IBPSA2009

Integrated performance simulation of buildings and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems can help reducing energy consumption and increasing level of occupant comfort. However, no singe building performance simulation (BPS) tool offers sufficient capabilities and flexibilities to accommodate the ever-increasing complexity and rapid innovations in building and system technologies. One way to alleviate this problem is to use co-simulation.

For engineering applications one-dimensional models of urban ponds are suitable in order to assess the energy potential for heating and cooling of buildings. This paper presents an intercomparison of two of such models, together with in-situ measurements. Water temperatures are presented for a period of 13 diurnal cycles, as well as an inter-comparison between the heat fluxes of the two models. Stratification effects are shown by the Richardson numbers. Both models are applicable for assessment of the energy capture potential, despite different models for the heat fluxes.

Schumann solution for the heating (cooling) of onedimensional packed beds by the passage of a hot (cool) fluid is extended by the incorporation of a small solid thermal conductivity by means of using  perturbation methods based on the Laplace transform and a Picard iteration for the Green’s functions for the heat transfer of both phases.

(UFADS) or a stratified atria involve special thermal exchange processes that require special load calculation procedures. This paper introduces an infrared transparent (IRT) surface that enables adjacent zones to exchange thermal radiation while maintaining separate air temperatures. This paper describes the development of the IRT surface and presents a comparison of a UFADS room using the IRT model and a room with conventional air flow configuration.

ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) is a lightweight material increasingly used in building applications. It has gained popularity mainly due to its daylight transmittance and the potential for energy savings. When used as cladding ETFE sheets are usually assembled into cushions, which are inflated for structural reasons. ETFE cushions can provide thermal insulation with reduced initial costs and less structural supports as compared with a conventional glazed roof.

The description of the thermal behaviour of radiant systems is complex due to the 3D heat transfer and the relevant thermal inertia characterising the active surface.

Grey water heat exchangers (GWHE) are used to recuperate part of the energy contained in grey waters. The configuration used in this study recuperates part of the energy contained in the grey water from showers to pre-heat domestic hot water. Previous simulations studies have shown that this configuration can recuperate part of the energy that would otherwise be lost and allow the use of smaller electric domestic hot water (DHW) tanks. This paper focuses on the impact that GWHE have on peak electrical demand from electric DHW tanks.

The purpose of this study is to quantify the impact of insulation of various parts of building envelopes on building energy consumption. Using eQUEST, a series of parametric simulation was conducted to acquire building energy consumption data for a range of R-values of walls, roof, and windows of a typical two-story single-family home in the U.S. Two climatic zones were applied in simulation: Detroit, Michigan and Miami, Florida. Analysis was conducted for annual heat gain and loss, and benefits of insulation value of walls, roof and windows respectively.

Computer modelling at the urban scale is an increasingly vibrant area of research activity which  aims to support designers to optimise the performance of new and existing urban developments. But the parameter space of an urban development is infinitely large, so that the probability of identifying an optimal configuration of urban design variables with say energy minimisation as a goal function is correspondingly small.

Two years after the implementation of the Flemish energy performance regulation, the Flemish government has to consider the opportunities for strengthening the minimal energy performance requirements. In this frame, a technical-economical study on the cost-effectiveness of different energysaving measures is executed for the residential sector, considering the current technologies and their costs. For each measure, the characteristic parameters, the investment costs and the grey energy content are defined.