Assessment on the impact factors of outdoor thermal comfort among the elderly across diverse climate zones in China
August 2026
•Elderly people with similar thermal sensations experienced different OTC.•PET can be used to assess OTC across different climate zones within 22–30 °C.•Visual conditions were identified as significant...
Development of a parabolic trough collector-based solar oven with heat pipe for efficient drying of kitchen spices
August 2026
•A solar oven with heat pipe and PTC was developed for efficient spice drying.•The system achieved 55.57 % moisture reduction with a fan and 38.7 % without a fan.•The heat pipe effectively transferred...
Experimental study on phase change materials aided pipe-embedded wall for energy efficiency in buildings
August 2026
•Novel PCW system with PCMs improves building energy efficiency.•Achieves high energy savings using low-grade heat and cooling sources.•Experiments show enhanced comfort and thermal stability in varied...
MLP-based dynamic fouling prediction and health monitoring for energy-efficient operation of plate heat exchangers in smart heating systems
August 2026
•MLP-based fouling prediction model (R²=0.9484) enables real-time system monitoring.•Dynamic fouling-temperature mapping optimizes cleaning to reduce energy waste.•Health Condition Value (HCV) quantifies...
Breaking-down building design problems with decomposition approaches: A review
August 2026
•Examining the role of decomposition in building design.•Evaluating the applicability of decomposition approaches for different design problems.•Conducting a comparative performance analysis of decomposition...
Towards a hybrid retrofit planning framework: A data-driven tool for energy retrofit in residential buildings
August 2026
•Developed tool evaluates retrofit impact and provides real-time cost estimates.•The surrogate model predicts buildings’ energy performance with over 81 % accuracy.•Data-driven and parametric models...
Thermal performance of bio-based phase change material encapsulated in a bamboo wall for residential buildings: A field experiment
August 2026
•Two identical bamboo rooms—with and without CO-PCM—were compared.•The usage of CO-PCM reduced the temperature peak inside the room.•West-side bamboo panels release more heat compared to other sides.•CO-PCM...
Study on the improvement of indoor thermal environment and enhancement of photovoltaic power generation performance by the self-driven ventilation of the passive SC-PV-EAHE system
August 2026
•Proposed and optimized a solar chimney-PV-earth-air heat exchanger system via GA.•Over the daily cycle, achieved max 11.17 °C cooling, 1.43 % efficiency gain.•Over the annual cycle, Max temperature...
Personalised environmental Control Systems (PECS) usage thresholds: A dynamic simulation approach to assess energy, cost, and emissions saving
August 2026
•Detailed simulation framework to evaluate PECS–building performance.•Dynamic simulations tested PECS across varied building scenarios.•Energy, cost, and emissions analysed under diverse HVAC and PECS...
Dynamic Exhaust Control for Range Hoods Based on PM2.5 in Cold Regions: Enhancing Kitchen Temperature and Energy Efficiency
Available online 18 August 2026
•Propose a dynamic exhaust control and retrofit method for range hood in cold regions.•Adjusts exhaust air volume based on real-time cooking PM2.5 emission rates.•Deriving diffusion coefficients for...
Effects of underground parameters on the heat extraction performance of medium-depth coaxial borehole heat exchangers
Available online 13 August 2026
The medium-depth coaxial borehole heat exchanger (MCBHE) is a clean-energy technology that can utilize geothermal energy at depths of 1,000-3,000 m for building heating. However, underground parameters...
Operational Characteristics and Suitability of Community–Building–User Multi-Mode Return-Water-Source Heat Pump Peak-Shaving Systems
Available online 8 August 2026
•Community-, building-, and user-level peak-shaving modes are compared.•Four typical community load scenarios are modeled and analyzed.•Load heterogeneity affects energy, cost, carbon, and exergy performance.•Suitability...
Unveiling the Latent Heat Storage Mechanism of Rammed Earth Walls:Dynamic Response of Capillary Condensation to Ambient Temperature and Humidity
Available online 7 August 2026
•Capillary condensation functions as a natural Phase Change Material (PCM) in earth walls.•A multi-scale model couples micro-liquid bridge dynamics with macro-heat transfer.•Diurnal latent heat flux...
From waste to worth: Upcycling highland barley straw for high-performance thermal envelopes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Available online 6 August 2026
•The distribution characteristics of HBS fibers were precisely quantified.•Fiber micro-morphology and distribution induce thermal conductivity anisotropy.•HBS concrete reduces heating energy by 88.78%...
Passive and active humidity control for museums and display cases: materials, systems, and multi-level integration
Available online 29 July 2026
•Passive and active humidity-control technologies are organized in a two-dimensional framework.•Passive strategies are assessed by sorbent performance, RH range, and airtightness.•Active systems are...
Effects of air and water temperature on thermal comfort in showering: Experiments and modeling in a subtropical region
Available online 28 July 2026
•The factors affecting the thermal sensation of showering were discussed.•The thermal sensation model for different stages of showering was established.•The relationship between thermal sensation and...
Self-sustained solar-driven airborne bacterial inactivation via thermal-UV synergistic inactivation in BIPVT systems
Available online 24 July 2026
•Developed a controllable sealed chamber for thermal-UV bacterial inactivation.•Established a four-parameter thermal-UV synergistic inactivation model.•Designed and compared two self-powered, self-purifying...
Rapid risk prioritization of indoor exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds using a novel steady-state inter-phase partitioning model
Available online 17 July 2026
•A novel steady-state model was developed for indoor SVOC partitioning.•Particle-dust kinetic coupling and indoor environmental effects were included.•Multi-phase SVOC levels can be reconstructed from...
Comprehensive analysis of techno-economic and environmental performances on renewable integrated energy system with heating, cooling, and power for micro-communities
Available online 16 July 2026
•A source-storage-load integrated system for micro-communities is proposed.•A control strategy for techno-economic-environmental performance enhancement.•Optimal configuration for dual climate demand...
Nanoscale gas-water mixed ions for multifunctional air purification in built environments: a paradigm shift towards active air treatment
Available online 13 July 2026
•GWMI marks a paradigm shift from passive to active indoor air purification.•GWMI enables active, multifunctional purification of microbes, PM and odours.•Nanoscale droplets act as mobile ROS carriers...
Coupled effects of indoor lighting and thermal conditions on cognitive performance, physiological, and subjective responses: A systematic review
Available online 10 July 2026
•Light and thermal pathways suggest a physiological basis for coupling.•Temperature dominates cognitive performance, with an optimum at 22–24 °C.•Illuminance of 500–1000 lx enhances attention in neutral...
Keeping it simple: Field testing and techno-economic assessment of a low-cost secondary quad glazing for enhanced energy efficiency in buildings
June 2026
•Secondary quad glazing cuts energy use by 11.7 % over traditional double glazing.•Quad glazing maintains higher internal temperatures and lower heat flux.•Quad glazing significantly reduces condensation,...
The physiological and psychological impact of artificial windows on office workers during working phases: Cognitive performance and productivity
June 2026
•Artificial windows are evaluated by referring real windows and no windows.•Artificial windows achieved the highest lighting comfort and acceptability.•Artificial windows matched or surpassed real windows...