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Climate change is expected to expose the locked-in overheating risk concerning bioclimatic buildings adapted to a specific past climate state. The study aims to find energy-efficient building designs which are most resilient to overheating and increased cooling energy demands that will result from ongoing climate change. Therefore, a comprehensive parametric study of various passive building design measures was implemented, simulating the energy use of each combination for a temperate climate of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The approach to overheating vulnerability assessment was devised and applied using the increase in cooling energy demand as a performance indicator. The results showed that a B1 heating energy efficiency class according to the Slovenian Energy Performance Certificate classification was the highest attainable using the selected passive design parameters, while the energy demand for heating is projected to decrease over time. In contrast, the energy use for cooling is in general projected to increase. Furthermore, it was found that, in building models with higher heating energy use, low overheating vulnerability is easier to achieve. However, in models with high heating energy efficiency, very high overheating vulnerability is not expected. Accordingly, buildings should be designed for current heating energy efficiency and low vulnerability to future overheating. The paper shows a novel approach to bioclimatic building design with global warming adaptation integrated into the design process. It delivers recommendations for the energy-efficient, robust bioclimatic design of residential buildings in the Central European context, which are intended to guide designers and policymakers towards a resilient and sustainable built environment.
Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. Exploring Climate-Change Impacts on Energy Efficiency and Overheating Vulnerability of Bioclimatic Residential Buildings under Central European Climate. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6791 .
AMA StyleLuka Pajek, Mitja Košir. Exploring Climate-Change Impacts on Energy Efficiency and Overheating Vulnerability of Bioclimatic Residential Buildings under Central European Climate. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6791.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuka Pajek; Mitja Košir. 2021. "Exploring Climate-Change Impacts on Energy Efficiency and Overheating Vulnerability of Bioclimatic Residential Buildings under Central European Climate." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6791.
The presented study aims to clarify the implications of passive design measures on heating and cooling energy use of single-family residential buildings under European representative climates. In order to address this matter, different values of thermal transmittance (opaque and transparent), window to floor ratio, window distribution, shape factor, diurnal heat storage capacity, external opaque surface solar absorptivity and natural ventilation cooling rates were combined in 496,800 building energy models, which were simulated at eight locations. Because buildings are in use for many decades, the energy use simulations were made considering the projected climate change up to the end of the 21st century. The results delivered a set of the most effective passive design measures for achieving low energy use in buildings regarding climate type and period. A lower window to floor ratio was identified as the most universally applicable design measure to counterbalance the projected effect of a warming climate. In contrast, other measures vary according to climate type and studied period. Furthermore, it was concluded that it is difficult to neutralise the projected climate change effects on buildings' energy use, even when applying the best performing combination of passive design measures. However, reasonably low energy use can still be assured solely by passive building design, especially in oceanic, warm, and some temperate climate locations. Therefore, the identified trends in energy use and passive design measures represent the foundation for strategies and guidelines aimed at future-proof energy-efficient buildings.
Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. Strategy for achieving long-term energy efficiency of European single-family buildings through passive climate adaptation. Applied Energy 2021, 297, 117116 .
AMA StyleLuka Pajek, Mitja Košir. Strategy for achieving long-term energy efficiency of European single-family buildings through passive climate adaptation. Applied Energy. 2021; 297 ():117116.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuka Pajek; Mitja Košir. 2021. "Strategy for achieving long-term energy efficiency of European single-family buildings through passive climate adaptation." Applied Energy 297, no. : 117116.
Valentina Lesjak; Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. Indirect green façade as an overheating prevention measure. Journal of the Croatian Association of Civil Engineers 2020, 72, 569 -583.
AMA StyleValentina Lesjak, Luka Pajek, Mitja Košir. Indirect green façade as an overheating prevention measure. Journal of the Croatian Association of Civil Engineers. 2020; 72 (7):569-583.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Lesjak; Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. 2020. "Indirect green façade as an overheating prevention measure." Journal of the Croatian Association of Civil Engineers 72, no. 7: 569-583.
