1994-1996
2013-2018
2011-2012
1998
Spiegelhalter is a registered architect, engineer, town planner and principal of Thomas Spiegelhalter Studio + Associates since 1990. He has realized research demonstration work in Europe, Central and South America, and the U.S. in numerous contextual solar, carbon-neutral, zero-fossil-energy, passive and low-energy building realizations projects; large-scale sustainability master planning and consultancies, redevelopment projects for abandoned post-industrial architectures and landscapes, engineered suspension bridges, and revitalization projects.
Spiegelhalter includes in his BIM master planning, research, and consultation projects multiple sustainability measurement criteria systems such as the ISO 9000/14000 standards, IEA Solar City, the European Building Energy Performance Certificate Methodology, the World GBC, UK BREEAM, CASBEE, DNGB, Energy Star, Cascadia, and the USGBC LEED / Wellbeing rating systems.
Many of his completed projects have been published in International anthologies of European and American Architecture such in “Contemporary European Architects, Volume V,” 1997, Building a New Millennium 1999-2000″, both Benedict Taschen Publisher, in “Solar Architecture for Europe, Publisher Birkhäuser, 1996, in “The Architectural Review, on Ecology and Architecture,” in 1998, in “Architectural Record- “DESIGN VANGUARD AWARD 2003 or in the monograph “Adaptable Technologies – Le tecnologie adattabili nelle architetture di Thomas Spiegelhalter” by Franco Angeli Publisher, Rome, in 2008, “Post-Parametric Automation in Design and Construction” with A. Andia in 2014, and “Agent-Based Modelling in the Built Environment” in 2018 with H. Yi. Spiegelhalter also co-founded the local Miami Dynamo-Rhinamo-BIM-360 group of the Intl. Autodesk User Groups (AUGI) to organize monthly cloud workshops in 2017.
He lectured and contributed at over hundred international conferences, design charettes, exhibitions, and workshops about Environmental Design in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Australia since 1989.
Since 1990, he has worked with numerous Universities in Germany, the US, UK, Italy, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile and China to research on multi-disciplinary ecological engineering projects worldwide.
As a result of his 27 years of design and built work, professional consulting, awarded research, teaching, Spiegelhalter has received 54 prizes, awards, and honors in European and US sustainability competitions individual and in collaboration with landscape architects, and engineers.
He was awarded with a tenured University professorship at the University of Hanover and at the University of Applied Science, Leipzig in 1992, and he was an assistant professor at the University of Kaiserslautern, all in Germany. He was a DAAD-visiting professor at the University of Houston and a visiting professor at the Universidad del Desino in San Jose, Costa Rica. He was a professor of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and at the Center of Building Performance, and Diagnostics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and a Cass Gilbert Visiting Professor for Innovations in Sustainable Solar and Renewable Energy in Architecture, University of Minnesota, Center for Sustainable Building Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is currently the Co-Director of the Structures and Environmental Technologies Lab and teaches graduate Sustainability and Digital Design Studios, Environmental Systems in Architecture and Carbon-Neutral Building-City-Infrastructure Design courses at the College of Architecture, Florida International University in Miami and South Beach.
Pending Research Project (Start March 2018): CRUNCH - Climate Resilient Urban Nexus Choices. Operationalizing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus - Theme 1. Robust Knowledge, Indicators and Assessments. PI-UK Prof. Steffen Lehmmann (coordinator); PI-USA: FIU Prof. Thomas Spiegelhalter, Research. Partners: University of Portsmouth, (UK-project coordinator), City of Portsmouth, Culyinova/Expert or Micro Technologies, Ltd. (UK), Aecom Ltd (UK), Knowhow Information Ltd. (UK), Sustainable Food Cities.org (UK), City of Glasgow (UK); Technische Universitaet Eindhoven and City of Eindhoven (NL); Gdansk University of Technology, and City of Gdansk, Poland; City of Gdansk, Uppsala University Sweden, City of Uppsala, Sweden; FIU-Miami, Architecture and Seal Level Rise Institute, City of Miami Resilience Office, Stantec (USA); 100 Resilient Cities New York City (USA): National Taiwan University, and Chinese Taipei City.
