François Chung, Ph.D.

Tag: thermal insulation

Mines 2018 – Magazine article

Mines 2018 – Magazine article

Publication

François Chung; Une politique énergétique belge à multi-niveaux; Mines Revue des Ingénieurs, 499, pp. 27-29, 2018.

Abstract

Au XIXe siècle, le développement économique de la Belgique fut propulsé par le secteur énergétique grâce aux charbonnages wallons. En effet, dans la 1ère moitié du XIXe siècle, la Belgique était un des seuls pays, avec l’Angleterre, où le charbonnage était à ce point développé. À un tel point que des mines de charbon belges furent les premières entreprises industrielles à entrer en bourse à Paris. Cette époque d’abondance énergétique contraste avec la situation telle que nous la connaissons aujourd’hui : la Belgique dépend désormais de l’étranger pour ses besoins énergétiques, que ce soit pour le pétrole, le gaz naturel ou le charbon lui-même, qui représentent tous trois un peu plus de 70% de sa consommation d’énergie primaire en 2014.

References

Publication

Published version (PDF)
Bibliographic reference (BibTeX)
Online version (Ingénieurs Belges)

Energy and vulnerable households

Energy and vulnerable households

IBGE training, Belgium (2014). This cycle of trainings-debates, known as Brufodebat, is organised by Bruxelles Environnement (IBGE). The main themes are the liberalization of energy markets, the social energy guidance and the rational use of energy. The objective is not only to provide both methodologies and tools to support households in energy poverty, but also to share, deepen, enrich and compare these tools through exchanges and practical situations.

Basic module 1: Consumer protection in energy markets

Main topics:

  • Contracts and invoices;
  • Liberalization of the energy market;
  • Protected customers.

Basic module 2: Energy-saving behaviors

Main topics:

  • Analysis of energy bills;
  • Energy-saving behaviors;
  • Minor improvement works.

Basic module 3: Structural measures for buildings and equipments

Main topics:

  • Insulation of the outer walls;
  • Improvement of the windows;
  • Improvement of the heating system.

Basic module 4: Guidance and indoor pollution

Main topics:

  • Support and awareness to the households;
  • Rational use of energy;
  • Housing and health.

Advanced module 1: Analysis of energy bills

Main topics:

  • Gas and electricity markets;
  • Energy check-up;
  • Consumption interpretation.

Advanced module 2: Social energy guidance

Main topics:

  • Household support;
  • Energy-saving behaviors;
  • Change strategy.

Advanced module 3: Tools, software and observation charts

Main topics:

  • Social energy audit;
  • Household support;
  • Evaluation grid.

Advanced module 4: Financial aids, subsidies and fundings

Main topics:

  • Federal aid;
  • Equipment financing;
  • Works on the structural system.

Advanced module 5: New norms and energy standards

Main topics:

  • Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) certification;
  • Low energy standard;
  • Passive standard.

Advanced module 6: Case analysis

Main topics:

  • Heating system;
  • Window frames and windows;
  • Thermal insulation.

References

Training

Related article

Brufodebat (E²=MC project)

Learn more

IBGE – Bruxelles Environnement

Brufodebat

Brufodebat

E²=MC project @Brussels, Belgium (2014). Brufodebat is a cycle of trainings-debates organized by Bruxelles Environment (IBGE) and whose main themes are the liberalization of energy markets, the social energy guidance, the rational use of energy and the structural measures to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and equipments. These trainings are for social workers involved in the issues of energy poverty and take place in the form of basic and advanced modules.

The objective of basic modules is to provide methodologies and tools for social workers to help them in their daily work with households in energy poverty. The objective of advanced modules is to share, deepen, enrich and compare the tools used to support households in energy poverty through exchanges and practical situations.

The main basic and advanced modules are:

  • analysis of energy bills;
  • case analysis;
  • consumer protection in energy markets;
  • energy-saving behaviors;
  • financial aids, subsidies and fundings;
  • new norms and energy standards;
  • social energy guidance;
  • structural measures for buildings and equipments;
  • tools, software and observation charts.

In addition to following the trainings with participants, my work within the training team consists of tasks related to project management, such as:

  • notification of the trainings and registration management;
  • writing and management of training reports and analysis of debates;
  • management and interpretation of the training evaluations by participants;
  • writing and management of the activity reports for the sponsor (IBGE);
  • management of the training notes and their translation.

References

Project

Related article

Learn more

IBGE – Bruxelles Environnement

Passive and (very) low energy building

Passive and (very) low energy building

IBGE training, Belgium (2014). This classroom training organised by Bruxelles Environnement (IBGE) covers the applications to achieve a low energy building, involving the control of needs and the choice of both systems and energy sources. The objective of low energy, as well as the general concepts related to energy (insulation, systems, airtightness and ventilation), are addressed through an alternation between ex-cathedra courses and practical exercises.

Day 1: Introduction and ventilation

Main topics:

  • Evolution of the energy standard;
  • Calculation of air flow;
  • Ground-coupled heat exchanger.

Day 2: Airtightness and insulation

Main topics:

  • Calculation of heat loss;
  • Construction methods;
  • Thermal bridges.

Day 3: Systems

Main topics:

  • Production and distribution of heat;
  • Production and distribution of cold;
  • Artificial light.

Day 4: Design strategies

Main topics:

  • Loss minimization;
  • Management of free contributions;
  • Overheating minimization.

Day 5: Envelope design process

Main topics:

  • Airtightness;
  • Constructive nodes;
  • Thermal bridges.

Day 6: System design process

Main topics:

  • Primary energy consumption;
  • From sketch to operation;
  • Preliminary design study.

Day 7: From theory to practice

Main topics:

  • Construction site visit;
  • Orders of magnitude;
  • Strategies for the future.

References

Training

Learn more

IBGE – Bruxelles Environnement

UREBA Exceptionnel

UREBA Exceptionnel

E²=MC project @Jambes, Belgium (2013). The UREBA Exceptionnel subsidies are subsidies granted by the Walloon Region (BE) for the execution of works, such as the purchase and installation of materials or equipment, aiming to improve the energy efficiency and the rational use of energy in buildings. These subsidies are intended for persons of public law and non-commercial organisations, such as municipalities, schools, hospitals, swimming pools and community services.

The main works taken into account by these subsidies include:

  • the thermal insulation of building walls;
  • the replacement or upgrading of the heating system;
  • the improvement of the lighting system;
  • the implementation of a district heating.

The analytical criteria used to assess both the relevance and effectiveness of the proposed works are:

  • technical characteristics;
  • working hypotheses;
  • sizing of the works;
  • energy saving;
  • reduction of polluting emissions (e.g. CO2 and SO2);
  • economic assessment (e.g. costs and return on investment);
  • relevance of chosen techniques;
  • standards and codes of good behaviour.

As a Consultant in Energy Efficiency, my work consists in analysing these technical, energetic and economic criteria so as to determine the eligibility of the proposed works according to their relevance, and then to rank them according to their energy efficiency.

References