Among the research activities that aim at reducing energy consumption in buildings and their impact on the environment is an experimental set-up that has several house-shaped cubicles constructed in Puigverd de Lleida (Spain). Assessing the environmental impact through studying the...

Thermal energy storage and conversion aims to improve the high inefficiency of the industrial processes and renewable energy systems (supply versus demand). Chemical sorption processes and chemical reactions based on solid–gas systems are a promising way to store and convert thermal energy for...

District cooling and heating networks are increasing in many countries, especially in the Scandinavian countries. Some of the systems have become small for the needs of the population and they have to be enhanced in order to reach the cooling or heating necessities. Here, thermal energy storage...

This paper presents a classification of green vertical systems for buildings. The aim of this classification is to facilitate the identification and differentiation between systems. This classification is also essential to compare future research results relating to their operation. In addition,...

An evaluation of the environmental impact of construction systems that are composed of facades based on alveolar bricks and macroencapsulated phase change materials done using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is presented. Their energy consumption rates for both heating and cooling have been measured...

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been conducted for seven experimental cubicles located in Puigverd de Lleida (Spain). The objective of this experimental set-up is to test different constructive solutions in order to point out the most sustainable solution with lower energy demand during the...

This paper addresses the optimal design of desalination plants that integrate reverse osmosis, a Rankine cycle, parabolic trough solar collectors and thermal energy storage (TES). A multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) is developed to model such an integrated system...

For the correct design of thermal storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs) in any application, as well as for their simulation, it is essential to characterise the materials from thermophysical and rheological standpoints (phase change enthalpy, thermal conductivity in solid and...

Nowadays, industrial processes use large quantities of fuel and electricity that produce heat, but much of which is wasted either to the atmosphere or to water. Many types of equipment have been developed to re-use some of this waste heat. Waste heat usefulness is determined by its temperature...

Sustainability of building construction systems depends on their material and energy consumption, and the consequent environmental impact. Thus, the evaluation of their sustainability requires a wide analysis that includes these three topics. Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and Life Cycle...