Simultaneous dynamic simulation of air flow and energy in buildings.

One of the recent major developments to the ESP (Environmental System Performance) building/plant energy simulation package has been the integration of a technique capable of performing dynamic air flow analysis as part of the building thermal analysis, thereby permitting simultaneous dynamic modelling of energy and air flow within the building envelope. This paper briefly describes the model and its data requirements. It compares and discusses differences in zone energy requirements and temperature levels (obtained from ESP) when 1. applying traditional air changes rates and, 2. applying air change rates from an air flow model with, 3. the results of a full simultaneous air flow/energy simulation. Finally, the model has been applied to a number of projects ranging from enclosed shopping malls and atria to traditional house design and several short case studies are described.