English

Windows  allow  daylight  to  enter a  space  but  they also allow for the transfer of heat gains and losses that affect the energy consumption of a building. This work optimises the relationship between window size, space dimensions and daylight to the energy consumption of the space. Models comprising of different room ratios and different room sizes were simulated using VisualDOE. The glazed areas of the rooms ranged from zero to 100% of the façade area. Energy consumption as a  function  of  window  area and room size was predicted for each model.

A methodology for the optimal operation of a HVAC system with a thermal storage water tank has been proposed by one of the authors1). In the present paper improvement of the methodology is explained together with simulation results obtained by using real building data. The main results are as follows. 1) This method is sufficiently robust to be applied to a real HVAC system having time varying air-conditioning (AC) load.

This  paper  describes  an  empirical  study  that  was conducted to determine whether and to what extent subjective evaluation of lighting in architectural spaces can be reproduced using computationally rendered images of such spaces. The results imply that  such  images  can  reliably  represent   certain aspects of the lighting conditions in real spaces.

This paper presents experimental data for the temperature stratification established within a full-scale enclosure, for the natural displacement ventilation flow driven by a source of buoyancy at floor level within the space with air as the working fluid. A range of predictive techniques is also investigated for the flow, and for each technique a critical comparison with the experimental data is presented. It is confirmed that the salt-bath modelling technique and related mathematical model of Linden et, al.

Windows strongly influence the energy performances of buildings, especially in the new hugely glazed constructions. Many  advanced glazings were produced to improve the thermal and optical properties of windows, but for these products the angular dependence of optical and solar parameters are from the traditional glass decay curves. Computer tools often do not solve the problem of the inputting of effective solar and luminous parameters of transparent surfaces, since they consider only the traditional glazings behavior.

In the paper, based on MS Thesis by Richtr, 2000, the authors describe CFD modeling of a computer room with regard to thermal comfort of workers. The room was equipped with an additional A/C and people felt uncomfortable in certain places after the installation. As input data for CFD simulation, individual heat loads measured on computers and monitors were used. Different scenarios of adjustable vanes of the A/C diffuser and further modifications were studied.

Solar radiation induced convection occurs quite often in glazed spaces. In spite of that the impact of solar radiation to airflow inside rooms and buildings is not usually taken into account when airflow patterns are studied. However, there are many cases when this impact cannot be neglected. The paper deals with the CFD modeling of airflow and temperature fields inside a glazed attic, and comparison of results with experimentally obtained data. The main goal is to find optimal locations of ventilation  system  inlets  in  order  to  increase  the efficiency of solar energy utilization.

Most photovoltaic (PV) facades are built as curtain facades in front of thermally insulated buildings with air ducts in between. This causes additional costs for support    structure    and    installation,    while    heat dissipation from the solar cells is often not optimal. Measurements carried out are facing both concerns: Integration of a thermal insulating layer (which meets the latest German heat preserving regulation WSV 95) into the PV facade plus additional cooling by active ventilation   or   water   flow.

This paper discusses the first full version of IDEA-l, a new natural-lighting design tool for the early stages of the architectural design process. This computer program, which is part of the larger IDEA+ research project, allows the user to judge the impact of natural light on his architectural design. For this purpose a number of tests are provided, covering different aspects of natural lighting. This paper will discuss each of the tests and the involved algorithms.

This  paper  presents  the  multiple-view performance assessment of an existing office building undertaken with an integrated application. It includes the assessment of the energy consumption,  room acoustics, occupant comfort, and the environmental impacts (fuel, materials, transport,  and  processes)  . The simulation results have been compared with in- situ measurements monitored in the building during the post-occupancy phase to analyse the conformity of the results.