Abstract Due to the introduction of distributed renewable energy technologies with variable resource availability, the need of flexible electrical systems is evident. In general, flexibility is achieved from the supply side and often using carbon intensive energy generators. Therefore, improving the flexibility of the electrical system by taking advantage of renewable energy generation capacities and demand response measures in buildings is of major importance for a sustainable development. Control systems to implement these demand response measures need to quantify the flexibility of the respective buildings. Having this into consideration, this paper aims at presenting a literature review on methodologies to quantify the energy flexibility of buildings.

Presentamos en este trabajo un estudio realizado en dos escuelas públicas, una en Brasil y otra en Portugal, sobre el potencial integrador de la robótica virtual y tangible. El enfoque metodológico se mezcló y se basó en dos talleres de capacitación de profesores sobre el potencial integrador de estas dos herramientas. Los participantes fueron cuatro profesores y cuatro estudiantes con necesidades educativas especiales. Se aplicó un cuestionario a los estudiantes y profesores que participaron en los talleres de formación y se procedió a la descripción de las actividades. Los resultados indicaron que las dos herramientas obtuvieron evaluaciones similares, que tienen potencial educativo e integrador, ya que permiten suavizar las diferencias y promover la cooperación y el aprendizaje de modo activo y significativo, a través de actividades lúdicas y divertidas para los estudiantes.

Abstract This work presents an experimental study on the effect of ply-level hybridisation on the tensile unnotched and notched response of composite laminates. In a first assessment, notched tests were performed on laminates with nominal ply thicknesses between 0.03 mm and 0.30 mm. From the understanding of the effect of ply thickness on the damage mechanisms that govern the notched response of laminates, the concept of ply-level hybridisation is introduced, which consists in combining plies of different grades. A uniform combination of thin and conventional plies resulted in a hybrid laminate with intermediate notched response. Selective hybridisation, where thin off-axis plies are combined with thicker 0° plies, resulted in a globally enhanced notched behaviour without compromising the unnotched and fatigue responses. This work clearly shows how ply-level hybridisation, when designed to trigger specific damage mechanisms, can be used to improve the notched response of composite laminates.