mediterranean climatic conditions." Energy Efficiency 11, no. 1: 121-145.
The objective of obtaining high performance energy buildings can be reached considering the contemporaneous effects of technical characteristics and occupancy. Recent studies report that as buildings become more energy efficient, the behavior of occupants plays an increasing role in consumption. Therefore, a construction designed to be a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) might generate higher consumption than expected if the assumptions made in the simulation process are not respected during the real use. The occupant can modify the control strategies of internal variables (heating/cooling system operation, set point temperature, ventilation, lighting) and the users’ behavior has a high impact on the utilization of plants and equipment. A significant contribution is also represented by the internal gains that have a direct relation with occupancy. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of housing occupancy patterns on the definition of residential nZEB in Italian climatic conditions. The investigation has been carried out considering a case study consisting of a building designed according to the National Standards. Successively, different conditions of the building usage are analyzed using dynamic energy simulations that allow exploration of the different occupation modes. The variability of the family composition and the occupancy scenarios are defined based on the data collected in the specific context. The investigation provides information regarding the effects of human variables (occupants’ needs and preferences) on the final energy performance of low energy buildings and highlights the combination of variables that are important in the definition of nZEB as net zero source energy.
Cristina Carpino; Dafni Mora; Natale Arcuri; Marilena De Simone. Behavioral variables and occupancy patterns in the design and modeling of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. Building Simulation 2017, 22, 960 -888.
AMA StyleCristina Carpino, Dafni Mora, Natale Arcuri, Marilena De Simone. Behavioral variables and occupancy patterns in the design and modeling of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. Building Simulation. 2017; 22 (6):960-888.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCristina Carpino; Dafni Mora; Natale Arcuri; Marilena De Simone. 2017. "Behavioral variables and occupancy patterns in the design and modeling of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings." Building Simulation 22, no. 6: 960-888.
This study focuses on the floristic diversity of the forest trees found at Cerro Pelado Tropical Hydrology Observatory in Gamboa, Colon, Panama. Field work for the quantitative inventory was carried out in November 2012. Data were collected by assessing the status of the forest in terms of tree species diversity and structure from one-hectare plot divided into twenty-five 20 m × 20 m quadrats. All tree species were identified, and their diameters at breast height (dbh) were measured. A total of 384 individuals with (dbh ≥ 10 cm) were counted, corresponding to 28 families, 41 genera, and 43 species of which Pera arborea, Oenocarpus mapora, Amaioua corymbosa, Vantanea depleta, and Matayba apetala were the species with the highest ecological weight, achieving 57.99% of the importance value index. Results were compared with plots from other forests of the Panama Canal watershed in terms of diversity and number of species per area and number of individuals. It was found that the habitat studied has low diversity, with very few species in the study area, even though some of them were very abundant.
José U. Jiménez; José Fábrega; Dafni Mora; Nathalia Tejedor; Marilyn Sánchez. Composition, Diversity, and Tree Structure of a Tropical Moist Forest in Gamboa, Colon, Panama. Air, Soil and Water Research 2016, 9, 29 .
AMA StyleJosé U. Jiménez, José Fábrega, Dafni Mora, Nathalia Tejedor, Marilyn Sánchez. Composition, Diversity, and Tree Structure of a Tropical Moist Forest in Gamboa, Colon, Panama. Air, Soil and Water Research. 2016; 9 ():29.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé U. Jiménez; José Fábrega; Dafni Mora; Nathalia Tejedor; Marilyn Sánchez. 2016. "Composition, Diversity, and Tree Structure of a Tropical Moist Forest in Gamboa, Colon, Panama." Air, Soil and Water Research 9, no. : 29.
The residential sector is used to test the relative roles of socioeconomic and behavioral variables of occupants as compared with the climate and physical building characteristics. The study is carried out considering a housing stock in Mediterranean area. Energy consumptions are investigated by using surveys, the data are collected in the University of Calabria (Italy). The analysis is developed by means a statistical approach, regression models are used to determine the significance of parameters and their interrelations. The results are useful to individuate important aspects influencing final energy uses with reference to the specific context.
Dafni Mora; Cristina Carpino; Marilena De Simone. Behavioral and Physical Factors Influencing Energy Building Performances in Mediterranean Climate. Energy Procedia 2015, 78, 603 -608.
AMA StyleDafni Mora, Cristina Carpino, Marilena De Simone. Behavioral and Physical Factors Influencing Energy Building Performances in Mediterranean Climate. Energy Procedia. 2015; 78 ():603-608.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDafni Mora; Cristina Carpino; Marilena De Simone. 2015. "Behavioral and Physical Factors Influencing Energy Building Performances in Mediterranean Climate." Energy Procedia 78, no. : 603-608.