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Terraces, as outdoor extensions of food and beverage businesses located in the public realm, have very high potential to activate the streetscape, bring people together and improving urban experiences. Among the consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic are the recommendations of maximizing outdoor environments when conducting human interactions. Therefore, outdoor eating has dramatically increased throughout the world, with terraces becoming a radical urban change in many streetscapes. The urgency of the situation, and rapid implementation of these changes, has revealed some aspects of this phenomenon that should be considered when adapting the regulations to this new reality. However, the research on their functioning and impact is limited. Additionally, although energy consumption in the architectural and urban field is considered fundamental, research has rarely addressed small business outdoor spaces, placing the focus instead on residential heating or public lighting. This study focuses on the intersection of these two gaps by analyzing a set of terraces in Barcelona and estimating the power installed in their outdoor heating devices. The goal is to determine the potential energy consumed, contrast it with other values more commonly used when researching architectural energy consumption and point out the lack of sustainability of these approaches to providing comfort. The calculations show that the installed power in Barcelona terraces is significant and, when estimating potential consumption, it presents values higher that the average heating consumption of residential units in Spain. These results support two main conclusions: first, the relevance of addressing the means of providing comfort in outdoor urban spaces due to the high magnitude of their potential energy consumption; second, the importance of adapting those systems to outdoor conditions, understanding the needs of the occupants and the limitations of the environment in order to develop sustainable solutions that provide comfort without attempting to heat the air of the street.
Carlos Alonso-Montolio; Gloria Serra-Coch; Antonio Isalgue; Helena Coch. The Energy Consumption of Terraces in the Barcelona Public Space: Heating the Street. Sustainability 2021, 13, 865 .
AMA StyleCarlos Alonso-Montolio, Gloria Serra-Coch, Antonio Isalgue, Helena Coch. The Energy Consumption of Terraces in the Barcelona Public Space: Heating the Street. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):865.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarlos Alonso-Montolio; Gloria Serra-Coch; Antonio Isalgue; Helena Coch. 2021. "The Energy Consumption of Terraces in the Barcelona Public Space: Heating the Street." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 865.
One of the main responsible for the heat flux between the exterior and the interior space is the building’s envelope. In order to achieve better interior thermal comfort conditions, it is necessary to control heat gains and losses through it. The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of the façade and the roof in a habitable volume exposed to the celestial vault and their energetic behavior due to the conductive and the radiative exchanges. A volume with no windows, no thermal insulation, no internal gains and with an approximate sky view factor (SVF) of 80% was used as the study case. The case study was modeled on a digital simulation program. Then it was calibrated and validated with measurements of indoor temperature and relative humidity taken on site for approximately three years. Heat flux values were obtained from the simulation program. With the envelope heat flux analysis, it can be concluded that the roof is the enclosure of the envelope that has the greatest influence on the heat flux balance, consequently also on the indoor temperature behavior.
Natalia Ruiz-Llaneza; Carlos Alonso-Montolio; Antonio Isalgue; Helena Coch. Heat Flux Balance in Mediterranean Climates: Thermal Insulation Location in Building Enclosures. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2020, 491 -501.
AMA StyleNatalia Ruiz-Llaneza, Carlos Alonso-Montolio, Antonio Isalgue, Helena Coch. Heat Flux Balance in Mediterranean Climates: Thermal Insulation Location in Building Enclosures. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2020; ():491-501.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNatalia Ruiz-Llaneza; Carlos Alonso-Montolio; Antonio Isalgue; Helena Coch. 2020. "Heat Flux Balance in Mediterranean Climates: Thermal Insulation Location in Building Enclosures." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 491-501.
