Environmental data analysis and modelling

In the building structure, the “thermal bridge” is defined as an isolated zone, where construction elements have higher thermal conductivity, compared with the rest of the building envelope. Thus, a significant temperature difference may exist between adjacent solid and air volumes within the developments, especially in winter conditions. The existence of thermal bridge mostly affects the energy performance of buildings, due to the increased heat losses from the occupied spaces. But also, the decreased surface temperature in these zones, could lead to moisture accumulation and substantial humidity related problems in the indoor environment.
Considering these important effects, the presented study describes the development of numerical model of a thermal bridge distribution, based on conjugated heat transfer in concrete external wall section. The thermal bridge distribution is analyzed relative to the indoor and outdoor air parameters, and the envelope thermal properties. The achieved surface temperature sensitivity results may be used for further moisture accumulation model development or enhancements.

Through this research, we aim to develop a methodology for estimating the contribution of the natural and anthropic factors to the spatial variation of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). The study area is Jiu River Basin, a Danube tributary from SW Romania.
TDS content was measured on Jiu River and its main tributaries, in periods of low waters in the summer of 2017 and 2018. For the area upstream each point, the following factors considered as primarily responsible for the TDS concentration were mapped and integrated in GIS and statistical analysis: geology, vegetation, soil textures, relevant human activities (coal-mining industry and agriculture in the valleys and in the catchments upstream the measuring points).
Using the principal component analysis (PCA) and regression models, scores were assigned to quantify the contributions to the spatial variation of TDS in the rivers. The results showed that coal mining and lithology (marls’ dominance) play the main role in explaining the TDS variation.
The development of such an integrated methodology improved the understanding of the relationship between the rivers’ TDS and the environmental drivers.

The present paper focuses on the development of a methodology that simulates micrometeorological thermal conditions in an urban context based on weather station data. The micrometeorological conditions at Syntagma square, the central square of Athens, Greece were simulated by ENVI-met software in order to evaluate the thermal conditions experienced by its users. Located in the heart of city’s commercial activity, the square attracts many visitors, especially during summer months, when extreme thermal conditions could be encountered. ENVI-met can simulate the necessary factors for the estimation of thermal sensation through thermal indices, i.e. air temperature, mean radiant temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. The meteorological data needed as input were obtained from the nearest weather station. In-situ micrometeorological measurements recorded at the height of 1.1m, were used to validate the simulated results. ENVI-met simulations were performed at a high spatial and temporal resolution. The appropriate adjustments were made to the modeling procedure to achieve a successful and resource-effective simulation.

In the last years, exploitation of the wind power has been constantly increasing together with the size of the turbines. Furthermore, by 2030 wind energy is expected to supply around 30% of EU’s power demand. Offshore wind represents a significant future opportunity, since resources are abundant and more stable. In the North and Baltic seas more experience is gained on bottom fixed turbines, but also many initiatives emerge to accelerate the development of floating devices, such as the projects in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. From this perspective, the objective of this work is to analyze the expected dynamics of the of the wind conditions in the European coastal environment of the Mediterranean Sea. The study is focused on estimating the average and extreme wind speeds for the 30-year time interval 2021-2050. In parallel, an analysis of the historical wind data for the 30-year period 1976-2005 is also performed. The climatic wind fields provided by the Global Change Assessment Model are considered in the analysis under the Representative Concentration Pathway scenario 4.5. This is the most probable scenario and assumes that the CO2 emissions will increase until 2040 and then decline.