Umberto Berardi
Dr. Berardi is Full Professor, Director of the BeTOP center at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Canada Research Chair in Building Science.
His main research interests are related to the study of innovative solutions and new materials for improving performance within the built environment. In the first years of his career, Dr. Berardi often worked on natural materials for acoustic applications and sustainable design through natural materials. Recently, he has been focusing on integrating nanotechnologies into building systems. He has mainly focused on organic PCMs, such as paraffin and bio-PCM, and on granular and monolithic aerogel. Dr. Berardi has an extensive publication record, including 170 peer-reviewed journals, 170 international conference papers, and five books.
Dr. Berardi has a body of funded research comprising over $1.5 M in government and private sector-sponsored research. He has been awarded a CFI-JELF; NSERC Discovery Grant; Early Research Award from the MRI - Ontario; Building Excellence Research and Education Grants from the BC Housing - Homeowner Protection Office; OCE-VIP projects; Ryerson Research Fund for Tools and for Undergraduate Research Experience and several NSERC Engages.
INFO @ https://sites.google.com/site/umbertoberardihomepage/home
Address: DAS-FEAS, 350 Church st, Toronto, Ontario
His main research interests are related to the study of innovative solutions and new materials for improving performance within the built environment. In the first years of his career, Dr. Berardi often worked on natural materials for acoustic applications and sustainable design through natural materials. Recently, he has been focusing on integrating nanotechnologies into building systems. He has mainly focused on organic PCMs, such as paraffin and bio-PCM, and on granular and monolithic aerogel. Dr. Berardi has an extensive publication record, including 170 peer-reviewed journals, 170 international conference papers, and five books.
Dr. Berardi has a body of funded research comprising over $1.5 M in government and private sector-sponsored research. He has been awarded a CFI-JELF; NSERC Discovery Grant; Early Research Award from the MRI - Ontario; Building Excellence Research and Education Grants from the BC Housing - Homeowner Protection Office; OCE-VIP projects; Ryerson Research Fund for Tools and for Undergraduate Research Experience and several NSERC Engages.
INFO @ https://sites.google.com/site/umbertoberardihomepage/home
Address: DAS-FEAS, 350 Church st, Toronto, Ontario
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models, is crucial for urban design and environmental improvements. Eddy3D is one the tool widely used for simulating microclimate conditions. However, the tool currently lacks the incorporation of relevant urban physics into the simulation. The present research focuses on integrating the modeling of convective heat transfer and relative humidity within the Eddy3D wind module and unsteady state
modeling. The study reports the approaches through simulations employing a simplified
canyon model. The study site is the campus of the Toronto Metropolitan
University in Toronto, Ontario. The simulation data is validated using real-time
data collected from the weather station located on the roof of one of the buildings
on the downtown campus. By comparing the simulated data with the real-time
data, the study assesses the effectiveness of the new features and determines their
appropriateness for integration them into the Eddy3D tool. The findings highlight the adaptability and accuracy of the approach across various scenarios, effectively
handling complex modeling to enhance the capabilities of microclimate
predictions.
This study identifies high-risk areas at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, using a multilayered
approach integrating hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Locations with Physiologically Equivalent
Temperature (PET) exceeding 23°C were analyzed alongside user density and survey-based vulnerability
assessments, pinpointing two high-risk zones. Future projections for 2050 and 2080 (RCP 4.5 and RCP
8.5 scenarios) indicate rising PET levels, amplifying thermal discomfort. Mitigation strategies, including
green walls and tree planting, demonstrated PET reductions of 2°C and 3°C, respectively, under current
conditions. These findings underscore the critical role of greenery in enhancing outdoor thermal
comfort and resilience. The study’s replicable methodology offers urban planners a practical framework
for addressing thermal risks and adapting outdoor spaces to climate change impacts, fostering urban
livability.
