TY - JOUR T1 - Culture, conformity, and carbon? A multi-country analysis of heating and cooling practices in office buildings JF - Energy Research & Social Science Y1 - 2020 A1 - Chen, Chien-fei A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - de Rubens, Gerardo Zarazua A1 - Yilmaz, Selin A1 - Bandurski, Karol A1 - Bélafi, Zsófia Deme A1 - De Simone, Marilena A1 - Bavaresco, Mateus Vinícius A1 - Wang, Yu A1 - Liu, Pei-ling A1 - Barthelmes, Verena M. A1 - Adams, Jacqueline A1 - D'Oca, Simona A1 - Przybylski, Łukasz AB -

This study investigates human-building interaction in office spaces across multiple countries including Brazil, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, the United States, and Taiwan. We analyze social-psychological, contextual, and demographic factors to explain cross-country differences in adaptive thermal actions (i.e. cooling and heating behaviors) and conformity to the norms of sharing indoor environmental control features, an indicator of energy consumption. Specifically, personal adjustments such as putting on extra clothes are generally preferred over technological solutions such as adjusting thermostats in reaction to thermal discomfort. Social-psychological factors including attitudes, perceived behavioral control, injunctive norms, and perceived impact of indoor environmental quality on work productivity influence occupants’ intention to conform to the norms of sharing environmental control features. Lastly, accessibility to environmental control features, office type, gender, and age are also important factors. These findings demonstrate the roles of social-psychological and certain contextual factors in occupants’
interactions with building design as well as their behavior of sharing environmental control features, both of which significantly influence building energy consumption, and thus, broader decarbonization.

VL - 61 JO - Energy Research & Social Science ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Ten questions on urban building energy modeling JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2020 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Chen, Yixing A1 - Luo, Xuan A1 - Luo, Na A1 - Lee, Sang Hoon AB -

Buildings in cities consume up to 70% of all primary energy. To achieve cities’ energy and climate goals, it is necessary to reduce energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions in buildings through energy conservation and efficiency improvements. Computational tools empowered with rich urban datasets can model performance of buildings at the urban scale to provide quantitative insights for stakeholders and inform their decision making on urban energy planning, as well as building energy retrofits at scale, to achieve efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of urban buildings.
Designing and operating urban buildings as a group (from a city block to a district to an entire city) rather than as single individuals requires simulation and optimization to account for interactions among buildings and between buildings and their surrounding urban environment, and for district energy systems serving multiple buildings with diverse thermal loads across space and time. When hundreds or more buildings are involved in typical urban building energy modeling (UBEM) to estimate annual energy demand, evaluate design or retrofit options, and quantify impacts of extreme weather events or climate change, it is crucial to integrate urban datasets and UBEM tools in a seamless automatic workflow with cloud or high-performance computing for users including urban planners, designers and researchers.
This paper presents ten questions that highlight significant UBEM research and applications. The proposed answers aim to stimulate discussion and provide insights into the current and future research on UBEM, and more importantly, to inspire new and important questions from young researchers in the field.

VL - 168 JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Assessing the Potential to Reduce U.S. Building CO2 Emissions 80% by 2050 JF - Joule Y1 - 2019 A1 - Jared Langevin A1 - Chioke B. Harris A1 - Janet L. Reyna KW - Building energy efficiency KW - decarbonization KW - electrification KW - emissions KW - energy models KW - energy policy analysis KW - national climate goals KW - pathways building stock AB -

Buildings are responsible for 36% of CO2 emissions in the United States and will thus be integral to climate change mitigation; yet, no studies have comprehensively assessed the potential long-term CO2 emissions reductions from the U.S. buildings sector against national goals in a way that can be regularly updated in the future. We use Scout, a reproducible and granular model of U.S. building energy use, to investigate the potential for the U.S. buildings sector to reduce CO2 emissions 80% by 2050, consistent with the U.S. Mid-Century Strategy. We find that a combination of aggressive efficiency measures, electrification, and high renewable energy penetration can reduce CO2 emissions by 72%–78% relative to 2005 levels, just short of the target. Results are sufficiently disaggregated by technology and end use to inform targeted building energy policy approaches and establish a foundation for continual reassessment of technology development pathways that drive significant long-term emissions reductions.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of occupant-behavior-based indoor air quality and its impacts on human exposure risk: A case study based on the wildfires in Northern California JF - Science of The Total Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Luo, Na A1 - Weng, Wenguo A1 - Xu, Xiaoyu A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Fu, Ming A1 - Sun, Kaiyu KW - computational fluid dynamics siumlation KW - human exposure risk KW - indoor air quality KW - NAPA wildfire KW - occupant behavior KW - respiratory injury AB -

The recent wildfires in California, U.S., have caused not only significant losses to human life and property, but also serious environmental and health issues. Ambient air pollution from combustion during the fires could increase indoor exposure risks to toxic gases and particles, further exacerbating respiratory conditions. This work aims at addressing existing knowledge gaps in understanding how indoor air quality is affected by outdoor air pollutants during wildfires—by taking into account occupant behaviors (e.g., movement, operation of windows and air-conditioning) which strongly influence building performance and occupant comfort. A novel modeling framework was developed to simulate the indoor exposure risks considering the impact of occupant behaviours by integrating building energy and occupant behaviour modeling with computational fluid dynamics simulation. Occupant behaviors were found to exert significant impacts on indoor air flow patterns and pollutant concentrations, based on which, certain behaviors are recommended during wildfires. Further, the actual respiratory injury level under such outdoor conditions was predicted. The modeling framework and the findings enable a deeper understanding of the actual health impacts of wildfires, as well as informing strategies for mitigating occupant health risk during wildfires

VL - 686 JO - Science of The Total Environment ER - TY - CONF T1 - Comparison of MPC Formulations for Building Control under Commercial Time-of-Use Tariffs T2 - IEEE PowerTech Milan 2019 Y1 - 2019 A1 - Olivier Van Cutsem A1 - Maher Kayal A1 - David Blum A1 - Marco Pritoni KW - commercial building KW - demand charge KW - Model predictive control (MPC) KW - peak demand KW - time-of-use tarrif AB -

Most medium and large commercial buildings in the U.S. are subject to complex electricity tariffs that combine both Time-of-Use (TOU) energy and demand charges. This study analyses the performances of different economic Model Predictive Control (MPC) formulations, from the standpoints of monthly bill reduction, load shifting, and peak demand reduction. Simulations are performed on many simplified commercial building models, with multiple TOU demand charges, and under various summer conditions. Results show that compared to energy-only MPC, the traditional method for dealing with demand charges significantly
reduces peak demand and owner bill, however, highlight a lack of load shifting capability. A proposed incremental approach
is presented, which better balances the bill components in the objective function. In the case study presented, this method
can improve monthly bill savings and increase load shifting during demand response events, while keeping a similarly low
peak demand, compared to traditional MPC methods taking into account demand charges.

JF - IEEE PowerTech Milan 2019 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Cross-source sensing data fusion for building occupancy prediction with adaptive lasso feature filtering JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Wang, Wei A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xu, Ning A1 - Xu, Xiaodong A1 - Chen, Jiayu A1 - Shan, Xiaofang KW - data fusion KW - Feature selection KW - Machine learning KW - occupancy prediction KW - Physics-based model AB -

Fusing various sensing data sources can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of building occupancy detection. Fusing environmental sensors and wireless network signals are seldom studied for its computational and technical complexity. This study aims to propose an integrated adaptive lasso model that is able to extract critical data features for environmental and Wi-Fi probe dual sensing sources. Through rapid feature extraction and process simplification, the proposed method aims to improve the computational efficiency of occupancy detecting models. To validate the proposed model, an onsite experiment was conducted to examine two occupancy data resolutions, (real-time and four-level occupancy resolutions). The results suggested that, among all twelve features, eight features are most relevant. The mean absolute error of the real-time occupancy can be reduced to 2.18 and F1_accuracy is about 84.36% for the four-level occupancy.

VL - 162 JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Data fusion in predicting internal heat gains for office buildings through a deep learning approach JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - Zhe Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette KW - data fusion KW - deep learning KW - Internal heat gains KW - Miscellaneous electric loads KW - Occupant count KW - Predictive control AB -

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is a major energy consumer in buildings. The predictive control has demonstrated a potential to reduce HVAC energy use. To facilitate predictive HVAC control, internal heat gains prediction is required. In this study, we applied Long Short-Term Memory Networks, a special form of deep neural network, to predict miscellaneous electric loads, lighting loads, occupant counts and internal heat gains in two United States office buildings. Compared with the predetermined schedules used in American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 90.1, the Long Short-Term Memory Networks method could reduce the prediction errors of internal heat gains from 12% to 8% in Building A, and from 26% to 16% in Building B. It was also found that for internal heat gains prediction, miscellaneous electric loads is a more important feature than occupant counts for two reasons. First, miscellaneous electric loads is the best proxy variable for internal heat gains, as it is the major component of and has the highest correlation coefficient with the internal heat gains. Second, miscellaneous electric loads contain valuable information to predict occupant count, while occupant count could not help improve miscellaneous electric loads prediction. These findings could help researchers and practitioners select the most relevant features to more accurately predict internal heat gains for the implementation of predictive HVAC control in buildings.

VL - 240 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306261919303630 JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Development of city buildings dataset for urban building energy modeling JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2019 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Barry Hooper KW - City building dataset KW - CityGML KW - Data mapping KW - Data standards KW - Urban Building Energy Modeling AB -

Urban building energy modeling (UBEM) is becoming a proven tool to support energy efficiency programs for buildings in cities. Development of a city-scale dataset of the existing building stock is a critical step of UBEM to automatically generate energy models of urban buildings and simulate their performance. This study introduces data needs, data standards, and data sources to develop city building datasets for UBEM. First, a literature review of data needs for UBEM was conducted. Then, the capabilities of the current data standards for city building datasets were reviewed. Moreover, the existing public data sources from several pioneer cites were studied to evaluate whether they are adequate to support UBEM. The results show that most cities have adequate public data to support UBEM; however, the data are represented in different formats without standardization, and there is a lack of common keys to make the data mapping easier. Finally, a case study is presented to integrate the diverse data sources from multiple city departments of San Francisco. The data mapping process is introduced and discussed. It is recommended to use the unique building identifiers as the common keys in the data sources to simplify the data mapping process. The integration methods and workflow are applied to other U.S. cities for developing the city-scale datasets of their existing building stock, including San Jose, Los Angeles, and Boston.

VL - 183 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378778818316852https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0378778818316852?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0378778818316852?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Forecasting district-scale energy dynamics through integrating building network and long short-term memory learning algorithm JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xiaodong Xu A1 - Jiayu Chen A1 - Ziang Liu A1 - Ning Xu KW - Building Energy Modeling KW - Building network KW - Data-driven prediction KW - District-scale KW - Long short-term memory networks AB -

With the development of data-driven techniques, district-scale building energy prediction has attracted increasing attention in recent years for revealing energy use patterns and reduction potentials. However, data acquisition in large building groups is difficult and adjacent buildings also interact with each other. To reduce data cost and incorporate the inter-building impact with the data-driven building energy model, this study proposes a deep learning predictive approach that fuses the building network model with a long short-term memory learning model for district-scale building energy modeling. The building network was constructed based on correlations between the energy use intensity of buildings, which can significantly reduce the computational complexity of the deep learning models for energy dynamic prediction. Five typical building groups with energy use data from 2015 to 2018 on two institutional campuses were selected to perform the validation experiment with TensorFlow. Based on the prediction error assessments, the results suggest that for total building energy use intensity prediction, the proposed model can achieve a mean absolute percentage error of 6.66% and a root mean square error of 0.36 kWh/m2, compared to 12.05% and 0.63 kWh/m2 of the conventional artificial neural network model and to 11.06% and 0.89 kWh/m2 for the support vector regression model.

VL - 248 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306261919307494 JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Incorporating machine learning with building network analysis to predict multi-building energy use JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2019 A1 - Xiaodong Xu A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Jiayu Chen KW - Artificial neural networks KW - Building network KW - cold winter and hot summer climate KW - Energy use prediction KW - Machine learning AB -

Predicting multi-building energy use at campus or city district scale has recently gained more attention; and more researchers have started to define reference buildings and study inter-impact between building groups. However, how to integrate the relationship to define reference buildings and predict multi-building energy use, using significantly less amount of building data and reducing complexity of prediction models, remains an open research question. To resolve this, this study proposed a novel method to predict multi-building energy use by integrating a social network analysis (SNA) with an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique. The SNA method was used to establish a building network (BN) by identifying reference buildings and determine correlations between reference buildings and non-reference buildings. The ANN technique was applied to learn correlations and historical building energy use, and then used to predict multi-building energy use. To validate the SNA-ANN method, 17 buildings in the Southeast University campus, located in Nanjing, China, were studied. These buildings have three years of actual monthly electricity use data and were grouped into four types: office, educational, laboratory, and residential. The results showed the integrated SNA-ANN method achieved average prediction accuracies of 90.67% for the office group, 90.79% for the educational group, 92.34% for the laboratory group, and 83.32% for the residential group. The results demonstrated the proposed SNA-ANN method achieved an accuracy of 90.28% for the predicted energy use for all building groups. Finally, this study provides insights into advancing the interdisciplinary research on multi-building energy use prediction.

VL - 186 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378778818319765 JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Inferring occupant counts from Wi-Fi data in buildings through machine learning JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Zhe Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Marco Pritoni KW - Building control KW - Machine learning KW - Occupancy estimation KW - Occupant count KW - Random forest KW - Wi-Fi data AB -

An important approach to curtail building energy consumption is to optimize building control based on occupancy information. Various studies proposed to estimate occupant counts through different approaches and sensors. However, high cost and privacy concerns remain as major barriers, restricting the practice of occupant count detection. In this study, we propose a novel method utilizing data from widely deployed Wi-Fi infrastructure to infer occupant counts through machine learning. Compared with the current indirect measurement methods, our method improves the performance of estimating people count: (1) we avoid privacy concerns by anonymizing and reshuffling the MAC addresses on a daily basis; (2) we adopted a heuristic feature engineer approach to cluster connected devices into different types based on their daily connection duration. We tested the method in an office building located in California. In an area with an average occupancy of 22–27 people and a peak occupancy of 48–74 people, the root square mean error on the test set is less than four people. The error is within two people counts for more than 70% of estimations, and less than six counts for more than 90% of estimations, indicating a relatively high accuracy. The major contribution of this study is proposing a novel and accurate approach to detect occupant counts in a non-intrusive way, i.e., utilizing existing Wi-Fi infrastructure in buildings without requiring the installation of extra hardware or sensors. The method we proposed is generic and could be applied to other commercial buildings to infer occupant counts for energy efficient building control.

VL - 158 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360132319303336 JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Integrating physics-based models with sensor data: An inverse modeling approach JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Sang Hoon Lee KW - building performance simulation KW - energyplus KW - infiltration KW - internal thermal mass KW - inverse model KW - sensor data AB -

Physics-based building energy models (e.g., EnergyPlus) rely on some unknown input parameters (e.g., zone air infiltration) that are hard to measure, leading to uncertainty in simulation results especially for existing buildings with varying operating conditions. With the increasing deployment of smart thermostats, zone air temperature data are readily available, posing a new opportunity for building energy modeling if such data can be harnessed. This study presents a novel inverse modeling approach which inverses the zone air heat balance equation and uses the measured zone air temperature to analytically calculate the zone air infiltration rate and zone internal thermal mass (e.g., furniture, interior partitions), which are two important model parameters with great variability and difficult to measure. This paper introduces the technical concept and algorithms of the inverse models, their implementation in EnergyPlus, and verification using EnergyPlus simulated building performance data. The inverse modeling approach provides new opportunities for integrating data from massive IoT sensors and devices to enhance the accuracy of simulation results which are used to inform decision making on energy retrofits and efficiency improvements of existing buildings.

VL - 154 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S036013231930160X JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An inverse approach to solving zone air infiltration rate and people count using indoor environmental sensor data JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2019 A1 - Li, Han A1 - Hong, Tianzhen A1 - Sofos, Marina KW - energyplus KW - infiltration KW - Inverse problems KW - people count KW - sensor data KW - zone air parameters AB -

Physics-based simulation of energy use in buildings is widely used in building design and performance rating, controls design and operations. However, various challenges exist in the modeling process. Model parameters such as people count and air infiltration rate are usually highly uncertain, yet they have significant impacts on the simulation accuracy. With the increasing availability and affordability of sensors and meters in buildings, a large amount of measured data has been collected including indoor environmental parameters, such as room air dry-bulb temperature, humidity ratio, and CO2 concentration levels. Fusing these sensor data with traditional energy modeling poses new opportunities to improve simulation accuracy. This study develops a set of physics-based inverse algorithms which can solve the highly uncertain and hard-to-measure building parameters such as zone-level people count and air infiltration rate. A simulation-based case study is conducted to verify the inverse algorithms implemented in EnergyPlus covering various sensor measurement scenarios and different modeling use cases. The developed inverse models can solve the zone people count and air infiltration at sub-hourly resolution using the measured zone air temperature, humidity and/or CO2 concentration given other easy-to-measure model parameters are known.

VL - 198 JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Learning occupants’ indoor comfort temperature through a Bayesian inference approach for office buildings in United States JF - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Y1 - 2019 A1 - Wang, Zhe A1 - Hong, Tianzhen AB -

A carefully chosen indoor comfort temperature as the thermostat set-point is the key to optimizing building energy use and occupants’ comfort and well-being. ASHRAE Standard 55 or ISO Standard 7730 uses the PMV-PPD model or the adaptive comfort model that is based on small-sized or outdated sample data, which raises questions on whether and how ranges of occupant thermal comfort temperature should be revised using more recent larger-sized dataset. In this paper, a Bayesian inference approach has been used to derive new occupant comfort temperature ranges for U.S. office buildings using the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database. Bayesian inference can express uncertainty and incorporate prior knowledge. The comfort temperatures were found to be higher and less variable at cooling mode than at heating mode, and with significant overlapped variation ranges between the two modes. The comfort operative temperature of occupants varies between 21.9 and 25.4°C for the cooling mode with a median of 23.7°C, and between 20.5 and 24.9°C for the heating mode with a median of 22.7°C. These comfort temperature ranges are similar to the current ASHRAE standard 55 in the heating mode but 2-3°C lower in the cooling mode. The results of this study could be adopted as more realistic thermostat set-points in building design, operation, control optimization, energy performance analysis, and policymaking.

JO - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Linking energy-cyber-physical systems with occupancy prediction and interpretation through WiFi probe-based ensemble classification JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Nan Li A1 - Ryan Qi Wang A1 - Jiayu Chen KW - Building occupancy KW - Energy-Cyber-Physical Systems KW - ensemble algorithm KW - Wi-Fi probe technology AB -

With rapid advances in sensing and digital technologies, cyber-physical systems are regarded as the most prominent platforms to improve building design and management. Researchers investigated the possibility of integrating energy management system with cyber-physical systems as energy-cyber-physical systems to promote building energy management. However, minimizing energy consumption while fulfilling building functions for energy-cyber-physical systems is challenging due to the dynamics of building occupants. As occupant behavior is one major source of uncertainties for energy management, ignoring it often results in energy wastes caused by overheating and overcooling as well as discomfort due to insufficient thermal and ventilation services. To mitigate such uncertainties, this study proposed an occupancy linked energy-cyber-physical system that incorporates WiFi probe-based occupancy detection. The proposed framework utilized ensemble classification algorithms to extract three types of occupancy information. It creates a data interface to link energy management system and cyber-physical systems and allows automated occupancy detection and interpretation through assembling multiple weak classifiers for WiFi signals. A validation experiment in a large office room was conducted to examine the performance of the proposed occupancy linked energy-cyber-physical systems. The experiment and simulation results suggest that, with a proper classifier and occupancy type, the proposed model can potentially save about 26.4% of energy consumption from the cooling and ventilation demands.

VL - 236 JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A novel approach for selecting typical hot-year (THY) weather data JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - Siyue Guo A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Chan Xiao A1 - Ying Cui KW - Actual weather data KW - dest KW - Heat wave KW - Multiyear simulation KW - Residential indoor thermal environment KW - Typical hot year AB -

The global climate change has resulted in not only warmer climate conditions but also more frequent extreme weather events, such as heat waves. However, the impact of heat waves on the indoor environment has been investigated in a limited manner. In this research, the indoor thermal environment is analyzed using a building performance simulation tool for a typical residential building in multiple cities in China, over a time period of 60 years using actual measured weather data, in order to gain a better understanding of the effect of heat wave events. The simulation results were used to analyze the indoor environment during hot summers. A new kind of weather data referred to as the typical hot year was defined and selected based on the simulated indoor environment during heat waves. The typical hot-year weather data can be used to simulate the indoor environment during extreme heat events and for the evaluation of effective technologies and strategies to mitigate against the impact of heat waves on the energy demand of buildings and human health. The limitations of the current study and future work are also discussed.