In recent decades, high level of urbanization, air pollution and climate change have caused a frequent occurrence of urban heat islands, resulting in thermal discomfort and increased energy use of buildings. As a response, a lot of attention has been paid to building envelope characteristics, with an increasing number of studies investigating building envelope solar properties as one of the important factors affecting thermal performance. However, different climate characteristics are the reason why solar properties may have different efficiency at various locations, also because in cold or temperate climates building envelope has to be more thermally insulated, namely having lower thermal transmittance. Therefore, within this study, building energy use and indoor thermal conditions were analysed for an office cell using different types of solar absorptivity (e.g. white, dark grey, collector or cool coating) and thermal transmittance, on either external wall or roof. The analysis was conducted for hot-arid and temperate climate locations. The results showed that solar absorptivity can have a significant effect on total energy use, especially in cases with higher envelope thermal transmittance. It also showed that the application of cool coatings is more reasonable if the external building envelope is not intensively thermally insulated (e.g. in hot-arid climate). In general, the optimal total energy use in both analysed climates was always achieved by implementing cool coatings. Furthermore, the results showed that white and cool coatings have comparable external (20–30 K above Tair in summer) and internal surface temperature responses, while dark grey coatings cause the surface to heat up significantly (external surface 60 K above Tair in summer).
Mitja Košir; Luka Pajek; Nataša Iglič; Roman Kunič. A theoretical study on a coupled effect of building envelope solar properties and thermal transmittance on the thermal response of an office cell. Solar Energy 2018, 174, 669 -682.
AMA StyleMitja Košir, Luka Pajek, Nataša Iglič, Roman Kunič. A theoretical study on a coupled effect of building envelope solar properties and thermal transmittance on the thermal response of an office cell. Solar Energy. 2018; 174 ():669-682.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMitja Košir; Luka Pajek; Nataša Iglič; Roman Kunič. 2018. "A theoretical study on a coupled effect of building envelope solar properties and thermal transmittance on the thermal response of an office cell." Solar Energy 174, no. : 669-682.
Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. Implications of present and upcoming changes in bioclimatic potential for energy performance of residential buildings. Building and Environment 2018, 127, 157 -172.
AMA StyleLuka Pajek, Mitja Košir. Implications of present and upcoming changes in bioclimatic potential for energy performance of residential buildings. Building and Environment. 2018; 127 ():157-172.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuka Pajek; Mitja Košir. 2018. "Implications of present and upcoming changes in bioclimatic potential for energy performance of residential buildings." Building and Environment 127, no. : 157-172.
As the environmental awareness of the public is rising and at the same time contemporary buildings are becoming more and more energy efficient, the focus is shifting towards the usage of environmentally friendly building products. Human decisions are often driven by emotions and perceptions. Consequently, there exists a strong tendency towards preferring "natural" constructional products to the synthetic ones, especially in the case of thermal insulations. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has enabled an opportunity to widen the meaning of the word "environmentally friendly", giving researchers and building designers an objective decision making tool to determine the environmental impact of building products, building components and buildings as a whole. The purpose of this study was to compare the environmental impact of various thermal insulations for the cradle to gate life cycle stages, based on a unified functional unit. Overall, 15 most commonly used thermal insulation products were analysed and classified into natural and synthetic groups. Based on the differentiation, we compared the impact in the selected environmental categories and identified the most influential environmental drivers. The results show that in some environmental categoriesnatural thermal insulations perform better (i.e. global warming potential), whilein others (i.e. eutrophication potential) they underperform. However, environmental impact trends can be identified, specifically for the natural and the synthetic materials.
M Dovjak; Mitja Košir; Luka Pajek; N Iglič; D Božiček; R Kunič. Environmental impact of thermal insulations: How do natural insulation products differ from synthetic ones? IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2017, 92, 012009 .
