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Dr Andrew Wright

Job: Reader in Building Engineering Physics

Faculty: Computing, Engineering and Media

School/department: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Research group(s): Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD)

Address: 51Âþ»­, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)116 257 7960

E: awright@dmu.ac.uk

W: www.dmu.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/iesd/index.aspx

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Personal profile

Andrew Wright is a Reader and joined the Institute in September 2004. He is Subject Group Leader for teaching of Energy and Sustainable Develoment. Research interests include low energy buildings, energy in industry, and renewable energy in the developing world.

Following a degree in Applied Maths at Sheffield, he took an MSc in Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College, London, and for his PhD investigated computer modelling of the thermal performance of industrial buildings. Before coming to De Montfort, Andrew was the Programme Manager of a distance learning MSc course in Sustainable Electrical Building Services at UMIST (now University of Manchester), where he was also a researcher in the Tyndall (North) Centre for Climate Change Research. He has previously worked for the UK Electricity Industry at EA Technology Ltd near Chester; Newcastle University; and the Building Design Partnership in Manchester.

He has written many journal papers relating to energy use in buildings, and numerous reports for EA Technology ranging from the energy impacts of teleworking, to the effect of distributed generation on the electricity network. Andrew is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers, and a member of the Energy Institute. He has contributed to the design guides on Environmental Design (Volume A) and Weather (Volume J), and is a member of the Schools Design Group. He has also contributed to reports for Ofgem,  DECC and the Department of Health.

Research group affiliations

Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development

Publications and outputs


  • dc.title: Case study investigation of overheating in low-energy homes: insights from a post-occupancy evaluation in England dc.contributor.author: Toledo, Linda; Wright, A. J.; Cropper, Paul dc.description.abstract: This paper presents evidence of overheating in present-day low-energy homes and explores the causes of this phenomenon. The study involved in-depth research on four low-energy homes in England. Three of these were newly built, while the other was retrofitted. Over a period of 11 months, the homes underwent environmental monitoring, and user perspectives were gathered. Additionally, a retrospective analysis was conducted based on the Building Regulations 2010 Overheating: Approved Document O. Overheating was primarily attributed to design factors related to ventilation (linked to both mechanical ventilation and natural ventilation), solar control (inadequate G-values), and the unique architectural elements (roof pod and sunspace). While most occupants employed adaptive behaviours whenever possible to cope with the high indoor temperatures, these strategies proved insufficient in preventing overheating in three out of four cases. The study also compared different methods for assessing overheating in low-energy homes. CIBSE-TM59 was found to be effective in identifying overheating issues and aligning with occupant perceptions. England Building Regulations Part O simplified method failed to account for potential overheating from deep energy retrofits, as well as possible exacerbations from roof pods and from transition spaces. Moreover, all assessments failed to encompass the elevated risk for (permanent or transitory) vulnerable occupants. dc.description: open access article This is a journal paper based on the PhD of Linda Toledo, also on DORA

  • dc.title: Design of a thermal store and heat pump system with hybrid photovoltaic-thermal solar charging for a low energy house in England dc.contributor.author: Wright, A. J.; Khattak, Sanober dc.description.abstract: Low carbon domestic heating is a major challenge for cold climates such as the UK, where most homes still use fossil gas boilers. Heat pumps have lower carbon emissions. Use of ground or water instead of air as a heat source allows the option of thermal storage from solar or other sources and can improve the efficiency of the system. This paper considers the options for a large, detached house to be built in south-west England, including comparison of a ground and water storage, use of photovoltaic-thermal panels for heat and electricity, design of the house to minimise heat loss, and timescales of thermal storage.

  • dc.title: Factors influencing BIM use in green building construction project management in the UK and China dc.contributor.author: Wright, A. J.; Painter, Birgit; Pazhoohesh, Mehdi; Tian, Ling dc.description.abstract: Decentralization and a lack of integration in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC)industry are some of the main challenges for project management in green building construction.To address this problem, many construction companies have attempted to use buildinginformation modelling (BIM) to coordinate and optimize the management of green buildingprojects. However, the research on successfully adopting and using BIM in interdisciplinaryteams working on green building projects is limited; moreover, comprehensive comparisonsacross different countries and regions are lacking. Therefore, this study conducts a novelinvestigation of the key factors affecting the use of BIM in project management for greenbuilding construction through case studies in the UK and China. This study uses semi-structuredinterviews, Python-based term frequency analysis and thematic analysis to identifyfive keythemes, namely, communication, data environment, motivation, project members and policy,which influence the adoption and implementation of BIM. In addition, based on gained insights,the impacts of different green building certification levels on BIM project management duringthe construction phase must be fully considered. Thesefindings provide practicalrecommendations for BIM management in green building construction projects and contributeto thefield of construction management. dc.description: open access article This work is based on the PhD project of Ling Tian.