RCN-SEES: Predictive Modeling Network for Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystems (SHBE)." National Science Foundation (NSF) - PI: Yong X. Tao, University of North Texas, CoPI’s: Yimin Zhu, Khee Poh Lam, David A. Cartes, William J. Tolone. Senior Personel: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Mirsad Hadzika-dic, Richard Feiock, Rudi Thompson, Wei Yan, Carol Menassa, Derrick D’Souza, USA.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this RCN is to develop a collaborative research platform centered on overcoming bottlenecks in engineering, software and social/economic sciences that impede wider application of sustainable building technology. The network activities will focus on defining an innovative, new interdisciplinary area, "Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystem (SHBE)," that integrates human behavioral science, social and economic sciences in tandem with sciences of building design, engineering, and metrology for data validation of building energy consumption and occupant comforts. The developed collaboration strategies and standardized data platform will lead to significant reductions of the uncertainty in predicting human adaptation to energy efficiency and sustainability of building ecosystems, which will also address fundamental questions such as "what are the benefits of sustainable building investment to people at a personal, business, or urban planning level?" The activities of the new SHBE-RCN include: collectively develop a consensus-based mechanism for an IT-enabled, data-networked research platform that allows sharing the connectivity methods from different models of building ecosystem elements; create the networking mechanism to recruit additional participants or update the working groups; develop the new research directions for identified subareas; evaluate the success of the SHBE network; and develop an innovative learning program for graduate students of diverse backgrounds. The steering committee members are from engineering, architecture, computer science, construction, environmental science, business and social science with national and international collaboration experience and access to data from various sustainable building projects: Yong Tao, Derrick D?Souza, and Ruthanne Thompson of the University of North Texas, William Tolone and Mirsad Hadzikadic of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, David Cartes and Richard Feiock of Florida State University, Yimin Zhu and Thomas Spiegelhalter, of Florida International University, Wei Yan of Texas A&M University, Kee Poh Lam of Carnegie Mellon University, and Carol Menassa of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The SHBE RCN aims to foster a new understanding of the complex interactions among the key elements of human-building ecosystems and to work towards a set of new theories for integration of predictive models to explore the following hypothesis: Integrating occupant behaviors with built environment performances validated from large field data sets can lead to significant reductions of the uncertainty in predictive models for human adaptation to energy efficiency and sustainability of building ecosystems. It will bring together researchers from different fields, who otherwise would not be able to network together, to form working groups focusing on understanding the interoperability (or inputs and outputs) of predictive models from different disciplines within the five thematic frameworks: I-Building physical system and environment modeling; II-Human behavior modeling; III-Social/policy impact modeling; IV-Dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) and business ecosystem modeling; and V-Model integration and validation. All five themes are linked in such a way that no single theme will produce meaningful outcomes without the significant input from other themes. This network’s research agenda will allow researchers to work towards solutions impacting people, their communities, and future of their lives. Providing a viable platform for meaningful research collaboration in quantifying the sustainable building ecosystem will enable the development of new theories and methods that could help city planners and political and financial decision makers to develop the most balanced sustainable solutions for both human and natural environment. The network management team will also implement a mechanism to promote diversity by recruiting graduate assistants and network participants through workshops and lab visits. This will be achieved by working with the Center for Diversity in Engineering and Computing at Florida International University, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and similar initiatives in the participating institutions. The network participants will also contribute to the development of a unique interdisciplinary learning program, based on the concept of an outcome-driven, diverse, and individualized learning mechanism. Source: NSF, USA.
Energy and Climate Partnership of The Americas (ECPA) - Grant Assistance (CFDA), Number: 19.750, Department of State Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Energy Efficiency Competition. PI: Camilo Rosales, Architecture; Co-PI: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Architecture; Brian Fonseca, FIU Advanced Research Center (ARC). Period: 9/30/2013-9/30/2016. Peer Reviewed Grant Budget: $799,099.00
Spiegelhalter includes in his BIM master planning, research, and consultation projects multiple sustainability measurement criteria systems such as the ISO 9000/14000 standards, IEA Solar City, the European Building Energy Performance Certificate Methodology, the World GBC, UK BREEAM, CASBEE, DNGB, Energy Star, Cascadia, and the USGBC LEED / Wellbeing rating systems.
