scholarly journals Exploring the impact of different parameterisations of occupant-related internal loads in building energy simulation

2016 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 92-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Ward ◽  
Ruchi Choudhary ◽  
Yeonsook Heo ◽  
Adam Rysanek
Keyword(s):  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Building Energy Simulation ◽  
The Impact

Energy Impacts of Nonlinear Behavior of Phase Change Materials When Applied to Opaque Building Envelopes

2013 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Cesar Tabares-Velasco
Keyword(s):  
Phase Change ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Peak Load ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Building Energy Simulation ◽  
Peak Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Research on phase change materials (PCM) as a potential technology to reduce peak loads and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy use in buildings has been conducted for several decades, resulting in a great deal of literature on PCM properties, temperature, and peak reduction potential. However, there are few building energy simulation programs that include PCM modeling features, and very few of these have been validated. Additionally, there is no previous research that indicates the level of accuracy when modeling PCMs from a building energy simulation perspective. This study analyzes the effects a nonlinear enthalpy profile has on thermal performance and expected energy benefits for PCM-enhanced insulation. The impact of accurately modeling realistic, nonlinear enthalpy profiles for PCMs versus simpler profiles is analyzed based on peak load reduction and energy savings using the conduction finite difference (CondFD) algorithm in EnergyPlus. The PCM and CondFD models used in this study have been previously validated after intensive verification and validation done at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Overall, the results of this study show annual energy savings are not very sensitive to the linearization of enthalpy curve. However, hourly analysis shows that if simpler linear profiles are used, users should try to specify a melting range covering roughly 80% of the latent heat; otherwise, hourly results can differ by up to 20%.

Energy Impacts of Nonlinear Behavior of PCM When Applied Into Building Envelope

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Cesar Tabares-Velasco
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Peak Load ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Building Energy Simulation ◽  
Peak Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Research on phase change materials (PCM) as a potential technology to reduce peak loads and HVAC energy use in buildings has been conducted for several decades, resulting in a great deal of literature on PCM properties, temperature, and peak reduction potential. However, there are few building energy simulation programs that include PCM modeling features, and very few of these have been validated. Additionally, there is no previous research that indicates the level of accuracy when modeling PCMs from a building energy simulation perspective. This study analyzes the effects a nonlinear enthalpy profile has on thermal performance and expected energy benefits for PCM-enhanced insulation. The impact of accurately modeling realistic, nonlinear enthalpy profiles for PCMs versus simpler profiles is analyzed based on peak load reduction and energy savings using the Conduction Finite Difference (CondFD) algorithm in EnergyPlus. The PCM and CondFD models used in this study have been previously validated after intensive verification and validation done at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Overall, the results of this study show annual energy savings are not very sensitive to the linearization of enthalpy curve. However, hourly analysis shows that if simpler linear profiles are used, users should try to specify a melting range covering roughly 80% of the latent heat, otherwise, hourly results can differ by up to 20%.

scholarly journals A parametric building energy simulation case study on the potential and limitations of passive design in the Mediterranean climate of Malta

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinrich Manz ◽  
Daniel Micallef ◽  
Simon Paul Borg ◽  
Vincent Buhagiar
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Simulation ◽  
Building Energy Simulation ◽  
Artificial Heating ◽  
The Impact

The present case study sets out to investigate the potential and limitations of passive building design in a typical Mediterranean climate. The Maltese Islands were taken as the case study location. Assuming a fully detached, cuboid-shaped, generic multi-storey office building, one representative storey was modelled by means of the building energy simulation code WUFI®Plus. Thermal comfort was analysed based on the adaptive acceptable operative room temperature concept of EN 15251 for buildings without mechanical cooling systems. Assuming neither artificial heating nor cooling, the free-running operative room temperature was evaluated. By means of a parametric study, the robustness of the concept was analysed and the impact of orientation, window to wall area ratio, glazing, shading, thermal insulation, nighttime ventilation and thermal mass on the achievable level of thermal comfort is shown and discussed. It is concluded that in a well-designed building and by means of decent insulation (present case: Uwall = 0.54 W/(m2 · K)), double glazing, variable external shading devices and passive cooling by nighttime ventilation, a high level of thermal comfort is achievable in this climate using only very minor amounts of energy for artificial heating and cooling or possibly even none at all.

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