This special issue will collect and publish the excellent papers presented in the ‘1st International Conference for Global Chinese Academia on Energy and Built Environment’ which will take place on 19th to 22nd July 2019 at University of Southwest Jiaotong University. Other submissions are also very encouraged.
Owing to the continuously growing energy demands in maintaining comfortable built environment, the renewable energy applied in built environment, and related research, have attracted more and more public attention. Both reducing energy demands and making good use of renewable energy are considered to be principal routes towards a low energy and sustainable built environment. Due to the instability of the renewable energy supply, thermal energy storage technologies are also crucial to the widespread application of renewable energy in built environment.
Solar energy is known as one of the most important renewable energy resources and the applications of solar energy technologies in built environment have been hot topics for many years. Solar thermal (ST) technology, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technology are regarded as the most feasible renewable solutions for built environment applications. ST technology is the most mature technology among all currently available solar energy technologies, which has a much higher solar conversion efficiency and shorter payback time. Although, PV installations are still small-scale, reduced costs and legal policies in renewable energies will promote the applications of PV technology and make it become an important electrical energy supplier in the world. PV/T technology, which can simultaneously generate electricity and heat, takes advantages of both PV and ST technologies. Due to its highest overall solar conversion efficiency and more effective use of space, the market potential of PV/T technology is expected to be highest in solar energy technologies.
Ground coupled heat pump (GCHP) technology has been increasingly attracting attentions as an environment-friendly renewable energy technology of high energy efficiency. The most important component of the GCHP system is the ground heat exchangers (GHEs). Heat transfer analysis of GHEs, especially vertical GHEs, has always been a key issue, due to their advantages of the smaller installation space and superior energy efficiency. In addition, another key issue for GCHP systems is heat accumulation or heat attenuation in the ground after operating for several years. One of the cost-effective solutions is to promote GSHP systems in so-called hybrid GSHP systems. The design and applications of hybrid GSHP systems have become a special interest in the research of GCHP technologies.
Thermal energy storage (TES) technologies, including seasonal and short-term storage technologies, are considered to be important means to solve the mismatching between energy demands and a renewable energy supply. Phase change materials (PCMs), which are widely used in various thermal energy storage systems, are particularly attractive materials due to their high energy storage densities and stable phase change temperatures. Investigation of new PCM materials is very important for the development of effective latent thermal storage. Additionally, good design and control strategies for PCM units are crucially important for promoting the applications of PCMs in thermal storage energy systems.
We invite investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles, that will stimulate the continuous efforts on understanding the operational principles of the various applicable renewable technologies and systems in built environment. We are particularly interested in articles describing new materials, methods, theories, or practical innovations that can help enhance the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
Solar thermal systems(including PCMs): domestic hot water, space heating and cooling
Photovoltaic (PV) and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) technologies
Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) technologies
Geothermal utilization in built environment
Thermal energy storage with PCMs: materials, heat transfer analysis and applications
Simulation, design and optimization of latent heat energy system
Multiple renewable energy sources(including PCMs) system in built environment
Integration methods and efficiently evaluation of renewable energy system