Many of his completed projects have been published in International anthologies of European and American Architecture such in “Contemporary European Architects, Volume V,” 1997, Building a New Millennium 1999-2000″, both Benedict Taschen Publisher, in “Solar Architecture for Europe, Publisher Birkhäuser, 1996, in “The Architectural Review, on Ecology and Architecture,” in 1998, in “Architectural Record- “DESIGN VANGUARD AWARD 2003 or in the monograph “Adaptable Technologies – Le tecnologie adattabili nelle architetture di Thomas Spiegelhalter” by Franco Angeli Publisher, Rome, in 2008, “Post-Parametric Automation in Design and Construction” with A. Andia in 2014, and “Agent-Based Modelling in the Built Environment” in 2018 with H. Yi. Spiegelhalter also co-founded the local Miami Dynamo-Rhinamo-BIM-360 group of the Intl. Autodesk User Groups (AUGI) to organize monthly cloud workshops in 2017.
He lectured and contributed at over hundred international conferences, design charettes, exhibitions, and workshops about Environmental Design in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Australia since 1989.
Since 1990, he has worked with numerous Universities in Germany, the US, UK, Italy, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile and China to research on multi-disciplinary ecological engineering projects worldwide.
As a result of his 27 years of design and built work, professional consulting, awarded research, teaching, Spiegelhalter has received 54 prizes, awards, and honors in European and US sustainability competitions individual and in collaboration with landscape architects, and engineers.
He was awarded with a tenured University professorship at the University of Hanover and at the University of Applied Science, Leipzig in 1992, and he was an assistant professor at the University of Kaiserslautern, all in Germany. He was a DAAD-visiting professor at the University of Houston and a visiting professor at the Universidad del Desino in San Jose, Costa Rica. He was a professor of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and at the Center of Building Performance, and Diagnostics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and a Cass Gilbert Visiting Professor for Innovations in Sustainable Solar and Renewable Energy in Architecture, University of Minnesota, Center for Sustainable Building Research, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He is currently the Co-Director of the Structures and Environmental Technologies Lab and teaches graduate Sustainability and Digital Design Studios, Environmental Systems in Architecture and Carbon-Neutral Building-City-Infrastructure Design courses at the College of Architecture, Florida International University in Miami and South Beach.
Pending Research Project (Start March 2018): CRUNCH - Climate Resilient Urban Nexus Choices. Operationalizing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus - Theme 1. Robust Knowledge, Indicators and Assessments. PI-UK Prof. Steffen Lehmmann (coordinator); PI-USA: FIU Prof. Thomas Spiegelhalter, Research. Partners: University of Portsmouth, (UK-project coordinator), City of Portsmouth, Culyinova/Expert or Micro Technologies, Ltd. (UK), Aecom Ltd (UK), Knowhow Information Ltd. (UK), Sustainable Food Cities.org (UK), City of Glasgow (UK); Technische Universitaet Eindhoven and City of Eindhoven (NL); Gdansk University of Technology, and City of Gdansk, Poland; City of Gdansk, Uppsala University Sweden, City of Uppsala, Sweden; FIU-Miami, Architecture and Seal Level Rise Institute, City of Miami Resilience Office, Stantec (USA); 100 Resilient Cities New York City (USA): National Taiwan University, and Chinese Taipei City.
