CAREER: Impact of a coupled energy-carbon-water system on environmentally sustainable building designs under climate variability and automation - a diagnostic-prognostic approach

建筑在建设和运营中消耗的能源占全球能源供应的40%以上，其中体现能源(EE)和运行能源(OE)的消耗占全球总碳排放的39%以上，并消耗了大量的淡水。为了减少建筑在设计和施工决策中的环境负担，该项目试图了解EE和OE组件的相互依赖关系，它们与用水和碳排放的关系，以及能源-碳-水(ECW)关系的当前和未来影响。将追求三个研究目标：(1)通过测量代表节约一个单位OE的EE费用的EE系数来量化EE-OE相互依赖；(2)从ECW的角度检查以能源为重点的设计决策；以及(3)调查快速变化的能源组合和使用可能如何影响未来的EE-OE相互依赖。主要教育目标是通过在现有课程和研究培训中嵌入能源建模和创新的虚拟现实(VR)学习活动，加强环境可持续建筑的科学教育。教育目标是：(1)在大学层面促进以诊断-预测为基础的可持续建筑环境教育；(2)在高中层面加强环境可持续性的科学教育；(3)向建筑师、工程师和房屋建筑商提供工具和资源，以获得更广泛的社会利益。研究计划提供知识和资源供学生使用，学生反过来创建数据模型来帮助实现研究目标。这项研究将工程中的建筑信息和能源模型与地球科学和经济模型相结合，以缩小三个知识差距。首先，没有完全理解EE和OE组件之间的相互依赖关系。本研究的目的是回答：(1)不同的EE和OE组件是如何发挥作用并相互影响的？以及(2)哪些设计措施或EE/OE组件可能是环境变化的主要驱动因素？其次，如果考虑到与能源相关的碳排放和用水，基于EE和OE的设计决策将有何不同，目前尚不清楚。这个项目将探索复杂的ECW系统的相互作用如何影响设计决策，以及哪个系统可能最有影响力。第三，气候变化和自动化的力量正在将建筑能源的使用转向电力。这种转变可能会如何影响未来的ECW互动尚不清楚。这项研究将探索气候多变性和自动化的力量如何改变未来能源使用和环境变化的状态，以及这些变化可能如何影响未来复杂的ECW系统。通过对建筑的环境影响进行更具诊断性和预测性的建模，这项研究试图缩小这些差距，并创造资源，帮助建筑师、工程师和政策制定者做出科学知情的决策。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Buildings consume over 40% of the global energy supply in their construction and operation as embodied (EE) and operational energy (OE), causing over 39% of total global carbon emissions and consuming an enormous amount of freshwater. To reduce the environmental burden of buildings in design and construction decisions, this project seeks to understand the interdependencies of EE and OE components, their relationship to water use and carbon emission, and the current and future impacts of the energy-carbon-water (ECW) nexus. Three research objectives will be pursued: (1) quantify EE-OE interdependencies by measuring an EE factor that represents the EE expense of saving one unit of OE; (2) examine energy-focused design decisions from an ECW perspective; and (3) investigate how fast-changing energy mix and use may influence future EE-OE interdependencies. The key educational goal is to enhance science education of environmentally sustainable buildings by embedding energy modeling and innovative Virtual Reality (VR)-based learning activities into existing curricula and research training. The educational objectives are: (1) stimulate a diagnostic-prognostic-based sustainable built environment education at the university level; (2) enhance the science education of environmental sustainability at the high school level; and (3) extend tools and resources to architects, engineers, and home builders for broader societal benefits. The research plan offers knowledge and resources to be used by students, who, in turn, create data models to help accomplish the research goal.This study combines building information and energy models from engineering with earth science and economic models to close three knowledge gaps. First, the interdependencies of EE and OE components are not fully understood. This research aim to answer: (1) how do different EE and OE components function and influence each other? and (2) which design measures or EE/OE components may be the main driver of environmental change? Second, it is unclear how design decisions based on EE and OE would differ if energy-related carbon emission and water use are considered. This project will explore how the interplay of a complex ECW system may influence design decisions and which system may be the most impactful. Third, the forces of climate change and automation are shifting building energy use towards electricity. How such a shift may influence future ECW interactions is unclear. This study will explore how the forces of climate variability and automation may alter future states of energy use and environmental change and how such changes may affect the complex ECW system in the future. Through a more diagnostic- prognostic modeling of a building’s environmental impacts, this study seeks to close these gaps and create resources to help architects, engineers, and policy makers make scientifically-informed decisions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.