IBPSA2007

When low carbon and renewable energy (RE) systems are adopted in a building, matching the outputs from RE systems (e.g. photovoltaic, solar collectors, small scale wind turbines and heat pumps) to demand has to be taken into account to fully realise the potential of the hybrid energy system.

Local thermal sensations of all body parts were studied in neutral-warm room while face, chest and back were each exposed to local cooling air. Dressed in shorts, 30 randomly selected male subjects were exposed to each condition for 30 minutes.

Energy and environment has been issues concerned all over the world. In China, the application of small size gas-fired air-cooled air-conditioner as an alternative for electric compression air conditioning systems has shown broad prospects due to occurrence of electricity peak demand, lack of water resources and environment-friendly working pairs. Especially, the new air-cooled air-conditioner has many advantages. In order to evaluate its cycle performance, the mathematical model of the new air-conditioner was presented.

A parameter adjustment method for an ammonia heat pump chiller using a genetic algorithm (GA) was developed. The parameters were automatically adjusted by the data of performance at rated point. Upon using the proposed adjustment method for parameters, output values of the simulation model agreed quite well with the performance data at rated point. The deviation of output was less than 1.2 [%] from the rated value. To speed up the adjustment process, a new approximation method with neural network was also proposed.

This paper presents different thermal comfort models and empirical verification for assessment of the thermal conditions of transitional spaces in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The method adopted is deductive, performing simulations of predictive models, and experimental inductive, considering field research of micro-climatic variables and subjective answers.

Sustainable buildings design process is typical for modeling and simulation usage. The main reason is because there is generally no experience with such buildings and there is lot of new approaches and technical solutions to be used. Computer simulation could be supporting tool in engineering design process and can bring the good way for reducing energy consumption together with optimalization algorithm. For the optimization process we have to know which most sensitive input parametr from many of them has to be investigate.

The performance of a passive heating system was evaluated as part of design works for the project of an office building. The passive heating system incorporates an array of buried pipes together with a solar chimney. The solar chimney collects solar energy, heating fresh air and pulling it from an array of buried pipes. The array of buried pipes was used as an open loop earth-to-air heat exchanger and air circulation inside pipes is due to the action of the solar chimney. We studied the heating fractions due to the solar chimney and to the buried pipes.

It is important to understand and model the behaviour of occupants in buildings and how this behaviour impacts energy use and comfort. It is similarly important to understand how a buildings design affects occupant comfort, occupant behaviour and ultimately the energy used in the operation of the building. In this work a behavioural algorithm for window opening developed from field survey data has been implemented in a dynamic simulation tool. The algorithm is in alignment with the proposed CEN standard for adaptive thermal comfort.

This paper presents results from a window blind usage field study that was conducted in California, USA. In this study, the measurements of physical environmental conditions were cross-linked with participants’ window blind controlling preferences (n=83). A total of seven predictive window blind control multivariate logistic models were derived. As hypothesized, the probability of a window blind closing event increased as the magnitude of physical environmental and confounding factors increased (p < .01).

The energy demand for heating is decreasing significantly in modern highly-insulated dwellings. Due to larger glass areas and well insulated buildings overheating becomes a problem. In a research project several hydraulic schemes with ground-coupled heat pumps and passive cooling with borehole heat exchanger have been evaluated. A parametric study with MATLAB/Simulink simulations using a residential low-energy building with floor heating system has been carried out. Simultaneous simulation of building and mechanical system showed dynamic interaction of floor and ground heat exchanger.