English

This paper proposes an interactive goal-based method for designing daylit buildings.  The lighting simulation tool which supports this process is a hybrid global illumination rendering method which efficiently computes annual daylighting metrics.  The goal-based method uses a knowledge base populated using a set of previously completed simulations that quantify the effects of various façade design modifications.  The knowledge base guides a simple algorithm over an iterative design process.

This paper provides an overview of a new method for modelling the total solar energy transmittance. It is implemented in the ESP-r building simulation program to model complex façades such as double glazed façades with external, internal or integrated shading devices. This new model has been validated and tested for several cases.

Fenestration and its design have a significant impact on the energy use associated with the artificial lighting, heating and cooling of a building. To date, research into window optimization has been for windows that are constrained to have a regular geometric shape and position. This paper describes an approach in which a building façade is divided into a number of cells, each cell having one of two possible states, a solid wall construction, or a window.

The objective of this work is to evaluate the quality of the predictions of the indoor airflow behaviour by the zonal method in comparison to the CFD results. The isothermal airflow of the International Energy Agency Annex 20 test cell was chosen to perform the proposed comparative analysis. This cell represents a rectangular room where the air is supplied horizontally on the upper left and is exhausted through an opening located on the lower right on the opposite side.

We introduce a framework and proof of concept for estimating building energy consumption that probabilistically combines a model of building physics with observed occupancy and detailed operations data, automatically learning a physically plausible model of the energy consumption. Our framework has several desirable properties: data about one building can automatically be used to improve energy use estimates for other similar buildings; input fields can be left blank or specified approximately; and the output of our model is not only an estimate of energy usage, but a probability distributi

Whole-house ventilation systems are becoming commonplace in new construction, remodeling/renovation, and weatherization projects, driven by combinations of specific requirements for indoor air quality (IAQ), health, and compliance with standards, such as ASHRAE 62.2. At the same time we wish to reduce the energy use in homes and therefore minimize the energy used to provide ventilation. This study examined several approaches to reducing the energy requirements of providing acceptable IAQ in residential buildings. Two approaches were taken.

The goal of this study was to develop a Residential Integrated Ventilation Controller (RIVEC) to reduce the energy impact of required mechanical ventilation by 20%, maintain or improve indoor air quality and provide demand response benefits. This represents potential energy savings of about 140 GWh of electricity and 83 million therms of natural gas as well as proportional peak savings in California.

We ventilate buildings to provide acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ). Ventilation standards (such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Enginners [ASHRAE] Standard 62) specify minimum ventilation rates without taking into account the impact of those rates on IAQ. Innovative ventilation management is often a desirable element of reducing energy consumption or improving IAQ or comfort. Variable ventilation is one innovative strategy.

This paper compares the energy performance of three office buildings as predicted by building simulation (using only the information typically available at the design stage) with the measured energy consumption of the same buildings in operation for a twelve-month period. The buildings are located in Canberra, Australia.

Damage to human health as a result of exposure to contaminants emitted to indoor air is poorly addressed in life cycle assessment tools for dwellings. A new model is available to calculate damages to human health caused by contaminants emitted from building materials, using a multizone indoor airflow and exposure model. Ventilation rates and radon concentrations have been simulated for the Dutch reference dwelling and are compared with measurement data from the Dutch Ecobuild houses and from average ventilation rates and radon concentrations in dwellings in the Netherlands.