Clim 2000: the building energy simulation tool and the modelling method

The rapid development in the thermal energy modelling requirements for buildings, marked by the need to integrate many phenomena, has led the Applications de l'Electricit department at Electricit de France to develop a general energy simulation tool called CLIM 2000. Beyond the production of the software, our approach is to provide the specialists in the 7arious fields involved in the creation of the model library, with common formalisation rules ensuring clear and unambiguous expression of their work.To do this, we have drawn up a method based on a thermodynamic approach to the phenomena. This leads from an analysis of the physical world to the definition of independent data processing modules subsequently installed in the CLIM 2000 software. After presenting the main features of the CLIM 2000 software, we describe in this paper, the principles of the modelling method. The application of it is illustrated by an example: the air movement modelling in a building. In particular, we demonstrate its efficiency to facilitate the model design and the hypothesis management.