RCN-SEES: Predictive Modeling Network for Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystems (SHBE)." National Science Foundation (NSF) - PI: Yong X. Tao, University of North Texas, CoPI’s: Yimin Zhu, Khee Poh Lam, David A. Cartes, William J. Tolone. Senior Personel: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Mirsad Hadzika-dic, Richard Feiock, Rudi Thompson, Wei Yan, Carol Menassa, Derrick D’Souza, USA.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this RCN is to develop a collaborative research platform centered on overcoming bottlenecks in engineering, software and social/economic sciences that impede wider application of sustainable building technology. The network activities will focus on defining an innovative, new interdisciplinary area, "Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystem (SHBE)," that integrates human behavioral science, social and economic sciences in tandem with sciences of building design, engineering, and metrology for data validation of building energy consumption and occupant comforts. The developed collaboration strategies and standardized data platform will lead to significant reductions of the uncertainty in predicting human adaptation to energy efficiency and sustainability of building ecosystems, which will also address fundamental questions such as "what are the benefits of sustainable building investment to people at a personal, business, or urban planning level?" The activities of the new SHBE-RCN include: collectively develop a consensus-based mechanism for an IT-enabled, data-networked research platform that allows sharing the connectivity methods from different models of building ecosystem elements; create the networking mechanism to recruit additional participants or update the working groups; develop the new research directions for identified subareas; evaluate the success of the SHBE network; and develop an innovative learning program for graduate students of diverse backgrounds. The steering committee members are from engineering, architecture, computer science, construction, environmental science, business and social science with national and international collaboration experience and access to data from various sustainable building projects: Yong Tao, Derrick D?Souza, and Ruthanne Thompson of the University of North Texas, William Tolone and Mirsad Hadzikadic of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, David Cartes and Richard Feiock of Florida State University, Yimin Zhu and Thomas Spiegelhalter, of Florida International University, Wei Yan of Texas A&M University, Kee Poh Lam of Carnegie Mellon University, and Carol Menassa of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The SHBE RCN aims to foster a new understanding of the complex interactions among the key elements of human-building ecosystems and to work towards a set of new theories for integration of predictive models to explore the following hypothesis: Integrating occupant behaviors with built environment performances validated from large field data sets can lead to significant reductions of the uncertainty in predictive models for human adaptation to energy efficiency and sustainability of building ecosystems. It will bring together researchers from different fields, who otherwise would not be able to network together, to form working groups focusing on understanding the interoperability (or inputs and outputs) of predictive models from different disciplines within the five thematic frameworks: I-Building physical system and environment modeling; II-Human behavior modeling; III-Social/policy impact modeling; IV-Dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) and business ecosystem modeling; and V-Model integration and validation. All five themes are linked in such a way that no single theme will produce meaningful outcomes without the significant input from other themes. This network’s research agenda will allow researchers to work towards solutions impacting people, their communities, and future of their lives. Providing a viable platform for meaningful research collaboration in quantifying the sustainable building ecosystem will enable the development of new theories and methods that could help city planners and political and financial decision makers to develop the most balanced sustainable solutions for both human and natural environment. The network management team will also implement a mechanism to promote diversity by recruiting graduate assistants and network participants through workshops and lab visits. This will be achieved by working with the Center for Diversity in Engineering and Computing at Florida International University, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and similar initiatives in the participating institutions. The network participants will also contribute to the development of a unique interdisciplinary learning program, based on the concept of an outcome-driven, diverse, and individualized learning mechanism. Source: NSF, USA.
Energy and Climate Partnership of The Americas (ECPA) - Grant Assistance (CFDA), Number: 19.750, Department of State Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Energy Efficiency Competition. PI: Camilo Rosales, Architecture; Co-PI: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Architecture; Brian Fonseca, FIU Advanced Research Center (ARC). Period: 9/30/2013-9/30/2016. Peer Reviewed Grant Budget: $799,099.00
An Open Source Integrated Computing Infrastructure to support the Life Cycle Design and Engineering of High Performance Buildings, FIU-SIPA, Miami, USA FIU-CEC Seed Grant Award: Case Study - SIPA building. Project ID: 800000879. SEED Funding: $30,000 Interdisciplinary Research: Shu-Ching Chen, SCIS;
Thomas Spiegelhalter, ARC; Nezih Pala, ECE; Yimin Zhu, CM; Scott Graham, SCIS Steve Luis, SCIS;
Shahin Vassigh, ARC. Implementation: Lead Co-PI’s: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Nezih Pala(Sensor-infrastructure installation, cameras, parametric BIM-Data-Sensor calibration and simulations
Invitation to the in U.S. traveling exhibition of the Copper-Hewitt-National Design Museum New York and Washington DC, "Under The Sun –An Outdoor Exhibition” (Contribution Solar Architecture): Under the sun is made possible by BP Solar, BP America and Science Across The World, U.S. Department to Outdoor exhibition of Light - Introduction To Building Integrated Photovoltaic of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others.
