IBPSA2009

The paper presents the concept of integrated calculations of both thermal behaviour of buildings  and processes of air treatment that take place in air handling units – AHU. The model of thermal  behaviour of building is based on simplified hourly method described in EN ISO 13790:2007. Standard  EN 15241:2007 was the basis for submodels describing higrothermal processes in ventilation and  air-conditioning systems. Integration resulted in conversion of 5R1C schema to 6R1C and further in  introduction of optional equations for different types of HVAC systems.

This paper describes the development of a web-based, code-compliant ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999 commercial simulation for Texas. Included in the paper is a description of the software and database platform used in the web application and how this software is attached to the DOE-2 legacy software running on a cluster of servers. This tool will be used by commercial builders in Texas to check code compliance of new commercial construction for specific building types.

In this paper, the performance of Belgian building code compliant residential ventilation systems is evaluated on multiple performance indicators: occupant exposure to bio-effluents, occupant exposure to other use-related pollutants (odours) and occupant exposure to building material emissions. The fitness of the proposed criteria in this context is then discussed in a broader context and this information is then used to interpret the fitness of the code  prescriptions as design criteria for performant ventilation systems. 

This paper describes the development of a web-based, code-compliant 2001 IECC1 residential simulation for Texas. Included in the paper is a description of the software and database platform used in the web application and how this software is attached to the DOE-2 legacy software running on a cluster of servers attached to the web. Additional information is included about how a residence is dynamically updated by the web-page, using macro commands and a flexible yet fixed-schematic input file.

Hemp concrete is more and more recommended by eco-builders because hemp is a renewable plant, recyclable and does not degrade within time. To integrate this material into buildings, it is important to study its hygrothermal behaviour. In this paper, two models have been investigated: a heat transfer model (Th) and a hygrothermal model accounting for heat and moisture transport through building envelope (HAM). Both models were implemented into the simulation environment SPARK. Simulations were run for a room located in Nancy and for winter conditions.

Moisture buffering by the room enclosure can have an important influence on the variation in interior relative humidity. A characterisation to qualify and quantify this moisture buffering effect is given in a complementary paper (Janssen and Roels, 2009a, 2009b). Starting from this methodology, this paper proposes a method to determine the hygric inertia of an entire room in situ. To do so, a humidifier is placed in the room and a moisture production scheme is imposed over an interval of some days.

The significance of interior humidity in attaining sus-tainable, durable, healthy and comfortable buildings is increasingly recognised. Any interior humidity evalu-ation requires a qualitative and/or quantitative assess-ment of interior moisture buffering.  This paper intro-duces the production-adaptive characterisation of the moisture buffer potential of single elements and cor-roborates their superposition toward a room-enclosu-re moisture buffer potential.  It is verified that this al-lows qualitative comparison of enclosures in relation to interior moisture buffering.

As most building energy simulation programs focus on the thermal response of the building, the relative humidity of the indoor air is often calculated in a simplified way. One of the main shortcomings is the isothermal calculation, which may have a strong influence the predicted relative humidity. In this paper the use of a simplified effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model is compared with a coupled TRNSYS-HAM-model. First, an estimation of the load for humidification and dehumidification is made.

Semi-transparent photovoltaics (STPV) have a large potential for integration in fenestration systems, adding the option of solar electricity production while still allowing for satisfaction of daylight needs. This paper studies the potential of using such a technology and examines the impact of changing the photovoltaics (PV) area ratio (ratio of PV coverage to fenestration area) on the STPV façade.

Simulation analyses for solar combisystems (domestic hot water productionand space heating) with different levels of collector quality (atmospheric and evacuated flat-plate collectors) and different types of façade integration (direct, indirect) have been performed.