  • dc.title: Flexible future comfort dc.contributor.author: Khattak, Sanober; Wright, A. J.; Natarajan, Sukumar dc.description.abstract: Cooling is the fastest growing user of energy in buildings, and predicted to triple globally by 2050, driven not least by demand from hot countries such as India. This single trend has already had, and increasingly will have significant consequences around the world, driving up carbon emissions, energy insecurity and triggering blackouts. Mechanically cooled buildings are typically designed using international comfort standards, like ASHRAE 55, that mandate a static indoor environment (typically 23 ± 2°C) leading to unnecessarily high energy use. The impacts of a more flexible approach to comfort are considered here, involving a more active role for occupants. This flexible approach is described, and tested, using a simulation-based case study of a typical residential apartment in India. Compared to a fixed setpoint of 24°C, the flexible comfort approach results in reduced peak load and total cooling demand by 20% and 41%, respectively, at the cost of slightly elevated discomfort (average 12% PPD). The study demonstrates how this flexible comfort approach can be both thermally comfortable and more energy-efficient in mechanically cooled buildings, under extreme summer conditions. Finally, ways in which comfort in buildings might evolve are discussed, regarding changes in climate, work practices, cities, energy and transport.

  • dc.title: Effects of Future Climate Change and Adaptation Measures on Summer Comfort of Modern Homes across the Regions of the UK dc.contributor.author: Wright, A. J.; Venskunas, Eduardas dc.description.abstract: The global climate is warming rapidly, with increasing frequency of severe events including heatwaves. Building insulation standards are improving to reduce emissions, but this can also lead to more overheating. Historically, UK house designers have not included adaptation measures to limit this. Most studies of the problem have had limited geographical or future cli-mate scope. This study considers the comfort performance of a small modern house, in detached, semi-detached, and terrace (row) forms, but otherwise identical. Overheating is evaluated ac-cording to established criteria, including night-time bedroom hours over 26°C. Simulations are carried out using median future weather years for current, 2030s, 2050s, and 2080s climates un-der medium- and high-emission scenarios for 14 regions of the UK. The results show a very large increase in overheating by the 2080s in all regions. With solar shading and natural ventilation, overheating is reduced considerably, maintaining comfort in most northern regions in the 2050s and a few northern regions in the 2080s. Differences between medium and high emissions are generally less than between different decades. Terraced (row) houses consistently overheat slightly more than semi-detached, with detached showing the least overheating. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: Assessing the efficacy of passive measures for the tropical context of Mauritius through parametric simulations and in-situ measurement dc.contributor.author: GOOROOCHURN, MAHENDRA; Coret, Jonathan Yannick; Brown, Neil; Santaram, Venkannah; Wright, A. J. dc.description.abstract: The transition from the traditional creole typology to the modern concrete vernacular structures has taken place progressively over the past few decades in Mauritius, motivated by the need for cyclone resistant buildings. However, the lack of consideration for thermal properties of the wall, glazing and roof construction has resulted in interior space conditions generally uncomfortable during summer conditions, evidenced by the increasing installation and use of air conditioning systems. With summers projected to become warmer due to climate change, passive design measures should be re-incorporated into existing and new constructions to decouple active cooling and urbanisation. This paper describes the parametric analyses carried out to generate cooling load (peak and coincident) for wall, glazing and roof components and temperature (operative, radiative and air) variations for a test building model made up of nine rooms, of which eight were peripheral and one central (with no external walls). The simulations were undertaken in Designbuilder® for a base case with no passive measures and for various low cost passive measures – overhang of various depths, external vertical shading and curtains, roof shading and planting tall trees around the building, incrementally rotated. The results allowed to assess the efficacy of each passive measure, validated against experimental data collected in actual buildings. The study also provided much needed quantitative data on surface and air temperatures prevailing inside buildings, which are key to bringing about the needed shift in mindset and the construction market. dc.description: This paper was written by staff at the University of Mauritius and 51Âþ»­.

  • dc.title: Energy, economic and emission assessment of a solar assisted shallow earth borehole field heat pump system for domestic space heating in a north European climate dc.contributor.author: Wright, A. J.; Sakellariou, Evangelos; Axaopoulos, Petros dc.description.abstract: The performance of a solar assisted ground source heat pump (SAGSHP) system was evaluated and compared with a conventional gas boiler system using simulation, for a central England location. The earth energy bank was the long-term heat store element of the system and consisted of a very shallow field (1.5 m deep) of borehole heat exchangers (BHE). The mathematical model of the system was formulated, and parametric analyses were carried out by varying the number of BHEs and their spacing. The energy performance was expressed using four energy metrics, while its economy and CO2e emissions were compared with a natural gas boiler (NGB) system via the life cycle cost method and the fractional CO2e savings, respectively. The system can be energy self-sufficient by installing 40 BHEs at 1.25 m spacing or with 32 BHEs at 1.5 m spacing. The NGB system appears more economic than the SAGSHP system, due to low natural gas prices, the high price of the imported electricity, the low price of the exported electricity and the higher capital cost of the SAGSHP system. However, the SAGSHP system was found to have net negative carbon emissions, in contrast to the high positive emissions of the NGB system. dc.description: This work was based on the PhD of Sakellariou (also on DORA) The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