In recent years, many software have appeared on the market to evaluate different parameters of lighting. Since the digital image has demonstrated the usefulness of measuring the luminances of surfaces, there are different software that help to evaluate the contrast of surfaces luminance. This paper presents the evaluation of three lighting software in three different lighting situations. Firstly, Aftab Alpha software requires the use of other sophisticated equipment such as luminance meter and reflex camera. Secondly, Fusion Optix software is an application easy to use because it works with a high dynamic range image from smartphones. Finally, Lumin software which reads the content of pixel-to-pixel picture to determine the luminance at each point of a scene is studied. Comparative measures serve to find the differences between the results of software analysis, the actual luminances of surfaces and different light intensities of spaces. This evaluation allows defining advantages and disadvantages of the use of three different software according to the light intensities of spaces. The study suggests that for spaces with low light intensity, the Aftab Alpha software and the Lumin software have a closer correspondence to the measurements. Concerning medium and high light intensity spaces, the Aftab Alpha software presents values near to reality.
Eduardo Espinoza Cateriano; Judit Lopez-Besora; Antonio Isalgue Buxeda; Helena Coch Roura; Isabel Crespo Cabillo. Evaluation of Three Lighting Software in the Use of Different Light Intensity Spaces. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2020, 419 -429.
AMA StyleEduardo Espinoza Cateriano, Judit Lopez-Besora, Antonio Isalgue Buxeda, Helena Coch Roura, Isabel Crespo Cabillo. Evaluation of Three Lighting Software in the Use of Different Light Intensity Spaces. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2020; ():419-429.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEduardo Espinoza Cateriano; Judit Lopez-Besora; Antonio Isalgue Buxeda; Helena Coch Roura; Isabel Crespo Cabillo. 2020. "Evaluation of Three Lighting Software in the Use of Different Light Intensity Spaces." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 419-429.
Opaque ventilated façades (OVFs) are increasingly gaining in importance in the design of sustainable buildings, given that they can lessen the building´s environmental impact. Opaque ventilated façades can reduce thermal gains in hot climate zones, improving the thermal comfort indoors, and reducing air conditioning demand. Nevertheless, the thermal behaviour of the opaque ventilated façade depends on the climatic conditions and the building´s specific design. This study analyses the effect of opaque ventilated façades in office buildings using 30 constructive configurations under eight tropical climate conditions. The study considers three options for the external layer of cladding (ceramic, stone, and aluminium composite material) and two configurations for the inner layer (plasterboard with mineral wool and ceramic). Simulations were carried out using the software tools TRanNsient SYstem Simulation program (TRNSYS) and TRNFlow. The model developed considers bioclimatic characteristics, including solar radiation and wind conditions for each climatic zone. The operating temperature was selected from within the range established by occupant comfort regulations. The findings suggest that it is possible to select the best office building opaque ventilated façade configuration for each of the specific climate conditions in Brazil.
Camila Gregório-Atem; Carolina Aparicio-Fernández; Helena Coch; José-Luis Vivancos. Opaque Ventilated Façade (OVF) Thermal Performance Simulation for Office Buildings in Brazil. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7635 .
AMA StyleCamila Gregório-Atem, Carolina Aparicio-Fernández, Helena Coch, José-Luis Vivancos. Opaque Ventilated Façade (OVF) Thermal Performance Simulation for Office Buildings in Brazil. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7635.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCamila Gregório-Atem; Carolina Aparicio-Fernández; Helena Coch; José-Luis Vivancos. 2020. "Opaque Ventilated Façade (OVF) Thermal Performance Simulation for Office Buildings in Brazil." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7635.
The overheating of the street surfaces has negative impacts on pedestrian comfort and cooling energy consumption. During the past few decades, extensive research has been carried out on heat mitigation technologies. However, there is limited knowledge on the efficacy of textile solar protections at the urban scale. In this paper, we investigate the cooling potential of sun sails on urban surfaces based on field measurements carried out in several streets of Cordoba (Spain). To this end, we develop a novel method based on time-lapse thermography at street level that allows for assessing the thermal behavior of urban scenes, in a comprehensive and agile way. Results show that high-mounted sun sails have a global cooling effect over the street, regardless of its orientation. Decreases due to sun sails in ground temperature reach up to 16°C, and in façade temperature, up to 6°C. Our observations demonstrate that sun sails can provide a heat mitigation efficacy similar to standard technologies while entailing softer levels of intervention.
