Article
Environmental Sciences
Vesna Lovec, Miroslav Premrov, Vesna Zegarac Leskovar
Summary: The study found that indoor air quality in kindergartens in Slovenia improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to ventilation protocols and minimal changes in indoor air temperature. The pandemic also led to a 30% reduction in average carbon dioxide concentration when children were present in classrooms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alicia Alonso, Jesus Llanos, Rocio Escandon, Juan J. Sendra
Summary: Research has shown the potential impact of indoor environmental quality on students' health and academic performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a focus on assessing indoor air quality in schools and prioritizing over-ventilation to reduce the risk of airborne transmission. Studies have confirmed aerosols as a route of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly in high occupancy indoor environments like classrooms. The analysis conducted in this study found that during the pandemic, CO2 levels decreased, especially when hybrid ventilation was utilized, but over 60% of the time, thermal discomfort conditions were present.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mina Saad, Micheal A. William, Amr Ali Hassan, Ahmed A. Hanafy
Summary: Within the past few years, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has become a popular topic globally. People's awareness of the importance of healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) has been growing with their standard of living. This study examines the effects of different types of air diffusers in an enclosed office space in Alexandria, Egypt, on air velocities and temperature gradients using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Francesco Babich, Giulia Torriani, Jacopo Corona, Irene Lara-Ibeas
Summary: Addressing IAQ and thermal comfort issues in school buildings is challenging due to the vulnerability of primary occupants, inadequate building designs, and lack of control over IEQ. The complexity and vulnerability of decision-making processes were highlighted by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Evaluating different standards and proposing improvements is crucial.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jina Suh, Eric Horvitz, Ryen W. White, Tim Althoff
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes to online information access, revealing differences in the utilization of digital resources among different communities. Socioeconomic and environmental factors contribute to variations in the extent to which internet users enlist digital resources. This highlights the importance of understanding the relationship between differential information search behaviors and their real-world implications on advantaged and disadvantaged populations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Michelle A. Thomas, Martin Norgaard, Laura A. Stambaugh, Rebecca L. Atkins, Anita B. Kumar, Alison L. P. Farley
Summary: In the spring of 2020, student teachers in Georgia were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, facing challenges such as lack of access to online platforms and transitioning to remote teaching. The survey revealed that most student teachers had a positive attitude towards their remote teaching experiences, highlighting the importance of face-to-face interactions for both student teachers and students.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Construction & Building Technology
Ghogare Abhijeet Ganesh, Shobha Lata Sinha, Tikendra Nath Verma, Satish Kumar Dewangan
Summary: This article reviews the literature on Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) with a focus on thermal comfort, discussing various factors affecting thermal comfort and the complexity of the relationship between comfort parameters, occupant well-being, and IEQ. Efforts have been made to simplify this complex relationship for designers, engineers, and researchers in the field.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xi Wang, Yuntao Zou
Summary: College students, as a socially sensitive group, face a higher risk of mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted them by isolating many nonlocal students and disrupting their regular classes. This study proposes the use of an intelligent online learning system to address these challenges and provide real-time intervention for students' psychological issues.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zhibin Wu, Andreas Wagner
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between indoor and outdoor air temperature and relative humidity in China's subtropical countryside. The results showed a strong correlation between indoor and outdoor air temperatures, while the correlation between indoor and outdoor relative humidity was moderate. Additionally, it was found that indoor temperatures were generally lower than the lower temperature limit of the adaptive comfort band in all seasons.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Omar Osman, Mervat Madi, Efstratios L. Ntantis, Karim Y. Kabalan
Summary: Respiratory infections such as COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets larger than 5-10 micrometers or droplet nuclei smaller than 5 micrometers. In enclosed spaces, frequent ventilation is recommended, along with wearing masks, to prevent infections. Displacement ventilation systems may offer a feasible and secure option for controlling disease transmission in temporary hospitals and other buildings.
