IMPROVING THE WHOLE BUILDING MODELLING AND INTEGRATION OF AN INNOVATIVE WINDOW USING THE PASSYS TEST CELL

The SOLVENT window is an innovative glazing system concept that involves the use of a rotating frame, an absorptive glazing and a naturally ventilated vertical channel, in order to improve the balance between the visual comfort and the energy efficiency of windows.
The tools available for simulating the behaviour of the window in terms of visual comfort and of thermal and energetic behaviour are complex and potentially dependent on many calibration parameters, such as, for example, the heat convection coefficients or the number of nodes in an air flow network. Different modelling approaches can lead to large variability in the results obtained. It is thus essential that the models must be supported by measurements that may, on one hand, help to optimise the component modelling and, on the other hand, assure that the global results provided by the model are realistic.
In the case of the SOLVENT window, a prototype mounted on a PASSYS test cell in Porto (Portugal) played a fundamental role in this process. The monitoring results were used to: (a) Assess the quality of the results obtained with a base case model; (b) develop improved models for the air flow and for the heat convection in the vertical air channel; (c) Validate the results for the global heating and cooling loads obtained with the optimised model; (d) Calibrate the parameters needed for accurate daylighting simulation with Radiance.
Once the component model was optimised and validated, it was then applied in realistic global building models for detailed performance studies. An example is provided for the virtual application of the SOLVENT window to an office in Porto, Portugal.