This paper presents an in-situ calibrated model-based approach to treat natural ventilation as an integral element of the operation of the buildings' thermal systems. Specifically, the potential of statistically based and numeric air flow models is explored as part of a hybrid building controls scheme. Toward this end, two case studies are described. In one case, the underlying predictive model is based on the statistical treatment of data obtained from a set of insitu measurements in a typical office space.

The paper presents a new approach for analyzing mold growth risk in buildings, based on a mixed simulation approach with consideration of uncertainties in relevant building parameters. The approach is capable to predict and explain unexpected mold growth occurrences that would typically not show up in standard deterministic simulation. 

Validation and verification of building simulation programs and load calculation programs is of continuing interest. Dynamic thermal behavior data, including conduction transfer function (CTF) coefficients, thermal response factors and periodic response factors, are used to calculate transient heat conduction through building constructions. Computational inaccuracy sometimes occurs in calculating CTF coefficients and response factors. In this paper, a method for verification of the CTF coefficients and response factors over the whole frequency range is introduced.

A new hygrothermal building model is being developed within the research project GENSIM by the Fraunhofer institutes FIRST and IBP. The model implementation takes place by using the objectoriented modeling language Modelica. As a starting point for the development of the new building model, the researchers used the physical models of the simulation tools WUFI (hygrothermal wall simulation) and SMILE (thermal building simulation).

Tile coated wood fired appliances are designed to store heat from the intermittently burning fire in their massive structure and release it slowly to the room. The design of these systems should assure thermal comfort during the whole process and involves dynamic simulation. A customized design tool for these systems was developed. A model of the appliance was created and implemented in existing building simulation software. It was validated and tuned against laboratory measurements. It can be used in the context of a multi zone building including aspects like inter zone air flows.

The impact of building regulations on the final form of a design can be quite significant. At the same time, increasingly stringent and more performance-based regulations are leading to a greater reliance on simulation and analysis as a fundamental part of the design process. As a result, the traditional design validate- redesign approach is becoming less viable. This paper argues that an alternate approach based on the generative potential of building regulations is more effective.

The California Commercial End Use Survey (CEUS) project is being conducted for the California Energy Commission (CEC) by Itron, Inc. with support from KEMA-Xenergy, ADM Associates, and James J. Hirsch & Associates. The project is a massive effort designed to gain a detailed knowledge of end-use energy in commercial buildings in California.

The paper describes a strategy of how to implement technical installations (heating, domestic hot water and ventilation) in a building energy calculation application in an effective and userfriendly manner. Technical installations are designed using a 3x4 matrix (3 columns for the different technical systems; 4 rows for the system parts: generation (E), storage (S), distribution (V) and emission (Ü)).

This paper presents a study of windbreak sheltering effect on the outdoor open space using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques and the wind tunnel experiments carried out for validating the CFD models. Although the influence of a windbreak on the reduction of wind speed is fairly well known, it is still uncertain how this influence will be affected by the buildings in an urban area where the windbreaks are placed for providing better wind comfort to the people in outdoor open space.