Elena Garcia-Nevado; Benoit Beckers; Helena Coch. ASSESSING THE COOLING EFFECT OF URBAN TEXTILE SHADING DEVICES THROUGH TIME-LAPSE THERMOGRAPHY. Sustainable Cities and Society 2020, 63, 102458 .
AMA StyleElena Garcia-Nevado, Benoit Beckers, Helena Coch. ASSESSING THE COOLING EFFECT OF URBAN TEXTILE SHADING DEVICES THROUGH TIME-LAPSE THERMOGRAPHY. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2020; 63 ():102458.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElena Garcia-Nevado; Benoit Beckers; Helena Coch. 2020. "ASSESSING THE COOLING EFFECT OF URBAN TEXTILE SHADING DEVICES THROUGH TIME-LAPSE THERMOGRAPHY." Sustainable Cities and Society 63, no. : 102458.
When we think about a dwelling’s thermal comfort, one of the first things that come to mind is to improve the envelope of the building, usually through the use of thermal insulation. However, in hot desert climate cities, where there is a great temperature oscillation, both daily and annually, the behavior of thermal insulation is not that clear. The city of Hermosillo follows a scattered pattern of urban growth. It has a hot desert climate, an annual mean temperature of 25 °C with an annual mean oscillation of 15 °C; during the summer season it presents extreme temperatures of 40–45 °C, annual precipitation of 387 mm and relative humidity of 43%. The most accepted architectonic strategies to improve the thermal behavior of buildings in hot desert climates are solar protection by shading, especially glazed surfaces, and the use of thermal insulation in the building’s envelope. This study aimed to assess the behavior of thermal insulation use in one storey dwellings. The results obtained show a reduction of energy loses through the envelope of the dwelling when more insulated, resulting in an interior thermal behavior not as favorable as was thought.
Carlos López-Ordóñez; Isabel Crespo Cabillo; Jaume Roset Calzada; Helena Coch Roura. The Role of Thermal Insulation in the Architecture of Hot Desert Climates. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2019, 433 -444.
AMA StyleCarlos López-Ordóñez, Isabel Crespo Cabillo, Jaume Roset Calzada, Helena Coch Roura. The Role of Thermal Insulation in the Architecture of Hot Desert Climates. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2019; ():433-444.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarlos López-Ordóñez; Isabel Crespo Cabillo; Jaume Roset Calzada; Helena Coch Roura. 2019. "The Role of Thermal Insulation in the Architecture of Hot Desert Climates." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 433-444.
Many urban studies have evaluated the impact of urban morphology on the microclimate of cities, and it has been shown that the influence is substantial. One of the significant impacts on outdoor thermal comfort in hot climate cities depends on solar radiation. The city of Jeddah is expected to start constructing a subway in 2020 that is likely to drastically change the behaviors of its inhabitants. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between modern and contemporary morphology and the potential of incident solar radiation to enhance pedestrian comfort by avoiding transit under this harsh solar radiation. The authors have evaluated the performance of two urban layouts, with different building densities to investigate the extent to which morphological features of the built environment can affect solar penetration on the streets. Moreover, the study assessed the influence of various built parameters such as street geometry (H/W ratio, streets orientations) and the solar indicator (Sky View Factor). Results show that in the low rise building layouts, the orientation of streets and the H/W ratio are not reliable. Moreover, it is difficult to reduce solar radiation penetration on the streets by modifying the morphology. Therefore, other ways should be tested to shade from solar penetration. Furthermore, the authors have observed that for high rise building layouts, pedestrian comfort could be modified through the adjacent morphology.
Badia Masoud; Helena Coch; Benoit Beckers. The Correlation Between Urban Morphology Parameters and Incident Solar Radiation Performance to Enhance Pedestrian Comfort, Case Study Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2019, 543 -554.
AMA StyleBadia Masoud, Helena Coch, Benoit Beckers. The Correlation Between Urban Morphology Parameters and Incident Solar Radiation Performance to Enhance Pedestrian Comfort, Case Study Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2019; ():543-554.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBadia Masoud; Helena Coch; Benoit Beckers. 2019. "The Correlation Between Urban Morphology Parameters and Incident Solar Radiation Performance to Enhance Pedestrian Comfort, Case Study Jeddah, Saudi Arabia." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 543-554.