COMPUTATIONAL PARTICLE MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Economics
Eren Bilen, Alexander Matros
Summary: The study presents evidence of cheating in online examinations during COVID-19 lockdowns and proposes two solutions. The best solution is a uniform online exam policy with a camera capturing each student's screen and room. It is recommended to avoid grading on a curve and give students simpler questions and less time on tests.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR & ORGANIZATION
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Tony Gutentag, Aviv Orner, Christa S. C. Asterhan
Summary: The study examines the application of academically productive talk (APT) in online teaching during the pandemic. It reveals that APT is used to a lesser extent in remote, online classes, and is associated with interactive instructional formats. Teachers with higher teaching self-efficacy, autonomous orientations, and empathy tend to promote APT more in online teaching. More APT is associated with greater teacher well-being and student motivation and engagement.
COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ling-Yi Chang, Tong-Bou Chang
Summary: The Executive Yuan in Taiwan plans to install air-conditioning (A/C) in all elementary schools within two years. However, the use of A/C will close the doors and windows, leading to the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the classrooms. Excessive indoor CO2 concentration can reduce cognitive performance and learning efficiency. Therefore, it is important to introduce external air into the classrooms to increase air exchange rate and reduce CO2 concentration.
Article
Business
Tomasz Szopinski, Katarzyna Bachnik
Summary: This paper examines the impact of student engagement, travel time to the business school, and nationality on the perception of business school education value. It investigates the evaluation of online studies, participation frequency, and future study mode preferences, revealing relationships between these factors.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Business
Yuhuan Cui, Zezhong Ma, Liya Wang, Aimin Yang, Qiumei Liu, Shanshan Kong, Huifang Wang
Summary: With the global spread of COVID-19, the education industry is facing enormous challenges. Some colleges and universities have implemented online teaching to help students complete their learning and return to school as soon as possible. The combination of big data and the internet has become a mainstream teaching method, promoting the innovation and application of online education.
JOURNAL OF INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
K. Gaspar, M. Gangolells, M. Casals, P. Pujadas, N. Forcada, M. Macarulla, B. Tejedor
Summary: This study evaluates the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the energy use of academic buildings, revealing a decrease in energy consumption during the lockdown period, however, a significant portion of energy was still being used.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
I Bellanco, F. Belio, M. Valles, R. Gerber, J. Salom
Summary: The study emulated common faults on a variable-speed heat pump charged with propane, including evaporator fouling, compressor valve leakage, liquid line restriction, and refrigerant overcharge. The results showed that each fault had different effects on performance and heat pump features, with compressor valve leakage having the most significant impact.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REFRIGERATION
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Joaquim Romani, Alba Ramos, Jaume Salom
Summary: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) have attracted interest for their capacity to provide renewable power generation for buildings. Transparent and semi-transparent BIPV systems, which offer advantages in terms of daylighting and solar radiation control, have gained increasing attention in the past two decades. However, evaluating the performance of these systems involves complex considerations of optical, thermal, electrical, and daylighting factors.
