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John Zhai wins CEAS Textbook Recognition Award

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 21:06:18 +0000

John Zhai wins CEAS Textbook Recognition Award Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/11/2024 - 14:06

Susan Glairon

Professor John Zhai alongside his 2022 students. The class was the first to use Zhai's newest textbook.

Some architectural engineering textbooks were too general. Some were overly specific.

However, Professor John Zhai has struck the perfect balance with his new book, earning him the College of Engineering and Applied Science Textbook Recognition Award for "Energy Efficient Buildings: Fundamentals of Building Science and Thermal Systems."

The single-authored textbook, released in August 2022, is used in two core courses in CU �鶹ӰԺ's architectural engineering (AREN) program: AREN3010 Energy Efficient Building, a required AREN undergraduate core course, and AREN5002 Building Science and Engineering II, a required AREN graduate core course. Other universities that have also adopted this book for their core courses include The University of Kansas, Concordia University, Shanghai Jiaotong University and others.

"This award is a recognition and encouragement of the effort of faculty to focus on the foundation of the engineering and the needs of the students, which often compete against the enthusiasm of researching cutting-edge technologies," said Zhai, an expert in building systems engineering and indoor air quality.

“Energy Efficient Buildings: Fundamentals of Building Science and Thermal Systems" builds on a 2020 book authored by Zhai: "Computational Fluid Dynamics for Built and Natural Environments" and follows the practical engineering design process from passive to active, from site analysis to building specific calculations and considers design aspects beyond techniques and systems such as life-cycle-cost, economics, human comfort, and health and productivity. The book also covers advanced topics such as building computer simulations that can link students' knowledge and interest to following advanced courses/topics in building system design and analysis.

Book cover of Professor John Zhai's newest book.

In a nominating letter from CEAE Chair Karl Linden, Professor Linden stated that "students in AREN3010 and AREN5002 courses had constantly complained about previous textbooks, either saying the books were too general, such as most sustainable building design books, or too specific, such as those for mechanical/HVAC systems."

"Authoring a textbook is a labor of love and shows the dedication of faculty to student learning, especially in this case, where this book was written because no other book existed that could serve the needs of our students and others in architectural engineering programs around the world," Linden said.

In July, Zhai was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to address indoor air quality challenges in affordable housing in hot and humid climates. His work tackles indoor air quality issues arising from lower budgets, suboptimal design and the use of inexpensive building materials in the affordable housing sector.

Dean Keith Molenaar will present the award to Zhai during an upcoming college-wide meeting on Jan. 24.

Some architectural engineering textbooks were too general or overly specific. However, Professor John Zhai struck the perfect balance with his book, earning him the College of Engineering and Applied Science Textbook Recognition Award.

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CEAE group receives $8 million from DOE's Renew America Nonprofits program

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:59:31 +0000

CEAE group receives $8 million from DOE's Renew America Nonprofits program Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/21/2023 - 10:59

Susan Glairon

Analysis tool for calibrating energy models with utility data.

Thermal image for a building envelope element.

Energy model for an existing nonprofit building.

A research group from the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering is set to receive $8 million through the U.S. Department of Energy's Renew America Nonprofits program to provide technical assistance that helps nonprofits reduce energy use, with the saved funds redirected toward the nonprofits’ mission-driven initiatives. Professor Moncef Krarti serves as principal investigator, while Professors Gregor Henze and John Zhai serve as co-principal investigators for this award.

The project will be supported for four years with a budget of $5.7 million from DOE funds and $2.3 million as cost-share, primarily from industry contributions.

“In addition to assisting numerous nonprofit organizations in the Rocky Mountain region, CU �鶹ӰԺ’s project places a significant emphasis on involving and training students in all stages of renovating existing buildings,” said Krarti, who also is the project’s director.

The project involves creating tools to measure and analyze the impact of energy efficiency strategies in facilities owned and operated by nonprofits in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

The students’ involvement spans from using advanced tools for energy auditing, to preparing construction bids, conducting retro-commissioning tasks and assessing the impacts of deploying diverse energy efficiency strategies. Futhermore, the students will have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate innovative approaches for evaluating, managing and maximizing the sustainability benefits of energy retrofit projects.

