Urban and building typologies have a serious impact on the urban climate and determine at large the magnitude of the urban overheating and urban heat island intensity. The present study aims to analyze the impact of various city typologies and urban planning characteristics on the mitigation of the urban heat island. The effect of the building height, street width, aspect ratio, built area ratio, orientation, and dimensions of open spaces on the distribution of the ambient and surface temperature in open spaces is analyzed using the Sydney Metropolitan Area as a case study for both unmitigated and mitigated scenarios. Fourteen precincts are developed and simulated using ENVI-met the simulation tool. The ambient temperature, surface temperature, and wind speed are extracted. The parameter ‘Gradient of the Temperature Decrease along the Precinct Axis’ (GTD) is introduced to study the cooling potential of the various precincts. In the mitigated precincts, the GTD ranges between 0.01 K/m to 0.004 K/m. In the non-mitigated precincts, the GTD ranges between 0.0093 K/m to 0.0024 K/m. A strong correlation is observed between the GTD of all the precincts, with and without mitigation, and their corresponding average aspect ratio, (Height of buildings to Width of streets). The higher the aspect ratio of the precinct, the lower the cooling potential. It is also observed that the higher the Built Area Ratio of the precincts, the lower the cooling contribution of the mitigation measures.

Demand response offers the possibility of altering the profile of power consumption of individual buildings or building districts, i.e., microgrids, for economic return. There is significant potential of demand response in enabling flexibility via advanced grid management options, allowing higher renewable energy penetration and efficient exploitation of resources. Demand response and distributed energy resource dynamic management are gradually gaining importance as valuable assets for managing peak loads, grid balance, renewable energy source intermittency, and energy losses. In this paper, the potential for operational optimization of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in a smart near-zero-energy industrial building is investigated with the aid of a genetic algorithm. The analysis involves a validated building energy model, a model of energy cost, and an optimization model for establishing HVAC optimum temperature set points. Optimization aims at establishing the trade-off between the minimum daily cost of energy and thermal comfort. Predicted mean vote is integrated in the objective function to ensure thermal comfort requirements are met.

Nowadays, the design and use of multi-functional mortars has increased significantly, with interesting applications in the green building and cultural heritage conservation sectors. A key point for a correct adoption of these innovative materials is their behavior along time and their resistance to the weathering. The objective of this project was to define the performance and durability of innovative mortars, in order to use them correctly and to avoid irreparable damage over time. For the development of this project, lime–metakaolin and hydraulic lime–metakaolin based mortars (hereinafter called A, B), as well as A and B with the addition of nano-TiO₂ and perlite (hereinafter referred to as A+, B+), have been tested. The focus of the work was to carry out preliminary tests to evaluate the performance and durability characteristics of these mortars, verifying their behavior over time through exposure to artificial aging cycles, including thermal shock cycles in saline solution aerosols, freeze cycles in vapor aerosol, and aging by heat treatment at high temperatures. Before and after each artificial aging cycle, weight measurements, and macroscopic and microscopic observations were performed in order to evaluate possible structural changes. The characteristics of the mortars were assessed by determination of the apparent volume mass, mechanical properties, such as compressive and bending strength, water absorption, whereas their self-cleaning capacity was measured by methylene blue degradation test under UV and solar irradiation. The results obtained show degradation effects in the mortar samples due to aging after each test, and indicated that mortars with perlite and nano-TiO₂ are the best-performing ones, both from the durability and energetic point of view, rendering them suitable for applications in the green building sector and the conservation of cultural heritage.

Measurement and verification (M&V) has become necessary for ensuring intended design performance. Currently, M&V procedures and calculation methods exist for the assessment of Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) for existing buildings, with a focus on reliable baseline model creation and savings estimation, as well as for reducing the computation time, uncertainties, and M&V costs. There is limited application of rigorous M&V procedures in the design, delivery and operation of low/zero energy dwellings and settlements. In the present paper, M&V for four pilot net-zero energy settlements has been designed and implemented. The M&V has been planned, incorporating guidance from existing protocols, linked to the project development phases, and populated with lessons learned through implementation. The resulting framework demonstrates that M&V is not strictly linked to the operational phase of a project but is rather an integral part of the project management and development. Under this scope, M&V is an integrated, iterative process that is accompanied by quality control in every step. Quality control is a significant component of the M&V, and the proposed quality control procedures can support the preparation and implementation of automated M&V. The proposed framework can be useful to project managers for integrating M&V into the project management and development process and explicitly aligning it with the rest of the design and construction procedures.