  • dc.title: The potential for the passive house standard in Longyearbyen – The high arctic dc.contributor.author: Buijze, Josien; Wright, A. J. dc.description.abstract: Passive building design reduces a building’s energy consumption through mainly non-mechanical design strategies. The Passive House (or Passivhaus) Standard certifies such buildings that comply with its strict energy performance criteria. Achieving the Standard is very challenging for dwellings in extreme climates. There is limited knowledge of the Standard’s potential in Arctic regions, particularly the High Arctic. Through a review of the literature and energy modelling of a hypothetical dwelling, the challenges in achieving the Standard in Longyearbyen (78ËšN), Norway are investigated. Very low temperatures and 112 days without daylight create a high heating demand. Whereas previous studies measured actual building performances or used simple calculations, the findings in this investigation show the limitations of individual design parameters and technical limits of the building envelope. In theory the Standard can be achieved in Long-yearbyen; however, the potential in practice is low due to the very tight margins in the heating criteria. The results show the significant impact of applying contextual (climatic) adjustments to the boundary conditions of the Standard. The investigation could contribute to a discussion on modifying the Passive House Standard for dwellings in the High Arctic and improving building design for the region. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

  • dc.title: Keeping Cool in the Desert: Using Wind Catchers for Improved Thermal Comfort and Indoor Air Quality at Half the Energy dc.contributor.author: Saif, Jamal; Wright, A. J.; Khattak, Sanober; Elfadli, Kasem dc.description.abstract: In hot arid climates, air conditioning in the summer dominates energy use in buildings. In Kuwait, energy demand in buildings is dominated by cooling, which also determines the national peak electricity demand. Schools contribute significantly to cooling demand, but also suffer from poor ventilation. This paper presents analysis of a ventilation and cooling system for school classrooms using a wind catcher for natural ventilation and evaporative cooling. A school classroom in Kuwait with single-sided ventilation was modelled using the DesignBuilder V5.4/EnergyPlus V9.1 software and calibrated using field data. The model was used to analyse the performance of a wind catcher, with and without evaporative cooling, in terms of energy use, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Compared to the baseline of using air-conditioning only, a wind catcher with evaporative cooling was found to reduce energy use by 52% during the summer months while increasing the comfortable hours from 76% to 100% without any supplementary air conditioning. While the time below the ASHRAE CO2 limit also improved from 11% to 24% with the wind catcher, the indoor air quality was still poor. These improvements came at the cost of a 14% increase in relative humidity. As the wind catcher solution appears to have potential with further development; several avenues for further research are proposed. dc.description: open access article

  • dc.title: Energy and economic evaluation of a solar assisted ground source heat pump system for a north Mediterranean city dc.contributor.author: Wright, A. J.; Sakellariou, Evangelos; Axaopoulos, Petros dc.description.abstract: In this study, a PVT based solar assisted ground source heat pump (SAGSHP) system was investigated regarding its energy performance and cost-effectiveness for the city of Thessaloniki (Greece). The SAGSHP system was set up to cover the space heating and domestic hot water needs for a low-rise dwelling. A mathematic model of the system was formulated in TRNSYS was used with the aim to carry out parametric analysis by varying the number of the PVTs. Two of the most important components of the employed model, the PVT collector and the geothermal heat exchanger, have already been validated via experimental data. Simulations were conducted and through the results seven energy metrics were estimated, with the objective to examine the system’s energy performance from various perspectives. The SAGSHP system with 16 PVTs was found capable of covering 73 % of the heating load and to generate 1.22 times more electricity than that consumed by the system. The electricity yield of PVTs was not affected throughout the parametric analysis, and the maximum specific productivity was estimated at 301.5 kWhe PVT-1 per year. The results suggest that a SAGSHP system equipped with about 14 PVTs can reach energy self-sufficiency. As regards the economics of the SAGSHP system, this was compared with a natural gas boiler system via two methods: life cycle cost (LCC) and life cycle savings (LCS). A sensitivity analysis with major economic parameters of the systems was carried out. It was found that the cost-effectiveness of the SAGSHP system is influenced mainly by its capital cost and by the price of the natural gas. Systems equipped with less than 12 PVTs can be cost-competitive by subsiding from 8 % up to 42 % of their capital cost. Also, system with more than 12 collectors were found of more benefit than the smaller ones, in the case where feed-in-tariff schemes are applied, or the bank loan’s interest rate is low. It can be concluded that, the proposed system can be an attractive monetary solution for covering the heating load in comparable dwellings with a similar climate to Thessaloniki. dc.description: The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.