The causal relation among building typology and building energy demand is a complex balance of climate, morphology, technology and use. The assessment of the relation between mass of building elements and energy demand in different housing typologies is the main goal of this study. A novel indicator, namely the Buildingmass, is introduced and tested in the Mediterranean climate region. Explorations on nine conventional housing typologies in Barcelona and Rome are carried out. Buildingmass evaluation is based on the calculation of the mass of building elements. Energy demand is assessed by modelling on multi-space dynamic thermal analysis tool. Our results point out that the Buildingmass has a strong relevance on energy, playing an important role in reducing heating and cooling demand in the Mediterranean city, as described by the proposed correlation (R2 = 0.88). Moreover, this indicator gives a more detailed characterisation of the housing stock of the Mediterranean city. The study aims at bridging the gap between urban physics and urban metabolism studies and fostering energy conservation measures for the built environment.
Michele Morganti; Anna Pages-Ramon; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgue. Buildingmass and Energy Demand in Conventional Housing Typologies of the Mediterranean City. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3540 .
AMA StyleMichele Morganti, Anna Pages-Ramon, Helena Coch, Antonio Isalgue. Buildingmass and Energy Demand in Conventional Housing Typologies of the Mediterranean City. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (13):3540.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Morganti; Anna Pages-Ramon; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgue. 2019. "Buildingmass and Energy Demand in Conventional Housing Typologies of the Mediterranean City." Sustainability 11, no. 13: 3540.
The light metal roof is one of the roof typologies most used in low latitude regions with warm and humid climates. The low installation cost is one of the benefits of this typology, however, they offer only low resistance to the heat flux. In order to analyse strategies to reduce the indoor overheating in this climates, this investigation addresses the impact of reflectivity and emissivity on the light metal roof thermal behaviour. The study was carried out with dynamic simulations, considering the climate of a city in the south coast of Ecuador (Santa Rosa, 3°27´S). This analysis has parameterized the interior surface temperature in function of the reflectivity and emissivity, which has been validated with the measurements of several samples with different radiative properties. The analysed samples show that the effect of the aging and the use of different paints have a higher impact on the increase in emissivity than on reflectivity. In conclusion, the results show that the radiative parameter with the highest influence on interior surface temperature reduction is emissivity.
Jefferson Torres-Quezada; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgué. Assessment of the reflectivity and emissivity impact on light metal roofs thermal behaviour, in warm and humid climate. Energy and Buildings 2019, 188-189, 200 -208.
AMA StyleJefferson Torres-Quezada, Helena Coch, Antonio Isalgué. Assessment of the reflectivity and emissivity impact on light metal roofs thermal behaviour, in warm and humid climate. Energy and Buildings. 2019; 188-189 ():200-208.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJefferson Torres-Quezada; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgué. 2019. "Assessment of the reflectivity and emissivity impact on light metal roofs thermal behaviour, in warm and humid climate." Energy and Buildings 188-189, no. : 200-208.
Graphical expression through mapping can be an essential tool to conduct urban analysis, capable of expressing contextual spatial distribution and providing complementary information to numerical analysis. Although urban analytics are central for most issues in cities, mobility and transportation have traditionally been disciplines very tightly related with quantitative analysis. Mobility in urban areas has become a central issue due to its high impact in environmental, social and economic concerns. Multiple studies consider that walking presents social, health, economic and environmental benefits as a short distance transportation mode. As pedestrian displacements are characterized by presenting great adherence, the features of the environment where they are performed is key to guarantee their success and promote their use. To be able to design appropriate walking city conditions, it is necessary to undergo extensive analysis of existing urban areas and their walkability impact. In order to illustrate this, this study takes as a basis the Transit Orientated Development Standard (TOD Standard), a scoring instrument defined by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), to evaluate the area of Saint-Lazare multimodal station in Paris. The aim of this work is to compare its quantitative and graphical results through georeferenced mapping and TOD Standard score based numerical data, in order to identify the complementary information provided by the mapping. The conclusions display the importance of using graphical analysis to be able to spot singular spatial distributions and influencing relations within the urban environment, often imperceptible in numerical values.
