The use of computers for simulating building thermal behavior started early at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. The first example of such use dates from a 1957 study of an exterior wall exposed to solar radiation. The simulation program, later named BRIS, has gradually evolved with regard to the users and growing computer capacity. It has been used since the early sixties for research projects, design work and development of new systems, among others the ventilated hollow-core slab (Thermodeck) system.
The Centre for Building Performance Research at Victoria University School of Architecture has recently concluded R&D for the Energy Efficiency Clause of the New Zealand Building Code. This report, contributed to the BEPAC Newsletter, discusses some of the issues that arose in the course of the work.
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