Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings
Responsive building envelopes (RBEs) are central to developing sustainability strategies for zero emission/energy buildings (ZEBs). RBEs are a large group of complex technologies and systems, which is why multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are helpful to navigate sustainability assessment...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1314 |
| _version_ | 1797480812438880256 |
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| author | Roberta Moschetti Shabnam Homaei Ellika Taveres-Cachat Steinar Grynning |
| author_facet | Roberta Moschetti Shabnam Homaei Ellika Taveres-Cachat Steinar Grynning |
| author_sort | Roberta Moschetti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Responsive building envelopes (RBEs) are central to developing sustainability strategies for zero emission/energy buildings (ZEBs). RBEs are a large group of complex technologies and systems, which is why multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are helpful to navigate sustainability assessments considering various performance indicators. This article first provides a literature review of assessment criteria and key performance indicators for RBEs and an analysis of existing robustness-based MCDM methods. Then, a methodological approach to assess RBE designs in ZEB projects is proposed as an extension of a novel robustness-based MCDM method that normalizes the objective functions according to defined targets and combines them into one comprehensive indicator (MT-KPI), thereby eliminating the need to weight objectives. The proposed methodological approach is finally tested on a case study of a Norwegian ZEB, where five competitive RBE designs (including building integrated photovoltaics, phase change material, and electrochromic windows) and eight occupancy and climate scenarios are investigated considering three main performance areas: energy use, thermal comfort, and load matching. The results in the case study show that with the proposed MCDM approach the different designs have MT-KPI values between 1.4 and 12.8, where a lower value is better. In this specific case, the most robust building RBE alternative was identified as the one with electrochromic windows and a control based on incident solar radiation and indoor air temperature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:05:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e230b5752c24b96af979efe20cca088 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:05:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e230b5752c24b96af979efe20cca0882023-11-23T19:42:07ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-02-01154131410.3390/en15041314Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission BuildingsRoberta Moschetti0Shabnam Homaei1Ellika Taveres-Cachat2Steinar Grynning3SINTEF Community, 7465 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, NorwaySINTEF Community, 7465 Trondheim, NorwaySINTEF Community, 7465 Trondheim, NorwayResponsive building envelopes (RBEs) are central to developing sustainability strategies for zero emission/energy buildings (ZEBs). RBEs are a large group of complex technologies and systems, which is why multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are helpful to navigate sustainability assessments considering various performance indicators. This article first provides a literature review of assessment criteria and key performance indicators for RBEs and an analysis of existing robustness-based MCDM methods. Then, a methodological approach to assess RBE designs in ZEB projects is proposed as an extension of a novel robustness-based MCDM method that normalizes the objective functions according to defined targets and combines them into one comprehensive indicator (MT-KPI), thereby eliminating the need to weight objectives. The proposed methodological approach is finally tested on a case study of a Norwegian ZEB, where five competitive RBE designs (including building integrated photovoltaics, phase change material, and electrochromic windows) and eight occupancy and climate scenarios are investigated considering three main performance areas: energy use, thermal comfort, and load matching. The results in the case study show that with the proposed MCDM approach the different designs have MT-KPI values between 1.4 and 12.8, where a lower value is better. In this specific case, the most robust building RBE alternative was identified as the one with electrochromic windows and a control based on incident solar radiation and indoor air temperature.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1314building enveloperesponsivezero-emission buildingsrobust designsmulti-criteria assessmentdecision making |
| spellingShingle | Roberta Moschetti Shabnam Homaei Ellika Taveres-Cachat Steinar Grynning Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings Energies building envelope responsive zero-emission buildings robust designs multi-criteria assessment decision making |
| title | Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings |
| title_full | Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings |
| title_short | Assessing Responsive Building Envelope Designs through Robustness-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Zero-Emission Buildings |
| title_sort | assessing responsive building envelope designs through robustness based multi criteria decision making in zero emission buildings |
| topic | building envelope responsive zero-emission buildings robust designs multi-criteria assessment decision making |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/4/1314 |
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