Correction
Energy & Fuels
Jaume Salom, Meril Tamm, Inger Andresen, Davide Cali, Abel Magyari, Viktor Bukovszki, Rebeka Balazs, Paraskevi Vivian Dorizas, Zsolt Toth, Sheikh Zuhaib, Clara Mafe, Caroline Cheng, Andras Reith, Paolo Civiero, Jordi Pascual, Niki Gaitani
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Paolo Civiero, Jordi Pascual, Joaquim Arcas Abella, Jaume Salom
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the outcomes of the PEDRERA project, which focuses on the development of a novel tool to support renovation actions at the district level according to the Positive Energy District (PED) concept.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Luca Borghero, Elisenda Cleries, Thibault Pean, Joana Ortiz, Jaume Salom
Summary: The intensity and duration of heat waves in upcoming summers are expected to increase due to climate change. As a result, existing buildings may not have sufficient thermal resilience to provide comfortable conditions for their occupants. Cooling strategies, such as natural ventilation and air conditioning, become increasingly important as these climatic events intensify. Simulation experiments have compared the behavior of a selected case study apartment under passive measures (natural ventilation) and active measures (mechanical ventilation and air conditioning). The results show that external overheating progressively weakens the thermal resilience of the building in ventilation scenarios, while air conditioning is more effective in maintaining comfortable conditions inside the house. The behavior of the user plays a fundamental role, as an aware user can significantly enhance comfort with natural ventilation and reduce energy consumption by an average of 15% with air conditioning.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Joana Ortiz, Juli Carrere, Jaume Salom, Ana M. Novoa
Summary: This paper evaluates the cooperative housing La Borda (Barcelona) in terms of energy consumption and indoor environmental quality, aiming to investigate its contribution to reducing the energy impact of the building and providing comfortable conditions to the users. The paper demonstrates that La Borda is a model that contributes to reducing the energy impact of the building, which can be related to characteristics of cooperative housings such as sharing goods and resources, community support, training initiatives, strong involvement during the design, and sustainable building design. However, some discrepancies have been found between indicators and user perception.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Marjan Savadkoohi, Marcel Macarulla, Miquel Casals
Summary: Simple neural network architecture is an effective tool for transforming rule-based systems into predictive systems. Thermal comfort in office buildings is crucial, and a high-performance predictive system requires a sufficient training dataset. To overcome the limitation of historical data, a calibrated building model was used to generate, train, and test eight different sizes of datasets. Several key performance indicators were improved, and the impact of preprocessing techniques on prediction accuracy was studied. The results showed that at least 1-4 months of data are needed for accurate predictions, and two heating seasons provide optimal data size for calibration.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Maite Etxandi-Santolaya, Lluc Canals Casals, Beatriz Amante Garcia, Cristina Corchero
Summary: Electric vehicle battery second-life applications aim to reduce environmental impact and increase economic profits, but the demand for stationary energy storage may soon be saturated. This study analyzes and compares different approaches in terms of battery degradation and economic profit and finds that Vehicle to Grid (V2G) does not cause early battery retirement and provides more economic profit than second-life applications for large batteries. However, V2G is not always more profitable than simply utilizing the battery for driving. The study also highlights the overly optimistic assessment of second-life applications due to fixed end of life assumptions.
WORLD ELECTRIC VEHICLE JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Maite Etxandi-Santolaya, Lluc Canals Casals, Tomas Montes, Cristina Corchero
Summary: The increasing demand for Lithium-ion batteries for Electric Vehicle calls for sustainable practices and a switch towards a circular economy-based system. The review highlights the importance of prioritizing the first-life of the battery onboard and considering Vehicle to Grid as a preferable option over second-life applications. The proposed methodological framework for estimating a functional End of Life aims to improve sustainable decision-making and accuracy.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Barbero, L. Canals Casals, A. Colet-Subirachs, J. Salom, C. Corchero
Summary: This study compares demand response strategies from both a research and a business perspective, and proposes a new decision matrix for evaluating these strategies. The research findings indicate that there are technical limitations in current Energy Management Systems that should be considered when developing demand aggregation platforms. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of proposing a simple and scalable solution to enable consumer participation in electricity markets and create a successful business model.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY GRIDS & NETWORKS
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Elisenda Cleries Tardio, Joana Ortiz, Luca Borghero, Jaume Salom
Summary: This study aims to understand the accepted Indoor Environmental Quality values in winter for remote workers based on self-reported comfort. The results show that most people find temperatures between 18 degrees C and 20 degrees C acceptable for work. Common spaces used as home offices have slightly higher temperatures and lower CO2 concentrations. Overall, people report feeling more comfortable at the office, though some feel indifferent or believe comfort depends on other factors.
Article
Electrochemistry
Lluc Canals Casals, Maite Etxandi-Santolaya, Pere Antoni Bibiloni-Mulet, Cristina Corchero, Lluis Trilla
Summary: The potential for second-life businesses for electric vehicle batteries is gaining attention. A study shows that most retired EV batteries will still have a state of health (SoH) higher than 75% within the next 20 years, opening up an interesting market for reuse. However, the rapidly growing EV market may saturate the demand for stationary energy storage, requiring sustainable solutions for battery disposal.