AMA StyleM Dovjak, Mitja Košir, Luka Pajek, N Iglič, D Božiček, R Kunič. Environmental impact of thermal insulations: How do natural insulation products differ from synthetic ones? IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2017; 92 (1):012009.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM Dovjak; Mitja Košir; Luka Pajek; N Iglič; D Božiček; R Kunič. 2017. "Environmental impact of thermal insulations: How do natural insulation products differ from synthetic ones?" IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 92, no. 1: 012009.
Luka Pajek; Blaž Hudobivnik; Roman Kunič; Mitja Košir. Improving thermal response of lightweight timber building envelopes during cooling season in three European locations. Journal of Cleaner Production 2017, 156, 939 -952.
AMA StyleLuka Pajek, Blaž Hudobivnik, Roman Kunič, Mitja Košir. Improving thermal response of lightweight timber building envelopes during cooling season in three European locations. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2017; 156 ():939-952.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuka Pajek; Blaž Hudobivnik; Roman Kunič; Mitja Košir. 2017. "Improving thermal response of lightweight timber building envelopes during cooling season in three European locations." Journal of Cleaner Production 156, no. : 939-952.
Luka Pajek; Mitja Košir. Can building energy performance be predicted by a bioclimatic potential analysis? Case study of the Alpine-Adriatic region. Energy and Buildings 2017, 139, 160 -173.
AMA StyleLuka Pajek, Mitja Košir. Can building energy performance be predicted by a bioclimatic potential analysis? Case study of the Alpine-Adriatic region. Energy and Buildings. 2017; 139 ():160-173.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuka Pajek; Mitja Košir. 2017. "Can building energy performance be predicted by a bioclimatic potential analysis? Case study of the Alpine-Adriatic region." Energy and Buildings 139, no. : 160-173.
Mitja Košir; Luka Pajek; Blaž Hudobivnik; Mateja Dovjak; Nataša Iglič; David Božiček; Roman Kunič. Non-Stationary Thermal Performance Evaluation of External Façade Walls Under Central European Summer Conditions. Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017 2017, 1 .
AMA StyleMitja Košir, Luka Pajek, Blaž Hudobivnik, Mateja Dovjak, Nataša Iglič, David Božiček, Roman Kunič. Non-Stationary Thermal Performance Evaluation of External Façade Walls Under Central European Summer Conditions. Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017. 2017; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMitja Košir; Luka Pajek; Blaž Hudobivnik; Mateja Dovjak; Nataša Iglič; David Božiček; Roman Kunič. 2017. "Non-Stationary Thermal Performance Evaluation of External Façade Walls Under Central European Summer Conditions." Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017 , no. : 1.
Mitja Košir; Luka Pajek. BcChart v2.0 – A Tool for Bioclimatic Potential Evaluation. Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017 2017, 1 .
AMA StyleMitja Košir, Luka Pajek. BcChart v2.0 – A Tool for Bioclimatic Potential Evaluation. Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017. 2017; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMitja Košir; Luka Pajek. 2017. "BcChart v2.0 – A Tool for Bioclimatic Potential Evaluation." Proceedings of SWC2017/SHC2017 , no. : 1.
Blaž Hudobivnik; Luka Pajek; Roman Kunič; Mitja Košir. FEM thermal performance analysis of multi-layer external walls during typical summer conditions considering high intensity passive cooling. Applied Energy 2016, 178, 363 -375.
AMA StyleBlaž Hudobivnik, Luka Pajek, Roman Kunič, Mitja Košir. FEM thermal performance analysis of multi-layer external walls during typical summer conditions considering high intensity passive cooling. Applied Energy. 2016; 178 ():363-375.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBlaž Hudobivnik; Luka Pajek; Roman Kunič; Mitja Košir. 2016. "FEM thermal performance analysis of multi-layer external walls during typical summer conditions considering high intensity passive cooling." Applied Energy 178, no. : 363-375.