Design tool to assess the exploitation of renewable energy in buildings

This paper consists in the presentation of a new simulation tool aimed at the detailed prediction of HVAC systems, developed by the authors in order to fulfill specific needs derived from particular research topics in the field of design and tailored control of HVAC systems fed by heat pumps. This simulation tool has a modular programming design and is developed in order to easily use input data available in documentation from manufacturers and to provide the user with a flexible system design and a full set of control options.

New method for predicting mixed-use building energy: the use of simulation to develop statistical models

Many building energy prediction models have been developed during the past decades. While popular tools such as Energy Star target single-use buildings, few have focused on mixed-use buildings due to its complexity. In practice, most non-residential buildings are mixed-use buildings supporting various functions such as office, cafeteria, public area, etc. The prediction models developed by Energy Star are based on the building categories defined in Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), which consider only primary building activities instead of all activity types.

Demand response optimisation of all-electric residential buildings in a dynamic grid environment: Irish case study

The current paper is concerned with a case study of a residential house, located in Ireland, which has been recently retrofitted from a conventional mixed fuel dwelling to a smart grid enabled all-electric dwelling. The aim of the specific case study is to examine the im-pact on the building retrofit measures on the dwelling carbon footprint, pre- and post- retrofit. The analy-sis was carried out using EnergyPlus.

A method for reducing simulation performance gap using fourier filtering

The simulation performance gap is a discrepancy between simulated and actual performance of a building, occurring as result of differences between theoretical values in the simulation model and actual properties of and conditions in and around the building. It can be eliminated by a process of calibration of the simulation model if the simulated building exists and is being monitored. As simulations are primarily conducted in the design stage when the building does not yet exist, the calibration is not possible.

An investigation into the role of thermal mass on the accuracy of co-heating tests through simulations & field results

To successfully meet emissions targets and reduce energy demand in the built environment, high targets have been set for building fabric performance. However, field measurements to date have indicated that the measured as-built fabric heat loss of tested UK buildings is consistently and sometimes considerably higher than design values. Many of these results stem from co-heating tests – an in situ measurement of the heat loss across the entire building envelope.

Mapping comfort: an analysis method for understanding diversity in the thermal environment

This paper describes the development and uses of a new software program called cMap that calculates and visualizes thermal comfort parameters throughout a space and over time.      While some existing tools provide comfort calculations either over space or throughout time, cMap provides both calculations, providing a more complete picture of our thermal environment.  Since the program works as a companion to EnergyPlus, a cMap analysis can be performed quickly, fitting into existing analysis workflows.

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