Energy Simulation of Buildings

Recommended Prerequisites

Buildings and Environment, Building Envelope - Outside Environment, Indoor Environmental Quality.

Teaching Methods

Oral lectures with audiovisual resources to explain theoretical concepts and solving practical illustrative problems. Lectures for use of simulation tools, solving practical examples. Tutorial support for individual practical work where the students must use simulation tools to analyze the energy performance of buildings, with auxiliary HVAC systems.

Learning Outcomes

The Programs for Building Energy Simulation (BES) reached a state of maturity and reliability that allow to be fundamental tools to help in the efficient energy design of buildings, including the study of the energy performance of architectural solutions, building elements and HVAC systems. Thus, the objective of the course is to teach the main theoretical issues related to the BES calculations, but also give to the students the procedures and practices of good and effective use of BES programs. In this second perspective the students will acquire skills to apply the general criteria for the definition and parameterization of buildings models and perform a critical analysis of the results.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1 - Introduction to thermal building simulation (BES): Potential of the simulation tools; Purpose; the most used BES programs; regulation and standards that require the use of BES; overview of a tool BES.

2 - Introduction to the adopted BES program, the EnergyPlus.

3 - Construction of a monozone geometric model: thermal zone, surface, subsurface, coordinates, geometric definition rules.

4 - Materials and Construction.

5 - Meteorological data: meteorological files conditions and design conditions.

6 - Simulation parameters.

7 - Multi-zone Models, boundary conditions.

8 - Solar Obstructions (shading).

9 - Controls and operation of thermal systems and thermal loads: hourly; internal gains; infiltration and ventilation; simulation and analysis of results; setpoints;

10 - Introduction to SkechUp and Openstudio.

11 - Best practices in modeling complex buildings.

12 - Detailed parameterization of glazing.

13 - Energy analysis and building energy labeling.

Head Lecturer(s)

Eugénio Miguel de Sousa Rodrigues

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Research work: 25.0%
Exam: 75.0%

Bibliography

Clarke, J. A. (2001). “Energy simulation in building design”, second edition, Butterworth Heinemann, Great Britain.

Waltz, J. P. (2000). “Computerized Building Energy Simulation Handbook”, The Fairmont Press, Inc.

University of California (2007) “Getting Started with EnergyPlus - Essential Information You Need about Running EnergyPlus” (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energyplus/documentation.html).

Hand, J. W. (2006) The ESP-r: cookbook. (http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/)

Gaspar, A. R. (2004) Contribuição para o Estudo de Ambientes Térmicos Interiores – A Dimensão do Indivíduo e do Edifício: da Experimentação à Modelação. Dissertação para Doutoramento, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, 2004.

Decreto-Lei nº79/2006 de 4 de Abril – Aprova o Regulamento dos Sistemas Energéticos de Climatização em Edifícios (RSECE).

EnergyPlus Manuals

Jan L.M. Hensen, Roberto Lamberts (2011). “ Building Performance Simulation for Design and Operation“. Routledg