This study compares three different control strategies for double-skin systems. The analyzed control strategies are (1) rule-based approach, (2) exhaustive search and (3) gradient-based search. The fundamental principle of the rule-based approach is “if this, do that” under certain circumstances, and the rules are generally based on expert knowledge. The disadvantage of this approach is that it does not reflect the transient behaviour of the system.

This paper deals with the calibration of models capa-ble of simulating the performance of MicroShadeTM. The function of MicroShade is similar to Venetian blinds, however, MicroShade is a microstructure em-bedded in a metal foil with a thickness of less than one mm. MicroShade has been modelled using a novel module in ESP-r for modelling bidirectional transmission through transparent multilayered con-structions. Windows with and without MicroShade have been tested in two dedicated test rooms. The measurements from the test rooms have been used to calibrate the model of MicroShade.

Solar shading can be used to decrease the cooling power demand and cooling energy use but that also reduces the possible benefit for heating with the incoming solar radiation when there is a heating need. The apparent solution is to shade when there is a cooling need and allow solar gains when there is a heating need. This paper presents energy use simulations on such a system set up in a theoretical office cell and a theoretical apartment in southern Sweden showing remarkable decrease in energy use for heating and cooling, or too high over indoor temperatures.

In non-residential buildings, comfort and energy demand for heating, cooling and lighting are significantly influenced by the façade.  Up to now, only non-weighted luminance-based methods for calculating and evaluating annual daylight glare exist (Lee et al., 2005; Mardaljevic and Lomas., 1998). Within this paper, different methods based on the daylight glare probability DGP (Wienold and Christoffersen, 2006) for a dynamic calculation of glare are discussed and evaluated: 

1. Timestep by timestep calculation –RADIANCE reference method.

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.