English

The introduction of EU directives 2002/91/EC and 2003/87/EC both prompt a reduction in energy consumption from European buildings. Buildings account for 50% of European energy use. Traditional prescriptive based approaches to building energy performance have not yielded desired energy savings. In addition, energy consumption is seldom compared with design intent. A whole building life cycle performance based approach is ultimately required.This paper introduces and demonstrates Environmental Effectiveness Ratios.

This paper complements a previous publication in the Building Simulation Conference series by identifying where perceptualization techniques can improve data presentation and assist with the interpretation of the underlying performance message. The paper describes hypotheses that were tested in practice via a performance display prototype. Intended future work is summarised.

The hygrothermal environment of the Japanese traditional house constructed by wet process with clay wall and the recent house constructed with industrial building materials are estimated through the interrelated simulation of heat and moisture transfer and airflow using THERB. Thermal theories on conduction, convection, radiation and ventilation of THERB are outlined, particularly algorithm on combined heat and moiture transfer based on thermodynamics.

This paper proposes a method for creating an extreme seven-day weather data set for HVAC design purposes and examines its suitability. The method involves reviewing data from 20 years of weather observations and selecting a seven-day period during which the weather conditions were extreme. The dry-bulb temperature, the humidity ratio, the solar radiation and other weather elements were obtained for one-hour intervals during the selected period as the design weather conditions.

Moisture is one of the main problems in buildings. In spite of the complexity to describe moisture physical phenomena, recent technological improvements have allowed them to be incorporated into building simulation programs. However, it is still unrealistic to predict whole building hygrothermal behavior using CFD models.

Dynamic, three-dimensional models of existing facilities that are updated automatically based on data provided by advanced sensing technologies appear increasingly feasible.

Different heating system controllers for passive solar buildings are compared on two different buildings. The performance criterion combines energy performance and thermal comfort using the "cost function" paradigm.

A desiccant cooling unit powered by 14.8 m2 of solar liquid collectors is implemented in a training room in Chambery in Eastern France. The system uses a Lithium Chloride sorption wheel and is optimized to work without auxiliary heat regeneration source. Several parameters are studied in order to decrease primary energy consumption and increase system performance.

This paper describes how the energy performance of single storey multiple-skin facades can be optimized by changing the settings of the facades and HVAC system. The energy performance is analyzed with a yearly whole building energy analysis under Belgian climatic conditions. Three multiple-skin facades are scrutinised: a mechanically ventilated airflow window, a naturally ventilated double-skin facade and a mechanically ventilated supply window. Their performance is compared against the performance of a traditional cladding with exterior and interior shading device.

Active diffusing light pipes (such as hollow tubular lighting) are means of directing and diffusion light (daylight or electrical light) into interior spaces. The two principal objectives of this paper are : 1) to show the development of an advanced new light pipe simulation model and 2) to compare this optical model with another Visual Ergonomics lighting simulation model. The optical model of a diffusing light pipe was realized for the facility of the simulation using the Apilux software.