Key research outputs

Qiu, Z., Ma, X., Li, P., Zhao, X., and Wright, A. (2017) Micro-encapsulated phase change material (MPCM) slurries: Characterization and building applications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 77, pp. 246–262

Naranjo-Mendoza, C., Oyinlola, M., Wright, A. and Greenough, R. (2018) A comparison of analytical and numerical model predictions of shallow soil temperature variation with experimental measurements. Geothermics, 76, pp. 38-49.

Mendoza, C., Oyinlola, M., Wright, A. and Greenough, R. (2019) Experimental study of a domesticsolar assisted ground source heatpump with seasonal underground thermal storage through shallowboreholes. Applied Thermal Engineering

Naranjo-Mendoza, C., Greenough, R.M. and Wright, A.J. (2018) Are shallow boreholes a suitable option for inter-seasonal ground heat storage for the small housing sector?. In: Proceedings of the IGSHPA Research Track 2018, 18th - 20th September 2018, Stockholm, Sweden.

Wright AJ and Firth S, The nature of domestic electricity-loads and effects of time averaging on statistics and on-site generation calculations, Applied Energy, Vol 84, pp 389-403, (2007), ISSN: 0306-2619

Shipworth M, Firth SK, Gentry MI, Wright AJ, Shipworth DT & Lomas KJ (2009), Central heating thermostat settings and timing: building demographics, Building Research & Information, Vol 38, Iss 1, pp 50-69

Research interests/expertise

Energy in buildings and thermal storage, modelling, monitoring and climate change in relation to buildings, retrofit.

Areas of teaching

Low carbon energy, sustainable buildings, research skills.

Qualifications

BSc Applied Maths, MSc Atmospheric Physics, PhD

Courses taught

Building physics, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Buildings, Research Methods. (IESD MSc courses).

Honours and awards

British Science Association Media Fellow 2011

Membership of external committees

CIBSE: Member of Schools design group

Membership of professional associations and societies

Fellow of CIBSE

Member of the Energy Institute, 2013

Professional licences and certificates

Chartered Engineer 1988 -

Projects

- Students Achieving Valuable Energy Savings 2. This EU project is helping students to save energy and reduce exposure to fuel poverty. It incorporates two strands that engage with students living in university accommodation (Student Switch Off) and in the private-rented sector (SAVES). 

Conference attendance

International Conference on Energy, Environment and Economics (ICEEE2019) 20-22 August 2019, Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh.

Wright, A.J., Korolija I., Zhang Y. Optimization of dwelling design under current and future climates using parametric simulations in EnergyPlus, CIBSE Technical Symposium- Delivering Buildings that are truly fit for purpose, Liverpool, April 2013.

A. J. Wright, M.R Oates, R. Greenough. Concepts for dynamic modeling of energy-related flows in manufacturing, Applied Energy Conference, Suzhou, China, July 2012.

Consultancy work

Academic lead on Knowledge Transfer Partnership with York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2011 – 2013).

Current research students

Student

Mode

Role

Carlos Naranjo-Mendoz

 Full-time 2nd

Evangelos Sakellariou

 Full-time 1st

Alfonso Senatore

 Part-time 1st

Jamal Saif

 Full-time 1st 

Externally funded research grants information

Projects lead on:

LESSONS project, TSB, collaborative research, April 2010 – March 2013, PI for 51Âþ»­ work, Pick Everard, Vanguard Homes Ltd., IES

THERM, TSB, collaborative research, Sep 2008 – Aug 2010, CI, Toyota, Airbus, IES

Retrofit for the Future, TSB, 6 projects, 2009-2012, East Midland Housing, Newcastle City Council, Vanguard Homes, PI for 51Âþ»­ work.

Closing the Gap, i_net, PI, Jeld Wen UK Ltd, Vanguard Homes, Nottingham Trent University, 2010.

Professional esteem indicators

Journal Refereeing information:

Mainly: Energy and buildings; Building and Environment; Building Services Research Information and Technology; Applied Energy; Building Services Engineering Research & Technology.

Case studies

Work on our Retrofit for the Future project (reported on TV and other media) is influencing retrofit and new build thinking for East Midlands Housing Group.

Advising on development of a ‘solar house’ which stores solar heat energy from the summer underground, and uses it to heat the house during the winter. This is under construction in Great Glen near Leicester by Caplin Homes.  I was interviewed about this on Radio Leicester in March and it featured in the Leicester Mercury.

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