VL - 242 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306261919304659 JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - Generic T1 - OPEN COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SHARING DATA ANALYTICS TO SUPPORT BUILDING ENERGY SIMULATIONS Y1 - 2019 A1 - Omer T. Karaguzel A1 - Mohammed Elshambakey A1 - Yimin Zhu A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

Building energy simulation plays an increasingly important role in building design and operation. In this paper, we present an open computing infrastructure, Virtual Information Fabric Infrastructure (VIFI), that allows building designers and engineers to enhance their simulations by combining empirical data with diagnostic or prognostic models. Based on the idea of dynamic data-driven application systems (DDDAS), the VIFI infrastructure complements conventional data-centric sharing strategies and addresses key data sharing concerns such as the privacy of building occupants. To demonstrate the potential of the VIFI infrastructure, we simulate an empirically-derived lighting schedule in the U.S. Department of Energy's small office building reference model. We use the case study simulation to explore the possibility and potential of integrating data-centric and analytic-centric sharing strategies; the method of combining empirical data with simulations; the creation, sharing, and execution of analytics using VIFI; and the impact of incorporating empirical data on energy simulations. While the case study reveals clear advantages of the VIFI data infrastructure, research questions remain surrounding the motivation and benefits for sharing data, the metadata that are required to support the composition of analytics, and the performance metrics that could be used in assessing the applications of VIFI.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Performance-driven optimization of urban open space configuration in the cold-winter and hot-summer region of China JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2019 A1 - Xiaodong Xu A1 - Yifan Wu A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Ning Xu AB -

Urbanization has led to changes in urban morphology and climate, while urban open space has become an important ecological factor for evaluating the performance of urban development. This study presents an optimization approach using computational performance simulation. With a genetic algorithm using the Grasshopper tool, this study analyzed the layout and configuration of urban open space and its impact on the urban micro-climate under summer and winter conditions. The outdoor mean Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was applied as the performance indicator for evaluating the quality of the urban micro-climate. Two cases—one testbed and one real urban block in Nanjing, China—were used to validate the computer-aided simulation process. The optimization results in the testbed showed UTCI values varied from 36.5 to 37.3 °C in summer and from −4.9 to −1.9 °C in winter. In the case of the real urban block, optimization results show, for summer, although the average UTCI value increased by 0.6 °C, the average air velocity increased by 0.2 m/s; while in winter, the average UTCI value increased by 1.7 °C and the average air velocity decreased by 0.2 m/s. These results demonstrate that the proposed computer-aided optimization process can improve the thermal comfort conditions of open space in urban blocks. Finally, this study discusses strategies and guidelines for the layout design of urban open space to improve urban environment comfort.

VL - 12 UR - http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-zhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z/fulltext.html IS - 3 JO - Build. Simul. ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Practical factors of envelope model setup and their effects on the performance of model predictive control for building heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - David Blum A1 - K. Arendt A1 - Lisa Rivalin A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - C.T. Veje KW - building simulation KW - hvac KW - Model predictive control KW - System identification AB -

Model predictive control (MPC) for buildings is attracting significant attention in research and industry due to its potential to address a number of challenges facing the building industry, including energy cost reduction, grid integration, and occupant connectivity. However, the strategy has not yet been implemented at any scale, largely due to the significant effort required to configure and calibrate the model used in the MPC controller. While many studies have focused on methods to expedite model configuration and improve model accuracy, few have studied the impact a wide range of factors have on the accuracy of the resulting model. In addition, few have continued on to analyze these factors' impact on MPC controller performance in terms of final operating costs. Therefore, this study first identifies the practical factors affecting model setup, specifically focusing on the thermal envelope. The seven that are identified are building design, model structure, model order, data set, data quality, identification algorithm and initial guesses, and software tool-chain. Then, through a large number of trials, it analyzes each factor's influence on model accuracy, focusing on grey-box models for a single zone building envelope. Finally, this study implements a subset of the models identified with these factor variations in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning MPC controllers, and tests them in simulation of a representative case that aims to optimally cool a single-zone building with time-varying electricity prices. It is found that a difference of up to 20% in cooling cost for the cases studied can occur between the best performing model and the worst performing model. The primary factors attributing to this were model structure and initial parameter guesses during parameter estimation of the model.

VL - 236 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306261918318099https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0306261918318099?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0306261918318099?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Predicting plug loads with occupant count data through a deep learning approach JF - Energy Y1 - 2019 A1 - Zhe Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette KW - deep learning KW - Long short term memory network KW - Occupant count KW - Plug loads KW - prediction KW - Predictive control AB -

Predictive control has gained increasing attention for its ability to reduce energy consumption and improve occupant comfort in buildings. The plug loads prediction is a key component for the predictive building controls, as plug loads is a major source of internal heat gains in buildings. This study proposed a novel method to apply the Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) Network, a special form of Recurrent Neural Network, to predict plug loads. The occupant count and the time have been confirmed to drive the plug load profile and thus selected as the features for the plug load prediction. The LSTM network was trained and tested with ground truth occupant count data collected from a real office building in Berkeley, California. Results from the LSTM network markedly improve the prediction accuracy compared with traditional linear regression methods and the classical Artificial Neural Network. 95% of 1-h predictions from LSTM network are within ±1 kW of the actual plug loads, given the average plug loads during the office hour is 8.6 kW. The CV(RMSE) of the predicted plug load is 11% for the next hour, and 20% for the next 8 h. Lastly, we compared four prediction approaches with the office building we monitored: LSTM vs. ARIMA, with occupant counts vs. without occupant counts. It was found, the prediction error of the LSTM approach is around 4% less than the ARIMA approach. Using occupant counts as an exogenous input could further reduce the prediction error by 5%–6%. The findings of this paper could shed light on the plug load prediction for building control optimizations such as model-predictive control.

VL - 181 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360544219310205 JO - Energy ER - TY - CONF T1 - Prototyping the BOPTEST Framework for Simulation-Based Testing of Advanced Control Strategies in Buildings T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2019 Y1 - 2019 A1 - David Blum A1 - Filip Jorissen A1 - Sen Huang A1 - Yan Chen A1 - Javier Arroyo A1 - Kyle Benne A1 - Yanfei Li A1 - Valentin Gavan A1 - Lisa Rivalin A1 - Lieve Helsen A1 - Draguna Vrabie A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Marina Sofos KW - benchmarking KW - building simulation KW - Model predictive control KW - software development AB -

Advanced control strategies are becoming increasingly necessary in buildings in order to meet and balance requirements for energy efficiency, demand flexibility, and occupant comfort. Additional development and widespread adoption of emerging control strategies, however, ultimately require low implementation costs to reduce payback period and verified performance to gain control vendor, building owner, and operator trust. This is difficult in an already first-cost driven and risk-averse industry. Recent innovations in building simulation can significantly aid in meeting these requirements and spurring innovation at early stages of development by evaluating performance, comparing state-of-the-art to new strategies, providing installation experience, and testing controller implementations. This paper presents the development of a simulation framework consisting of test cases and software platform for the testing of advanced control strategies (BOPTEST - Building Optimization Performance Test). The objectives and requirements of the framework, components of a test case, and proposed software platform architecture are described, and the framework is demonstrated with a prototype implementation and example test case.

JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2019 CY - Rome, Italy ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Quayside Energy Systems Analysis Y1 - 2019 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jianjun Hu KW - District Heating and cooling KW - modelica U2 - LBNL 2001197 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Revealing Urban Morphology and Outdoor Comfort through Genetic Algorithm-Driven Urban Block Design in Dry and Hot Regions of China JF - Sustainability Y1 - 2019 A1 - Xu, Xiaodong A1 - Yin, Chenhuan A1 - Wang, Wei A1 - Xu, Ning A1 - Hong, Tianzhen A1 - Li, Qi KW - dry and hot areas; outdoor thermal comfort; urban morphology; urban performance simulation; genetic algorithm-driven AB -

In areas with a dry and hot climate, factors such as strong solar radiation, high temperature, low humidity, dazzling light, and dust storms can tremendously reduce people’s thermal comfort. Therefore, researchers are paying more attention to outdoor thermal comfort in urban environments as part of urban design. This study proposed an automatic workflow to optimize urban spatial forms with the aim of improvement of outdoor thermal comfort conditions, characterized by the universal thermal climate index (UTCI). A city with a dry and hot climate—Kashgar, China—is further selected as an actual case study of an urban block and Rhino & Grasshopper is the platform used to conduct simulation and optimization process with the genetic algorithm. Results showed that in summer, the proposed method can reduce the averaged UTCI from 31.17 to 27.43 °C, a decrease of about 3.74 °C, and reduce mean radiation temperature (MRT) from 43.94 to 41.29 °C, a decrease of about 2.65 °C.

VL - 11 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/13/3683https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/13/3683/pdf IS - 13 JO - Sustainability ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Squeaky wheel: Machine learning for anomaly detection in subjective thermal comfort votes JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Zhe Wang A1 - Thomas Parkinson A1 - Peixian Li A1 - Borong Lin A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - anomaly detection KW - ASHRAE global thermal comfort database KW - K-nearest neighbors KW - Multivariate Gaussian KW - Occupancy responsive controls KW - Subjective votes KW - thermal comfort AB -

Anomalous patterns in subjective votes can bias thermal comfort models built using data-driven approaches. A stochastic-based two-step framework to detect outliers in subjective thermal comfort data is proposed to address this problem. The anomaly detection technique involves defining similar conditions using a k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) method and then quantifying the dissimilarity of the occupants' votes from their peers under similar thermal conditions through a Multivariate Gaussian approach. This framework is used to detect outliers in the ASHRAE Global Thermal Comfort Database I & II. The resulting anomaly-free dataset produced more robust comfort models avoiding dubious predictions. The proposed method has been proven to effectively distinguish outliers from inter-individual variabilities in thermal demand. The proposed anomaly detection framework could easily be applied to other applications with different variables or subjective metrics. Such a tool holds great promise for use in the development of occupancy responsive controls for automated building HVAC systems.

VL - 151 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360132319300861 JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Validation of an inverse model of zone air heat balance JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2019 A1 - Lee, Sang Hoon A1 - Hong, Tianzhen KW - Energy simulation KW - energyplus KW - infiltration KW - internal thermal mass KW - inverse model KW - sensor data AB -

This paper presents the validation method and results of an inverse model of zone air heat balance. The inverse model, implemented in EnergyPlus and published in a previous article [1], calculates highly uncertain model parameters such as internal thermal mass and infiltration airflow by inversely solving the zone air heat balance equation using the easy-to-measure zone air temperature data. The paper provides technical details of validation from the experiments using LBNL’s Facility for Low Energy eXperiment in Buildings (FLEXLAB) that measures zone air temperature under the controlled experiment of two levels of internal mass and four levels of infiltration airflow. The simulation results of the zone infiltration airflow and internal thermal mass from the inverse model agree well with the measured data from the FLEXLAB experiments. The validated inverse model in EnergyPlus can be used to enhance the energy modeling of existing buildings that enables energy performance assessments for energy efficiency improvements.

VL - 161 JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Bidirectional low temperature district energy systems with agent-based control: Performance comparison and operation optimization JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2018 A1 - Felix Bunning A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Marcus Fuchs A1 - Dirk Muller VL - 209 U2 - 2001090 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Simulation: Ten Challenges JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2018 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Jared Langevin A1 - Kaiyu Sun KW - building energy use KW - building life cycle KW - building performance simulation KW - energy efficiency KW - energy modeling KW - zero-net-energy buildings AB -

Buildings consume more than one-third of the world’s primary energy. Reducing energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions in the buildings sector through energy conservation and efficiency improvements constitutes a key strategy for achieving global energy and environmental goals. Building performance simulation has been increasingly used as a tool for designing, operating and retrofitting buildings to save energy and utility costs. However, opportunities remain for researchers, software developers, practitioners and policymakers to maximize the value of building performance simulation in the design and operation of low energy buildings and communities that leverage interdisciplinary approaches to integrate humans, buildings, and the power grid at a large scale. This paper presents ten challenges that highlight some of the most important issues in building performance simulation, covering the full building life cycle and a wide range of modeling scales. The formulation and discussion of each challenge aims to provide insights into the state-of-the-art and future research opportunities for each topic, and to inspire new questions from young researchers in this field.

VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Buildings.Occupants: a Modelica package for modelling occupant behaviour in buildings JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2018 A1 - Zhe Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Ruoxi Jia KW - modelica KW - Modelica Buildings Library KW - Modelica Occupants Package KW - Occupant Behaviour KW - Occupant behaviour modelling AB -

Energy-related occupant behaviour is crucial to design and operation of energy and control systems in buildings. Occupant behaviours are often oversimplified as static schedules or settings in building performance simulation ignoring their stochastic nature. The continuous and dynamic interaction between occupants and building systems motivates their simultaneous simulation in an efficient manner. In the past, simultaneous simulation has relied on co-simulation approaches or customized source code changes to building simulation programmes. This paper presents Buildings. Occupants, an open-source package implemented in Modelica, for the simulation of occupant behaviours of lighting, windows, blinds, heating and air conditioning systems in office and residential buildings. Examples were presented to illustrate how the models in the Occupants package are capable to simulate stochastic occupant behaviours. The major contribution of this work is to introduce the equation-based modelling approach to simulate occupant behaviours in buildings and to develop an open-source Occupants package in the Modelica language

UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19401493.2018.1543352https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19401493.2018.1543352 JO - Journal of Building Performance Simulation ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Clustering and statistical analyses of air-conditioning intensity and use patterns in residential buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - Jingjing An A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - AC usage benchmarking KW - Air-conditioning KW - Clustering analysis KW - KPIs KW - residential building KW - Use pattern AB -

Energy conservation in residential buildings has gained increased attention due to its large portion of global energy use and potential of energy savings. Occupant behavior has been recognized as a key factor influencing the energy use and load diversity in buildings, therefore more realistic and accurate air-conditioning (AC) operating schedules are imperative for load estimation in equipment design and operation optimization. With the development of sensor technology, it became easier to access an increasing amount of heating/cooling data from thermal energy metering systems in residential buildings, which provides another possible way to understand building energy usage and occupant behaviors. However, except for cooling energy consumption benchmarking, there currently lacks effective and easy approaches to analyze AC usage and provide actionable insights for occupants. To fill this gap, this study proposes clustering analysis to identify AC use patterns of residential buildings, and develops new key performance indicators (KPIs) and data analytics to explore the AC operation characteristics using the long-term metered cooling energy use data, which is of great importance for inhabitants to understand their thermal energy use and save energy cost through adjustment of their AC use behavior. We demonstrate the proposed approaches in a residential district comprising 300 apartments, located in Zhengzhou, China. Main outcomes include: Representative AC use patterns are developed for three room types of residential buildings in the cold climate zone of China, which can be used as more realistic AC schedules to improve accuracy of energy simulation; Distributions of KPIs on household cooling energy usage are established, which can be used for household AC use intensity benchmarking and performance diagnoses.

VL - 174 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378778818307199https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0378778818307199?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0378778818307199?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparative Study of Air-Conditioning Energy Use of Four Office Buildings in China and USA JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Da Yan A1 - Jingjing An A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xing Shi A1 - Xing Jin KW - Building envelope KW - climate KW - energy consumption KW - occupant behavior KW - office buildings KW - technological choice AB -

Energy use in buildings has great variability. In order to design and operate low energy buildings as well as to establish building energy codes and standards and effective energy policy, it is crucial to understand and quantify key factors influencing building energy performance. This study investigates air-conditioning (AC) energy use of four office buildings in four locations: Beijing, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Berkeley. Building simulation was employed to quantify the influences of key factors, including climate, building envelope and occupant behavior. Through simulation of various combinations of the three influencing elements, it is found that climate can lead to AC cooling consumption differences by almost two times, while occupant behavior resulted in the greatest differences (of up to three times) in AC cooling consumption. The influence of occupant behavior on AC energy consumption is not homogeneous. Under similar climates, when the occupant behavior in the building differed, the optimized building envelope design also differed. Overall, the optimal building envelope should be determined according to the climate as well as the occupants who use the building.

VL - 169 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Control Description Language T2 - 1st American Modelica Conference Y1 - 2018 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Milica Grahovac A1 - Jianjun Hu KW - buildings KW - controls KW - hvac AB -

Properly designed and implemented building control sequences can significantly reduce energy consumption. However, there is currently no process with supporting tools that allows the assessment of the performance of different control sequences, export the control sequences in a vendor-neutral format for cost estimation and for implementation on a building automation system through machine-to-machine translation, and reuse the sequences for verification during commissioning.

This paper describes a Control Description Language (CDL) that we developed to create such a process. For CDL, we selected a subset of Modelica that allows a convenient representation of control sequences, simulation of the control sequence coupled to a building energy model, and development of translators from CDL to building automation systems. To aid in the development of such translators, we created a translator from CDL to a JSON intermediate format. In future work, we seek to work with building control providers to develop translators from CDL to commercial building automation systems.

Through a case study, we show that CDL suffices for simulation-based performance assessment of two ASHRAE-published control sequences for a variable air volume flow system of an office building. Moreover, the case study showed that merely due to differences in the control sequences, annual HVAC energy use was reduced by 30%. This difference is larger than the accuracy required when comparing different HVAC systems, thereby questioning the current practice of idealizing control sequences in building energy simulations, and demonstrating the importance of ensuring that the control sequence used during design simulations corresponds to the control sequence that will be implemented in the real building

JF - 1st American Modelica Conference UR - https://simulationresearch.lbl.gov/wetter/download/2018-americanModelica-WetterGrahovacHu.pdf U2 - LBNL-2001219 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A critical review on questionnaire surveys in the field of energy-related occupant behaviour JF - Energy Efficiency Y1 - 2018 A1 - Zsofia Belafi A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Andras Reith KW - behaviour modeling KW - energy efficiency KW - Energy use in buildings KW - occupant behavior KW - questionnaire survey AB -

Occupants perform various actions to satisfy their physical and non-physical needs in buildings. These actions greatly affect building operations and thus energy use. Clearly understanding and accurately modelling occupant behaviour in buildings are crucial to guide energy-efficient building design and operation, and to reduce the gap between design and actual energy performance of buildings. To study and understand occupant behaviour, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey is one of the most useful tools to gain insights on general behaviour patterns and drivers, and to find connections between human, social and local comfort parameters. In this study, 33 projects were reviewed from the energy-related occupant behaviour research literature that employed cross-sectional surveys or interviews for data collection from the perspective of findings, limitations and methodological challenges. This research shows that future surveys are needed to bridge the gaps in literature but they would need to encompass a multidisciplinary approach to do so as until now only environmental and engineering factors were considered in these studies. Insights from social practice theories and techniques must be acquired to deploy robust and unbiased questionnaire results, which will provide new, more comprehensive knowledge in the field, and therefore occupant behaviour could be better understood and represented in building performance simulation to support design and operation of low or net-zero energy buildings.

UR - http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12053-018-9711-zhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-018-9711-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12053-018-9711-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12053-018-9711-z/fulltext.html JO - Energy Efficiency ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Efficient modeling of optically-complex, non-coplanar exterior shading: Validation of matrix algebraic methods JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - Taoning Wang A1 - Gregory Ward A1 - Eleanor S. Lee KW - bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) KW - daylighting KW - exterior shading KW - solar heat gains KW - validation; building energy simulation tools KW - windows. AB -

It has long been established that shading windows with overhangs, fins, and other types of non-coplanar systems (NCS) is one of the most effective ways of controlling solar heat gains in buildings because they intercept solar radiation prior to entry into the building. Designers however often specify non-opaque materials (e.g., louvers, fritted glass, expanded metal mesh) for these systems in order to admit daylight, reduce lighting energy use, and improve indoor environmental quality. Most simulation tools rely on geometric calculations and radiosity methods to model the solar heat gain impacts of NCS and cannot model optically-complex materials or geometries. For daylighting analysis, optically-complex NCS can be modeled using matrix algebraic methods, although time-efficient parametric analysis has not yet been implemented. Determining the best design and/or material for static or operable NCS that minimize cooling, heating, and lighting energy use and peak demand requires an iterative process. This study describes and validates a matrix algebraic method that enables parametric energy analysis of NCS. Such capabilities would be useful not only for design but also for development of prescriptive energy-efficiency standards, rating and labeling systems for commercial products, development of design guidelines, and development of more optimal NCS technologies.

A facade or "F" matrix, which maps the transfer of flux from the NCS to the surface of the window, is introduced and its use is explained. A field study was conducted in a full-scale outdoor testbed to measure the daylight performance of an operable drop-arm awning. Simulated data were compared to measured data in order to validate the models. Results demonstrated model accuracy: simulated workplane illuminance was within 11-13%, surface luminance was within 16-18%, and the daylight glare probability was within 6-9% of measured results. Methods used to achieve accurate results are discussed. Results of the validation of daylighting performance are applicable to solar heat gain performance. Since exterior shading can also significantly reduce peak demand, these models enable stakeholders to more accurately assess HVAC and lighting impacts in support of grid management and resiliency goals.

VL - 174 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778818302457?via%3Dihub JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Framework for Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing with Enhanced Utility for Cyber-Physical Systems JF - ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks Y1 - 2018 A1 - Fisayo Caleb Sangogboye A1 - Ruoxi Jia A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Costas Spanos A1 - Mikkel Baun Kjærgaard KW - cyber physical systems KW - deep learning KW - k-anonymity KW - Privacy preservation KW - Smart buildings AB -

Cyber-physical systems have enabled the collection of massive amounts of data in an unprecedented level of spatial and temporal granularity. Publishing these data can prosper big data research, which, in turn, helps improve overall system efficiency and resiliency. The main challenge in data publishing is to ensure the usefulness of published data while providing necessary privacy protection. In our previous work (Jia et al. 2017a), we presented a privacy-preserving data publishing framework (referred to as PAD hereinafter), which can guarantee k-anonymity while achieving better data utility than traditional anonymization techniques. PAD learns the information of interest to data users or features from their interactions with the data publishing system and then customizes data publishing processes to the intended use of data. However, our previous work is only applicable to the case where the desired features are linear in the original data record. In this article, we extend PAD to nonlinear features. Our experiments demonstrate that for various data-driven applications, PAD can achieve enhanced utility while remaining highly resilient to privacy threats.