Studio Thomas Spiegelhalter + Associates
Research leader in the research “Development project of building integrated solar energy system applications” in cooperation with Dr. Russ at Fraunhofer's Institute for Solar Energy Systems Leipzig-Freiburg (Promoted Research Project by the Saxon Ministry of State, Germany, Delete § 350.000 US)
Retrofitting Residential High-Rise Wohnblock Rathenau and School Renovation in Leipzig, Germany
Study for Solar Energy Generation System Implementations for Prefabricated Buildings, with onsite 3,300 sf2 transparent insulation (TI) including performance monitoring
Research Chair: PI Prof. Architect Thomas Spiegelhalter, HTWK Leipzig (University of Applied Sciences, Department of Architecture and Engineering), in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems Leipzig, Dr. Cristel Russ (FhG-ISE) Building Typology: Wohnblock-Hochhaeuser Rathenau (Residential High-Rise Rathenau, FA 182,000 sf2), and Paul Robenson School in Leipzig (FA 31,215 sf2).
Research Funds: Saxon Ministry of State, and BMWI, Germany Built Project Value: Undisclosed
Retrofitting Residential High-Rise Wohnblock Rathenau and School Renovation in Leipzig, Germany
Study for Solar Energy Generation System Implementations for Prefabricated Buildings, with onsite 3,300 sf2 transparent insulation (TI) including performance monitoring
Research Chair: PI Prof. Architect Thomas Spiegelhalter, HTWK Leipzig (University of Applied Sciences, Department of Architecture and Engineering), in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems Leipzig, Dr. Cristel Russ (FhG-ISE) Building Typology: Wohnblock-Hochhaeuser Rathenau (Residential High-Rise Rathenau, FA 182,000 sf2), and Paul Robenson School in Leipzig (FA 31,215 sf2).
Research Funds: Saxon Ministry of State, and BMWI, Germany Built Project Value: Undisclosed
2013-2014
German “1000 Photovoltaic Roof Program” with yearly PV Performance Monitoring of the 7 kW Photovoltaic System. Solar Cultural Center Breisach, Jakobschanze 1, in Breisach, Germany PI, Architect: Thomas Spiegelhalter Collaborator Monitoring: FhG-ISE Freiburg-Leipzig, Dr. Hoffmann Funding: German Ministry for the Environment with 70 % subsidy of the total PV installation costs.
From 1989 to 1994 Germany was world-wide the first country that launched the "1000 roofs program". The 1000-PV-roof program went beyond this number and 2250 German roofs were equipped with PV systems of an average size of 2.6 kWp and a total capacity of about 6 MW. Since 1999 a new financial approaches were pursued in Germany with the 100,000 roofs programme. Within this programme very attractive credits (soft loans) were provided by the public. In the first nine months of this programme about 3000 new projects (about 7000 kWp) have been approved.
Research - Grants
2015
Simulation and 3D-Design Planning for a 400 m (1312 feet) three array 117 kWp Photovoltaic System and Sound Protection Wall Realization Project along the ‘Autobahn 28’ in Bottrop, Germany Client: City Bottrop Design: PV-Architecture: Thomas Spiegelhalter, Miami-Freiburg Landscape Architecture: Peter Drecker, Bottrop, Germany.
2016
2013-2016
2018-2021
1992-ongoing
2011-2013
“Live with water – generative-associative design research”, Umberto Grosso, Feng Xu, graduate students from the University of Genoa working with Prof. Thomas Spiegelhalter at Miami Beach Urban Studios, supported by the European Extra LLP Erasmus Program – ENG, part of the FIU/UNIGE agreement.
Parametric-algorithmic energy, water, CO2 and computational fluid Dynamics testing, and scenario modeling of High-Rise Buildings in Taranto, Italy Funding E.U. Agency: University of Pescara-Chieti, in collaboration with Prof. Gianmichelle Panarelli (University of Pescara-Chieti and The Politecnico di Milano), Italy.
Peer Reviewed Research Paper and Workshop: Predictive Modeling Network for Performative Health Design Agents and POE’s. Publication and three-day conferences and workshop presentation for “Building for Health and Well-Being: Structures-Cities-Systems” between the U.S. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in collaboration with the AIA Task Force on Public Health Design, (Sept. 22-24, 2016), USA.
Presented and led workshops on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at the 5th Annual Caribbean Urban Forum (CUF5) hosted by UN-Habitat in St. Lucia, June 10th to June 12th, 2015. Sponsors: EU “CarEntrain” fund for “Mainstreaming Energy Efficiency and Climate Change in Built Environment Training and Research in the Caribbean.”
