A New Tool for Building Energy Optimization: First Round of Successful Dynamic Model Simulations

Several tools and pieces of software support building energy modelling for optimization, certification and comparisons of different scenarios and usages. Nevertheless, the consistent rise in accessible computational power and the expansion of ICT are pushing the development of new software functionalities and tools able to support cross-disciplinary work on smart building optimization. This paper introduces a new platform (under development) that combines the EnergyPlus dynamic simulation tool with extra-functionalities and pre-defined usage scenarios based on automatic actions to manage massive simulations and correlation analyses. The tool’s utility was tested in three experiments, with goals that we consider to be fundamental requirements: comparing simple retrofit actions to reduce net energy needs; analyzing the free-running potential of a demo building and the impacts of different low-energy technologies in terms of increasing thermal comfort (shading and ventilative cooling); and comparing measured sensor data indicators with simulated ones under real weather conditions for model verification. The results demonstrate the ability of the tool to automatically generate hundreds of EnergyPlus input building models by acting on building geometry; we focused on the most common uses for parametric dynamic simulations. Additionally, the way in which the tool combines the automatic modification of the building’s design and the parallel launching of multiple simulations allows the labor to be reduced. The user can execute complex tasks without spending any time working with model editing software and aggregating the results from multiple simulations.

A Review on Numerical Approach to Achieve Building Energy Efficiency for Energy, Economy and Environment (3E) Benefit

Increasing energy demand in buildings with a 40% global share and 30% greenhouse gas emissions has accounted for climate change and a consequent crisis encouraging improvement of building energy efficiency to achieve the combined benefit of energy, economy, and environment. For an efficient system, the optimization of different design control strategies such as building space load, occupancy, lighting, and HVAC becomes inevitable. Therefore, interdisciplinary teamwork of developers, designers, architects, and consumers to deliver a high-performance building becomes essential. This review aims to endorse the importance of Building Performance Simulation in the pre-design phase along with the challenges faced during its adaptation to implementation. A morphology chart is structured to showcase the improvement in Building Energy Efficiency by implementing Building Performance Simulation for different building energy systems and by implementing various energy efficiency strategies to achieve the 3E benefit. As a developing nation, India still lacks mass application of Building Performance Simulation tools for improving Building Energy Efficiency due to improper channelizing or implementation; thus, this framework will enable the designers, architects, researchers to contemplate variable building energy optimization scenarios.

Economic, social and environmental impact analysis of an indigenously developed energy optimization system for German office and residential building types

This work addresses the economic, social and environmental analysis of an indigenously developed building energy optimization system for residential and office buildings in Germany. The developed system consists of 14 different wireless network embedded sensors, wireless communication protocol, multi-dimensional data warehouse, graphical user interfaces and energy optimization software with artificial intelligence-backed control algorithms. The R&D activity is accomplished in the ‘Intelligent Building Energy Management System’ research project, which is funded by the State of Lower Saxony—Germany in the frame of Innovation Support Program between the years 2014 and 2018. The system is tested in two appropriately selected test buildings in Germany. It has been recorded that the system provides energy efficiency levels between 29.34% and 38.18% under different seasonal and occupancy conditions in office and residential building types. The analysis is accomplished within the framework of four main indicators. These are economic indicators including calculations of lifetime cost and payback rate methods, resource use indicators including the calculation of reduced energy use as a result of the energy efficiency provided by the system, social indicator including additional expendable income calculations and environmental indicators including calculations depicting the benefits of reducing harmful emissions. Analysis results illustrate that building energy optimization systems provide a cost-effective method for promoting energy efficiency goals. Results of the indicators prove monetary benefits for the building occupants in terms of resource use, return on investment and social impact, as well as quantifiable benefits for easing the harmful effects of climate change phenomenon.