Gloria Serra-Coch; Charlotte Chastel; Sergio Campos; Helena Coch. Graphical approach to assess urban quality: Mapping walkability based on the TOD-standard. Cities 2018, 76, 58 -71.
AMA StyleGloria Serra-Coch, Charlotte Chastel, Sergio Campos, Helena Coch. Graphical approach to assess urban quality: Mapping walkability based on the TOD-standard. Cities. 2018; 76 ():58-71.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGloria Serra-Coch; Charlotte Chastel; Sergio Campos; Helena Coch. 2018. "Graphical approach to assess urban quality: Mapping walkability based on the TOD-standard." Cities 76, no. : 58-71.
In March 1995, the ITER (Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables), along with the Excellent Island Government of Tenerife (Cabildo Insular de Tenerife), launched an international competition for 25 bioclimatic dwellings to be built in Tenerife, Canary Islands, homologated by the International Union of Architects (UIA). The International Tender counted on the College of Architects of the Canary Islands to organize a call for preliminary projects of 25 one-family dwellings located in an area within the Wind Park of Tenerife, near the sea, at the south-east of the island (Fig. 9.1). The inception of the competition can be traced back to 1995, in the Summit of the Earth in Rio de Janeiro (1992). One of the key points of this meeting was to make a statement concerning the protection of the environment (General Assembly of the United Nations 2012). Consequently, the projects in Tenerife were to be designed following bioclimatic principles adapted to the climatic conditions (López de Asiaín 2001) of the island’s seaside environment. Moreover, the integration of recycled and recyclable materials was encouraged, as well as the use of renewable energy systems.
Judit Lopez-Besora; Helena Coch Roura. 24 Bioclimatic Dwellings for the Island of Tenerife: 20 Years Later. Seaside Building Design: Principles and Practice 2018, 195 -215.
AMA StyleJudit Lopez-Besora, Helena Coch Roura. 24 Bioclimatic Dwellings for the Island of Tenerife: 20 Years Later. Seaside Building Design: Principles and Practice. 2018; ():195-215.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJudit Lopez-Besora; Helena Coch Roura. 2018. "24 Bioclimatic Dwellings for the Island of Tenerife: 20 Years Later." Seaside Building Design: Principles and Practice , no. : 195-215.
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is particularly concerning in Mediterranean zone, as climate changeand UHI scenarios foresee a fast growth of energy consumption for next years, due to the widespread ofair conditioning systems and the increase of cooling demand. The UHI intensity is thus a key variable forthe prediction of energy needs in urban areas.This study investigates the intensity of UHI in Barcelona (Spain), the densest Mediterranean coastalcity, and its impact on cooling demand of residential buildings.The experimental analysis is based on temperature data from rural and urban Weather Stations andfield measurements at street level. The maximum average UHI intensity is found to be 2.8¿C in winterand 1.7¿C in summer, reaching 4.3¿C at street level. Simulations performed with EnergyPlus indicatethat the UHI intensity increases the sensible cooling load of residential buildings by around 18%–28%,depending on UHI intensity, amount of solar gains and cooling set point.In the light of the results, the UHI intensity in Mediterranean context should be properly consideredin performing energy evaluations for urban contexts, since standard meteorological data from airportweather stations are not found to be accurate enough.Postprint (author's final draft
Agnese Salvati; Helena Coch Roura; Carlo Cecere. Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study. Energy and Buildings 2017, 146, 38 -54.
AMA StyleAgnese Salvati, Helena Coch Roura, Carlo Cecere. Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study. Energy and Buildings. 2017; 146 ():38-54.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgnese Salvati; Helena Coch Roura; Carlo Cecere. 2017. "Assessing the urban heat island and its energy impact on residential buildings in Mediterranean climate: Barcelona case study." Energy and Buildings 146, no. : 38-54.
The construction of high-rise buildings has always been where the newest technological advances were displayed for the first time.
