SCIN 611 Thermal Energy in Buildings
Worldwide, a significant portion of the demand for energy can be traced back to buildings. The building sector is therefore an ideal target for the implementation of energy efficiency enhancement initiatives.
This course focuses on the technical and, to some extent, financial feasibility of energy efficiency in buildings. It examines the flow of energy in a building and the function of a building's envelope. The course also covers the building systems in charge of maintaining indoor comfort conditions as well as the modeling and lifecycle analysis of building’s energy performance. Upon culmination of the course, students would be able to apply their knowledge to the optimal design of new construction and the marginal enhancement (‘retrofit’) of existing buildings. Advanced topics such as building performance diagnostics and interaction with the urban microclimate and systems will also be covered. The main emphasis of the course will be on challenges posed by hot and humid climate.
At the outset, the course describes the fundamental heat, moisture and mass transfer phenomena occurring in buildings and presents methods and techniques used at different stages of a building’s life-cycle—design, operation, retrofit—to strike an optimal balance between indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency.
The role of the building envelope (foundation, wall, roof, glazing) in separating indoor space from outdoor climate will be investigated in depth. Interactions between building envelope components and building systems (heating ventilation and air-conditioning, lighting, building management system) are of particular interest. In the final section of the course, students learn to accurately model said interactions and develop life-cycle analysis of buildings. These models are used to inform and support real life engineering decisions.
Offered
Fall