relative to a clear reference tested simultaneously at the BeTOP outdoor test cells in Toronto, ON-a vicinity with distinct warm summers and cold winters. The retrofits included a near-infrared absorbing CsWO3-SnO2 nanosuspension
and a nanoceramic WO3-based photochromic window film with dynamic absorptance to visible radiation. The low-cost technologies were applied directly to interior glass surfaces, allowing for swift installation with minimal occupancy interruption. The results show that retrofitting existing glass did not significantly influence the equivalent thermal transmittance but significant reductions in the equivalent solar factor and solar transmittance were observed. Although the retrofits did not significantly influence the energy consumption in
this particular setting due to Toronto’s cold climate and the adopted low window-wall ratio (10%), they contributed to the mitigation of overheating indicated by up to 50% reduction in the percentage of people dissatisfied. Furthermore, the photochromic film significantly improved visual comfort indicated by a 10%–17% improvement in the useful daylight illuminance and a 9% reduction in peak discomfort glare probability.
models, is crucial for urban design and environmental improvements. Eddy3D is one the tool widely used for simulating microclimate conditions. However, the tool currently lacks the incorporation of relevant urban physics into the simulation. The present research focuses on integrating the modeling of convective heat transfer and relative humidity within the Eddy3D wind module and unsteady state
modeling. The study reports the approaches through simulations employing a simplified
canyon model. The study site is the campus of the Toronto Metropolitan
University in Toronto, Ontario. The simulation data is validated using real-time
data collected from the weather station located on the roof of one of the buildings
on the downtown campus. By comparing the simulated data with the real-time
data, the study assesses the effectiveness of the new features and determines their
appropriateness for integration them into the Eddy3D tool. The findings highlight the adaptability and accuracy of the approach across various scenarios, effectively
handling complex modeling to enhance the capabilities of microclimate
predictions.
This study identifies high-risk areas at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, using a multilayered
approach integrating hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Locations with Physiologically Equivalent
Temperature (PET) exceeding 23°C were analyzed alongside user density and survey-based vulnerability
assessments, pinpointing two high-risk zones. Future projections for 2050 and 2080 (RCP 4.5 and RCP
8.5 scenarios) indicate rising PET levels, amplifying thermal discomfort. Mitigation strategies, including
green walls and tree planting, demonstrated PET reductions of 2°C and 3°C, respectively, under current
conditions. These findings underscore the critical role of greenery in enhancing outdoor thermal
comfort and resilience. The study’s replicable methodology offers urban planners a practical framework
for addressing thermal risks and adapting outdoor spaces to climate change impacts, fostering urban
livability.
relative to a clear reference tested simultaneously at the BeTOP outdoor test cells in Toronto, ON-a vicinity with distinct warm summers and cold winters. The retrofits included a near-infrared absorbing CsWO3-SnO2 nanosuspension
and a nanoceramic WO3-based photochromic window film with dynamic absorptance to visible radiation. The low-cost technologies were applied directly to interior glass surfaces, allowing for swift installation with minimal occupancy interruption. The results show that retrofitting existing glass did not significantly influence the equivalent thermal transmittance but significant reductions in the equivalent solar factor and solar transmittance were observed. Although the retrofits did not significantly influence the energy consumption in
this particular setting due to Toronto’s cold climate and the adopted low window-wall ratio (10%), they contributed to the mitigation of overheating indicated by up to 50% reduction in the percentage of people dissatisfied. Furthermore, the photochromic film significantly improved visual comfort indicated by a 10%–17% improvement in the useful daylight illuminance and a 9% reduction in peak discomfort glare probability.
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In his Moving to Sustainable Buildings. Paths to Adopt Green Innovations in Developed Countries, Umberto Berardi explores the transition of the construction sector to sustainable building through the adoption of green innovations. Applying methods ranging from theoretical discussions to interviews and field studies, Berardi describes how organisational models among stakeholders are changing as the sector moves towards a green economy.
Berardi’s book should prove valuable to engineers, architects, environment researchers and policy makers alike, as it successfully weaves together different aspects of green building to create a multidimensional matrix through which sustainable architecture can be understood.
Umberto Berardi, an assistant professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA, USA), teaches courses on sustainable construction, architectural engineering systems and building physics. He was awarded an MSc from the Politecnico di Bari, an MSc from the University of Southampton (UK) and a PhD from the Scuola Interpolitecnica in Italy. His research areas are related to building acoustics, sustainable constructions and energy saving technologies for buildings. Berardi is also a passionate pianist and a strong proponent of interdisciplinary cooperation between the arts and engineering.