IBPSA2013

In order to inform the design of a building or a group of buildings in relation to their potential energy efficiency, the main impact will be at the initial concept design stage. Variations and interactions of parameters need to be considered quickly as the design develops. In addition to the variation and interrelation of parameters associated with individual buildings, the design should consider the influence, both from and on, neighbouring buildings and landscape features.

The availability of input data and appropriate computing times are two major challenges when simulating entire city districts. For dynamic heat demand simulations, we contribute to these tasks by developing an integral tool chain. To reduce the amount of input data, we automatically create typical datasets of building setups for office buildings according to their year of construction and basic geometric data. We use these datasets to automatically parameterize a dynamic building model.

The scope of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC and 2010/31/EC) is the reduction of energy use in buildings in the EU.   A principal aspect of the directive is the calculation of an energy certificate for new and existing property. This certificate is intended to provide a measure of the energy efficiency of a building.    

This study aims to establish a correlation between thermal comfort and energy consumption for typical office buildings in India. Building envelope characteristics are varied to represent local energy code compliant case. Regression analysis is used to derive the aforementioned correlation using energy consumption and thermal comfort indices from the simulation output. The results from this study will assist designers to understand the energy implications of improving thermal comfort, both in terms of comfort hours as well as PMV.

Natural ventilation generally implies a complete or partial opening of windows which modifies the solar gains and the natural lighting, changing the solar and daylight factors. This “secondary” effect is generally neglected in building energy simulation. This study analyzes the impact on the modification of optical characteristics of glazed surfaces on thermal condition and natural lighting due to opening windows.

The need to identify variables, which influence human behaviour, has become one of the priorities in the quest to reduce energy demand. Environmental and personal variables, as set out in the thermal comfort models, have long been associated with people’s behaviour by predicting their state of thermal comfort or rather discomfort. The aim of this paper is to explore and to report on the influences of these variables on thermal discomfort indices used in building simulation models.

Several measurements were performed on an innovative perforated solar wall. It is made of metal cladding with perforations, installed at several tens of centimeters from a building wall, thus creating a cavity, heated by the solar radiation from the sun. Ventilation fans create negative pressure in the cavity, drawing in the solar heated air through the perforated panel. The results found in literature were compared with experimental results. A good agreement was found.