Helena Coch; Cristina Pardal. High-Rise Buildings in Mediterranean Climate: “Illa de la Llum” Case Study in Barcelona. Sustainable High Rise Buildings in Urban Zones 2016, 219 -232.
AMA StyleHelena Coch, Cristina Pardal. High-Rise Buildings in Mediterranean Climate: “Illa de la Llum” Case Study in Barcelona. Sustainable High Rise Buildings in Urban Zones. 2016; ():219-232.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena Coch; Cristina Pardal. 2016. "High-Rise Buildings in Mediterranean Climate: “Illa de la Llum” Case Study in Barcelona." Sustainable High Rise Buildings in Urban Zones , no. : 219-232.
The urban canyon model has been recurrently used as a basis for many solar access studies. However, its conception as endless structures disregards the effect of street intersections, despite being characteristic elements of urban fabrics. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of street discontinuities on solar access over building façades. The potential of crossings to increase the available radiation has been assessed through computer simulations in dense urban environments in a Mediterranean location. For the cases studied, results show that local effects of an intersection almost disappear beyond a specific distance for each aspect ratio, which can be helpful to determine the suitable level of detail for solar analyses at an urban fabric scale.
Elena Garcia-Nevado; Anna Pages-Ramon; Helena Coch. Solar Access Assessment in Dense Urban Environments: The Effect of Intersections in an Urban Canyon. Energies 2016, 9, 796 .
AMA StyleElena Garcia-Nevado, Anna Pages-Ramon, Helena Coch. Solar Access Assessment in Dense Urban Environments: The Effect of Intersections in an Urban Canyon. Energies. 2016; 9 (10):796.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElena Garcia-Nevado; Anna Pages-Ramon; Helena Coch. 2016. "Solar Access Assessment in Dense Urban Environments: The Effect of Intersections in an Urban Canyon." Energies 9, no. 10: 796.
Helena Coch Roura; Isabel Crespo Cabillo; Glòria Coch Serra. Morfología urbana Mediterránea. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment 2016, 1 .
AMA StyleHelena Coch Roura, Isabel Crespo Cabillo, Glòria Coch Serra. Morfología urbana Mediterránea. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment. 2016; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena Coch Roura; Isabel Crespo Cabillo; Glòria Coch Serra. 2016. "Morfología urbana Mediterránea." ACE: Architecture, City and Environment , no. : 1.
Judit López Besora; Antonio Isalgue Buxeda; Helena Coch Roura. A digital image processing method for urban scenes brightness assessment. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment 2016, 1 .
AMA StyleJudit López Besora, Antonio Isalgue Buxeda, Helena Coch Roura. A digital image processing method for urban scenes brightness assessment. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment. 2016; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJudit López Besora; Antonio Isalgue Buxeda; Helena Coch Roura. 2016. "A digital image processing method for urban scenes brightness assessment." ACE: Architecture, City and Environment , no. : 1.
Agnese Salvati; Helena Coch Roura; Carlo Cecere. Urban heat island prediction in the mediterranean context: an evaluation of the urban weather generator model. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment 2016, 1 .
AMA StyleAgnese Salvati, Helena Coch Roura, Carlo Cecere. Urban heat island prediction in the mediterranean context: an evaluation of the urban weather generator model. ACE: Architecture, City and Environment. 2016; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgnese Salvati; Helena Coch Roura; Carlo Cecere. 2016. "Urban heat island prediction in the mediterranean context: an evaluation of the urban weather generator model." ACE: Architecture, City and Environment , no. : 1.
Natural resources such as daylight and sunlight are highly appreciated in countries with prevailing overcast skies. Taking advantage of this scarce resource contributes to saving energy on artificial lighting. In contrast to northern, southern European cities are distinguished by a large number of days with direct sunlight caused by a propitious climate condition. While it is a positive issue in terms of energy availability, the abundance of it can be counterproductive if management measures are not taken. Apart from the thermal consequences, lighting penetration into buildings causes a great contrast between inside and outside. This is especially critical when the visual system does not have enough time to adapt, as happens at entrance areas. The aim of this study is to analyze the light contrast between these areas and the urban outside in sunny conditions. To attain this objective, light data from five entrance spaces and their contiguous streets were analyzed and measured. The results were divided into three zones in the visual scene, showing an increasing contrast from top to bottom of the visual field. It may be concluded that interventions applied to urban areas and building pavements can improve visual adaptation in the transition zone.