The DOE launched the $50 million Renew America’s Nonprofits Program, also known as the Energy Efficiency Materials Pilot Program, under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This program aims to reduce carbon emissions, improve health and safety, and lower utilities costs for buildings owned and operated by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. This first-of-its-kind investment in the nonprofit sector aims to facilitate high-impact energy efficiency improvements, creating cleaner, healthier community spaces, while generating sustainable savings that can be redirected toward mission-driven work. Additionally, it aims to stimulate widespread energy improvements in the nonprofit sector, fostering partnerships between stakeholders to establish a pipeline of energy and cost-saving projects that will continue beyond the grant's duration.

This 5-year-old project, led by Building Systems Professor Moncef Krarti, will provide technical assistance to nonprofits for energy-saving initiatives, with a strong emphasis on student involvement in renovating existing buildings.

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Building Systems professor receives Fulbright for holistic approach to indoor air quality

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 21:03:59 +0000

Building Systems professor receives Fulbright for holistic approach to indoor air quality Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/21/2023 - 15:03

Susan Glairon

Indoor air quality is a global concern, given the significant time people spend indoors and its impact on respiratory health.

Professor John Z. Zhai, an expert in building systems engineering and indoor air quality (IAQ) at CU �鶹ӰԺ, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to address this issue in affordable housing in hot and humid climates. Zhai’s work will focus on not only the technical aspects but also the influence of cultural practices on indoor air quality.

“We will include human and social perspectives into the equation,” said Zhai, a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “As far as I know, no one has looked at indoor air quality in that way in the region.”

From December to May 2024, Zhai will conduct research in three hot and humid countries: Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, with a goal to monitor house air quality conditions and analyze potential environmental and societal impact factors. The study will further develop mathematical models that predict indoor contaminant distributions and evaluate various mitigation strategies. His research will particularly focus on affordable housing, a sector which often encounters more IAQ challenges due to lower budgets, poor design and inexpensive building materials.

Zhai will spend the initial three months in Indonesia, leveraging his existing collaborations with Indonesian partners. The subsequent three months will be split between Thailand and Malaysia.

A holistic approach
Zhai’s decision to focus on hot and humid climates is driven by the presence of molds, which have been linked to lung cancer, and their tendency to grow inside walls in such environments. Additionally, these moist environments serve as breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19.

His research will delve into the social dynamics of each location, exploring how living habits and social practices can directly affect indoor air quality. For example, in Indonesia, large groups of 20 people or more often gather in one house for meals, while in predominantly Muslim Malaysia, prayer rooms serve as gathering places. In Thailand, the religious practice of incense burning also can affect indoor air quality.

Zhai plans to monitor two to four houses in each country, attaching sensors and wireless technologies to walls and windows to track temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, ozone and human motion. The concentration levels of different pollutants will be used to diagnose IAQ issues and trigger alerts and the monitoring systems will be replicable for new and existing buildings.

He plans to leave the measurement equipment in the houses for longterm “live” monitoring, both with on-site and remote accessibility for people from various countries, schools and disciplines.

Residents will have multiple ways to interact with the platform, including checking the daily and hourly indoor and outdoor air quality status, receiving alerts and getting advice on critical environment conditions.

The findings will be used to propose cost-effective IAQ solutions, improve building designs and materials, and enforce local building standards and codes.

In addition, Zhai plans to contribute to student and faculty exchange between the three universities—Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Thammasat University in Bangkok (Thailand) and University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) —and CU �鶹ӰԺ, especially through CU �鶹ӰԺ’s National Research Center in Asian Studies.

“This project will not only explore new challenges, opportunities and solutions, but also bring together researchers and students from four countries to create a new and dynamic collaboration model for a sustainable world development,” Zhai said.

Professor John Z. Zhai, a building systems engineering and indoor air quality expert, received a Fulbright Fellowship to investigate indoor air quality (IAQ) in affordable housing in hot, humid climates, exploring both technical aspects and the impact of cultural practices.

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