Search results for " Building simulation"

Building energy demand assessment through heating degree days: the importance of a climatic dataset

2019

Abstract The weather is one of the main factors to consider when designing a building because it represents the most important boundary condition to affect the dynamic behaviour of the building. In the literature, many studies use the degree day to predict building energy demand. However, linking the results obtained from a generic building simulation tool with defined degree days, will not give reliable energy evaluation. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that the assessment of building energy demand through the use of the degree day is correct only if the determination of the climate index is a function of the same weather data. The relationship between Heating Degree-Day and heati…

SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS FOR IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AND RESILIENCE OF SINGLE AND CLUSTERED GROUPS OF BUILD…

2021

Energy consumption in the building sector is responsible for 36% of the energy use worldwide (corresponding to 39% of the total energy-related CO2 emissions), while at the European level the building sector accounts for a share of the total energy consumption comprised between 25% and 40% (corresponding to about 35% of the overall CO2 emissions throughout Europe). Concerning the Italian context, instead, such figures stand at about 40% and 17.5% for the energy consumption and for the CO2 emissions, respectively. In light of this, much attention has been paid, at global, European and single countries (national) levels on the important aspects regarding the reduction of energy consumption and…

Dynamic thermal simulation of buildings: a case study to validate ESP-r software

2008

Energy aspects and environmental problems have a key role in the definition of building’s design, management and maintenance. The energy saving and the decrease of environmental impact throughout the life cycle assessment of buildings maintaining an high level of comfort are Key points for a modern and sustainable construction (total quality of the building). In fact, the building’s design has to be considered the result of a multi-objective problem. Furthermore the European Directive 2002/91/EC issues the sustainable themes on the energy performance of buildings [1], and include the energy certification of new buildings with effect from 2006

Redesign of a Rural Building in a Heritage Site in Italy: Towards the Net Zero Energy Target

2017

In order to achieve the ambitious objective of decarbonising the economy, it is mandatory, especially in Europe and in Italy, to include the retrofitting of existing buildings. In a country where a large share of existing buildings have heritage value, it is important to design effective retrofit solutions also in historical buildings. In this context, the paper describes the experience of re-design of an existing rural building located in Sicily, inside the ancient Greeks' “Valley of the Temples”. An energy audit was performed on the building, and its energy uses were thoroughly investigated. A building model was developed in the TRNSYS environment and its performances validated. The valid…

A criterion for the assessment of the reliability of ASHRAE conduction transfer function coefficients

2010

This paper presents a new mathematical approach, which, when applied to conduction transfer functions (CTFs) of a multi-layered wall, is able to predict the reliability of building simulations. This new procedure can be used to identify the best set of CTF coefficients, which are a critical point at the core of the ASHRAE calculation methodology founded on the transfer function method. To evaluate the performance of different CTF coefficient sets, the authors performed a large number of thermal simulations on the multi-layered walls included in the ASHRAE Handbook, volume fundamentals, and on other walls typical of Mediterranean building heritage. Those data were employed to test an algorit…

Is the transfer function method reliable in a European building context? A theoretical analysis and a case study in the South of Italy

2005

Abstract The available tools for dynamic simulation of the buildings thermal behaviour are manifold, and the most modern ones, known as TRNSYS, are founded upon the use of the Z-transform (ZT) set also called transfer function method (TFM). The transfer function method (TFM), recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), is one of the most modern tools available to solve heat transfer problems in building envelopes and environments. TFM utilises Z-transforms to solve the equation system that describes the heat transfer in a multi-layered wall. Due to an analogy with an electric circuit, it is possible to write the equation system in a mat…

Single thermal zone balance solved by Transfer Function Method

2005

We present an algorithm that uses the Z-transform operator to face the problem of heat transmission in a single thermal zone composed by multilayered walls. The method is very flexible and could be adopted to calculate the transfer function coefficients able to simulate the thermal behaviour of a room in free floating. Knowing the transfer function coefficients, it is possible to simulate the dynamic profile of each inner surfaces temperature and furthermore of the inner air temperature. The proposed algorithm is fully described granting maximum clarity. The explicitness of all steps of the calculus make possible the definition of a method that is able to vary all of the calculus parameters…

Assessing the effectiveness of green roofs in enhancing the energy and indoor comfort resilience of urban buildings to climate change: Methodology pr…

2021

Abstract The effects of climate change on the built environment represents an important research challenge. Today, green roofs (GRs) represent a viable solution for enhancing energy and urban resilience in the face of climate change, as they can have a positive impact on the building's indoor thermal comfort and energy demand, as well as inducing various environmental benefits (easing urban heat island effects, improving the management of runoff water, reducing air pollution, etc.). Thus, it is important to be able to assess their effectiveness, both today and under future climate conditions, in order to evaluate whether they can also provide a valid long-term solution. In this paper, a sim…

LA SIMULAZIONE TERMICA DEGLI EDIFICI IN REGIME DINAMICO: UN CASO STUDIO PER LA VALIDAZIONE DEL SOFTWARE ESP-R

2008

Simplified Energy Model and Multi-Objective Energy Consumption Optimization of a Residential House

2022

Featured Application: The potential application of the proposed model is a computationally inexpensive semi- or fully automated system for the optimization of operation in residential buildings in terms of energy consumption. Some analyses state that buildings contribute to overall energy consumption by 20–40%, which, in the context of the recent geopolitical energy crisis, makes them a critical issue to study. Finding solutions for better energy management in buildings can have a significant impact on the energy sector, thus reducing EU energy dependencies and contributing to the fulfillment of the REPowerEU goals. This paper focuses on proposing a simplified model of a residential house c…