Tag: decarbonization

Dr. Yiqun Pan Participates in the Architectural Engineering Department Distinguished Speaker Seminar

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We were very excited to welcome lab Dr. Yiqun Pan from Carnegie Melon University to present recent research on building decarbonization. This presentation employed both macro (top-down) and micro (bottom-up) perspectives. Dr. Pan talked about an integrative methodology combining the IPAT model, scenario analysis, prototype building models, and sensitivity analysis, whole incorporating a life cycle perspective with a focus on dynamic grid emission factors. The presentation drew from recently published papers on building decarbonization strategies.

Integrating these methods allows for a comprehensive understanding of complex factors influencing building-related carbon emissions and potential pathways for reduction.

Latest Study Dives Into the Complex Interplay of Electrification and Energy Efficient Retrofits (EER)

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As part of SBS Lab’s joint US-Ireland R&D Project led by Yizhi Yang, Rosina Adhikari, Yingli Lou, and Wangda Zuo from Pennsylvania State University, James O’Donnell from University College Dublin, and Neil Hewitt from Ulster University a new study has been posted. Given that the U.S. residential sector accounts for 56% of operational carbon emissions from buildings, the decarbonization efforts in this sector are critical for net-zero carbon goals. Our study titled “Long-Term Impact of Electrification and Retrofits of U.S. Residential Buildings in Diverse Locations” investigates the complexities of electrification and energy efficient retrofits (EER) across varying climates and dynamic grid clean energy penetrations.

Some of the key insights from this study include:

  • Electrification has the potential to significantly reduce long-term emissions as clean energy adoption increases.
  • However, decarbonization is not guaranteed due to mismatches between clean energy availability and demand, particularly in heating-dominant climates.
  • Electrification can reduce energy burden and peak demand in cooling-dominant locations, while in colder regions, it increases energy burden (up to 8.24%) and shifts peak demand from summer to winter.
  • Including investment costs, the implicit energy burden in cold climates can rise to 8.35%.
  • For already electrified buildings in Denver and Great Falls, EER measures can shorten payback periods by up to 48.98%.

These insights reveal a tradeoff: while electrification offers superior carbon emission reductions, EER measures better alleviate energy burdens. Policymakers, energy planners, and stakeholders must consider all these dynamics to balance decarbonization with economic impacts on households. Reed more about these findings at this link (Free by February 14, 2025).

SBS Lab Member Rosina Adhikari Passes Her Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam

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Congratulations to SBS lab member Rosina Adhikari on passing her Ph.D. comprehensive exam. Her research is focused on addressing challenges in climate resilience and building decarbonization with specific emphasis on low-income communities. She has worked on multiple U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF) projects. She has also published several conference papers. Rosina joins several of our lab members who have recently passed their Ph.D, comprehensive exams.

SBS Lab Members Katy Hinkelman and Saranya Anbarasu Publishes Paper

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SBS lab members Katy Hinkelman and Saranya Anbarasu published a paper applying innovative solutions to building decarbonization. In the newly published paper by Energy and Buildings, they applied ecological network analysis (ENA) for buildings. Exergy is proposed as the best for ENA dynamic systems with multiple types of energy. They also demonstrate how ENA can add novel complex network information for buildings.

They then performed case studies to redesign the heating and cooling systems for an office and data center, coupling the systems together via ambient-loop district energy. These redesigns achieved 84% heating/cooling energy savings. The paper can be accessed freely until January 24, 2024 at this link.

Opensource Modelica models related to this work have been publicly released at:

  1. Modelica Buildings Library (MBL): https://simulationresearch.lbl.gov/modelica/
  2. Biomimetic Integrated Community Energy and Power Systems (BICEPS) Library: https://sites.psu.edu/sbslab/tools/biceps-library/

This research led by Katy Hinkelman and Saranya Anbarasu at Penn State University is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) IBUILD program and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Other related papers can be found at this link.

 

Yizhi Yang Presents at ASHRAE SCANVAC HVAC Cold Climate Conference

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SBS Lab Ph.D. student Yizhi Yang presented at the ASHRAE SCANVAC HVAC Cold Climate Conference, 2023. She presented on building decarbonization in U.S. cold climates. Her research looks at the carbon emission reductions that can happen from retrofitting existing office buildings in these cold climates. This is a joint research project with former Ph.D. students Yingli Lou and Yunyang Ye.