Aydin, Yusuf Cihat
(2019)
A novel multidisciplinary paradigm for energy demand reduction in building sector: on the relationship between the energy efficiency, aesthetics and marketability of residential buildings.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
Despite the development of energy-efficient buildings (EEBs) and more stringent building energy regulations in recent decades, the building sector’s energy demand has continued to drastically increase. This phenomenon is conceptualized in this study as the Inefficiency of Increased Building Energy Efficiency (IIBEE), which is different from Jevons paradox (the rebound effect). The phenomenon of IIBEE conceptualizes the inadequacy of existing measures to reduce the energy demand of the building sector and emphasises the necessity of developing new and more effective strategies. The phenomenon of IIBEE occurs mainly due to the lack of widespread EEB adoption as a result of market failure and applicability problems in the integrated design approach (IDA) in practice. A lack of interoperability between building stakeholders, high initial cost, unappealing aesthetic, and low market value of energy efficiency features are the fundamental reasons behind the market failure of EEBs. Aesthetic features are determined as the main driving force behind the marketability of buildings. Accordingly, increasing the number of EEBs with better marketability obtained by the enhancement of their aesthetic is introduced as a novel approach (widespread adoption approach) to reduce the energy demand of the building sector. However, applicability issues of IDA in practice and the difference of aesthetic judgement between architects and the public (buyers) are two main barriers to the aesthetic enhancement of EEBs and the applicability of the proposed widespread adoption approach. Accordingly, a novel paradigm named the Yin and Yang paradigm (YYP) was introduced to ensure the applicability of the proposed novel approach. YYP is a paradigm that offer to consider all factors involved in a decision-making process and establishing balance between them to offer multi-dimensional solution to a problem. YYP is a multidisciplinary approach that empowers individual specialists to see the perspectives of different disciplines, instead of bringing experts in different disciplines together, as in IDA. In this way, each building stakeholder can see the impact of any design changes on buildings’ different aspects simultaneously, and they can use this parametric information during their decision-making process. YYP can result in the initiation of new generation building simulation tools, effective in evaluating buildings’ different aspects simultaneously (e.g. marketability, aesthetic, energy efficiency, occupant comfort, carbon footprint and price).
This thesis investigates the applicability of the proposed novel widespread adoption approach and the novel paradigm in practice. In order to investigate the applicability of the widespread adoption approach in practice, eight pre-studies and two comprehensive surveys with real-estate agencies (n = 289) were conducted across 26 UK cities and potential housing buyers with different demographic characteristics (n = 183). Window was determined as the dominant building parameter that has a high impact on housing aesthetic, marketability, and energy efficiency (simultaneously), as a result of conducted studies. Accordingly, the scope of this study was limited to the impact of seven window parameters (i.e. width, area, height, position, number, proportion, and symmetry) on detached and terraced UK housing aesthetic, marketability, and energy efficiency. The applicability of the proposed novel paradigm was investigated, via testing the performance of a novel multidimensional measurement model developed using artificial neural network (ANN) and decision tree-based predictive models. It was validated with building energy simulations (BES) and a comprehensive survey among 807 UoN students with different demographic characteristics. In addition, for developing predictive models, a novel mathematical model (symmetry index) was developed to parametrically measure the symmetry of building façades, validated with the results of a comprehensive survey of 145 UoN students with different demographic characteristics. The results provide strong empirical evidence supporting the existence of the phenomenon of IIBEE and the applicability of the proposed novel widespread adoption approach. In addition, promising indicators are revealed for the applicability of YYP in practice.
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