Heuristic use of energy simulations in building design

This paper highlights the difficulty of using energy simulations to answer general questions in typical  building design scenarios. By analyzing the question, it is identified that problems of a search-based nature may encounter situations where an exhaustive search is impractical with reasonable resources. This paper presents the method of using heuristics to solve such questions within just a few simulations. While the solutions may not necessarily be guaranteed to be global or ideal, they are optimal within reasonable limits and sufficient for the types  of questions addressed. Two such heuristic methods are proposed and tested via experiment, and the results are presented.