The significant factors in modelling residential buildings

For users and developers of energy simulation software tools, knowledge of which inputs have a signif- icant impact on the simulation results is very impor- tant, as this will dictate which areas of the building justify additional development and input time. In the form of a sensitivity study, those factors gen- erally considered to have the largest impact on simu- lated heating load, were compared against a  base case model—a typical Canadian house in Ottawa. It was determined that the simulated heat load was particularly sensitive to the following  parameters: the sub-zoning of the living space, the simulation of the ground contact, the thermal bridging through the opaque envelope, the modelling of infiltration into the house, the external temperature, and the ground reflected solar radiation.