VL - 14 IS - 3-4 JO - ACM Trans. Sen. Netw.TOSN ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Human-building interaction at work: Findings from an interdisciplinary cross-country survey in Italy JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2018 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Anna Laura Pisello A1 - Marilena De Simone A1 - Verena M. Barthelmes A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Stefano P. Corgnati KW - Human-building interaction KW - indoor environmental comfort KW - interdisciplinary framework KW - occupant behavior KW - office buildings KW - questionnaire survey AB -

This study presents results from an interdisciplinary survey assessing contextual and behavioral factors driving occupants' interaction with building and systems in offices located across three different Mediterranean climates in Turin (Northern), Perugia (Central), and Rende (Southern) Italy. The survey instrument is grounded in an interdisciplinary framework that bridges the gap between building physics and social science environments on the energy- and comfort-related human-building interaction in the workspace. Outcomes of the survey questionnaire provide insights into four key learning objectives: (1) individual occupant's motivational drivers regarding interaction with shared building environmental controls (such as adjustable thermostats, operable windows, blinds and shades, and artificial lighting), (2) group dynamics such as perceived social norms, attitudes, and intention to share controls, (3) occupant perception of the ease of use and knowledge of how to operate control systems, and (4) occupant-perceived comfort, satisfaction, and productivity. This study attempts to identify climatic, cultural, and socio-demographic influencing factors, as well as to establish the validity of the survey instrument and robustness of outcomes for future studies. Also, the paper aims at illustrating why and how social science insights can bring innovative knowledge into the adoption of building technologies in shared contexts, thus enhancing perceived environmental satisfaction and effectiveness of personal indoor climate control in office settings and impacting office workers' productivity and reduced operational energy costs.

VL - 132 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of post-rainfall evaporation from porous roof tiles on building cooling load in subtropical China JF - Applied Thermal Engineering Y1 - 2018 A1 - Lei Zhang A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yu Zhang A1 - Qinglin Meng KW - Building energy simulation KW - cooling load KW - energyplus KW - Evaporative Cooling KW - Rainfall event KW - Subtropical China AB -

Rainfall occurs frequently in subtropical regions of China, with the subsequent water evaporation from building roofs impacting the thermal performance and the energy consumption of buildings. We proposed a novel simulation method using actual meteorological data to evaluate this impact. New features were developed in EnergyPlus to enable the simulation: (1) an evaporation latent heat flux source term was added to the heat balance equation of the external surface and (2) algorithms for the evaporative cooling module (ECM) were developed and implemented into EnergyPlus. The ECM experimental results showed good agreement with the simulated results. The ECM was used to assess the impact of evaporation from porous roof tiles on the cooling load of a one-floor building in subtropical China. The results show that the evaporation process decreased the maximal values of the external and internal roof surface temperatures by up to 6.4 °C and 3.2 °C, respectively, while the lower internal surface temperature decreased the room accumulated cooling load by up to 14.8% during the hot summer period. The enhanced EnergyPlus capability can be used to evaluate the evaporative cooling performance of roofs with water-storage mediums, as well as to quantify their impact on building cooling loads.

VL - 142 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1359431117356107https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1359431117356107?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1359431117356107?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Applied Thermal Engineering ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Impacts of Building Geometry Modeling Methods on the Simulation Results of Urban Building Energy Models JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2018 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - CityBES KW - energyplus KW - Floor multiplier KW - Geometry Representation KW - Urban Building Energy Modeling KW - Zoning Method AB -

Urban-scale building energy modeling (UBEM)—using building modeling to understand how a group of buildings will perform together—is attracting increasing attention in the energy modeling field. Unlike modeling a single building, which will use detailed information, UBEM generally uses existing building stock data consisting of high-level building information. This study evaluated the impacts of three zoning methods and the use of floor multipliers on the simulated energy use of 940 office and retail buildings in three climate zones using City Building Energy Saver. The first zoning method, OneZone, creates one thermal zone per floor using the target building’s footprint. The second zoning method, AutoZone, splits the building’s footprint into perimeter and core zones. A novel, pixel-based automatic zoning algorithm is developed for the AutoZone method. The third zoning method, Prototype, uses the U.S. Department of Energy’s reference building prototype shapes. Results show that simulated source energy use of buildings with the floor multiplier are marginally higher by up to 2.6% than those modeling each floor explicitly, which take two to three times longer to run. Compared with the AutoZone method, the OneZone method results in decreased thermal loads and less equipment capacities: 15.2% smaller fan capacity, 11.1% smaller cooling capacity, 11.0% smaller heating capacity, 16.9% less heating loads, and 7.5% less cooling loads. Source energy use differences range from -7.6% to 5.1%. When comparing the Prototype method with the AutoZone method, source energy use differences range from -12.1% to 19.0%, and larger ranges of differences are found for the thermal loads and equipment capacities. This study demonstrated that zoning methods have a significant impact on the simulated energy use of UBEM. One recommendation resulting from this study is to use the AutoZone method with floor multiplier to obtain accurate results while balancing the simulation run time for UBEM.

VL - 215 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Library of Building Occupant Behaviour Models Represented in a Standardised Schema JF - Energy Efficiency Y1 - 2018 A1 - Zsofia Belafi A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Andras Reith KW - building performance simulation KW - obXML KW - Occupant Behaviour KW - occupant behaviour model KW - XML schema AB -

Over the past four decades, a substantial body of literature has explored the impacts of occupant behaviour (OB) on building technologies, operation, and energy consumption. A large number of data-driven behavioural models have been developed based on field data. These models lack standardisation and consistency, leading to difficulties in applications and comparison. To address this problem, an ontology was developed using the drivers-needs-actions-systems (DNAS) framework. Recent work has been carried out to implement the theoretical DNAS framework into an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) schema, titled ‘occupant behaviour XML’ (obXML) which is a practical implementation of OB models that can be integrated into building performance simulation (BPS) programs. This paper presents a newly developed library of OB models represented in the standardised obXML schema format. This library provides ready-to-use examples for BPS users to employ more accurate occupant representation in their energy models. The library, which contains an initial effort of 52 OB models, was made publicly available for the BPS community. As part of the library development process, limitations of the obXML schema were identified and addressed, and future improvements were proposed. Authors hope that by compiling this library building, energy modellers from all over the world can enhance their BPS models by integrating more accurate and robust OB patterns.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modeling occupancy distribution in large spaces with multi-feature classification algorithm JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2018 A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Jiayu Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - energy efficiency KW - HVAC loads KW - multi-feature classification algorithm KW - occupancy distribution KW - occupancy-based control AB -

Occupancy information enables robust and flexible control of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in buildings. In large spaces, multiple HVAC terminals are typically installed to provide cooperative services for different thermal zones, and the occupancy information determines the cooperation among terminals. However, a person count at room-level does not adequately optimize HVAC system operation due to the movement of occupants within the room that creates uneven load distribution. Without accurate knowledge of the occupants' spatial distribution, the uneven distribution of occupants often results in under-cooling/heating or over-cooling/heating in some thermal zones. Therefore, the lack of high-resolution occupancy distribution is often perceived as a bottleneck for future improvements to HVAC operation efficiency. To fill this gap, this study proposes a multi-feature k-Nearest-Neighbors (k-NN) classification algorithm to extract occupancy distribution through reliable, low-cost Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) networks. An on-site experiment was conducted in a typical office of an institutional building to demonstrate the proposed methods, and the experiment outcomes of three case studies were examined to validate detection accuracy. One method based on City Block Distance (CBD) was used to measure the distance between detected occupancy distribution and ground truth and assess the results of occupancy distribution. The results show the accuracy when CBD = 1 is over 71.4% and the accuracy when CBD = 2 can reach up to 92.9%.

VL - 137 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Novel Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Heat Recovery System Model: Development and Validation JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yoshinori Yura A1 - Ryohei Hinokuma KW - building performance simulation KW - controls KW - energy modeling KW - heat recovery KW - validation KW - Variable refrigerant flow AB -

As one of the latest emerging HVAC technologies, the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system with heat recovery (HR) configurations has obtained extensive attention from both the academia and industry. Compared with the conventional VRF systems with heat pump (HP) configurations, VRF-HR is capable of recovering heat from cooling zones to heating zones and providing simultaneous cooling and heating operations. This can further lead to substantial energy saving potential and more flexible zonal control. In this paper, a novel model is developed to simulate the energy performance of VRF-HR systems. It adheres to a more physics-based development with the ability to simulate the refrigerant loop performance and consider the dynamics of more operational parameters, which is essential for representing more advanced control logics. Another key feature of the model is the introduction of component-level curves for indoor units and outdoor units instead of overall performance curves for the entire system, and thus it requires much fewer user-specified performance curves as model inputs. The validation study shows good agreements between the simulated energy use from the new VRF-HR model and the laboratory measurement data across all operational modes at sub-hourly time steps. The model has been adopted in the official release of the EnergyPlus simulation program since Version 8.6, which enables more accurate and robust assessments of VRF-HR systems to support their applications in energy retrofit of existing buildings or design of zero-net-energy buildings.

VL - 168 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Occupancy prediction through machine learning and data fusion of environmental sensing and Wi-Fi sensing in buildings JF - Automation in Construction Y1 - 2018 A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Jiayu Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - data fusion KW - environmental sensing KW - Machine learning KW - occupancy prediction KW - Wi-Fi sensing AB -

Occupancy information is crucial to building facility design, operation, and energy efficiency. Many studies propose the use of environmental sensors (such as carbon dioxide, air temperature, and relative humidity sensors) and radio-frequency sensors (Wi-Fi networks) to monitor, assess, and predict occupancy information for buildings. As many methods have been developed and a variety of sensory data sources are available, establishing a proper selection of model and data source is critical to the successful implementation of occupancy prediction systems. This study compared three popular machine learning algorithms, including k-nearest neighbors (kNN), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN), combined with three data sources, including environmental data, Wi-Fi data, and fused data, to optimize the occupancy models' performance in various scenarios. Three error measurement metrics, the mean average error (MAE), mean average percentage error (MAPE), and root mean squared error (RMSE), have been employed to compare the models' accuracies. Examined with an on-site experiment, the results suggest that the ANN-based model with fused data has the best performance, while the SVM model is more suitable with Wi-Fi data. The results also indicate that, comparing with independent data sources, the fused data set does not necessarily improve model accuracy but shows a better robustness for occupancy prediction.

VL - 94 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0926580518302656https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0926580518302656?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0926580518302656?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Automation in Construction ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Occupancy prediction through Markov based feedback recurrent neural network (M-FRNN) algorithm with WiFi probe technology JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2018 A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Jiayu Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Na Zhu AB -

Accurate occupancy prediction can improve facility control and energy efficiency of buildings. In recent years, buildings' exiting WiFi infrastructures have been widely studied in the research of occupancy and energy conservation. However, using WiFi to assess occupancy is challenging due to that occupancy information is often characterized stochastically and varies with time and easily disturbed by building components. To overcome such limitations, this study utilizes WiFi probe technology to actively scan WiFi connection requests and responses between access points and network devices of building occupants. With captured signals, this study proposed a Markov based feedback recurrent neural network (M-FRNN) algorithm to model and predict the occupancy profiles. One on-site experiment was conducted to collect ground truth data using camera-based video analysis and the results were used to validate the M-FRNN occupancy prediction model over a 9-day measurement period. From the results, the M-FRNN based occupancy model using WiFi probes shows best accuracies can reach 80.9%, 89.6%, and 93.9% with a tolerance of 2, 3, and 4 occupants respectively. This study demonstrated that WiFi data coupled with stochastic machine learning system can provide a viable alternative to determine a building's occupancy profile.

VL - 138 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360132318302464https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0360132318302464?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0360132318302464?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Building and Environment ER - TY - CONF T1 - OpenBuildingControl: Modeling Feedback Control as a Step Towards Formal Design, Specification, Deployment and Verification of Building Control Sequences T2 - 2018 Building Performance Modeling Conference and SimBuild co-organized by ASHRAE and IBPSA-USA Y1 - 2018 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jianjun Hu A1 - Milica Grahovac A1 - Brent Eubanks A1 - Philip Haves AB -

This paper presents ongoing work to develop tools and a process that will allow building designers to instantiate control sequences, configure them for their project, assess their performance in closed loop building energy simulation, and then export these sequences (i) for the control provider to bid on the project and to implement the sequences through machine-to-machine translation, and (ii) for the commissioning agent to verify their correct implementation.

The paper reports on the following: (i) The specification of a Control Description Language, (ii) its use to implement a subset of the ASHRAE Guideline 36 sequences, released as part of the Modelica Buildings library, (iii) its use in annual closed-loop simulations of a variable air- volume flow system, and (iv) lessons learned regarding simulation of closed-loop control.

In our case study, the Guideline 36 sequences yield 30% lower annual site HYAC energy use, under comparable comfort, than sequences published earlier by ASHRAE. The 30% differences in annual HYAC energy consumption due to changes in the control sequences raises the question of whether the idealization of control sequences that is common practice in today's building energy simulation leads to trustworthy energy use predictions.

JF - 2018 Building Performance Modeling Conference and SimBuild co-organized by ASHRAE and IBPSA-USA CY - Chicago, IL UR - https://www.ashrae.org/File%20Library/Conferences/Specialty%20Conferences/2018%20Building%20Performance%20Analysis%20Conference%20and%20SimBuild/Papers/C107.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Performance-Based Evaluation of Courtyard Design in China’s Cold-Winter Hot-Summer Climate Regions JF - Sustainability Y1 - 2018 A1 - Xiaodong Xu A1 - Fenlan Luo A1 - Wei Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xiuzhang Fu KW - aspect ratio KW - courtyard design KW - ecological buffer area KW - ecological effect KW - layout AB -

Evaluates the performance of the traditional courtyard design of the Jiangnan Museum, located in Jiangsu Province. In the evaluation, the spatial layout of courtyards is adjusted, the aspect ratio is changed, and an ecological buffer space is created. To model and evaluate the performance of the courtyard design, this study applied the Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, Parabolic Hyperbolic Or Elliptic Numerical Integration Code Series (PHOENICS), for wind environment simulation, and the EnergyPlus-based software, DesignBuilder, for energy simulation. Results show that a good combination of courtyard layout and aspect ratio can improve the use of natural ventilation by increasing free cooling during hot summers and reducing cold wind in winters. The results also show that ecological buffer areas of a courtyard can reduce cooling loads in summer by approximately 19.6% and heating loads in winter by approximately 22.3%. The study provides insights into the optimal design of a courtyard to maximize its benefit in regulating the microclimate during both winter and summer.

VL - 10 UR - http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/3950http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/3950/pdf IS - 11 JO - Sustainability ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Quantifying the benefits of a building retrofit using an integrated system approach: A case study JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - Cynthia Regnier A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette KW - Building retrofit KW - building simulation KW - Energy conservation measures KW - energy savings KW - integrated design KW - integrated system AB -

Building retrofits provide a large opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption in the buildings sector. Traditional building retrofits focus on equipment upgrades, often at the end of equipment life or failure, and result in replacement with marginally improved similar technology and limited energy savings. The Integrated System (IS) retrofit approach enables much greater energy savings by leveraging interactive effects between end use systems, enabling downsized or lower energy technologies. This paper presents a case study in Hawaii quantifying the benefits of an IS retrofit approach compared to two traditional retrofit approaches: a Standard Practice of upgrading equipment to meet minimum code requirements, and an Improved Practice of upgrading equipment to a higher efficiency. The IS approach showed an energy savings of 84% over existing building energy use, much higher than the traditional approaches of 13% and 33%. The IS retrofit also demonstrated the greatest energy cost savings potential. While the degree of savings realized from the IS approach will vary by building and climate, these findings indicate that savings on the order of 50% and greater are not possible without an IS approach. It is therefore recommended that the IS approach be universally adopted to achieve deep energy savings.

VL - 159 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Representation and evolution of urban weather boundary conditions in downtown Chicago JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2018 A1 - Rajeev Jain A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Gökhan Sever A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Charlie Catlett KW - coupling KW - energy modeling KW - energyplus KW - Urban climate modeling KW - WRF AB -

This study presents a novel computing technique for data exchange and coupling between a high-resolution weather simulation model and a building energy model, with a goal of evaluating the impact of urban weather boundary conditions on energy performance of urban buildings. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is initialized with the operational High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) dataset to provide hourly weather conditions over the Chicago region. We utilize the building footprint, land use, and building stock datasets to generate building energy models using EnergyPlus. We mapped the building exterior surfaces to local air nodes to import simulated microclimate data and to export buildings' heat emissions to their local environment. Preliminary experiments for a test area in Chicago show that predicted building cooling energy use differs by about 4.7% for the selected date when compared with simulations using TMY weather data and without considering the urban microclimate boundary conditions.

UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19401493.2018.1534275https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19401493.2018.1534275 JO - Journal of Building Performance Simulation ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simplifications for hydronic system models in Modelica JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2018 A1 - Filip Jorissen A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Lieve Helsen AB -

Building systems and their heating, ventilation and air conditioning ow networks, are becoming increasingly complex. Some building energy simulation tools simulate these ow networks using pressure drop equations. These ow network models typically generate coupled algebraic nonlinear systems of equations, which become increasingly more difficult to solve as their sizes increase. This leads to longer computation times and can cause the solver to fail. These problems also arise when using the equation-based modelling language Modelica and Annex 60 based libraries. This may limit the applicability of the library to relatively small problems unless problems are restructured. This paper discusses two algebraic loop types and presents an approach that decouples algebraic loops into smaller parts, or removes them completely. The approach is applied to a case study model where an algebraic loop of 86 iteration variables is decoupled into smaller parts with a maximum of 5 iteration variables.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Translating climate change and heating system electrification impacts on building energy use to future greenhouse gas emissions and electric grid capacity requirements in California JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2018 A1 - Brian Tarroja A1 - Felicia Chiang A1 - Amir AghaKouchak A1 - Scott Samuelsen A1 - Shuba V. Raghavan A1 - Max Wei A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - Building Energy Demand KW - Climate Change Impacts KW - electric grid KW - Heating Electrification Effects AB -

Climate change and increased electrification of space and water heating in buildings can significantly affect future electricity demand and hourly demand profiles, which has implications for electric grid greenhouse gas emissions and capacity requirements. We use EnergyPlus to quantify building energy demand under historical and under several climate change projections of 32 kinds of building prototypes in 16 different climate zones of California and imposed these impacts on a year 2050 electric grid configuration by simulation in the Holistic Grid Resource Integration and Deployment (HIGRID) model. We find that climate change only prompted modest increases in grid resource capacity and negligible difference in greenhouse gas emissions since the additional electric load generally occurred during times with available renewable generation. Heating electrification, however, prompted a 30–40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions but required significant grid resource capacity increases, due to the higher magnitude of load increases and lack of readily available renewable generation during the times when electrified heating loads occurred. Overall, this study translates climate change and electrification impacts to system-wide endpoint impacts on future electric grid configurations and highlights the complexities associated with translating building-level impacts to electric system-wide impacts.

VL - 225 UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306261918306962https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0306261918306962?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0306261918306962?httpAccept=text/plain JO - Applied Energy ER - TY - CONF T1 - When Data Analytics Meet Site Operation: Benefits and Challenges T2 - 2018 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2018 A1 - David Blum A1 - Guanjing Lin A1 - Michael Spears A1 - Janie Page A1 - Jessica Granderson AB -

Demand for using data analytics for energy management in buildings is rising. Such analytics are required for advanced measurement and verification, commissioning, automated fault-detection and diagnosis, and optimal control. While novel analytics algorithms continue to be developed, bottlenecks and challenges arise when deploying them for demonstration, for a number of reasons that do not necessarily have to do with the algorithms themselves. It is important for developers of new technologies to be aware of the challenges and potential solutions during demonstration. Therefore, this paper describes a recent deployment of an automated, physical model-based, FDD and optimal control tool, highlighting its design and as-operated benefits that the tool provides. Furthermore, the paper presents challenges faced during deployment and testing along with solutions used to overcome these challenges. The challenges have been grouped into four categories: Data Management, Physical Model Development and Integration, Software Development and Deployment, and Operator Use. The paper concludes by discussing how challenges with this project generalize to common cases, how they could compare to other projects in their severity, and how they may be addressed.

JF - 2018 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings ER - TY - RPRT T1 - An Agent-Based Stochastic Occupancy Simulator Y1 - 2017 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xuan Luo AB -

Occupancy has significant impacts on building performance. However, in current building performance simulation programs, occupancy inputs are static and lack diversity, contributing to discrepancies between the simulated and actual building performance. This paper presents an Occupancy Simulator that simulates the stochastic behavior of occupant presence and movement in buildings, capturing the spatial and temporal occupancy diversity. Each occupant and each space in the building are explicitly simulated as an agent with their profiles of stochastic behaviors. The occupancy behaviors are represented with three types of models: (1) the status transition events (e.g., first arrival in office) simulated with Reinhart’s LIGHTSWITCH-2002 model, (2) the random moving events (e.g., from one office to another) simulated with Wang’s homogeneous Markov chain model, and (3) the meeting events simulated with a new stochastic model. A hierarchical data model was developed for the Occupancy Simulator, which reduces the amount of data input by using the concepts of occupant types and space types. Finally, a case study of a small office building is presented to demonstrate the use of the Simulator to generate detailed annual sub-hourly occupant schedules for individual spaces and the whole building. The Simulator is a web application freely available to the public and capable of performing a detailed stochastic simulation of occupant presence and movement in buildings. Future work includes enhancements in the meeting event model, consideration of personal absent days, verification and validation of the simulated occupancy results, and expansion for use with residential buildings.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Analysis of heating load diversity in German residential districts and implications for the application in district heating systems JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Claudia Weissmann A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Carl-Alexander Graubner KW - district heating KW - domestic hot water KW - dynamic building simulation KW - heat supply KW - Load diversity KW - peak load KW - residential district KW - space heating AB -

In recent years, the application of district heating systems for the heat supply of residential districts has been increasing in Germany. Central supply systems can be very efficient due to diverse energy demand profiles which may lead to reduced installed equipment capacity. Load diversity in buildings has been investigated in former studies, especially for the electricity demand. However, little is known about the influence of single building characteristics (such as building envelope or hot water demand) on the overall heating peak load of a residential district. For measuring the diversity, the peak load ratio (PLR) index is used to represent the percentage reduction of peak load of a district system from a simple sum of individual peak loads of buildings. A total of 144 residential building load profiles have been created with the dynamic building simulation software IDA ICE for a theoretical analysis in which the PLR reaches 15%. Within this study, certain district features are identified which lead to higher diversity. Furthermore, these results are used in a district heating simulation model which confronts the possible advantage of reduced installed capacity with the practical disadvantage of heat distribution losses.  Likewise, the influence of load density and the district´s building structure can be analyzed. This study shows that especially in districts with high load density, which consist of newly constructed buildings with low supply temperature and high influence of the hot water demand, the advantages of load diversity can be exploited.

