IBPSA2013

To holistically understand the influence of inhomo-geneous and dynamic indoor climatic effects on hu-man thermal comfort, it is essential to investigate the appropriate dynamic human thermoregulatory pro-cesses and their complex interdependencies within the body. Although gender and age specific differ-ences in thermal comfort perception are well known, the numerous mathematical model approaches pro-posed in literature, typically consider a standard human being of male gender.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is one of the branches of fluid mechanics that uses numerical meth-ods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Annual hourly fast flow simula-tions are needed for some applications in building in-dustry, such as the conceptual design of indoor envi-ronment, or coupled with energy simulation to pro-vide deep analysis on the performance of the build-ings. Year round simulation, which consists of 8760(365⇥24) independent hourly simulations, is needed to help the designer investigate the problem clearly.

Biomimicry offers opportunities to advance the development of flexible building facades. Here, the combination of external fur, bioheat transfer (blood perfusion) and internal surface evaporation are combined into a model of a commercial office building façade. Temperatures and heat transfer are calculated in a dynamic simulation for summer conditions in a temperate climate (Melbourne, Australia). Thermal comfort, in terms of PMV and PPD, is assessed and compared to a reference case. 

This paper describes the investigation of a former sports centre in order to establish design guidelines for a refurbishment. We performed dynamic thermal and hygrothermal simulations to determine the preference of interior or exterior insulation .  The results of our investigation were integrated in the programme for a competition held in spring 2013.  

Different wall construction configurations lead to different wall thermal behaviour which affects energy consumption and thermal comfort of the room. In this study, the thermal time constant, the time lag, and the decrement factor are calculated for different wall configurations in order to investigate the best insulation/thermal mass layer distribution in external walls. First, this is done for just a wall by developing a numerical model to solve the one dimensional heat transfer equation in a multilayered wall subjected to convective boundary conditions.

Calibration of Building Energy Simulation is an under-determined problem. There can be several correct solutions. The consequences of using the Building Energy Simulation for retrofit design can be significant. In this paper, we will propose a method that identifies different solutions in the entire field that was studied. It enables one to evaluate the uncertainty in energy saving estimations. The method uses an experimental design in order to reduce calculation time. It uses the coefficient of variation of root mean square error. We applied the method on an old building.

Architecture practice is on the front line directly applying best-case evidence-based solutions to conserve energy. Conserving resources through energy efficiency rely on energy modeling software to simulate performance, evaluate energy use, and optimize energy savings in building designs. Today’s powerful building performance simulation tools can be leveraged for energy modeling during early design phases. To further reduce building energy consumption, energy simulations done during conceptual design has potential to impact longterm energy use in architecture.

The main objective of this study is to develop a more accurate method to estimate the energy consumption of commercial buildings at the design stage. The study is based on the simplified model presented in the Regulation for Energy Efficiency Labelling of Commercial Buildings in Brazil. The first step was to evaluate the feasibility and relevance of more complex statistical modelling techniques, such as the neural network. The second step of the assessment consisted of applying the Latin Hypercube sampling technique to combine the effects of several input parameters.

Natural ventilation is a cost-effective way to reduce cooling energy for buildings. However, the performance of natural ventilation largely depends on outdoor climate. A good and feasible control strategy is the key to ensure high performance of natural ventilation. Typically, windows are operated by occupants. Therefore, a control strategy that based on human behavior can enhance the performance of natural ventilation. This paper studied four different control strategies that simulate human behavior based on temperature and humidity in a climate with high outdoor humidity.