According to the IPCC Climate Change projections by 2050 temperatures in southern Spain will have increased noticeably during the summer. Housing-in its current form-will not be able to provide a suitable response to this new climate scenario, and will in turn prompt an increase in cooling energy consumption and a series of problems relating to health and comfort. The Design Builder simulation tool was used to quantify the impact of this future climate scenario on energy demand, as well as its effect under free-running conditions on indoor temperature. Different passive conditioning strategies were evaluated to establish their influence on the indoor comfort conditions. The case study examined a theoretical single-family residential unit model in order to establish guidelines for the pre-selection of the most suitable passive solutions. The results show that passive conditioning strategies analysed (envelope treatment, solar gain protection and night-time natural ventilation) reduce energy demand and indoor temperatures, thus increasing energy efficiency and improving indoor comfort conditions. Therefore, these passive conditioning strategies reduce the cooling energy consumption.

Users’ behaviour and indoor climate are two leading aspects that must be taken into account if we want the retrofitting of the housing stock to contribute to CO₂ reduction, comfort improvement and reduction of living costs. The integrated facade module evaluated in this paper, which constitutes an approach to zero energy renovation, includes a preliminary study for the identification of target occupants and their characteristics and requirements that will guide the design decisions. The proposed strategy primarily focuses on the case of social rental multi-family housing stock in the Netherlands, but should provide insights in the application of the concept in Europe. This paper presents the analysis of the adaptability of this solution to the Mediterranean climate, taking into account the specific characteristics of the occupants of this climatic zone. The results showed an improved performance of building after the application of the evaluated solution in southern Spain, but with lower savings on the energy demand than in the Netherlands, so the economic investment should be reduced in this case. Also, the inclusion in the solution of some variables, such as the forced night-time ventilation for passive cooling and the insulation thickness reduction, were tested and proved to be an optimisation of its performance in the Mediterranean climate. Overall, the study concluded that the proposed refurbishment strategy has the potential to be implemented in different climates, particularly if certain modification in the facade operation is considered.

Development of electric mobility and sustainable energy result in new technologies such as contactless electric vehicle charging and roadway energy harvesting methods, but also self-healing asphalt roads. By combining these technologies a new concept of Future Sustainable Roads for Electric Mobility is created and presented in the paper. This paper bridges the gap created by these unilateral technology developments using a multi-disciplinary approach including placing cautions when necessary and suggesting viable alternatives for optimal utilization of these energy transfer and conversion techniques. Through theoretical analysis, simulations, and tests on lab-scale experimental prototypes, the impact of our proposal is showcased. Thermal and loss models are developed for self-healing asphalt. Also, integration study of solar roads and contactless charging is performed. Applying the insight gained from the results, it is discussed how some challenges also pave a way towards interesting opportunities, for instance, infrastructure sharing for material use optimization and efficient mosaic integration. Finally, an economic viability case study is presented for a future Dutch highway with such newly emerging components.

We present a participatory process in the context of networked collaboration in the field of construction, and offer the concept of participatory attitude as having a key facilitating role in it. The concept is developed through reflexive narratives from the first five months of a sustainable renovation process. Characteristics of the participatory attitude identified here were sustained listening, bridging, demonstrating and eliciting. The attitude helped build mutual trust, which in turn engaged residents in reflecting on their everyday practices in relation to the future technical make-up of their home. Questions remain how well democratic aims were represented in the process. No residents were left behind, because system gaps were bridged.

Building simulations are often used to predict energy demand and to determine the financial feasibility of the low-carbon projects. However, recent research has documented large differences between actual and predicted energy consumption. In retrofit projects, this difference creates uncertainty about the payback periods and, as a consequence, owners are reluctant to invest in energy-efficient technologies. The differences between the actual and the expected energy consumption are caused by inexact input data on the thermal properties of the building envelope and by the use of standard occupancy data. Integrating occupancy patterns of diversity and variability in behaviour into building simulation can potentially foresee and account for the impact of behaviour in building performance. The presented research develops and applies occupancy heating profiles for building simulation tools in order create more accurate predictions of energy demand and energy performance. Statistical analyses were used to define the relationship between seven most common household types and occupancy patterns in the Netherlands. The developed household profiles aim at providing energy modellers with reliable, detailed and ready-to-use occupancy data for building simulation. This household-specific occupancy information can be used in projects that are highly sensitive to the uncertainty related to return of investments.

Large differences between the expected and actual energy consumption have been found in energy efficient dwellings. Research has shown that these differences are partially caused by occupant behaviour. The financing and payback periods of low carbon technologies are often uncertain because of the impact of the occupants on building performance. This translates into a reluctance to invest in deep renovation projects. The goal of this design-inclusive research project is to develop a solution for zero energy renovation that reduces the uncertainty on building performance cause by occupants' behaviour by reducing the uncertainty in design decisions and energy calculations. This investigation focuses on the identification of building type specific occupants and their characteristics, requirements and living practices. This paper presents the user research approach developed for the renovation process. The approach consists of statistical analysis of Dutch households, a monitoring campaign in the area of study and co-creation research through mock-ups, enactments and interviews. Case studies results are presented to highlight the effect of different household types on energy consumption and occupants' requirements, and point at the importance of taking into account household typology and socio-economic characteristics in energy calculations or building simulations, as well as occupant requirements in the design process.

To be able to develop and implement high-impact sustainable innovations in the built environment, researchers, product/-service developers and policymakers in the region of Rotterdam felt the necessity to work with users to prototype, test and validate potential solutions in real life situations. In collaboration with European partners initiatives, the Concept House Village in Heijplaat Rotterdam was developed. The inner-city docklands of Rotterdam is an area in transition and forms an ideal setting for a real life test bed for future sustainable urban living and working. In this chapter the history, ambitions, context and the partnership is described. Furthermore the accompanying research and development program is enlightened. Additionally the business modeling of Concept House Village as a R&D facility is considered.

There are an estimated 170 active living labs across the globe. All have common elements but not all of them contribute to the delivery of sustainable living. Here we consider the business models of sustainability in living labs (SusLabs). Specifically we review four active living laboratories that are part of the SusLab North West Europe network. We show that the business cases are different for at least two reasons. One is that each SusLab project has a specific focus even though all are seeking to develop energy efficient innovative products, services or systems. Examples of focus include demonstration projects, knowledge generation through research and business to business development. The other is that each came about for different reasons which might include significant public or private sponsorship, or through academia-business co-creation, and this too is reflected in the business case. We also show that the business cases are not static, but may evolve over time as opportunities are created and as partners develop a clearer understanding of the potential of each SusLab. We propose that, based on a common definition of a SusLab, theoretical considerations and societal needs, as well as insights from the cases, it should be possible to build a business case for a SusLab which draws on knowledge rather than learning-by-doing.