VL - 139 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Automatic Generation and Simulation of Urban Building Energy Models Based on City Datasets for City-Scale Building Retrofit Analysis Y1 - 2017 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette KW - Building Energy Modeling KW - CityBES KW - Energy conservation measures KW - energyplus KW - Retrofit Analysis KW - Urban Scale AB -

Buildings in cities consume 30% to 70% of total primary energy, and improving building energy efficiency is one of the key strategies towards sustainable urbanization. Urban building energy models (UBEM) can support city managers to evaluate and prioritize energy conservation measures (ECMs) for investment and the design of incentive and rebate programs. This paper presents the retrofit analysis feature of City Building Energy Saver (CityBES) to automatically generate and simulate UBEM using EnergyPlus based on cities’ building datasets and user-selected ECMs. CityBES is a new open web-based tool to support city-scale building energy efficiency strategic plans and programs. The technical details of using CityBES for UBEM generation and simulation are introduced, including the workflow, key assumptions, and major databases. Also presented is a case study that analyzes the potential retrofit energy use and energy cost savings of five individual ECMs and two measure packages for 940 office and retail buildings in six city districts in northeast San Francisco, United States. The results show that: (1) all five measures together can save 23%-38% of site energy per building; (2) replacing lighting with light-emitting diode lamps and adding air economizers to existing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are most cost-effective with an average payback of 2.0 and 4.3 years, respectively; and (3) it is not economical to upgrade HVAC systems or replace windows in San Franciso due to the city’s mild climate and minimal cooling and heating loads. The CityBES retrofit analysis feature does not require users to have deep knowledge of building systems or technologies for the generation and simulation of building energy models, which helps overcome major technical barriers for city managers and their consultants to adopt UBEM.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of typical year and multiyear building simulations using a 55-year actual weather data set from China JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2017 A1 - Ying Cui A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Chan Xiao A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Qi Zhang KW - Actual weather data KW - building simulation KW - energy use KW - Multiyear simulation KW - Peak load   KW - Typical year AB -

Weather has significant impacts on the thermal environment and energy use in buildings. Thus, accurate weather data are crucial for building performance evaluations. Traditionally, typical year data inputs are used to represent long-term weather data. However, there is no guarantee that a single year represents the changing climate well. In this study, the long-term representation of a typical year was assessed by comparing it to a 55-year actual weather data set. To investigate the weather impact on building energy use, 559 simulation runs of a prototype office building were performed for 10 large cities covering all climate zones in China. The analysis results demonstrated that the weather data varied significantly from year to year. Hence, a typical year cannot reflect the variation range of weather fluctuations. Typical year simulations overestimated or underestimated the energy use and peak load in many cases. With the increase in computational power of personal computers, it is feasible and essential to adopt multiyear simulations for full assessments of long-term building performance, as this will improve decision-making by allowing for the full consideration of variations in building energy use.

VL - 195 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Data Analytics and Optimization of an Ice-Based Energy Storage System for Commercial Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Na Luo A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Hui Li A1 - Rouxi Jia A1 - Wenguo Weng KW - Data Analytics KW - energy cost saving KW - heuristic strategy KW - Machine learning KW - optimization KW - Thermal energy storage AB -

Ice-based thermal energy storage (TES) systems can shift peak cooling demand and reduce operational energy costs (with time-of-use rates) in commercial buildings. The accurate prediction of the cooling load, and the optimal control strategy for managing the charging and discharging of a TES system, are two critical elements to improving system performance and achieving energy cost savings. This study utilizes data-driven analytics and modeling to holistically understand the operation of an ice–based TES system in a shopping mall, calculating the system’s performance using actual measured data from installed meters and sensors. Results show that there is significant savings potential when the current operating strategy is improved by appropriately scheduling the operation of each piece of equipment of the TES system, as well as by determining the amount of charging and discharging for each day. A novel optimal control strategy, determined by an optimization algorithm of Sequential Quadratic Programming, was developed to minimize the TES system’s operating costs. Three heuristic strategies were also investigated for comparison with our proposed strategy, and the results demonstrate the superiority of our method to the heuristic strategies in terms of total energy cost savings. Specifically, the optimal strategy yields energy costs of up to 11.3% per day and 9.3% per month compared with current operational strategies. A one-day-ahead hourly load prediction was also developed using machine learning algorithms, which facilitates the adoption of the developed data analytics and optimization of the control strategy in a real TES system operation.

ER - TY - CONF T1 - Development of Automated Procedures to Generate Reference Building Models for ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and India’s Building Energy Code and Implementation in OpenStudio T2 - Building Simulation 2017 Y1 - 2017 A1 - Andrew Parker A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Subhash Jegi A1 - Vishal Garg A1 - Baptiste Ravache AB -

This paper describes a software system for automatically generating a reference (baseline) building energy model from the proposed (as-designed) building energy model. This system is built using the OpenStudio Software Development Kit (SDK) and is designed to operate on building energy models in the OpenStudio file format. 

JF - Building Simulation 2017 CY - San Francisco, CA U2 - LBNL-2001052 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Dynamic equation-based thermo-hydraulic pipe model for district heating and cooling systems JF - Energy Conversion and Management Y1 - 2017 A1 - Brahm van der Heijde A1 - Marcus Fuchs A1 - Carles Ribas Tugores A1 - Gerald Schweiger A1 - Kevin Sartor A1 - Daniele Basciotti A1 - Dirk Muller A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Lieve Helsen AB -

Simulation and optimisation of district heating and cooling networks requires efficient and realistic models of the individual network elements in order to correctly represent heat losses or gains, temperature propagation and pressure drops. Due to more recent thermal networks incorporating meshing decentralised heat and cold sources, the system often has to deal with variable temperatures and mass flow rates, with flow reversal occurring more frequently. This paper presents the mathematical derivation and software implementation in Modelica of a thermo-hydraulic model for thermal networks that meets the above requirements and compares it to both experimental data and a commonly used model. Good correspondence between experimental data from a controlled test set-up and simulations using the presented model was found. Compared to measurement data from a real district heating network, the simulation results led to a larger error than in the controlled test set-up, but the general trend is still approximated closely and the model yields results similar to a pipe model from the Modelica Standard Library. However, the presented model simulates 1.7 (for low number of volumes) to 68 (for highly discretized pipes) times faster than a conventional model for a realistic test case. A working implementation of the presented model is made openly available within the IBPSA Modelica Library. The model is robust in the sense that grid size and time step do not need to be adapted to the flow rate, as is the case in finite volume models.

VL - 151 U2 - 2001049 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Electric Load Shape Benchmarking for Small- and Medium-Sized Commercial Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Mary Ann Piette KW - benchmarking KW - Building energy KW - cluster analysis KW - load profile KW - load shape KW - representative load pattern AB -

Small- and medium-sized commercial buildings owners and utility managers often look for opportunities for energy cost savings through energy efficiency and energy waste minimization. However, they currently lack easy access to low-cost tools that help interpret the massive amount of data needed to improve understanding of their energy use behaviors. Benchmarking is one of the techniques used in energy audits to identify which buildings are priorities for an energy analysis. Traditional energy performance indicators, such as the energy use intensity (annual energy per unit of floor area), consider only the total annual energy consumption, lacking consideration of the fluctuation of energy use behavior over time, which reveals the time of use information and represents distinct energy use behaviors during different time spans. To fill the gap, this study developed a general statistical method using 24-hour electric load shape benchmarking to compare a building or business/tenant space against peers. Specifically, the study developed new forms of benchmarking metrics and data analysis methods to infer the energy performance of a building based on its load shape. We first performed a data experiment with collected smart meter data using over 2,000 small- and medium-sized businesses in California. We then conducted a cluster analysis of the source data, and determined and interpreted the load shape features and parameters with peer group analysis. Finally, we implemented the load shape benchmarking feature in an open-access web-based toolkit (the Commercial Building Energy Saver) to provide straightforward and practical recommendations to users. The analysis techniques were generic and flexible for future datasets of other building types and in other utility territories.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Energy saving potential of a two-pipe system for simultaneous heating and cooling of office buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Alessandro Maccarini A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Alireza Afshari A1 - Goran Hultmark A1 - Niels Bergsoe A1 - Anders Vorre KW - active beams KW - energy saving KW - HVAC systems KW - low-exergy KW - modelica KW - simulation AB -

This paper analyzes the performance of a novel two-pipe system that operates one water loop to simultaneously provide space heating and cooling with a water supply temperature of around 22 °C. To analyze the energy performance of the system, a simulation-based research was conducted. The two-pipe system was modelled using the equation-based Modelica modeling language in Dymola. A typical office building model was considered as the case study. Simulations were run for two construction sets of the building envelope and two conditions related to inter-zone air flows. To calculate energy savings, a conventional four-pipe system was modelled and used for comparison. The conventional system presented two separated water loops for heating and cooling with supply temperatures of 45 °C and 14 °C, respectively. Simulation results showed that the two-pipe system was able to use less energy than the four-pipe system thanks to three effects: useful heat transfer from warm to cold zones, higher free cooling potential and higher efficiency of the heat pump. In particular, the two-pipe system used approximately between 12% and 18% less total annual primary energy than the four-pipe system, depending on the simulation case considered.

VL - 134 JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Framework for Quantifying the Impact of Occupant Behavior on Energy Savings of Energy Conservation Measures Y1 - 2017 A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

To improve energy efficiency—during new buildings design or during a building retrofit—evaluating the energy savings potential of energy conservation measures (ECMs) is a critical task. In building retrofits, occupant behavior significantly impacts building energy use and is a leading factor in uncertainty when determining the effectiveness of retrofit ECMs. Current simulation-based assessment methods simplify the representation of occupant behavior by using a standard or representative set of static and homogeneous assumptions ignoring the dynamics, stochastics, and diversity of occupant's energy-related behavior in buildings. The simplification contributes to significant gaps between the simulated and measured actual energy performance of buildings.

This study presents a framework for quantifying the impact of occupant behaviors on ECM energy savings using building performance simulation. During the first step of the study, three occupant behavior styles (austerity, normal, and wasteful) were defined to represent different levels of energy consciousness of occupants regarding their interactions with building energy systems (HVAC, windows, lights and plug-in equipment). Next, a simulation workflow was introduced to determine a range of the ECM energy savings. Then, guidance was provided to interpret the range of ECM savings to support ECM decision making. Finally, a pilot study was performed in a real building to demonstrate the application of the framework. Simulation results show that the impact of occupant behaviors on ECM savings vary with the type of ECM. Occupant behavior minimally affects energy savings for ECMs that are technology-driven (the relative savings differ by less than 2%) and have little interaction with the occupants; for ECMs with strong occupant interaction, such as the use of zonal control variable refrigerant flow system and natural ventilation, energy savings are significantly affected by occupant behavior (the relative savings differ by up to 20%). The study framework provides a novel, holistic approach to assessing the uncertainty of ECM energy savings related to occupant behavior, enabling stakeholders to understand and assess the risk of adopting energy efficiency technologies for new and existing buildings.

ER - TY - RPRT T1 - The Human Dimensions of Energy Use in Buildings: A Review Y1 - 2017 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Jared Langevin AB -

The "human dimensions" of energy use in buildings refer to the energy-related behaviors of key stakeholders that affect energy use over the building life cycle. Stakeholders include building designers, operators, managers, engineers, occupants, industry, vendors, and policymakers, who directly or indirectly influence the acts of designing, constructing, living, operating, managing, and regulating the built environments, from individual building up to the urban scale. Among factors driving high-performance buildings, human dimensions play a role that is as significant as that of technological advances. However, this factor is not well understood, and, as a result, human dimensions are often ignored or simplified by stakeholders. This paper presents a review of the literature on human dimensions of building energy use to assess the state-of-the-art in this topic area. The paper highlights research needs for fully integrating human dimensions into the building design and operation processes with the goal of reducing energy use in buildings while enhancing occupant comfort and productivity. This research focuses on identifying key needs for each stakeholder involved in a building's lifecycle and takes an interdisciplinary focus that spans the fields of architecture and engineering design, sociology, data science, energy policy, codes, and standards to provide targeted insights. Greater understanding of the human dimensions of energy use has several potential benefits including reductions in operating cost for building owners;enhanced comfort conditions and productivity for building occupants;more effective building energy management and automation systems for building operators and energy managers; and the integration of more accurate control logic into the next generation of human-in-the-loop technologies. The review concludes by summarizing recommendations for policy makers and industry stakeholders for developing codes, standards, and technologies that can leverage the human dimensions of energy use to reliably predict and achieve energy use reductions in the residential and commercial buildings sectors.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - IEA EBC Annex 53: Total Energy Use in Buildings – Analysis and Evaluation Methods JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Hiroshi Yoshino A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Natasa Nord KW - energy data definition KW - energy modeling KW - energy monitoring KW - occupant behavior KW - Performance Evaluation KW - real energy use AB -

One of the most significant barriers to achieving deep building energy efficiency is a lack of knowledge about the factors determining energy use. In fact, there is often a significant discrepancy between designed and real energy use in buildings, which is poorly understood but are believed to have more to do with the role of human behavior than building design. Building energy use is mainly influenced by six factors: climate, building envelope, building services and energy systems, building operation and maintenance, occupants’ activities and behavior, and indoor environmental quality. In the past, much research focused on the first three factors. However, the next three human-related factors can have an influence as significant as the first three. Annex 53 employed an interdisciplinary approach, integrating building science, architectural engineering, computer modeling and simulation, and social and behavioral science to develop and apply methods to analyze and evaluate the real energy use in buildings considering the six influencing factors. Outcomes from Annex 53 improved understanding and strengthen knowledge regarding the robust prediction of total energy use in buildings, enabling reliable quantitative assessment of energy-savings measures, policies, and techniques.

VL - 152 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - IEA EBC Annex 66: Definition and simulation of occupant behavior in buildings JF - Energy and Building Y1 - 2017 A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Bing Dong A1 - Ardeshir Mahdavi A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Isabella Gaetani A1 - Xiaohang Feng KW - building performance KW - energy modeling KW - energy use KW - IEA EBC Annex 66 KW - Interdisciplinary approach KW - occupant behavior AB -

More than 30% of the total primary energy in the world is consumed in buildings. It is crucial to reduce building energy consumption in order to preserve energy resources and mitigate global climate change. Building performance simulations have been widely used for the estimation and optimization of building performance, providing reference values for the assessment of building energy consumption and the effects of energy-saving technologies. Among the various factors influencing building energy consumption, occupant behavior has drawn increasing attention. Occupant behavior includes occupant presence, movement, and interaction with building energy devices and systems. However, there are gaps in occupant behavior modeling as different energy modelers have employed varied data and tools to simulate occupant behavior, therefore producing different and incomparable results. Aiming to address these gaps, the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy in Buildings and Community (EBC) Programme Annex 66 has established a scientific methodological framework for occupant behavior research, including data collection, behavior model representation, modeling and evaluation approaches, and the integration of behavior modeling tools with building performance simulation programs. Annex 66 also includes case studies and application guidelines to assist in building design, operation, and policymaking, using interdisciplinary approaches to reduce energy use in buildings and improve occupant comfort and productivity. This paper highlights the key research issues, methods, and outcomes pertaining to Annex 66, and offers perspectives on future research needs to integrate occupant behavior with the building life cycle.

VL - 156 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Modeling of HVAC Operational Faults in Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2017 A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - energy performance KW - energyplus KW - hvac system KW - Modeling and simulation KW - Operational fault KW - Thermal comfort   AB -

Operational faults are common in the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of existing buildings, leading to a decrease in energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Various fault detection and diagnostic methods have been developed to identify and analyze HVAC operational faults at the component or subsystem level. However, current methods lack a holistic approach to predicting the overall impacts of faults at the building level—an approach that adequately addresses the coupling between various operational components, the synchronized effect between simultaneous faults, and the dynamic nature of fault severity. This study introduces the novel development of a fault-modeling feature in EnergyPlus which fills in the knowledge gap left by previous studies. This paper presents the design and implementation of the new feature in EnergyPlus and discusses in detail the fault-modeling challenges faced. The new fault-modeling feature enables EnergyPlus to quantify the impacts of faults on building energy use and occupant comfort, thus supporting the decision making of timely fault corrections. Including actual building operational faults in energy models also improves the accuracy of the baseline model, which is critical in the measurement and verification of retrofit or commissioning projects. As an example, EnergyPlus version 8.6 was used to investigate the impacts of a number of typical operational faults in an office building across several U.S. climate zones. The results demonstrate that the faults have significant impacts on building energy performance as well as on occupant thermal comfort. Finally, the paper introduces future development plans for EnergyPlus fault-modeling capability.

ER - TY - CONF T1 - MPCPy: An Open-Source Software Platform for Model Predictive Control in Buildings T2 - Proceedings of the 15th IBPSA Conference: Building Simulation 2017 Y1 - 2017 A1 - David Blum A1 - Michael Wetter KW - Model predictive control (MPC) AB -

Within the last decade, needs for building control systems that reduce cost, energy, or peak demand, and that facilitate building-grid integration, district-energy system optimization, and occupant interaction, while maintaining thermal comfort and indoor air quality, have come about.  Current PID and schedule-based control systems are not capable of fulfilling these needs, while Model Predictive Control (MPC) could.  Despite the critical role MPC-enabled buildings can play in future energy infrastructures, widespread adoption of MPC within the building industry has yet to occur.  To address barriers associated with system setup and configuration, this paper introduces an open-source software platform that emphasizes use of self-tuning adaptive models, usability by non-experts of MPC, and a flexible architecture that enables application across projects.

JF - Proceedings of the 15th IBPSA Conference: Building Simulation 2017 CY - San Francisco UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2017/BS2017_351.pdf U2 - LBNL-2001226 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Novel Stochastic Modeling Method to Simulate Cooling Loads in Residential Districts Y1 - 2017 A1 - Jingjing An A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Kaiyu Sun AB -

District cooling systems are widely used in urban residential communities in China. Most district cooling systems are oversized;this leads to wasted investment and low operational efficiency and thus energy wastage. The accurate prediction of district cooling loads that supports rightsizing cooling plant equipment remains a challenge. This study developed a new stochastic modeling method that includes (1) six prototype house models representing a majority of apartments in the district, (2)occupant behavior models in residential buildings reflecting the temporal and spatial diversity and complexity based on a large-scale residential survey in China, and (3) a stochastic sampling process to represent all apartments and occupants in the district. The stochastic method was employed in a case study using the DeST simulation engine to simulate the cooling loads of a real residential district in Wuhan, China. The simulation results agree well with the actual measurement data based on five performance metrics representing the aggregated cooling loads, the peak cooling loads as well as the spatial load distribution,and the load profiles. Two currently used simulation methods were also employed to simulate the district cooling loads. The simulation results showed that oversimplified occupant behavior assumptions lead to significant overestimations of the peak cooling load and total district cooling loads. Future work will aim to simplify the workflow and data requirements of the stochastic method to enable its practical application as well as explore its application in predicting district heating loads and in commercial or mixed-use districts.

ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Occupant behavior models: A critical review of implementation and representation approaches in building performance simulation programs Y1 - 2017 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Zsofia Belafi A1 - Simona D'Oca KW - Behavior Modeling KW - building performance simulation KW - co-simulation KW - data model KW - occupant behavior AB -

Occupant behavior (OB) in buildings is a leading factor influencing energy use in buildings. Quantifying this influence requires the integration of OB models with building performance simulation (BPS). This study reviews approaches to representing and implementing OB models in today’s popular BPS programs, and discusses weaknesses and strengths of these approaches and key issues in integrating of OB models with BPS programs. Two key findings are: (1) a common data model is needed to standardize the representation of OB models, enabling their flexibility and exchange among BPS programs and user applications; the data model can be implemented using a standard syntax (e.g., in the form of XML schema), and (2) a modular software implementation of OB models, such as functional mock-up units for co-simulation, adopting the common data model, has advantages in providing a robust and interoperable integration with multiple BPS programs. Such common OB model representation and implementation approaches help standardize the input structures of OB models, enable collaborative development of a shared library of OB models, and allow for rapid and widespread integration of OB models with BPS programs to improve the simulation of occupant behavior and quantification of their impact on building performance.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Performance Evaluation of an Agent-based Occupancy Simulation Model JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2017 A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Khee Poh Lam A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - model performance evaluation KW - occupancy pattern KW - Occupancy simulation KW - occupant behavior KW - occupant presence and movement KW - verification AB -

Occupancy is an important factor driving building performance. Static and homogeneous occupant schedules, commonly used in building performance simulation, contribute to issues such as performance gaps between simulated and measured energy use in buildings. Stochastic occupancy models have been recently developed and applied to better represent spatial and temporal diversity of occupants in buildings. However, there is very limited evaluation of the usability and accuracy of these models. This study used measured occupancy data from a real office building to evaluate the performance of an agent-based occupancy simulation model: the Occupancy Simulator. The occupancy patterns of various occupant types were first derived from the measured occupant schedule data using statistical analysis. Then the performance of the simulation model was evaluated and verified based on (1) whether the distribution of observed occupancy behavior patterns follows the theoretical ones included in the Occupancy Simulator, and (2) whether the simulator can reproduce a variety of occupancy patterns accurately. Results demonstrated the feasibility of applying the Occupancy Simulator to simulate a range of occupancy presence and movement behaviors for regular types of occupants in office buildings, and to generate stochastic occupant schedules at the room and individual occupant levels for building performance simulation. For future work, model validation is recommended, which includes collecting and using detailed interval occupancy data of all spaces in an office building to validate the simulated occupant schedules from the Occupancy Simulator.

