The Application of Building Performance Assessment tools in Professional Practice

The Energy Simulation Research Unit of the University of Strathclyde has recently undertaken a major effort to support the application of building performance assessment tools within architectural and engineering practices, universities and research groups around the UK. This has taken the form of a support service, funded by ETSU of the Department of Energy, to assist members of their Passive Solar Programme who are using the ESP suite of thermal simulation tools. This paper reports on the activities of the support service and draws conclusions from the work to date and observations on several factors which influence the application of such tools. It has been found that simulation programs which are well integrated with in a workstation environment require a substantial investment in staff training, riot only for proficient use of such applications, but to harness the operating environment and software utilities which are available. Further. it has been observed that care and attention to how the user abstracts reality into a description for the simulation and defines the purpose of the exercise and the simulation facilities required is needed early in the learning process to shape and focus the use of simulation programs - otherwise a substantial waste of computing and staff resources is likely.