Judit Lopez-Besora; Glòria Serra-Coch; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgue. Daylight Management in Mediterranean Cities: When Shortage Is Not the Issue. Energies 2016, 9, 753 .
AMA StyleJudit Lopez-Besora, Glòria Serra-Coch, Helena Coch, Antonio Isalgue. Daylight Management in Mediterranean Cities: When Shortage Is Not the Issue. Energies. 2016; 9 (9):753.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJudit Lopez-Besora; Glòria Serra-Coch; Helena Coch; Antonio Isalgue. 2016. "Daylight Management in Mediterranean Cities: When Shortage Is Not the Issue." Energies 9, no. 9: 753.
Energy is considered as a main influence on urban configurations. However, there is a difficulty on translating the city models based on theoretical renewable energy concepts into practical applications. This study considers the possibility of understanding this future model as a transformation of the existing urban centres. With this objective, a methodology to intervene in existing cities based on the study of solar access is developed. Therefore, an analysis of solar potential in relation with urban morphology is carried on through a simulation software in l’Eixample, a neighbourhood of Barcelona. The distribution of the sun factor in the different areas of the building blocks envelope displays possible morphological modifications that would facilitate solar energy collection. Consequently, the analytical method presented could be applied to regulate urban interventions with the aim of obtaining more solar energy based cities.
Alessandra Curreli; Glòria Serra-Coch; Antonio Isalgue; Isabel Crespo; Helena Coch. Solar Energy as a Form Giver for Future Cities. Energies 2016, 9, 544 .
AMA StyleAlessandra Curreli, Glòria Serra-Coch, Antonio Isalgue, Isabel Crespo, Helena Coch. Solar Energy as a Form Giver for Future Cities. Energies. 2016; 9 (7):544.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessandra Curreli; Glòria Serra-Coch; Antonio Isalgue; Isabel Crespo; Helena Coch. 2016. "Solar Energy as a Form Giver for Future Cities." Energies 9, no. 7: 544.
This chapter presents the importance that the embodied energy of the support material of a photovoltaic installation can have in relation to the energy produced and, therefore, in relation to other efficiency factors in the design of photovoltaic installations. The importance of these costs cannot be neglected in the overall system efficiency. The monitoring of photovoltaic panels after a few years of operation under real conditions demonstrates that a good integration of photovoltaic systems in constructive elements, even if their inclination or orientation is not the recommended one, may be better than just overlapping them in an optimal position. The embodied energy of the added constructive materials used when the system is not integrated may be more than the loss of production as a result of a nonoptimal photovoltaic modules disposal. This chapter illustrates the potential that architectural design applied to photovoltaic modules integration could represent, based on the experience of the photovoltaic pergola built in 2004 at the Forum esplanade in Barcelona. The ultimate goal is to consider the architectural design as another, important parameter when sizing photovoltaic systems, together with the orientation, tilt, temperature and other parameters regularly used.
H. Coch; C. Pardal; A. Pagès-Ramon; A. Isalgué; I. Crespo. Better Than Optimum: Integrated. The Integration of Renewable Energy in Architecture as an Optimization Factor. Renewable Energy in the Service of Mankind Vol II 2015, 569 -579.
AMA StyleH. Coch, C. Pardal, A. Pagès-Ramon, A. Isalgué, I. Crespo. Better Than Optimum: Integrated. The Integration of Renewable Energy in Architecture as an Optimization Factor. Renewable Energy in the Service of Mankind Vol II. 2015; ():569-579.
Chicago/Turabian StyleH. Coch; C. Pardal; A. Pagès-Ramon; A. Isalgué; I. Crespo. 2015. "Better Than Optimum: Integrated. The Integration of Renewable Energy in Architecture as an Optimization Factor." Renewable Energy in the Service of Mankind Vol II , no. : 569-579.