VL - 115 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Preliminary Investigation of Water Usage Behavior in Single-Family Homes Y1 - 2017 A1 - Peng Xue A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Bing Dong A1 - Cheuk Ming Mak KW - daily water use KW - Data Analytics KW - occupant behavior KW - residential water consumption KW - Water usage behavior AB -

As regional drought conditions continue deteriorating around the world, residential water use has been brought into the built environment spotlight. Nevertheless, the understanding of water use behavior in residential buildings is still limited. This paper presents data analytics and results from monitoring data of daily water use (DWU) in 50 single-family homes in Texas, USA. The results show the typical frequency distribution curve of the DWU per household and indicate personal income, education level and energy use of appliances all have statistically significant effects on the DWU per capita. Analysis of the water-intensive use demonstrates the residents tend to use more water in post-vacation days. These results help generate awareness of water use behavior in homes. Ultimately, this research could support policy makers to establish a water use baseline and inform water conservation programs.

 

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simulation and visualization of energy-related occupant behavior in office buildings JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2017 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Xin Liang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xuan Luo KW - Behavior Modeling KW - building performance KW - building simulation KW - energyplus KW - occupant behavior KW - visualization AB -

In current building performance simulation programs, occupant presence and interactions with building systems are over-simplified and less indicative of real world scenarios, contributing to the discrepancies between simulated and actual energy use in buildings. Simulation results are normally presented using various types of charts. However, using those charts, it is difficult to visualize and communicate the importance of occupants’ behavior to building energy performance. This study introduced a new approach to simulating and visualizing energy-related occupant behavior in office buildings. First, the Occupancy Simulator was used to simulate the occupant presence and movement and generate occupant schedules for each space as well as for each occupant. Then an occupant behavior functional mockup unit (obFMU) was used to model occupant behavior and analyze their impact on building energy use through co-simulation with EnergyPlus. Finally, an agent-based model built upon AnyLogic was applied to visualize the simulation results of the occupant movement and interactions with building systems, as well as the related energy performance. A case study using a small office building in Miami, FL was presented to demonstrate the process and application of the Occupancy Simulator, the obFMU and EnergyPlus, and the AnyLogic module in simulation and visualization of energy-related occupant behaviors in office buildings. The presented approach provides a new detailed and visual way for policy makers, architects, engineers and building operators to better understand occupant energy behavior and their impact on energy use in buildings, which can improve the design and operation of low energy buildings.

VL - 10 IS - 6 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Small and Medium Building Efficiency Toolkit and Community Demonstration Program Y1 - 2017 A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - William J. Fisk A1 - Norman Bourassa A1 - Wanyu R. Chan A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - H.Y. Iris Cheung A1 - Toshifumi Hotchi A1 - Margarita Kloss A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Phillip N. Price A1 - Oren Schetrit A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange A1 - Rongpeng Zhang KW - CBES KW - commercial buildings KW - energy efficiency KW - energy modeling KW - energy savings KW - indoor air quality KW - indoor environmental quality KW - outdoor air measurement technology KW - outdoor airflow intake rate KW - retrofit KW - ventilation rate AB -

Small commercial buildings in the United States consume 47 percent of all primary energy consumed in the building sector. Retrofitting small and medium commercial buildings may pose a steep challenge for owners, as many lack the expertise and resources to identify and evaluate cost-effective energy retrofit strategies. To address this problem, this project developed the Commercial Building Energy Saver (CBES), an energy retrofit analysis toolkit that calculates the energy use of a building, identifies and evaluates retrofit measures based on energy savings, energy cost savings, and payback. The CBES Toolkit includes a web app for end users and the CBES Application Programming Interface for integrating CBES with other energy software tools. The toolkit provides a rich feature set, including the following:

  1. Energy Benchmarking providing an Energy Star score
  2. Load Shape Analysis to identify potential building operation improvements
  3. Preliminary Retrofit Analysis which uses a custom developed pre-simulated database
  4. Detailed Retrofit Analysis which utilizes real time EnergyPlus simulations

In a parallel effort the project team developed technologies to measure outdoor airflow rate; commercialization and use would avoid both excess energy use from over ventilation and poor indoor air quality resulting from under ventilation.

If CBES is adopted by California’s statewide small office and retail buildings, by 2030 the state can anticipate 1,587 gigawatt hours of electricity savings, 356 megawatts of non-coincident peak demand savings, 30.2 megatherms of natural gas savings, $227 million of energy-related cost savings, and reduction of emissions by 757,866 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. In addition, consultant costs will be reduced in the retrofit analysis process.

CBES contributes to the energy savings retrofit field by enabling a straightforward and uncomplicated decision-making process for small and medium business owners and leveraging different levels of assessment to match user background, preference, and data availability.

U2 - LBNL-2001054 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Smart Building Management vs. Intuitive Human Control — Lessons learnt from an office building in Hungary JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2017 A1 - Zsofia Belafi A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Andras Reith KW - building operation KW - building performance simulation KW - case study KW - Occupant Behaviour KW - optimization AB -

Smart building management and control are adopted nowadays to achieve zero-net energy use in buildings. However, without considering the human dimension, technologies alone do not necessarily guarantee high performance in buildings. An office building was designed and built according to state-of-the-art design and energy management principles in 2008. Despite the expectations of high performance, the owner was facing high utility bills and low user comfort in the building located in Budapest, Hungary. The objective of the project was to evaluate the energy performance and comfort indices of the building, to identify the causes of malfunction and to elaborate a comprehensive energy concept. Firstly, current building conditions and operation parameters were evaluated. Our investigation found that the state-of-the-art building management system was in good conditions but it was operated by building operators and occupants who are not aware of the building management practice. The energy consumption patterns of the building were simulated with energy modelling software. The baseline model was calibrated to annual measured energy consumption, using actual occupant behaviour and presence, based on results of self-reported surveys, occupancy sensors and fan-coil usage data. Realistic occupant behaviour models can capture diversity of occupant behaviour and better represent the real energy use of the building. This way our findings and the effect of our proposed improvements could be more reliable. As part of our final comprehensive energy concept, we proposed intervention measures that would increase indoor thermal comfort and decrease energy consumption of the building. A parametric study was carried out to evaluate and quantify energy, comfort and return on investment of each measure. It was found that in the best case the building could save 23% of annual energy use. Future work includes the follow-up of: occupant reactions to intervention measures, the realized energy savings, the measurement of occupant satisfaction and behavioural changes.

VL - 10 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Spatial Distribution of Internal Heat Gains: A Probabilistic Representation and Evaluation of Its Influence on Cooling Equipment Sizing in Large Office Buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Qi Zhang A1 - Da Yan A1 - Jingjing An A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Wei Tian A1 - Kaiyu Sun KW - air handling unit KW - chiller plant KW - equipment sizing KW - internal heat gain KW - spatial distribution KW - spatial diversity KW - stochastic AB -

Internal heat gains from occupants, lighting, and plug loads are significant components of the space cooling load in an office building. Internal heat gains vary with time and space. The spatial diversity is significant, even for spaces with the same function in the same building. The stochastic nature of internal heat gains makes determining the peak cooling load to size air-conditioning systems a challenge. The traditional conservative practice of considering the largest internal heat gain among spaces and applying safety factors overestimates the space cooling load, which leads to oversized air-conditioning equipment and chiller plants. In this study, a field investigation of several large office buildings in China led to the development of a new probabilistic approach that represents the spatial diversity of the design internal heat gain of each tenant as a probability distribution function. In a large office building, a central chiller plant serves all air handling units (AHUs), with each AHU serving one or more floors of the building. Therefore, the spatial diversity should be considered differently when the peak cooling loads to size the AHUs and chillers are calculated. The proposed approach considers two different levels of internal heat gains to calculate the peak cooling loads and size the AHUs and chillers in order to avoid oversizing, improve the overall operating efficiency, and thus reduce energy use.

ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Synthesizing building physics with social psychology: An interdisciplinary framework for context and occupant behavior in office buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Chien-Fen Chen A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Zsofia Belafi AB -

This study introduces an interdisciplinary framework for investigating building-user interaction in office spaces. The framework is a synthesis of theories from building physics and social psychology including social cognitive theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the drivers-needs-actions-systems ontology for energy-related behaviors. The goal of the research framework is to investigate the effects of various behavioral adaptations and building controls (i.e., adjusting thermostats, operating windows, blinds and shades, and switching on/off artificial lights) to determine impacts on occupant comfort and energy-related operational costs in the office environment. This study attempts to expand state-of-the-art understanding of: (1) the environmental, personal, and behavioral drivers motivating occupants to interact with building control systems across four seasons, (2) how occupants’ intention to share controls is influenced by social-psychological variables such as attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in group negotiation dynamic, (3) the perceived ease of usage and knowledge of building technologies, and (4) perceived satisfaction and productivity. To ground the validation of the theoretical framework in diverse office settings and contexts at the international scale, an online survey was designed to collect cross-country responses from office occupants among 14 universities and research centers within the United States, Europe, China, and Australia.

ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Temporal and spatial characteristics of the urban heat island in Beijing and the impact on building design and energy performance Y1 - 2017 A1 - Ying Cui A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Jingjin Ma KW - beijing KW - building design KW - Microclimate KW - Temporal and spatial characteristics KW - urban heat island AB -

With the increased urbanization in most countries worldwide, the urban heat island (UHI) effect, referring to the phenomenon that an urban area has higher ambient temperature than the surrounding rural area, has gained much attention in recent years. Given that Beijing is developing rapidly both in urban population and economically, the UHI effect can be significant. A long-term measured weather dataset from 1961 to 2014 for ten rural stations and seven urban stations in Beijing, was analyzed in this study, to understand the detailed temporal and spatial characteristics of the UHI in Beijing. The UHI effect in Beijing is significant, with an urban-to-rural temperature difference of up to 8℃ during the winter nighttime. Furthermore, the impacts of UHIs on building design and energy performance were also investigated. The UHI in Beijing led to an approximately 11% increase in cooling load and 16% decrease in heating load in the urban area compared with the rural area, whereas the urban heating peak load decreased 9% and the cooling peak load increased 7% because of the UHI effect. This study provides insights into the UHI in Beijing and recommendations to improve building design and decision-making while considering the urban microclimate.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Ten Questions Concerning Occupant Behavior in Buildings: The Big Picture JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2017 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Da Yan A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Chien-Fei Chen KW - Behavior Modeling KW - building performance KW - building simulation KW - energy use KW - interdisciplinary KW - occupant behavior AB -

Occupant behavior has significant impacts on building energy performance and occupant comfort. However, occupant behavior is not well understood and is often oversimplified in the building life cycle, due to its stochastic, diverse, complex, and interdisciplinary nature. The use of simplified methods or tools to quantify the impacts of occupant behavior in building performance simulations significantly contributes to performance gaps between simulated models and actual building energy consumption. Therefore, it is crucial to understand occupant behavior in a comprehensive way, integrating qualitative approaches and data- and model-driven quantitative approaches, and employing appropriate tools to guide the design and operation of low-energy residential and commercial buildings that integrate technological and human dimensions. This paper presents ten questions, highlighting some of the most important issues regarding concepts, applications, and methodologies in occupant behavior research. The proposed questions and answers aim to provide insights into occupant behavior for current and future researchers, designers, and policy makers, and most importantly, to inspire innovative research and applications to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy use in buildings.

 

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Thorough Assessment of China’s Standard for Energy Consumption of Buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2017 A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Cheng Li A1 - Qi Zhang A1 - Jingjing An A1 - shan Hu KW - China KW - code and standard KW - energy consumption KW - energy efficiency KW - Energy Use Intensity KW - outcome-based code AB -

China’s Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings (the Design Standard) is widely used in the design phase to regulate the energy efficiency of physical assets (envelope, lighting, HVAC) in buildings. However, the standard does not consider many important factors that influence the actual energy use in buildings, and this can lead to gaps between the design estimates and actual energy consumption. To achieve the national energy savings targets defined in the strategic 12th Five-Year Plan, China developed the first standard for energy consumption of buildings GB/T51161-2016 (the Consumption Standard). This study provides an overview of the Consumption Standard, identifies its strengths and weaknesses, and recommends future improvements. The analysis and discussion of the constraint value and the leading value, two key indicators of the energy use intensity, provide insight into the intent and effectiveness of the Consumption Standard. The results indicated that consistency between China’s Design Standard GB 50189-2015 and the Consumption Standard GB/T51161-2016 could be achieved if the Design Standard used the actual building operations and occupant behavior in calculating the energy use in Chinese buildings. The development of an outcome-based code in the U.S. was discussed in comparison with China’s Consumption Standard, and this revealed the strengths and challenges associated with implementing a new compliance method based on actual energy use in buildings in the U.S. Overall, this study provides important insights into the latest developments of actual consumption-based building energy standards, and this information should be valuable to building designers and energy policy makers in China and the U.S.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Advances in research and applications of energy-related occupant behavior in buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2016 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Da Yan A1 - Stefano P. Corgnati KW - Behavior Modeling KW - Building design and operation KW - building performance simulation KW - energy use KW - occupant behavior AB -

Occupant behavior is one of the major factors influencing building energy consumption and contributing to uncertainty in building energy use prediction and simulation. Currently the understanding of occupant behavior is insufficient both in building design, operation and retrofit, leading to incorrect simplifications in modeling and analysis. This paper introduced the most recent advances and current obstacles in modeling occupant behavior and quantifying its impact on building energy use. The major themes include advancements in data collection techniques, analytical and modeling methods, and simulation applications which provide insights into behavior energy savings potential and impact. There has been growing research and applications in this field, but significant challenges and opportunities still lie ahead.

VL - 116 U2 - LBNL-1004497 ER - TY - CONF T1 - An Agent-Based Occupancy Simulator for Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2016 A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Xuan Luo A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

Traditionally, in building energy modeling (BEM) programs, occupancy inputs are deterministic and less indicative of real world scenarios, contributing to discrepancies between simulated and actual energy use in buildings. This paper presents an agent-based occupancy simulator, which models each occupant as an agent with specified movement events and statistics of space uses. To reduce the amount of data inputs, the simulator allows users to group occupants with similar behaviors as an occupant type, and spaces with similar function as a space type. It is a web-based application with friendly graphical user interface, cloud computing, and data storage. A case study is presented to demonstrate the usage of the occupancy simulator and its integration with EnergyPlus and obFMU. It first shows the required data inputs and the results from the occupancy simulator. Then, the generated occupant schedules are used in the EnergyPlus and obFMU simulation to evaluate the impacts of occupant behavior on building energy performance. The simulation results indicate that the occupancy simulator can capture the diversity of space’s occupancy behavior rather than the static weekly profiles, and can generate realistic occupancy schedules to support building performance simulation.

U2 - LBNL-1004492 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Comparative Study on Energy Performance of Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems and Variable Air Volume Systems in Office Buildings JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2016 A1 - Xinqiao Yu A1 - Da Yan A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Dandan Zhu KW - building simulation KW - comparative analysis KW - energy performance KW - field measurement KW - Variable Air Volume (VAV) Systems KW - Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems AB -

Variable air volume (VAV) systems and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems are popularly used in office buildings. This study investigated VAV and VRF systems in five typical office buildings in China, and compared their air conditioning energy use. Site survey and field measurements were conducted to collect data of building characteristics and operation. Measured cooling electricity use was collected from sub-metering in the five buildings. The sub-metering data, normalized by climate and operating hours, show that VRF systems consumed much less air conditioning energy by up to 70% than VAV systems. This is mainly due to the different operation modes of both system types leading to much fewer operating hours of the VRF systems. Building simulation was used to quantify the impact of operation modes of VRF and VAV systems on cooling loads using a prototype office building in China. Simulated results show the VRF operation mode leads to much less cooling loads than the VAV operation mode, by 42% in Hong Kong and 53% in Qingdao. The VRF systems operated in the part-time-part-space mode enabling occupants to turn on air-conditioning only when needed and when spaces were occupied, while the VAV systems operated in the full-time-full-space mode limiting occupants’ control of operation. The findings provide insights into VRF systems operation and controls as well as its energy performance, which can inform HVAC designers on system selection and building operators or facility managers on improving VRF system operations.    


 

 

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Evaporation Process on Thermal Performance of Roofs - Model Development and Numerical Analysis JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2016 A1 - Lei Zhang A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Yu Zhang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Qinglin Meng A1 - Yanshan Feng KW - Evaporative Cooling KW - model development KW - Net zero energy building KW - Numerical analysis KW - Passive techniques KW - Porous building material KW - Roof thermal performance ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improving the accuracy of energy baseline models for commercial buildings with occupancy data JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2016 A1 - Xin Liang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Geoffrey Qiping Shen KW - baseline model KW - building energy use KW - Energy Efficiency Retrofit KW - Measurement and verification KW - occupancy AB -

More than 80% of energy is consumed during operation phase of a building’s life cycle, so energy efficiency retrofit for existing buildings is considered a promising way to reduce energy use in buildings. The investment strategies of retrofit depend on the ability to quantify energy savings by “measurement and verification” (M&V), which compares actual energy consumption to how much energy would have been used without retrofit (called the “baseline” of energy use). Although numerous models exist for predicting baseline of energy use, a critical limitation is that occupancy has not been included as a variable. However, occupancy rate is essential for energy consumption and was emphasized by previous studies. This study develops a new baseline model which is built upon the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) model but includes the use of building occupancy data. The study also proposes metrics to quantify the accuracy of prediction and the impacts of variables. However, the results show that including occupancy data does not significantly improve the accuracy of the baseline model, especially for HVAC load. The reasons are discussed further. In addition, sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the influence of parameters in baseline models. The results from this study can help us understand the influence of occupancy on energy use, improve energy baseline prediction by including the occupancy factor, reduce risks of M&V and facilitate investment strategies of energy efficiency retrofit.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Introduction to an occupant behavior motivation survey framework Y1 - 2016 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Stefano P. Corgnati A1 - Anna Laura Pisello A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - DNAs framework KW - energy-related occupant behavior KW - motivation KW - office buildings KW - questionnaire survey AB -

An increasing body of research is underlying the need to foster energy behaviors and interaction with technology as a way to achieve energy savings in office buildings. However, engaging office users into more “forgiving” comfort-adaptive behavior is not a trivial task, since neither consequences nor benefits for changing behavior have visible or tangible effects on them personally. Since the 70’s, survey studies in the field of building science have been used to gain better understanding of multidisciplinary drivers of occupant behavior with respect to comfort and energy requirements in buildings. Rather than focusing on individual behaviors – and influencing factors – purpose of this survey research is to provide quantitative descriptions on the collective and social motivations within the complexity of different social groups in working environment, under different geographical context, culture and norms. The resultant questionnaire survey emerges as a combination of traditional and adaptive comfort theories, merged with social science theory. The questionnaire explores to what extent the occupant energy-related behavior in working spaces is driven by a motivational sphere influenced by i) comfort requirements, ii) habits, iii) intentions and iv) actual control of building systems. The key elements of the proposed occupant behavior motivational framework are grounded on the Driver Need Action System framework for energy-related behaviors in buildings. Goal of the study is to construct an additional layer of standardized knowledge to enrich the state-of-the-art on energy-related behavior in office buildings.

U2 - LBNL-1004496 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Modeling and Simulation of Operational Faults of HVAC Systems Using Energyplus Y1 - 2016 A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

HVAC operations play a significant role among various driving factors to improve energy performance of buildings. Extensive researches have been conducted on the design efficiencies and control strategies of HVAC system, but very few focused on the impacts of its operational faults on the building energy efficiency. Modeling and simulation of operational faults can lead to better understandings of the fault impacts and thus support decision making of timely fault corrections which can further benefit the efficient system operation, improve the indoor thermal comfort, and prolong the equipment service life. Fault modeling is also critical to achieve more accurate and reliable model calibrations. This paper introduces the modeling and simulation of operational faults using EnergyPlus, a comprehensive whole building performance simulation tool. The paper discusses the challenges of operational fault modeling, and compares three approaches to simulate operational faults using EnergyPlus. The paper also introduces the latest development of native fault objects within EnergyPlus. As an example, EnergyPlus version 8.4 is used to investigate the impacts of the integrated thermostat and humidistat faults in a typical office building across several U.S. climate zones. The results demonstrate that the faults create significant impacts on the building energy performance as well as occupant thermal comfort. At last, the paper introduces the future development plan of EnergyPlus for the further improvement of its fault modeling capability.

U2 - LBNL-1004498 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Occupancy data analytics and prediction: a case study Y1 - 2016 A1 - Xin Liang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Geoffrey Qiping Shen KW - data mining KW - Machine learning KW - occupancy prediction KW - occupant presence AB -

Occupants are a critical impact factor of building energy consumption. Numerous previous studies emphasized the role of occupants and investigated the interactions between occupants and buildings. However, a fundamental problem, how to learn occupancy patterns and predict occupancy schedule, has not been well addressed due to highly stochastic activities of occupants and insufficient data. This study proposes a data mining based approach for occupancy schedule learning and prediction in office buildings. The proposed approach first recognizes the patterns of occupant presence by cluster analysis, then learns the schedule rules by decision tree, and finally predicts the occupancy schedules based on the inducted rules. A case study was conducted in an office building in Philadelphia, U.S. Based on one-year observed data, the validation results indicate that the proposed approach significantly improves the accuracy of occupancy schedule prediction. The proposed approach only requires simple input data (i.e., the time series data of occupant number entering and exiting a building), which is available in most office buildings. Therefore, this approach is practical to facilitate occupancy schedule prediction, building energy simulation and facility operation.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Simulation Approach to Estimate Energy Savings Potential of Occupant Behavior Measures JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2016 A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - behavior measure KW - Behavior Modeling KW - building performance simulation KW - energy savings KW - energyplus KW - occupant behavior AB -

Occupant behavior in buildings is a leading factor influencing energy use in buildings. Low-cost behavioral solutions have demonstrated significant potential energy savings. Estimating the behavioral savings potential is important for a more effective design of behavior change interventions, which in turn will support more effective energy-efficiency policies. This study introduces a simulation approach to estimate the energy savings potential of occupant behavior measures. First it defines five typical occupant behavior measures in office buildings, then simulates and analyzes their individual and integrated impact on energy use in buildings. The energy performance of the five behavior measures was evaluated using EnergyPlus simulation for a real office building across four typical U.S. climates and two vintages. The Occupancy Simulator was used to simulate the occupant movement in each zone with inputs from the site survey of the case building. Based on the simulation results, the occupant behavior measures can achieve overall site energy savings as high as 22.9% for individual measures and up to 41.0% for integrated measures. Although energy savings of behavior measures would vary depending upon many factors, the presented simulation approach is robust and can be adopted for other studies aiming to quantify occupant behavior impact on building performance.

ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Tale of Three District Energy Systems: Metrics and Future Opportunities T2 - 2016 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2016 A1 - Rebecca Zarin Pass A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Mary Ann Piette AB -

Improving the sustainability of cities is crucial for meeting climate goals in the next several decades. One way this is being tackled is through innovation in district energy systems, which can take advantage of local resources and economies of scale to improve the performance of whole neighborhoods in ways infeasible for individual buildings. These systems vary in physical size, end use services, primary energy resources, and sophistication of control. They also vary enormously in their choice of optimization metrics while all under the umbrella-goal of improved sustainability.

This paper explores the implications of choice of metric on district energy systems using three case studies: Stanford University, the University of California at Merced, and the Richmond Bay campus of the University of California at Berkeley. They each have a centralized authority to implement large-scale projects quickly, while maintaining data records, which makes them relatively effective at achieving their respective goals. Comparing the systems using several common energy metrics reveals significant differences in relative system merit. Additionally, a novel bidirectional heating and cooling system is presented. This system is highly energy-efficient, and while more analysis is required, may be the basis of the next generation of district energy systems

JF - 2016 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Accelerating the energy retrofit of commercial buildings using a database of energy efficiency performance JF - Energy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Geof Sawaya A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange KW - building simulation KW - Energy conservation measure KW - energy modeling KW - energyplus KW - High Performance computing KW - retrofit AB -

Small and medium-sized commercial buildings can be retrofitted to significantly reduce their energy use, however it is a huge challenge as owners usually lack of the expertise and resources to conduct detailed on-site energy audit to identify and evaluate cost-effective energy technologies. This study presents a DEEP (database of energy efficiency performance) that provides a direct resource for quick retrofit analysis of commercial buildings. DEEP, compiled from the results of about ten million EnergyPlus simulations, enables an easy screening of ECMs (energy conservation measures) and retrofit analysis. The simulations utilize prototype models representative of small and mid-size offices and retails in California climates. In the formulation of DEEP, large scale EnergyPlus simulations were conducted on high performance computing clusters to evaluate hundreds of individual and packaged ECMs covering envelope, lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plug-loads, and service hot water. The architecture and simulation environment to create DEEP is flexible and can expand to cover additional building types, additional climates, and new ECMs. In this study DEEP is integrated into a web-based retrofit toolkit, the Commercial Building Energy Saver, which provides a platform for energy retrofit decision making by querying DEEP and unearthing recommended ECMs, their estimated energy savings and financial payback.

U2 - LBNL-1004494 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of the Potential to Achieve Very Low Energy Use in Public Buildings in China with Advanced Window and Shading Systems JF - Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Eleanor S. Lee A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Andrew McNeil A1 - Sabine Hoffmann A1 - Anothai Thanachareonkit A1 - Zhengrong Li A1 - Yong Ding KW - building KW - China KW - energy efficiency KW - shading KW - windows AB -

As rapid growth in the construction industry continues to occur in China, the increased demand for a higher standard living is driving significant growth in energy use and demand across the country. Building codes and standards have been implemented to head off this trend, tightening prescriptive requirements for fenestration component measures using methods similar to the US model energy code American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1. The objective of this study is to (a) provide an overview of applicable code requirements and current efforts within China to enable characterization and comparison of window and shading products, and (b) quantify the load reduction and energy savings potential of several key advanced window and shading systems, given the divergent views on how space conditioning requirements will be met in the future.

System-level heating and cooling loads and energy use performance were evaluated for a code-compliant large office building using the EnergyPlus building energy simulation program. Commercially-available, highly-insulating, low-emittance windows were found to produce 24-66% lower perimeter zone HVAC electricity use compared to the mandated energy-efficiency standard in force (GB 50189-2005) in cold climates like Beijing. Low-e windows with operable exterior shading produced up to 30-80% reductions in perimeter zone HVAC electricity use in Beijing and 18-38% reductions in Shanghai compared to the standard. The economic context of China is unique since the cost of labor and materials for the building industry is so low. Broad deployment of these commercially available technologies with the proper supporting infrastructure for design, specification, and verification in the field would enable significant reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the near term.

VL - 5 IS - 2 U2 - LBNL-187100 ER - TY - Generic T1 - CLIMATE-SPECIFIC MODELING AND ANALYSIS FOR BEST-PRACTICE INDIAN OFFICE BUILDINGS T2 - BS2015: 14th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Association Y1 - 2015 A1 - Reshma Singh A1 - Baptiste Ravache A1 - Spencer M. Dutton KW - Climate specific building energy models KW - india AB -

This paper describes the methodology and results of building energy modeling to validate and quantify the energy savings from conservation measures in medium-sized office buildings in four different climate zones in India. We present the different energy measures and their expected and simulated performances and discuss the results and the influence of climate. 

JF - BS2015: 14th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Association CY - Hyderabad, India UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2015/p2714.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Commercial Building Energy Saver: An energy retrofit analysis toolkit JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Phillip N. Price KW - Building Technologies Department KW - Building Technology and Urban Systems Division KW - buildings KW - buildings energy efficiency KW - Commercial Building Systems KW - conservation measures KW - energy efficiency KW - energy use KW - energyplus KW - External KW - Retrofit Energy KW - simulation research AB -

Small commercial buildings in the United States consume 47% of the total primary energy of the buildings sector. Retrofitting small and medium commercial buildings poses a huge challenge for owners because they usually lack the expertise and resources to identify and evaluate cost-effective energy retrofit strategies. This paper presents the Commercial Building Energy Saver (CBES), an energy retrofit analysis toolkit, which calculates the energy use of a building, identifies and evaluates retrofit measures in terms of energy savings, energy cost savings and payback. The CBES Toolkit includes a web app (APP) for end users and the CBES Application Programming Interface (API) for integrating CBES with other energy software tools. The toolkit provides a rich set of features including: (1) Energy Benchmarking providing an Energy Star score, (2) Load Shape Analysis to identify potential building operation improvements, (3) Preliminary Retrofit Analysis which uses a custom developed pre-simulated database and, (4) Detailed Retrofit Analysis which utilizes real-time EnergyPlus simulations. CBES includes 100 configurable energy conservation measures (ECMs) that encompass IAQ, technical performance and cost data, for assessing 7 different prototype buildings in 16 climate zones in California and 6 vintages. A case study of a small office building demonstrates the use of the toolkit for retrofit analysis. The development of CBES provides a new contribution to the field by providing a straightforward and uncomplicated decision making process for small and medium business owners, leveraging different levels of assessment dependent upon user background, preference and data availability.

VL - 159 U2 - LBNL-1004502 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Data Analysis and Stochastic Modeling of Lighting Energy Use in Large Office Buildings in China JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xiaoxin Ren KW - building simulation KW - energy use KW - Lighting modeling KW - occupant behavior KW - office buildings KW - Poisson distribution KW - stochastic modeling AB -

Lighting consumes about 20% to 40% of the total electricity use in large office buildings in China. Commonly in building simulations, static time schedules for typical weekdays, weekends and holidays are assumed to represent the dynamics of lighting energy use in buildings. This approach does not address the stochastic nature of lighting energy use, which can be influenced by occupant behavior in buildings. This study analyzes the main characteristics of lighting energy use over various timescales, based on the statistical analysis of measured lighting energy use data from 15 large office buildings in Beijing and Hong Kong. It was found that in these large office buildings, the 24-hourly variation in lighting energy use was mainly driven by the schedules of the building occupants. Outdoor illuminance levels had little impact on lighting energy use due to the lack of automatic daylighting controls (an effective retrofit measure to reduce lighting energy use) and the relatively small perimeter area exposed to natural daylight. A stochastic lighting energy use model for large office buildings was further developed to represent diverse occupant activities, at six different time periods throughout a day, and also the annual distribution of lighting power across these periods. The model was verified using measured lighting energy use from the 15 buildings. The developed stochastic lighting model can generate more accurate lighting schedules for use in building energy simulations, improving the simulation accuracy of lighting energy use in real buildings.

VL - 86 U2 - LBNL-180389 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Data Mining of Space Heating System Performance in Affordable Housing JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2015 A1 - Xiaoxin Ren A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - affordable housing KW - building simulation KW - clustering KW - data mining KW - decision tree KW - occupant behavior KW - space heating AB -

The space heating in residential buildings accounts for a considerable amount of the primary energy use. Therefore, understanding the operation and performance of space heating systems becomes crucial in improving occupant comfort while reducing energy use. This study investigated the behavior of occupants adjusting their thermostat settings and heating system operations in a 62-unit affordable housing complex in Revere, Massachusetts, USA. The data mining methods, including clustering approach and decision trees, were used to ascertain occupant behavior patterns. Data tabulating ON/OFF space heating states was assessed, to provide a better understanding of the intermittent operation of space heating systems in terms of system cycling frequency and the duration of each operation. The decision tree was used to verify the link between room temperature settings, house and heating system characteristics and the heating energy use. The results suggest that the majority of apartments show fairly constant room temperature profiles with limited variations during a day or between weekday and weekend. Data clustering results revealed six typical patterns of room temperature profiles during the heating season. Space heating systems cycled more frequently than anticipated due to a tight range of room thermostat settings and potentially oversized heating capacities. The results from this study affirm data mining techniques are an effective method to analyze large datasets and extract hidden patterns to inform design and improve operations.

VL - 89 U2 - LBNL-180239 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Data-mining Approach to Discover Patterns of Window Opening and Closing Behavior in Offices Y1 - 2015 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

Understanding the relationship between occupant behaviors and building energy consumption is one of the most effective ways to bridge the gap between predicted and actual energy consumption in buildings. However effective methodologies to remove the impact of other variables on building energy consumption and isolate the leverage of the human factor precisely are still poorly investigated. Moreover, the effectiveness of statistical and data mining approaches in finding meaningful correlations in data is largely undiscussed in literature. This study develops a framework combining statistical analysis with two data-mining techniques, cluster analysis and association rules mining, to identify valid window operational patterns in measured data. Analyses are performed on a data set with measured indoor and outdoor physical parameters and human interaction with operable windows in 16 offices. Logistic regression was first used to identify factors influencing window opening and closing behavior. Clustering procedures were employed to obtain distinct behavioral patterns, including motivational, opening duration, interactivity and window position patterns. Finally the clustered patterns constituted a base for association rules segmenting the window opening behaviors into two archetypal office user profiles for which different natural ventilation strategies as well as robust building design recommendations that may be appropriate. Moreover, discerned working user profiles represent more accurate input to building energy modeling programs, to investigate the impacts of typical window opening behavior scenarios on energy use, thermal comfort and productivity in office buildings

U2 - LBNL-180274 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - DEEP: A Database of Energy Efficiency Performance to Accelerate Energy Retrofitting of Commercial Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Geof Sawaya A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Mary Ann Piette AB -

The paper presents a method and process to establish a database of energy efficiency performance (DEEP) to enable quick and accurate assessment of energy retrofit of commercial buildings. DEEP was compiled from results of about 35 million EnergyPlus simulations. DEEP provides energy savings for screening and evaluation of retrofit measures targeting the small and medium-sized office and retail buildings in California. The prototype building models are developed for a comprehensive assessment of building energy performance based on DOE commercial reference buildings and the California DEER prototype buildings. The prototype buildings represent seven building types across six vintages of constructions and 16 California climate zones. DEEP uses these prototypes to evaluate energy performance of about 100 energy conservation measures covering envelope, lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, plug-loads, and domestic hot water. DEEP consists the energy simulation results for individual retrofit measures as well as packages of measures to consider interactive effects between multiple measures. The large scale EnergyPlus simulations are being conducted on the super computers at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The pre-simulation database is a part of an on-going project to develop a web-based retrofit toolkit for small and medium-sized commercial buildings in California, which provides real-time energy retrofit feedback by querying DEEP with recommended measures, estimated energy savings and financial payback period based on users’ decision criteria of maximizing energy savings, energy cost savings, carbon reduction, or payback of investment. The pre-simulated database and associated comprehensive measure analysis enhances the ability to performance assessments of retrofits to reduce energy use for small and medium buildings and business owners who typically do not have resources to conduct costly building energy audit. DEEP will be migrated into the DEnCity - DOE’s Energy City, which integrates large-scale energy data for multi-purpose, open, and dynamic database leveraging diverse source of existing simulation data.

U2 - LBNL-180309 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Design choices for thermofluid flow components and systems that are exported as Functional Mockup Units Y1 - 2015 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Marcus Fuchs A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui AB -

This paper discusses design decisions for exporting Modelica thermofluid flow components as Functional Mockup Units. The purpose is to provide guidelines that will allow building energy simulation programs and HVAC equipment manufacturers to effectively use FMUs for modeling of HVAC components and systems. We provide an analysis for direct input-output dependencies of such components and discuss how these dependencies can lead to algebraic loops that are formed when connecting thermofluid flow components. Based on this analysis, we provide recommendations that increase the computing efficiency of such components and systems that are formed by connecting multiple components. We explain what code optimizations are lost when providing thermofluid flow components as FMUs rather than Modelica code. We present an implementation of a package for FMU export of such components, explain the rationale for selecting the connector variables of the FMUs and finally provide computing benchmarks for different design choices. It turns out that selecting temperature rather than specific enthalpy as input and output signals does not lead to a measurable increase in computing time, but selecting nine small FMUs rather than a large FMU increases computing time by 70%

U2 - LBNL-1002826 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Development and validation of a new variable refrigerant flow systemmodel in EnergyPlus JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Rongpeng Zhang A1 - Ryohei Hinokuma A1 - Shinichi Kasahara A1 - Yoshinori Yura KW - building simulation KW - energy modeling KW - energyplus KW - Heat pump KW - model validation KW - Variable refrigerant flow AB -

Variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems vary the refrigerant flow to meet the dynamic zone thermalloads, leading to more efficient operations than other system types. This paper introduces a new modelthat simulates the energy performance of VRF systems in the heat pump (HP) operation mode. Com-pared with the current VRF-HP models implemented in EnergyPlus, the new VRF system model has morecomponent models based on physics and thus has significant innovations in: (1) enabling advanced con-trols, including variable evaporating and condensing temperatures in the indoor and outdoor units, andvariable fan speeds based on the temperature and zone load in the indoor units, (2) adding a detailedrefrigerant pipe heat loss calculation using refrigerant flow rate, operational conditions, pipe length, andpipe insulation materials, (3) improving accuracy of simulation especially in partial load conditions, and(4) improving the usability of the model by significantly reducing the number of user input performancecurves. The VRF-HP model is implemented in EnergyPlus and validated with measured data from fieldtests. Results show that the new VRF-HP model provides more accurate estimate of the VRF-HP systemperformance, which is key to determining code compliance credits as well as utilities incentive for VRFtechnologies.

VL - 117 U2 - LBNL-1004499 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Energy retrofit analysis toolkit for commercial buildings: A review Y1 - 2015 A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange KW - Building energy retrofit KW - Energy conservation measures KW - Energy efficiency KW - Energy simulation KW - Retrofit analysis tools KW - Web-based applications AB -

Retrofit analysis toolkits can be used to optimize energy or cost savings from retrofit strategies, accelerating the adoption of ECMs (energy conservation measures) in buildings. This paper provides an up-todate review of the features and capabilities of 18 energy retrofit toolkits, including ECMs and the calculation engines. The fidelity of the calculation techniques, a driving component of retrofit toolkits, were evaluated. An evaluation of the issues that hinder effective retrofit analysis in terms of accessibility, usability, data requirement, and the application of efficiency measures, provides valuable insights into advancing the field forward. Following this review the general concepts were determined: (1) toolkits developed primarily in the private sector use empirically data-driven methods or benchmarking to provide ease of use, (2) almost all of the toolkits which used EnergyPlus or DOE-2 were freely accessible, but suffered from complexity, longer data input and simulation run time, (3) in general, there appeared to be a fine line between having too much detail resulting in a long analysis time or too little detail which sacrificed modeling fidelity. These insights provide an opportunity to enhance the design and development of existing and new retrofit toolkits in the future.

PB - Elsevier Ltd. VL - 89 U2 - LBNL-1004503 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Equation-based languages – A new paradigm for building energy modeling, simulation and optimization JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Marco Bonvini A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui KW - Equation-based modeling KW - modelica KW - Multi-physics simulation KW - Optimal control KW - smart grid AB -

Most of the state-of-the-art building simulation programs implement models in imperative programming languages. This complicates modeling and excludes the use of certain efficient methods for simulation and optimization. In contrast, equation-based modeling languages declare relations among variables, thereby allowing the use of computer algebra to enable much simpler schematic modeling and to generate efficient code for simulation and optimization.

We contrast the two approaches in this paper. We explain how such manipulations support new use cases. In the first of two examples, we couple models of the electrical grid, multiple buildings, HVAC systems and controllers to test a controller that adjusts building room temperatures and PV inverter reactive power to maintain power quality. In the second example, we contrast the computing time for solving an optimal control problem for a room-level model predictive controller with and without symbolic manipulations. Exploiting the equation-based language led to 2200 times faster solution.

VL - 117 U2 - LBNL-1003383 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Green, Clean, & Mean: Pushing the Energy Envelope in Tech Industry Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Evan Mills A1 - Jessica Granderson A1 - Wanyu R. Chan A1 - Richard C. Diamond A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Bruce Nordman A1 - Paul A. Mathew A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Gerald Robinson A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz AB -

When it comes to innovation in energy and building performance, one can expect leading-edge activity from the technology sector. As front-line innovators in design, materials science, and information management, developing and operating high-performance buildings is a natural extension of their core business.

The energy choices made by technology companies have broad importance given their influence on society at large as well as the extent of their own energy footprint. Microsoft, for example, has approximately 250 facilities around the world (30 million square feet of floor area), with significant aggregate energy use of approximately 4 million kilowatt-hours per day.

There is a degree of existing documentation of efforts to design, build, and operate facilities in the technology sector. However, the material is fragmented and typically looks only at a single company, or discrete projects within a company.Yet, there is no single resource for corporate planners and decision makers that takes stock of the opportunities and documents sector-specific case studies in a structured manner. This report seeks to fill that gap, doing so through a combination of generalized technology assessments (“Key Strategies”) and case studies (“Flagship Projects”).

PB - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory U2 - LBNL-1005070E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An Insight into Actual Energy Use and Its Drivers in High-Performance Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Cheng Li A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Da Yan KW - actual energy use KW - building technologies KW - driving factors KW - high-performance buildings KW - integrated design KW - performance rating AB -

Using portfolio analysis and individual detailed case studies, we studied the energy performance and drivers of energy use in 51 high-performance office buildings in the U.S., Europe, China, and other parts of Asia. Portfolio analyses revealed that actual site energy use intensity (EUI) of the study buildings varied by a factor of as much as 11, indicating significant variation in real energy use in HPBs worldwide. Nearly half of the buildings did not meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1-2004 energy target, raising questions about whether a building’s certification as high performing accurately indicates that a building is energy efficient and suggesting that improvement in the design and operation of HPBs is needed to realize their energy-saving potential. We studied the influence of climate, building size, and building technologies on building energy performance and found that although all are important, none are decisive factors in building energy use. EUIs were widely scattered in all climate zones. There was a trend toward low energy use in small buildings, but the correlation was not absolute; some small HPBs exhibited high energy use, and some large HPBs exhibited low energy use. We were unable to identify a set of efficient technologies that correlated directly to low EUIs. In two case studies, we investigated the influence of occupant behavior as well as operation and maintenance on energy performance and found that both play significant roles in realizing energy savings. We conclude that no single factor determines the actual energy performance of HPBs, and adding multiple efficient technologies does not necessarily improve building energy performance; therefore, an integrated design approach that takes account of climate, technology, occupant behavior, and operations and maintenance practices should be implemented to maximize energy savings in HPBs. These findings are intended to help architects, engineers, operators, and policy makers improve the design and operation of HPBs.

U2 - LBNL-180169 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modelica Buildings Library Y1 - 2015 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Xiufeng Pang U2 - LBNL-1002944 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Occupancy Schedules Learning Process Through a Data Mining Framework JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - Behavioral Pattern KW - building simulation KW - data mining KW - Occupancy schedule KW - occupant behavior KW - Office Building AB -

Building occupancy is a paramount factor in building energy simulations. Specifically, lighting, plug loads, HVAC equipment utilization, fresh air requirements and internal heat gain or loss greatly depends on the level of occupancy within a building. Developing the appropriate methodologies to describe and reproduce the intricate network responsible for human-building interactions are needed. Extrapolation of patterns from big data streams is a powerful analysis technique which will allow for a better understanding of energy usage in buildings. A three-step data mining framework is applied to discover occupancy patterns in office spaces. First, a data set of 16 offices with 10 min interval occupancy data, over a two year period is mined through a decision tree model which predicts the occupancy presence. Then a rule induction algorithm is used to learn a pruned set of rules on the results from the decision tree model. Finally, a cluster analysis is employed in order to obtain consistent patterns of occupancy schedules. The identified occupancy rules and schedules are representative as four archetypal working profiles that can be used as input to current building energy modeling programs, such as EnergyPlus or IDA-ICE, to investigate impact of occupant presence on design, operation and energy use in office buildings.