Designing Passive-Active and Adaptive Environmental Controls for Human Thermal Comfort. Research Grant PI Cejas Award, Florida International University Miami, College of Architecture.
Research On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings, EPA Grant Number: SU835503. Peoples Choice P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet.
Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-2iG1IW8PU&t=2s
Peeraya Inyim, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Florida International University
Project Title: "On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings"
Faculty Advisor(s), Departments and Institutions:
• Dr. Nezih Pala, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University
• Dr. Thomas Spiegelhalter, School of Architecture, Florida International University
• Dr. Shu-Ching Chen, School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University • Dr. Ismail Guvenc, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University
• Dr. Yimin Zhu, OHL School of Construction, Florida International University
Objective:
A pathway to carbon neutral buildings, especially for existing buildings, is a long-term dynamic and complex process that requires constant monitoring, control, and adjustments. The goal of this project is to determine if carbon emission prediction and control of building operations over a long period of time can be enhanced by using an integrated self-assessment information system that can inform facility managers and/or owners in real-time if a building is on track to carbon neutrality according to a predefined plan. The system integrates building information modeling, building energy simulation, dynamic user pattern capturing techniques and data from energy management systems. To achieve this goal, the objectives are to design, integrate, and test the following two core components for developing “smart” applications in the future:
1. A building information model (BIM)-based energy simulation platform for setting the carbon emission baseline of a building and predicting carbon emissions using dynamic user patterns; and
2. The algorithm for determining dynamic user patterns using video image processing and cellphone-based indoor positioning technologies and data from existing building energy management systems.
Parametric-algorithmic energy, water, CO2 and computational fluid Dynamics testing, and scenario modeling of High-Rise Buildings in Taranto, Italy Funding E.U. Agency: University of Pescara-Chieti, in collaboration with Prof. Gianmichelle Panarelli (University of Pescara-Chieti and The Politecnico di Milano), Italy.
Peer Reviewed Research Paper and Workshop: Predictive Modeling Network for Performative Health Design Agents and POE’s. Publication and three-day conferences and workshop presentation for “Building for Health and Well-Being: Structures-Cities-Systems” between the U.S. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) in collaboration with the AIA Task Force on Public Health Design, (Sept. 22-24, 2016), USA.
Presented and led workshops on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at the 5th Annual Caribbean Urban Forum (CUF5) hosted by UN-Habitat in St. Lucia, June 10th to June 12th, 2015. Sponsors: EU “CarEntrain” fund for “Mainstreaming Energy Efficiency and Climate Change in Built Environment Training and Research in the Caribbean.”
Designing Passive-Active and Adaptive Environmental Controls for Human Thermal Comfort. Research Grant PI Cejas Award, Florida International University Miami, College of Architecture.
Research On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings, EPA Grant Number: SU835503. Peoples Choice P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet.
Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-2iG1IW8PU&t=2s
Peeraya Inyim, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Florida International University
Project Title: "On Track to Carbon Neutral Buildings"
Faculty Advisor(s), Departments and Institutions:
• Dr. Nezih Pala, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University
• Dr. Thomas Spiegelhalter, School of Architecture, Florida International University
• Dr. Shu-Ching Chen, School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University • Dr. Ismail Guvenc, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University
• Dr. Yimin Zhu, OHL School of Construction, Florida International University
Objective:
A pathway to carbon neutral buildings, especially for existing buildings, is a long-term dynamic and complex process that requires constant monitoring, control, and adjustments. The goal of this project is to determine if carbon emission prediction and control of building operations over a long period of time can be enhanced by using an integrated self-assessment information system that can inform facility managers and/or owners in real-time if a building is on track to carbon neutrality according to a predefined plan. The system integrates building information modeling, building energy simulation, dynamic user pattern capturing techniques and data from energy management systems. To achieve this goal, the objectives are to design, integrate, and test the following two core components for developing “smart” applications in the future:
1. A building information model (BIM)-based energy simulation platform for setting the carbon emission baseline of a building and predicting carbon emissions using dynamic user patterns; and
2. The algorithm for determining dynamic user patterns using video image processing and cellphone-based indoor positioning technologies and data from existing building energy management systems.