Procedure for performance diagnostic for small air conditioning systems using dynamic simulations

Because of their low cost, small air conditioning, systems are often installed without any study on building envelope performance and without strictly complying with the rules of art. This article presents a pragmatic and global approach to diagnose performances of air-conditioned building relying on a numerical tool and dynamic simulations of buildings coupled with HVAC systems. Simulations calculate the required cooling power and evaluate the impact of the implementation and of maintenance. The result of this global analysis helps to qualify the entire system by assigning an energy label. The article presents the architecture of the numerical simulation tool and the energy criteria used to express the overall performance. A comparison with measurements and an analysis of case studies provide some elements of validation.