VL - 88 U2 - LBNL-180204 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Occupant Behavior Modeling for Building Performance Simulation: Current State and Future Challenges JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Da Yan A1 - William O'Brien A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xiaohang Feng A1 - H. Burak Gunay A1 - Farhang Tahmasebi A1 - Ardeshir Mahdavi KW - building simulation KW - energy efficiency KW - energy modeling KW - energy use KW - occupant behavior AB -

Occupant behavior is now widely recognized as a major contributing factor to uncertainty of building performance. While a surge of research on the topic has occurred over the past four decades, and particularly the past few years, there are many gaps in knowledge and limitations to current methodologies. This paper outlines the state-of-the-art research, current obstacles and future needs and directions for the following four-step iterative process: (1) occupant monitoring and data collection, (2) model development, (3) model evaluation, and (4) model implementation into building simulation tools. Major themes include the need for greater rigor in experimental methodologies; detailed, honest, and candid reporting of methods and results; and development of an efficient means to implement occupant behavior models and integrate them into building energy modeling programs.

VL - 107 U2 - LBNL-1004504 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An Ontology to Represent Energy-Related Occupant Behavior in Buildings. Part II: Implementation of the DNAS framework using an XML schema JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange A1 - William J. N. Turner A1 - Yixing Chen A1 - Stefano P. Corgnati KW - building energy consumption KW - building simulation KW - energy modeling KW - obXML KW - occupant behavior KW - XML schema AB -

Energy-related occupant behavior in buildings is difficult to define and quantify, yet critical to our understanding of total building energy consumption. Part I of this two-part paper introduced the DNAS (Drivers, Needs, Actions and Systems) framework, to standardize the description of energy-related occupant behavior in buildings. Part II of this paper implements the DNAS framework into an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema, titled ‘occupant behavior XML’ (obXML). The obXML schema is used for the practical implementation of the DNAS framework into building simulation tools. The topology of the DNAS framework implemented in the obXML schema has a main root element OccupantBehavior, linking three main elements representing Buildings, Occupants and Behaviors. Using the schema structure, the actions of turning on an air conditioner and closing blinds provide two examples of how the schema standardizes these actions using XML. The obXML schema has inherent flexibility to represent numerous, diverse and complex types of occupant behaviors in buildings, and it can also be expanded to encompass new types of behaviors. The implementation of the DNAS framework into the obXML schema will facilitate the development of occupant information modeling (OIM) by providing interoperability between occupant behavior models and building energy modeling programs.

VL - 94 IS - 1 U2 - LBNL-1004501 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - An Ontology to Represent Energy-related Occupant Behavior in Buildings Part I: Introduction to the DNAs Framework JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Simona D'Oca A1 - William J. N. Turner A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange KW - Building energy KW - human-building-system interaction KW - modeling KW - occupant behavior KW - ontology KW - simulation AB -

Reducing energy consumption in the buildings sector requires significant changes, but technology alone may fail to guarantee efficient energy performance. Human behavior plays a pivotal role in building design, operation, management and retrofit, and is a crucial positive factor for improving the indoor environment, while reducing energy use at low cost. Over the past 40 years, a substantial body of literature has explored the impacts of human behavior on building technologies and operation. Often, need-action-event cognitive theoretical frameworks were used to represent human-machine interactions. In Part I of this paper a review of more than 130 published behavioral studies and frameworks was conducted. A large variety of data-driven behavioral models have been developed based on field monitoring of the human-building-system interaction. Studies have emerged scattered geographically around the world that lack in standardization and consistency, thus leading to difficulties when comparing one with another. To address this problem, an ontology to represent energy-related occupant behavior in buildings is presented. Accordingly, the technical DNAs framework is developed based on four key components: i) the Drivers of behavior, ii) the Needs of the occupants, iii) the Actions carried out by the occupants, and iv) the building systems acted upon by the occupants. This DNAs framework is envisioned to support the international research community to standardize a systematic representation of energy-related occupant behavior in buildings. Part II of this paper further develops the DNAs framework as an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema, obXML, for exchange of occupant information modeling and integration with building simulation tools.

VL - 92 U2 - LBNL-180349 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A pattern-based automated approach to building energy model calibration Y1 - 2015 A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Sarah C. Taylor-Lange A1 - Mary Ann Piette AB -

Building model calibration is critical in bringing simulated energy use closer to the actual consumption. This paper presents a novel, automated model calibration approach that uses logic linking parameter tuning with bias pattern recognition to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with traditional calibration processes. The pattern-based process contains four key steps: (1) running the original precalibrated energy model to obtain monthly simulated electricity and gas use; (2) establishing a pattern bias, either Universal or Seasonal Bias, by comparing load shape patterns of simulated and actual monthly energy use; (3) using programmed logic to select which parameter to tune first based on bias pattern, weather and input parameter interactions; and (4) automatically tuning the calibration parameters and checking the progress using pattern-fit criteria. The automated calibration algorithm was implemented in the Commercial Building Energy Saver, a web-based building energy retrofit analysis toolkit. The proof of success of the methodology was demonstrated using a case study of an office building located in San Francisco. The case study inputs included the monthly electricity bill, monthly gas bill, original building model and weather data with outputs resulting in a calibrated model that more closely matched that of the actual building energy use profile. The novelty of the developed calibration methodology lies in linking parameter tuning with the underlying logic associated with bias pattern identification. Although there are some limitations to this approach, the pattern-based automated calibration methodology can be universally adopted as an alternative to manual or hierarchical calibration approaches.

U2 - LBNL-1004495 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simulation of Occupancy in Buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2015 A1 - Xiaohang Feng A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - co-simulation KW - occupancy KW - occupant behavior KW - software module KW - stochastic modeling AB -

Occupants are involved in a variety of activities in buildings, which drive them to move among rooms, enter or leave a building. In this study, occupancy is defined at four levels and varies with time: (1) the number of occupants in a building, (2) occupancy status of a space, (3) the number of occupants in a space, and (4) the space location of an occupant. Occupancy has a great influence on internal loads and ventilation requirement, thus building energy consumption. Based on a comprehensive review and comparison of literature on occupancy modeling, three representative occupancy models, corresponding to the levels 2–4, are selected and implemented in a software module. Main contributions of our study include: (1) new methods to classify occupancy models, (2) the review and selection of various levels of occupancy models, and (3) new methods to integrate these model into a tool that can be used in different ways for different applications and by different audiences. The software can simulate more detailed occupancy in buildings to improve the simulation of energy use, and better evaluate building technologies in buildings. The occupancy of an office building is simulated as an example to demonstrate the use of the software module.

VL - 87 U2 - LBNL-180424 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simulation Speed Analysis and Improvements of Modelica Models for Building Energy Simulation Y1 - 2015 A1 - Filip Jorissen A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Lieve Helsen AB -

This paper presents an approach for speeding up Modelica models. Insight is provided into how Modelica models are solved and what determines the tool’s computational speed. Aspects such as algebraic loops, code efficiency and integrator choice are discussed. This is illustrated using simple building simulation examples and Dymola. The generality of the work is in some cases verified using OpenModelica. Using this approach, a medium sized office building including building envelope, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and control strategy can be simulated at a speed five hundred times faster than real time.

U2 - LBNL-1002904 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Updates to the China Design Standard for Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings JF - Energy Policy Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Cheng Li A1 - Da Yan KW - building design KW - building energy standard KW - China KW - energy efficiency KW - GB 50189 KW - Public buildings AB -

The China Design Standard for Energy Efficiency in public buildings (GB 50189) debuted in 2005 when China completed the 10th Five-Year Plan. GB 50189-2005 played a crucial role in regulating the energy efficiency in Chinese commercial buildings. The standard was recently updated in 2014 to increase energy savings targets by 30% compared with the 2005 standard. This paper reviews the major changes to the standard, including expansion of energy efficiency coverage and more stringent efficiency requirements. The paper also discusses the interrelationship of the design standard with China's other building energy standards. Furthermore, comparisons are made with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013 to provide contrasting differences in efficiency requirements. Finally recommendations are provided to guide the future standard revision, focusing on three areas: (1) increasing efficiency requirements of building envelope and HVAC systems, (2) adding a whole-building performance compliance pathway and implementing a ruleset based automatic code baseline model generation in an effort to reduce the discrepancies of baseline models created by different tools and users, and (3) adding inspection and commissioning requirements to ensure building equipment and systems are installed correctly and operate as designed.

VL - 87 U2 - LBNL-1004493 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of Building Energy Use Data Between the United States and China JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2014 A1 - Jianjun Xia A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Qi Shen A1 - Wei Feng A1 - Le Yang A1 - Piljae Im A1 - Alison Lu A1 - Mahabir Bhandari KW - buildings KW - comparison KW - data analysis KW - data model KW - Energy benchmarking KW - energy monitoring system KW - energy use KW - retrofit AB -

Buildings in the United States and China consumed 41% and 28% of the total primary energy in 2011, respectively. Good energy data are the cornerstone to understanding building energy performance and supporting research, design, operation, and policy making for low energy buildings. This paper presents initial outcomes from a joint research project under the U.S.–China Clean Energy Research Center for Building Energy Efficiency. The goal is to decode the driving forces behind the discrepancy of building energy use between the two countries; identify gaps and deficiencies of current building energy monitoring, data collection, and analysis; and create knowledge and tools to collect and analyze good building energy data to provide valuable and actionable information for key stakeholders. This paper first reviews and compares several popular existing building energy monitoring systems in both countries. Next a standard energy data model is presented. A detailed, measured building energy data comparison was conducted for a few office buildings in both countries. Finally issues of data collection, quality, sharing, and analysis methods are discussed. It was found that buildings in both countries performed very differently, had potential for deep energy retrofit, but that different efficiency measures should apply.

VL - 78 U2 - LBNL-6669E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Data and Analytics to Inform Energy Retrofit of High Performance Buildings JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Le Yang A1 - David Hill A1 - Wei Feng KW - Analytics KW - data model KW - Energy benchmarking KW - energy use KW - High performance buildings KW - retrofit AB -

Buildings consume more than one-third of the world’s primary energy. Reducing energy use in buildings with energy efficient technologies is feasible and also driven by energy policies such as energy benchmarking, disclosure, rating, and labeling in both the developed and developing countries. Current energy retrofits focus on the existing building stocks, especially older buildings, but the growing number of new high performance buildings built around the world raises a question that how these buildings perform and whether there are retrofit opportunities to further reduce their energy use. This is a new and unique problem for the building industry. Traditional energy audit or analysis methods are inadequate to look deep into the energy use of the high performance buildings. This study aims to tackle this problem with a new holistic approach powered by building performance data and analytics. First, three types of measured data are introduced, including the time series energy use, building systems operating conditions, and indoor and outdoor environmental parameters. An energy data model based on the ISO Standard 12655 is used to represent the energy use in buildings in a three-level hierarchy. Secondly, a suite of analytics were proposed to analyze energy use and to identify retrofit measures for high performance buildings. The data-driven analytics are based on monitored data at short time intervals, and cover three levels of analysis – energy profiling, benchmarking and diagnostics. Thirdly, the analytics were applied to a high performance building in California to analyze its energy use and identify retrofit opportunities, including: (1) analyzing patterns of major energy end-use categories at various time scales, (2) benchmarking the whole building total energy use as well as major end-uses against its peers, (3) benchmarking the power usage effectiveness for the data center, which is the largest electricity consumer in this building, and (4) diagnosing HVAC equipment using detailed time-series operating data. Finally, a few energy efficiency measures were identified for retrofit, and their energy savings were estimated to be 20% of the whole-building electricity consumption. Based on the analyses, the building manager took a few steps to improve the operation of fans, chillers, and data centers, which will lead to actual energy savings. This study demonstrated that there are energy retrofit opportunities for high performance buildings and detailed measured building performance data and analytics can help identify and estimate energy savings and to inform the decision making during the retrofit process. Challenges of data collection and analytics were also discussed to shape best practice of retrofitting high performance buildings.

PB - Elsevier VL - 126 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Development of Diagnostic and Measurement and Verification Tools for Commercial Buildings Y1 - 2014 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Craig P. Wray A1 - David A. Jump A1 - Daniel Veronica A1 - Christopher Farley KW - application programming interface KW - fault detection and diagnosis KW - M&V KW - Measurement and verification KW - Universal Translator AB -

This research developed new measurement and verification tools and new automated fault detection and diagnosis tools, and deployed them in the Universal Translator. The Universal Translator is a tool, developed by Pacific Gas and Electric, that manages large sets of measured data from building control systems and enables off‐line analysis of building performance. There were four technical projects following the program administration tasks identified as Project 1:

  1. Program Administration
  2. Methods and Tools to Reduce the Cost of Measurement and Verification.
  3. Fault Detection and Diagnostics for Commercial Heating, Ventilating, and Air‐ Conditioning Systems.
  4. Test Procedures and Tools to Characterize Fan and Duct System Performance in Large Commercial Buildings.
  5. Universal Translator Development: Integration of Application Programming Interface.

Project 1 consisted of administrative tasks related to the project.

Project 2 addressed the need for less expensive measurement and verification tools to determine the costs and benefits of retrofits and retro‐commissioning at both the individual building level and the utility program level.

Project 3 extended previous work on fault detection and diagnosis to additional systems and subsystems, including dual duct heating, ventilating and air‐conditioning systems and fan‐coil terminal units.

Project 4 combined previous work on duct leakage and fan modeling to develop a performance assessment method for existing fan/duct systems that could also be used in the analysis of retrofit measures identified by the tools in Projects 2 and 3 using the EnergyPlus simulation program to help select the most cost‐effective package of improvements.

Some of the diagnostic methods and tools developed in projects 2 through 4 were incorporated in the Universal Translator via a new application programming interface that was specified, developed and tested in Project 5. Combined, these tools support analyses of energy savings produced by new construction commissioning, retro‐commissioning, improved routine operations and code compliance. The new application programming interface could also facilitate future development, testing and deployment of new diagnostic tools.

PB - California Energy Commission U2 - LBNL-188324 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Integrated Design for High Performance Buildings Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Cheng Li A1 - Richard C. Diamond A1 - Da Yan A1 - Qi Zhang A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Siyue Guo A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Jingyi Wang U2 - LBNL-6991E ER - TY - CONF T1 - A New Model to Simulate Energy Performance of VRF Systems Y1 - 2014 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Oren Schetrit A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Shinichi Kasahara A1 - Yoshinori Yura A1 - Ryohei Hinokuma AB -

This paper presents a new model to simulate energy performance of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems in heat pump operation mode (either cooling or heating is provided but not simultaneously). The main improvement of the new model is the introduction of the evaporating and condensing temperature in the indoor and outdoor unit capacity modifier functions. The independent variables in the capacity modifier functions of the existing VRF model in EnergyPlus are mainly room wet-bulb temperature and outdoor dry-bulb temperature in cooling mode and room dry-bulb temperature and outdoor wet-bulb temperature in heating mode. The new approach allows compliance with different specifications of each indoor unit so that the modeling accuracy is improved. The new VRF model was implemented in a custom version of EnergyPlus 7.2. This paper first describes the algorithm for the new VRF model, which is then used to simulate the energy performance of a VRF system in a Prototype House in California that complies with the requirements of Title 24 – the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The VRF system performance is then compared with three other types of HVAC systems: the Title 24-2005 Baseline system, the traditional High Efficiency system, and the EnergyStar Heat Pump system in three typical California climates: Sunnyvale, Pasadena and Fresno. Calculated energy savings from the VRF systems are significant. The HVAC site energy savings range from 51 to 85%, while the TDV (Time Dependent Valuation) energy savings range from 31 to 66% compared to the Title 24 Baseline Systems across the three climates. The largest energy savings are in Fresno climate followed by Sunnyvale and Pasadena. The paper discusses various characteristics of the VRF systems contributing to the energy savings. It should be noted that these savings are calculated using the Title 24 prototype House D under standard operating conditions. Actual performance of the VRF systems for real houses under real operating conditions will vary.

U2 - LBNL-6666E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Review of Existing Energy Retrofit Tools Y1 - 2014 A1 - Sang Hoon Lee A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mary Ann Piette U2 - LBNL-6774E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Revisit of Energy Use and Technologies of High Performance Buildings T2 - 2014 ASHRAE Annual Conference Y1 - 2014 A1 - Cheng Li A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

Energy consumed by buildings accounts for one third of the world’s total primary energy use. Associated with the conscious of energy savings in buildings, High Performance Buildings (HPBs) has surged across the world, with wide promotion and adoption of various performance rating and certification systems. It is valuable to look into the actual energy performance of HPBs and to understand their influencing factors.

To shed some light on this topic, this paper conducted a series of portfolio analysis based on a database of 51 high performance office buildings across the world. Analyses showed that the actual site Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of the 51 buildings varied by a factor of up to 11, indicating a large scale of variation of the actual energy performance of the current HPBs. Further analysis of the correlation between EUI and climate elucidated ubiquitous phenomenon of EUI scatter throughout all climate zones, implying that the weather is not a decisive factor, although important, for the actual energy consumption of an individual building. On the building size via EUI, analysis disclosed that smaller buildings have a tendency to achieving lower energy use. Even so, the correlation is not absolute since some large buildings demonstrated low energy use while some small buildings performed opposite. Concerning the technologies, statistics indicated that the application of some technologies had correlations with some specific building size and climate characteristic. However, it was still hard to pinpoint a set of technologies which was directly correlative with a group of low EUI buildings.

It is concluded that no a single factor essentially determines the actual energy performance of HPBs. To deliver energy-efficient buildings, an integrated design taking account of climate, technology, occupant behavior as well as operation and maintenance should be implemented.

JF - 2014 ASHRAE Annual Conference PB - ASHRAE CY - Seattle, WA UR - https://www.techstreet.com/ashrae/standards/se-14-c033-revisit-of-energy-use-and-technologies-of-high-performance-buildings U2 - LBNL-6667E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Role of International Partnerships in Delivering Low- Energy Building Design: A Case Study of the Singapore Scientific Planning Process JF - Sustainable Cities and Society Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kristen Parrish A1 - Reshma Singh A1 - Szu-Cheng Chien AB -

This paper explores the role of international partnerships to facilitate low-energy building
design, construction, and operations. We briefly discuss multiple collaboration models
and the levels of impact they support. We present a case study of one collaborative
partnership model, the Scientific Planning Support (SPS) team. Staff from the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, the Austrian Institute of Technology, and Nanyang
Technological University formed the SPS team to provide design assistance and process
support during the design phase of a low-energy building project. Specifically, the SPS
team worked on the Clean Tech Two project, a tenanted laboratory and office building
that seeks Green Mark Platinum, the highest green building certification in Singapore.
The SPS team hosted design charrettes, helped to develop design alternatives, and
provided suggestions on the design process in support of this aggressive energy target.
This paper describes these efforts and discusses how teams like the SPS team and other partnership schemes can be leveraged to achieve high performance, low-energy buildingsat an international scale.

VL - 14 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Stochastic Modeling of Overtime Occupancy and Its Application in Building Energy Simulation and Calibration Y1 - 2014 A1 - Kaiyu Sun A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Siyue Guo KW - building energy use KW - building simulation KW - model calibration KW - occupant behavior KW - overtime occupancy KW - stochastic modeling AB -

Overtime is a common phenomenon around the world. Overtime drives both internal heat gains from occupants, lighting and plug-loads, and HVAC operation during overtime periods. Overtime leads to longer occupancy hours and extended operation of building services systems beyond normal working hours, thus overtime impacts total building energy use. Current literature lacks methods to model overtime occupancy because overtime is stochastic in nature and varies by individual occupants and by time. To address this gap in the literature, this study aims to develop a new stochastic model based on the statistical analysis of measured overtime occupancy data from an office building. A binomial distribution is used to represent the total number of occupants working overtime, while an exponential distribution is used to represent the duration of overtime periods. The overtime model is used to generate overtime occupancy schedules as an input to the energy model of a second office building. The measured and simulated cooling energy use during the overtime period is compared in order to validate the overtime model. A hybrid approach to energy model calibration is proposed and tested, which combines ASHRAE Guideline 14 for the calibration of the energy model during normal working hours, and a proposed KS test for the calibration of the energy model during overtime. The developed stochastic overtime model and the hybrid calibration approach can be used in building energy simulations to improve the accuracy of results, and better understand the characteristics of overtime in office buildings.

U2 - LBNL-6670E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - A Technical Framework to Describe Occupant Behavior for Building Energy Simulations Y1 - 2014 A1 - William J. N. Turner A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - energy efficiency KW - framework KW - occupant behavior KW - XML schema AB -

Green buildings that fail to meet expected design performance criteria indicate that technology alone does not guarantee high performance. Human influences are quite often simplified and ignored in the design, construction, and operation of buildings. Energy-conscious human behavior has been demonstrated to be a significant positive factor for improving the indoor environment while reducing the energy use of buildings. In our study we developed a new technical framework to describe energy-related human behavior in buildings. The energy-related behavior includes accounting for individuals and groups of occupants and their interactions with building energy services systems, appliances and facilities. The technical framework consists of four key components:

  1. the drivers behind energy-related occupant behavior, which are biological, societal, environmental, physical, and economical in nature
  2. the needs of the occupants are based on satisfying criteria that are either physical (e.g. thermal, visual and acoustic comfort) or non-physical (e.g. entertainment, privacy, and social reward)
  3. the actions that building occupants perform when their needs are not fulfilled
  4. the systems with which an occupant can interact to satisfy their needs

The technical framework aims to provide a standardized description of a complete set of human energy-related behaviors in the form of an XML schema. For each type of behavior (e.g., occupants opening/closing windows, switching on/off lights etc.) we identify a set of common behaviors based on a literature review, survey data, and our own field study and analysis. Stochastic models are adopted or developed for each type of behavior to enable the evaluation of the impact of human behavior on energy use in buildings, during either the design or operation phase. We will also demonstrate the use of the technical framework in assessing the impact of occupancy behavior on energy saving technologies. The technical framework presented is part of our human behavior research, a 5-year program under the U.S. - China Clean Energy Research Center for Building Energy Efficiency.

