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Integrated Assessment of Buildings' Visual and Energy Performance with Innovative Translucent Bricks
The Building Energy Materials and Components Lab at EMPA is developing a novel construction element based on glass bricks filled with aerogel. The translucent and thermal insulating characteristics of this novel brick allows architects to explore new configurations of opaque and transparent surfaces to improve the integrated visual and thermal performance of the indoor environment. The Urban Energy Systems Lab holds the expertise needed to quantify the impact of new designs/retrofits based on whole building performance simulations. It is still unclear what is the best trade-off between minimizing energy needs of buildings for space heating/cooling and lighting and maximizing thermal and visual comfort when translucent bricks are integrated in the building envelope.
Keywords: Semester Project; EMPA; Innovative building material; translucent bricks; Energy Plus simulations; building energy performance; daylighting; thermal comfort; visual comfort
**Suggested tasks**
1. Creating EnergyPlus model and DIVA model of a reference building and setting the baseline for comparisons using energy-related and comfort-related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
2. Embedding thermal and optical properties of the new brick into the building model
3. Running sensitivity analysis for daylight and building energy simulations through EnergyPlus and DIVA under different boundary conditions (climate, orientation, Window to Wall ratio).
4. Evaluating the performance of the bricks in regards to visual and thermal comfort and recommending best applications of the new bricks including possible shading recommendations.
**Supervision**
The student will be co-supervised at Empa by Dr Jacopo Vivian and Dr Fazel Khayatian at the Urban Energy Systems Lab for performing energy and daylight simulations. Dr Michal Ganobjak from the Building Energy Materials and Components Lab will also provide further support for the characterization of the translucent materials. The student will need to find a professor/supervisor who guarantees the supervision to his/her respective main host institution.
**Pre-requisites**
The candidate should have a basic background in building physics and as well as daylight and building energy simulation. Knowledge of DIVA and/or EnergyPlus will be considered as a plus.
**Suggested tasks** 1. Creating EnergyPlus model and DIVA model of a reference building and setting the baseline for comparisons using energy-related and comfort-related Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 2. Embedding thermal and optical properties of the new brick into the building model 3. Running sensitivity analysis for daylight and building energy simulations through EnergyPlus and DIVA under different boundary conditions (climate, orientation, Window to Wall ratio). 4. Evaluating the performance of the bricks in regards to visual and thermal comfort and recommending best applications of the new bricks including possible shading recommendations.
**Supervision** The student will be co-supervised at Empa by Dr Jacopo Vivian and Dr Fazel Khayatian at the Urban Energy Systems Lab for performing energy and daylight simulations. Dr Michal Ganobjak from the Building Energy Materials and Components Lab will also provide further support for the characterization of the translucent materials. The student will need to find a professor/supervisor who guarantees the supervision to his/her respective main host institution.
**Pre-requisites** The candidate should have a basic background in building physics and as well as daylight and building energy simulation. Knowledge of DIVA and/or EnergyPlus will be considered as a plus.
The objective of the **Semester Project** is to assess the performance of buildings that embed innovative translucent construction elements in the building envelope. In particular, both visual and thermal performances will be quantified through detailed physical simulations of archetypical residential buildings.
The objective of the **Semester Project** is to assess the performance of buildings that embed innovative translucent construction elements in the building envelope. In particular, both visual and thermal performances will be quantified through detailed physical simulations of archetypical residential buildings.
Interested students should apply by writing an email to:
jacopo.vivian@empa.ch
fazel.khayatian@empa.ch
with an up-to-date CV and the transcript of records attached.
Interested students should apply by writing an email to:
jacopo.vivian@empa.ch fazel.khayatian@empa.ch
with an up-to-date CV and the transcript of records attached.