Publications by Zahra Hamedani
Building and Environment Journal, 2019
Lighting in office environments has many benefits, ranging from decreasing energy consumption to ... more Lighting in office environments has many benefits, ranging from decreasing energy consumption to enhancing human health and well-being. However, visual discomfort such as glare has a negative impact on occupants, causing a sensation of annoyance or pain, thereby reducing user satisfaction and productivity. Current methods and metrics established for evaluating glare are mainly derived from physical measurements of luminance distribution and conventional subjective evaluations. However, significant inconsistencies and inaccuracies reported by a number of comparative studies highlight the need for a more objective method in the derivation of glare indices. This paper reviews the existing literature to provide a holistic overview of implemented methods in measuring light-induced physiological responses to objectify perceived glare. Physiological responses investigated within the reviewed literature include: pupil size, eye movement, gaze direction, degree of eye-opening, and blink rate. Research outcomes regarding each individual response are then analysed based upon their experimental methodology, the metric utilized for their analysis, and confounding variables that may contribute to misleading results. Through this analysis, established factors and those requiring further evidence are identified.
Building and Environment Journal, 2019
The development of lightweight structures in the building industry has made the usage of thermal ... more The development of lightweight structures in the building industry has made the usage of thermal mass more difficult. Hence, phase change materials (PCMs) due to their latent heat storage are a favourable alternative which can be coupled with lightweight constructions. This paper explores the relationship between PCM thicknesses, PCM transition temperatures, insulation, building orientations and energy consumption. For this exploration, a full-scale calorimeter was utilized to validate a model; through numerical simulations, the model was then used for four different climates of Australia. It was found that for all the climates, increasing PCM thicknesses ameliorates the overall energy saving, and the saving proportion is dependent on both the climate conditions and envelope thermal resistance (R-values). For low R-value opaque envelopes, the optimal transitional temperature is contingent upon the PCM thicknesses. Moreover, using insulation in subtropical , hot-dry, and cold climates enhances PCM efficiency and stabilizes the optimal PCM melting temperature for differing thicknesses; also, augmenting insulation thickness lowers the importance of PCM thicknesses. However, the use of well-insulated envelopes in tropical climates has an adverse impact on PCM efficacy due to the hindrance of night-time energy release. Finally, the PCM energy saving fully depends upon the building orientation, while the PCM optimum temperature is not conditional on this factor.
A review of control systems, and supplementary cooling coupled with night ventilation.
Abstract
T... more A review of control systems, and supplementary cooling coupled with night ventilation.
Abstract
The rising costs of energy usage in the building sector have intensified research interest in passive energy saving strategies such as night ventilation (NV). Night ventilation has been shown to reduce the energy demand for cooling buildings as well as significantly ameliorate thermal comfort. A large number of studies have been undertaken to model and assess the effectiveness of NV across a wide variety of climates and building types. This paper reviews the key research on night ventilation strategies and identifies the main themes and directions present in contemporary research. It also classifies NV performance into three broad groups, namely climate, building and technical parameters. The literature provides evidence that night ventilation strategies are effective across most climate types, but as with most passive design strategies, optimisation is required. Approaches to research within the reviewed literature include computer simulations and empirical studies; testing with full-scale physical prototypes; and monitoring of real world case studies. The effectiveness of different strategies in different climates is examined, as are NV control systems, and the coupling of NV with other systems.
SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS by Zahra Hamedani
Building and Environment, 2019
Lighting in office environments has many benefits, ranging from decreasing energy consumption to ... more Lighting in office environments has many benefits, ranging from decreasing energy consumption to enhancing human health and well-being. However, visual discomfort such as glare has a negative impact on occupants, causing a sensation of annoyance or pain, thereby reducing user satisfaction and productivity. Current methods
and metrics established for evaluating glare are mainly derived from physical measurements of luminance
distribution and conventional subjective evaluations. However, significant inconsistencies and inaccuracies
reported by a number of comparative studies highlight the need for a more objective method in the derivation of
glare indices. This paper reviews the existing literature to provide a holistic overview of implemented methods
in measuring light-induced physiological responses to objectify perceived glare. Physiological responses
investigated within the reviewed literature include: pupil size, eye movement, gaze direction, degree of eye
opening, and blink rate. Research outcomes regarding each individual response are then analysed based upon
their experimental methodology, the metric utilized for their analysis, and confounding variables that may
contribute to misleading results. Through this analysis, established factors and those requiring further evidence
are identified
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Publications by Zahra Hamedani
Abstract
The rising costs of energy usage in the building sector have intensified research interest in passive energy saving strategies such as night ventilation (NV). Night ventilation has been shown to reduce the energy demand for cooling buildings as well as significantly ameliorate thermal comfort. A large number of studies have been undertaken to model and assess the effectiveness of NV across a wide variety of climates and building types. This paper reviews the key research on night ventilation strategies and identifies the main themes and directions present in contemporary research. It also classifies NV performance into three broad groups, namely climate, building and technical parameters. The literature provides evidence that night ventilation strategies are effective across most climate types, but as with most passive design strategies, optimisation is required. Approaches to research within the reviewed literature include computer simulations and empirical studies; testing with full-scale physical prototypes; and monitoring of real world case studies. The effectiveness of different strategies in different climates is examined, as are NV control systems, and the coupling of NV with other systems.
SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS by Zahra Hamedani
and metrics established for evaluating glare are mainly derived from physical measurements of luminance
distribution and conventional subjective evaluations. However, significant inconsistencies and inaccuracies
reported by a number of comparative studies highlight the need for a more objective method in the derivation of
glare indices. This paper reviews the existing literature to provide a holistic overview of implemented methods
in measuring light-induced physiological responses to objectify perceived glare. Physiological responses
investigated within the reviewed literature include: pupil size, eye movement, gaze direction, degree of eye
opening, and blink rate. Research outcomes regarding each individual response are then analysed based upon
their experimental methodology, the metric utilized for their analysis, and confounding variables that may
contribute to misleading results. Through this analysis, established factors and those requiring further evidence
are identified
Abstract
The rising costs of energy usage in the building sector have intensified research interest in passive energy saving strategies such as night ventilation (NV). Night ventilation has been shown to reduce the energy demand for cooling buildings as well as significantly ameliorate thermal comfort. A large number of studies have been undertaken to model and assess the effectiveness of NV across a wide variety of climates and building types. This paper reviews the key research on night ventilation strategies and identifies the main themes and directions present in contemporary research. It also classifies NV performance into three broad groups, namely climate, building and technical parameters. The literature provides evidence that night ventilation strategies are effective across most climate types, but as with most passive design strategies, optimisation is required. Approaches to research within the reviewed literature include computer simulations and empirical studies; testing with full-scale physical prototypes; and monitoring of real world case studies. The effectiveness of different strategies in different climates is examined, as are NV control systems, and the coupling of NV with other systems.
and metrics established for evaluating glare are mainly derived from physical measurements of luminance
distribution and conventional subjective evaluations. However, significant inconsistencies and inaccuracies
reported by a number of comparative studies highlight the need for a more objective method in the derivation of
glare indices. This paper reviews the existing literature to provide a holistic overview of implemented methods
in measuring light-induced physiological responses to objectify perceived glare. Physiological responses
investigated within the reviewed literature include: pupil size, eye movement, gaze direction, degree of eye
opening, and blink rate. Research outcomes regarding each individual response are then analysed based upon
their experimental methodology, the metric utilized for their analysis, and confounding variables that may
contribute to misleading results. Through this analysis, established factors and those requiring further evidence
are identified