h i g h l i g h t sEnergy consumption of supermarket depends more on temperature than humidity. Multiple regression analysis is a flexible tool to consider for energy use prediction. Results show dramatic reduction in gas use and modest increase in electricity use. a b s t r a c tThe change in climate has led to an interest in how this will affect the energy consumption in buildings. Most of the work in the literature relates to offices and homes. However, this paper investigates a supermarket in northern England by means of a multiple regression analysis based on gas and electricity data for 2012.The equations obtained in this analysis use the humidity ratio derived from the dry-bulb temperature and the relative humidity in conjunction with the actual dry-bulb temperature. These equations are used to estimate the consumption for the base year period and for the predicted climate period 2030-2059.The findings indicate that electricity use will increase by 2.1% whereas gas consumption will drop by about 13% for the central future estimate. The research further suggests that the year 2012 is comparable in temperature to the future climate, but the relative humidity is lower. Further research should include adaptation/mitigation measures and an evaluation of their usefulness.

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Abstract:This paper provides an insight into energy efficiency interventions studies, focusing on issues arising in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) in particular. Based on a review of the context for energy efficiency and carbon reduction programmes in the UK and the trends in higher education sector, existing external and internal policies and initiatives and their relevant issues are extensively discussed. To explore the efficacy of some internal intervention strategies, such as technical, non-technical and management interventions, a survey was conducted among UK higher education institutions between February and April 2008. Consultation responses show that there are a relatively high percentage of institutions (83%) that have embarked on both technical and non-technical initiatives, which is a demonstration to the joined-up approach in such area.Major barriers for intervention studies are also identified, including lack of methodology, nonclarity of energy demand and consumption issues, difficulty in establishing assessment boundaries, problems with regards to indices and their effectiveness and so on. Besides establishing clear targets for carbon reductions within the sector, it is concluded that it is important to develop systems for effectively measuring and evaluating the impact of different policies, regulations and schemes in the future as the first step to explore.

Although Building Information Modeling (BIM) can enhance efficiency of sustainable building projects, its adoption is still plagued with barriers. In order to incorporate BIM more efficiently, it is important to consider and mitigate these barriers. The aim of this study is to explore and develop strategies to alleviate barriers in developing countries, such as Malaysia, to broaden implementation of BIM with the aid of quantitative and qualitative approaches. To achieve this aim, a comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify the barriers, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with construction projects’ stakeholders. The ranking analysis results revealed the top five critical barriers to be “unavailability of standards and guidelines”, “lack of BIM training”, “lack of expertise”, “high cost”, and “lack of research and BIM implementation”. Comparative study findings showed that “lack of research and BIM implementation” is the least important barrier in other countries like China, United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Furthermore, qualitative analysis revealed the strategies to mitigate the BIM implementation barriers to enhance sustainable goals. The final outcome of this study is the establishment of a framework incorporated with BIM implementation barriers and strategies namely, the “BIM-based research framework”, which can assist project managers and policymakers towards effective sustainable construction.

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This research project is undertaken in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (T.R.N.C.). The objective of the research is to investigate the occupants' behaviour and role in the refurbishment activity by exploring how and why occupants decide to change building systems and how to understand why and how occupants consider using energy-efficient measurements. The housing estates are chosen from 16 different projects in four different regions of the T.R.N.C. that include urban and suburban areas. The study is conducted through semi-structured interviews to identify occupants' behaviour as it is associated with refurbishment activity. This paper presents the results of semi-structured interviews with 70 homeowners in a selected group of 16 housing estates in four different parts of the T.R.N.C. Alongside the construction process and its impact on the environment, the results point out the need for control mechanisms in the housing sector to promote and support the adoption of retrofit strategies and to minimise non-controlled refurbishment activities. The results demonstrate that European Union Energy Efficiency directives need not only inform households about technological improvements that can be installed in their residential properties, but should also strongly encourage and incentivise them to use them efficiently. Furthermore, the occupants' energy consumption behaviour and the applicable policy interventions will make the difference between implementing policy which in fact delivers on its aims for energy efficiency and sustainability.