Publications

This paper introduces a method for advancing environmental and social sustainability objectives in relation to home renovations laid out in European and Belgian policies. The Comfort Tool is an instrument that simultaneously addresses the energy efficiency and universal design aspects of a sustainable home renovation, while being usable and meaningful to laymen homeowners and improving their communication with building professionals. It is based ...

In recent years, sustainability practices in Africa have been promoted as the relatively most effective means of reducing adverse environmental impacts associated with buildings and occupants. Occupants' perception within buildings, whether green or non-green, is crucial for the understanding of building sustainability (energy performance) and comfort conditions. However, there has been a scanty research-based knowledge from empirical studies, ...

The EU member states have implemented energy performance of buildings (EPB) minimum requirements for new constructions, while in Flanders an additional property tax incentive is offered if higher standards of energy performance are achieved. The current paper aims to investigate whether the property tax incentive played a role in encouraging additional investments in energy efficiency in new constructions. It also aims to understand the ...

Despite the efforts to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, the actual energy consumption decreased much less than expected in recent years. Therefore, energy sufficiency is gaining attention as a complementary approach to energy efficiency. It aims to reduce the actual energy consumption of buildings by providing thermal comfort to residents in a sufficient way. This demands for alternative heating practices, such as the application of ...

Energy efficiency of houses is considered a key measure against climate change. However, its characteristics jeopardize effective energy savings. Firstly, the use of a relative scale to express energy efficiency, in kWh per m² floor area, neglects the impact of building size on absolute energy use. Secondly, the use of standardised norms for thermal comfort neglects how residents are effectively using the space in their homes. And thirdly, the ...

The building stock being a huge energy consumer, is an important sector for SDG 11 on sustainable cities and SDG 13 on climate action. Therefore, retrofitting the existing buildings is a priority for most EU countries. Long term goals for the energy performance of buildings are premised. However, to be able to monitor the progress and feasibility to achieve the goals in 2050, knowledge of the actual renovation rate is indispensable. Since years ...

Buildings are significant drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Improving the thermal comfort of occupants in free-running buildings and avoiding active and fossil fuel-based systems is the main challenge in many cities worldwide. However, the impacts of passive design measures on thermal comfort in cold semi-arid regions are seldom studied. With the rapid urbanization and the widespread use of personalised heating and ...

The energy performance certificate (EPC) is mandatory in the EU, aiming to enable prospective buyers and renters to compare dwellings in terms of energy performance. Flanders intends to improve its current EPC, by adding a label to the existing coloured scale and EPC score. Our research aimed to inform the Flemish Energy Agency by testing before releasing the new version of the certificate, thus being an example of behaviourally informed ...

Dwellings in Belgium are comparatively larger than dwellings in other European countries. Moreover, their size is not always in line with the actual occupancy rate. Nowadays, most of these dwellings are heated by a single-zone, mostly convection-based heating system which heats all rooms simultaneously and completely. However, analysis of the effective spatial use shows that residents only use specific spots within a room at different times of ...