U2 - LBNL-6671E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building energy modeling programs comparison Research on HVAC systems simulation part Y1 - 2013 A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Dandan Zhu KW - Building energy modeling programs KW - comparison tests KW - HVAC system simulation KW - theory analysis AB -

Building energy simulation programs are effective tools for the evaluation of building energy saving and optimization of design. The fact that large discrepancies exist in simulated results when different BEMPs are used to model the same building has caused wide concern. Urgent research is needed to identify the main elements that contribute towards the simulation results. This technical report summarizes methodologies, processes, and the main assumptions of three building energy modeling programs (BEMPs) for HVAC calculations: EnergyPlus, DeST, and DOE-2.1E, and test cases are designed to analyze the calculation process in detail. This will help users to get a better understanding of BEMPs and the research methodology of building simulation. This will also help build a foundation for building energy code development and energy labeling programs.

ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Building Energy Monitoring and Analysis Y1 - 2013 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Wei Feng A1 - Alison Lu A1 - Jianjun Xia A1 - Le Yang A1 - Qi Shen A1 - Piljae Im A1 - Mahabir Bhandari AB -

U.S. and China are the world's top two economics. Together they consumed one-third of the world's primary energy. It is an unprecedented opportunity and challenge for governments, researchers and industries in both countries to join together to address energy issues and global climate change. Such joint collaboration has huge potential in creating new jobs in energy technologies and services.

Buildings in the US and China consumed about 40% and 25% of the primary energy in both countries in 2010 respectively. Worldwide, the building sector is the largest contributor to the greenhouse gas emission. Better understanding and improving the energy performance of buildings is a critical step towards sustainable development and mitigation of global climate change.

This project aimed to develop a standard methodology for building energy data definition, collection, presentation, and analysis; apply the developed methods to a standardized energy monitoring platform, including hardware and software, to collect and analyze building energy use data; and compile offline statistical data and online real-time data in both countries for fully understanding the current status of building energy use. This helps decode the driving forces behind the discrepancy of building energy use between the two countries; identify gaps and deficiencies of current building energy monitoring, data collection, and analysis; and create knowledge and tools to collect and analyze good building energy data to provide valuable and actionable information for key stakeholders.

Key research findings were summarized as follows:

The research outputs from the project can help better understand energy performance of buildings, improve building operations to reduce energy waste and increase efficiency, identify retrofit opportunities for existing buildings, and provide guideline to improve the design of new buildings. The standardized energy monitoring and analysis platform as well as the collected real building data can also be used for other CERC projects that need building energy measurements, and be further linked to building energy benchmarking and rating/labeling systems.

U2 - LBNL-6640E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Comparison of Building Energy Modeling Programs: HVAC Systems Y1 - 2013 A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Da Yan U2 - LBNL-6432E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Data Analysis and Modeling of Lighting Energy Use in Large Office Buildings Y1 - 2013 A1 - Xin Zhou A1 - Da Yan A1 - Xiaoxin Ren A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - energy use KW - lighting KW - modeling KW - occupant behavior KW - office buildings KW - Poisson distribution AB -

Lighting consumes about 20 to 40% of total electricity use in large office buildings in the U.S. and China. In order to develop better lighting simulation models it is crucial to understand the characteristics of lighting energy use. This paper analyzes the main characteristics of lighting energy use over various time scales, based on the statistical analysis of measured lighting energy use of 17 large office buildings in Beijing and Hong Kong. It was found that the daily 24-hour variations of lighting energy use were mainly driven by the schedule of the building occupants. Outdoor illumination levels have little impact on lighting energy use in large office buildings due to the lack of automatic daylighting controls and relatively small perimeter areas. A stochastic lighting energy use model was developed based on different occupant activities during six time periods throughout a day, and the annual distribution of lighting power across those periods. The model was verified using measured lighting energy use of one selected building. This study demonstrates how statistical analysis and stochastic modeling can be applied to lighting energy use. The developed lighting model can be adopted by building energy modeling programs to improve the simulation accuracy of lighting energy use.

ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Detailed Loads Comparison of Three Building Energy Modeling Programs: EnergyPlus, DeST and DOE-2.1E JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2013 A1 - Dandan Zhu A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Da Yan A1 - Chuang Wang KW - building energy modeling program KW - building thermal loads KW - comparison KW - dest KW - DOE-2.1E KW - energyplus AB -

Building energy simulation is widely used to help design energy efficient building envelopes and HVAC systems, develop and demonstrate compliance of building energy codes, and implement building energy rating programs. However, large discrepancies exist between simulation results from different building energy modeling programs (BEMPs). This leads many users and stakeholders to lack confidence in the results from BEMPs and building simulation methods. This paper compared the building thermal load modeling capabilities and simulation results of three BEMPs: EnergyPlus, DeST and DOE-2.1E. Test cases, based upon the ASHRAE Standard 140 tests, were designed to isolate and evaluate the key influencing factors responsible for the discrepancies in results between EnergyPlus and DeST. This included the load algorithms and some of the default input parameters. It was concluded that there is little difference between the results from EnergyPlus and DeST if the input values are the same or equivalent despite there being many discrepancies between the heat balance algorithms. DOE-2.1E can produce large errors for cases when adjacent zones have very different conditions, or if a zone is conditioned part-time while adjacent zones are unconditioned. This was due to the lack of a strict zonal heat balance routine in DOE-2.1E, and the steady state handling of heat flow through interior walls and partitions. This comparison study did not produce another test suite, but rather a methodology to design tests that can be used to identify and isolate key influencing factors that drive the building thermal loads, and a process with which to carry them out.

PB - Tsinghua University Press VL - 6 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Fresh Look at Weather Impact on Peak Electricity Demand and Energy Use of Buildings Using 30-Year Actual Weather Data JF - Applied Energy Y1 - 2013 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Wen-Kuei Chang A1 - Hung-Wen Lin KW - Actual meteorological year KW - building simulation KW - energy use KW - Peak electricity demand KW - Typical meteorological year KW - weather data AB -

Buildings consume more than one third of the world’s total primary energy. Weather plays a unique and significant role as it directly affects the thermal loads and thus energy performance of buildings. The traditional simulated energy performance using Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) weather data represents the building performance for a typical year, but not necessarily the average or typical long-term performance as buildings with different energy systems and designs respond differently to weather changes. Furthermore, the single-year TMY simulations do not provide a range of results that capture yearly variations due to changing weather, which is important for building energy management, and for performing risk assessments of energy efficiency investments. This paper employs large-scale building simulation (a total of 3162 runs) to study the weather impact on peak electricity demand and energy use with the 30-year (1980–2009) Actual Meteorological Year (AMY) weather data for three types of office buildings at two design efficiency levels, across all 17 ASHRAE climate zones. The simulated results using the AMY data are compared to those from the TMY3 data to determine and analyze the differences. Besides further demonstration, as done by other studies, that actual weather has a significant impact on both the peak electricity demand and energy use of buildings, the main findings from the current study include: (1) annual weather variation has a greater impact on the peak electricity demand than it does on energy use in buildings; (2) the simulated energy use using the TMY3 weather data is not necessarily representative of the average energy use over a long period, and the TMY3 results can be significantly higher or lower than those from the AMY data; (3) the weather impact is greater for buildings in colder climates than warmer climates; (4) the weather impact on the medium-sized office building was the greatest, followed by the large office and then the small office; and (5) simulated energy savings and peak demand reduction by energy conservation measures using the TMY3 weather data can be significantly underestimated or overestimated. It is crucial to run multi-decade simulations with AMY weather data to fully assess the impact of weather on the long-term performance of buildings, and to evaluate the energy savings potential of energy conservation measures for new and existing buildings from a life cycle perspective.

PB - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory VL - 111 U2 - LBNL-6280E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Functional Mock-Up Unit Import in EnergyPlus For Co-Simulation T2 - 13th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2013 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Wangda Zuo AB -

This paper describes how to use the recently implemented Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) for co-simulation import interface in EnergyPlus to link EnergyPlus with simulation tools packaged as FMUs. The interface complies with the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) for co-simulation standard version 1.0, which is an open standard designed to enable links between different simulation tools that are packaged as FMUs. This article starts with an introduction of the FMI and FMU concepts. We then discuss the implementation of the FMU import interface in EnergyPlus. After that, we present two use cases. The first use case is to model a HVAC system in Modelica, export it as an FMU, and link it to a room model in EnergyPlus. The second use case is an extension of the first case where a shading controller is modeled in Modelica, exported as an FMU, and used in the EnergyPlus room model to control the shading device of one of its windows. In both cases, the FMUs are imported into EnergyPlus which models the building envelope and manages the data-exchange between the envelope and the systems in the FMUs during run-time.

JF - 13th Conference of International Building Performance Simulation CY - Chambery, France U2 - LBNL-6413E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Statistical Analysis and Modeling of Occupancy Patterns in Open-Plan Offices using Measured Lighting-Switch Data JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2013 A1 - Wen-Kuei Chang A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - occupancy model KW - occupancy pattern KW - occupant schedule KW - office buildings KW - statistical analysis AB -

Occupancy profile is one of the driving factors behind discrepancies between the measured and simulated energy consumption of buildings. The frequencies of occupants leaving their offices and the corresponding durations of absences have significant impact on energy use and the operational controls of buildings. This study used statistical methods to analyze the occupancy status, based on measured lighting-switch data in five-minute intervals, for a total of 200 open-plan (cubicle) offices. Five typical occupancy patterns were identified based on the average daily 24-hour profiles of the presence of occupants in their cubicles. These statistical patterns were represented by a one-square curve, a one-valley curve, a two-valley curve, a variable curve, and a flat curve. The key parameters that define the occupancy model are the average occupancy profile together with probability distributions of absence duration, and the number of times an occupant is absent from the cubicle. The statistical results also reveal that the number of absence occurrences decreases as total daily presence hours decrease, and the duration of absence from the cubicle decreases as the frequency of absence increases. The developed occupancy model captures the stochastic nature of occupants moving in and out of cubicles, and can be used to generate a more realistic occupancy schedule. This is crucial for improving the evaluation of the energy saving potential of occupancy based technologies and controls using building simulations. Finally, to demonstrate the use of the occupancy model, weekday occupant schedules were generated and discussed.

VL - 6 IS - 1 U2 - LBNL-6080E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Transforming BIM to BEM: Generation of Building Geometry for the NASA Ames Sustainability Base BIM Y1 - 2013 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - Cody Rose A1 - Natasa Mrazovic A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - Cynthia Regnier A1 - Kristen Parrish A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac U2 - LBNL-6033E ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Two-Day CERC-BEE Forum on Building Integrated Design and Occupant Behavior: Presentations and Summary Y1 - 2013 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - William J. N. Turner A1 - Cheng Li ER - TY - CONF T1 - Application of a stochastic window use model in EnergyPlus T2 - SimBuild 2012, 5th National Conference of IBPSA-USA, August 1-3, 2012 Y1 - 2012 A1 - Spencer M. Dutton A1 - Hui Zhang A1 - Yongchao Zhai A1 - Edward A. Arens A1 - Youness Bennani Smires A1 - Samuel L. Brunswick A1 - Kyle S. Konis A1 - Philip Haves AB -

Natural ventilation, used appropriately, has the potential to provide both significant HVAC energy savings, and improvements in occupant satisfaction.

Central to the development of natural ventilation models is the need to accurately represent the behavior of building occupants. The work covered in this paper describes a method of implementing a stochastic window model in EnergyPlus. Simulated window use data from three stochastic window opening models was then compared to measured window opening behavior, collected in a naturally-ventilated office in California. Recommendations regarding the selection of stochastic window use models, and their implementation in EnergyPlus, are presented.

JF - SimBuild 2012, 5th National Conference of IBPSA-USA, August 1-3, 2012 CY - Madison, WI UR - https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gm7r783 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Comparative research in building energy modeling programs T2 - China Annual HVACR Conference Y1 - 2012 A1 - Dandan Zhu A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Da Yan A1 - Chuang Wang KW - advanced building software: energyplus KW - building energy modeling program KW - building simulation KW - comparison KW - dest KW - doe-2 KW - energyplus KW - simulation research group KW - test JF - China Annual HVACR Conference CY - China (in Chinese) ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Comparison of Building Energy Modeling Programs: Building Loads Y1 - 2012 A1 - Dandan Zhu A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Chuang Wang U2 - LBNL-6034E ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Energy Saving Potential of Membrane-Based Enthalpy Recovery in Vav Systems for Commercial Office Buildings T2 - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2012 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Philip Haves A1 - John Breshears AB -

A design tool to evaluate the heat and mass transfer effectiveness and pressure drop of a membrane-based enthalpy exchanger was developed and then used to optimize the configuration of an enthalpy exchanger for minimum pressure drop and maximum heat recovery effectiveness. Simulation was used in a parametric study to investigate the energy saving potential of the enthalpy recovery system. The case without energy recovery and air side economizer was used as a baseline. Two comparison cases for the implementation of enthalpy recovery with and without air side economizer were simulated in EnergyPlus. A case using a desiccant wheel for energy recovery was also investigated for comparison purposes. The simulation results show significant energy saving benefits from applying a low pressure drop, high effectiveness enthalpy exchanger in two US cities representing a range of humid climates. The sensitivity of the energy savings potential to pressure drop and heat and mass transfer effectivenesses is also presented.

JF - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference U2 - LBNL-6032E ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Energy Saving Potential of Membrane-Based Enthalpy Recovery in VAV System for Commercial Office Buildings T2 - SimBuild 2012 Y1 - 2012 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Philip Haves A1 - John Breshears JF - SimBuild 2012 CY - Madison, Wisconsin ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A framework for simulation-based real-time whole building performance assessment JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2012 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Philip Haves KW - building controls virtual test bed KW - building performance KW - energy modeling KW - energyplus KW - real-time building simulation AB -

Most commercial buildings do not perform as well in practice as intended by the design and their performances often deteriorate over time. Reasons include faulty construction, malfunctioning equipment, incorrectly configured control systems and inappropriate operating procedures. One approach to addressing this problems is to compare the predictions of an energy simulation model of the building to the measured performance and analyze significant differences to infer the presence and location of faults. This paper presents a framework that allows a comparison of building actual performance and expected performance in real time. The realization of the framework utilized the EnergyPlus, the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) and the Energy Management and Control System (EMCS) was developed. An EnergyPlus model that represents expected performance of a building runs in real time and reports the predicted building performance at each time step. The BCVTB is used as the software platform to acquire relevant inputs from the EMCS through a BACnet interface and send them to the EnergyPlus and to a database for archiving. A proof-of-concept demonstration is also presented.

VL - 54 U2 - 0360-1323 ER - TY - CONF T1 - An Improved Simple Chilled Water Cooling Coil Model T2 - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2012 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Walter F. Buhl AB -

The accurate prediction of cooling and dehumidification coil performance is important in model-based fault detection and in the prediction of HVAC system energy consumption for support of both design and operations. It is frequently desirable to use a simple cooling coil model that does not require detailed specification of coil geometry and material properties. The approach adopted is to match the overall UA of the coil to the rating conditions and to estimate the air-side and water-side components of the UA using correlations developed by Holmes (1982). This approach requires some geometrical information about the coil and the paper investigates the sensitivity of the overall performance prediction to uncertainties in this information, including assuming a fixed ratio of air-side to water-side UA at the rating condition. Finally, simulation results from different coil models are compared, and experimental data are used to validate the improved cooling coil model.

JF - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference U2 - LBNL-6031E ER - TY - CONF T1 - An In-Depth Analysis of Space Heating Energy Use in Office Buildings T2 - ACEEE 2012 Summer Study Y1 - 2012 A1 - Hung-Wen Lin A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building energy performance KW - building simulation KW - simulation research KW - simulation research group KW - space heating AB -

Space heating represents the largest end use in the U.S. buildings and consumes more than 7 trillion Joules of site energy annually [USDOE]. Analyzing building space heating performance and identifying methods for saving energy are quite important. Hence, it is crucial to identify and evaluate key driving factors to space heating energy use to support the design and operation of low energy buildings.

In this study, the prototypical small and large-size office buildings of the USDOE commercial reference buildings, which comply with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004, are selected. Key design and operation factors were identified to evaluate their degrees of impact for space heating energy use. Simulation results demonstrate that some of the selected building design and operation parameters have more significant impacts on space heating energy use than others, on the other hand, good operation practice can save more space heating energy than raising design efficiency levels of an office building. Influence of weather data used in simulations on space heating energy is found to be significant. The simulated space heating energy use is further benchmarked against those from similar office buildings in two U.S. commercial buildings databases to better understand the discrepancies.

Simulated results from this study and space heating energy use collected from building databases can both vary in two potentially well overlapped wide ranges depending on details of building design and operation, not necessarily that simulation always under-predicts the reality.

JF - ACEEE 2012 Summer Study PB - ACEEE CY - Asilomar, CA U2 - LBNL-5732E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Mapping Hvac Systems for Simulation In EnergyPlus T2 - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2012 A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Kevin Settlemyre AB -

For building energy simulation tools to be accessible to designers, tool interfaces should present a conventional view of HVAC systems to the user, and then map this view to the internal data model used in the tool. The paper outlines a process that enables design engineers to create HVAC system representations using industry standard terminology and system, icon and typological representations and convert that unified representation into the format required by the whole building energy simulation tool EnergyPlus. This paper describes each stage of the conversion process, which involves transformations between the following representations: 1) engineer's representation, 2) component connectivity representation, 3) representation in the internal data model used in the Simergy graphical user interface for EnergyPlus, and 4) EnergyPlus representation.

The paper also describes mappings between these representations and the development of a rule-based validation and assignment framework required to implement that mapping. In addition, the paper describes the implementation of this process in Simergy.

JF - SimBuild 2012 IBPSA Conference CY - Madison, WI, USA U2 - LBNL-5565E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Monitoring-based HVAC Commissioning of an Existing Office Building for Energy Efficiency Y1 - 2012 A1 - Shankar Earni A1 - Spencer Woodworth A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Jorge Hernandez-Maldonado A1 - Rongxin Yin A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Steve E. Greenberg A1 - John Fiegel A1 - Alma Rubalcava KW - benchmarking KW - commissioning KW - energyplus KW - fault detection and diagnostics KW - functional testing KW - trend data AB -

The performance of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems may fail to satisfy design expectations due to improper equipment installation, equipment degradation, sensor failures, or incorrect control sequences. Commissioning identifies and implements cost-effective operational and maintenance measures in buildings to bring them up to the design intent or optimum operation. An existing office building is used as a case study to demonstrate the process of commissioning. Building energy benchmarking tools are applied to evaluate the energy performance for screening opportunities at the whole building level. A large natural gas saving potential was indicated by the building benchmarking results. Faulty operations in the HVAC systems, such as improper operations of air-side economizers, simultaneous heating and cooling, and ineffective optimal start, were identified through trend data analyses and functional testing. The energy saving potential for each commissioning measure is quantified with a calibrated building simulation model. An actual energy saving of 10% was realized after the implementations of cost-effective measures.

U2 - LBNL-5940E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Reduction of numerical viscosity in FFD model JF - Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics Y1 - 2012 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Mingang Jin A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 6 IS - 2 ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Retrofit Tool for Improving Energy Efficiency of Commercial Buildings T2 - ACEEE 2012 Summer Study Y1 - 2012 A1 - Mark D. Levine A1 - Wei Feng A1 - Jing Ke A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Nan Zhou KW - building simulation KW - buildings KW - China KW - commercial building KW - energy efficiency measures KW - retrofit tool KW - simulation research group AB -

Existing buildings will dominate energy use in commercial buildings in the United States for three decades or longer and even in China for the about two decades. Retrofitting these buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use is thus critical to achieving the target of reducing energy use in the buildings sector. However there are few evaluation tools that can quickly identify and evaluate energy savings and cost effectiveness of energy conservation measures (ECMs) for retrofits, especially for buildings in China. This paper discusses methods used to develop such a tool and demonstrates an application of the tool for a retrofit analysis. The tool builds on a building performance database with pre-calculated energy consumption of ECMs for selected commercial prototype buildings using the EnergyPlus program. The tool allows users to evaluate individual ECMs or a package of ECMs. It covers building envelope, lighting and daylighting, HVAC, plug loads, service hot water, and renewable energy. The prototype building can be customized to represent an actual building with some limitations. Energy consumption from utility bills can be entered into the tool to compare and calibrate the energy use of the prototype building. The tool currently can evaluate energy savings and payback of ECMs for shopping malls in China. We have used the tool to assess energy and cost savings for retrofit of the prototype shopping mall in Shanghai. Future work on the tool will simplify its use and expand it to cover other commercial building types and other countries. 

JF - ACEEE 2012 Summer Study CY - Asilomar, CA UR - http://aceee.org/files/proceedings/2012/data/papers/0193-000098.pdf#page=1 U2 - LBNL-6553E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Sustainable Campus with PEV and Microgrid T2 - 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2012 A1 - K. Nandha Kumar A1 - B. Sivaneasan A1 - P.L. So A1 - H.B. Gooi A1 - Nilesh Jadhav A1 - Reshma Singh A1 - Chris Marnay KW - buildings KW - campus KW - electric vehicles KW - energy KW - loads KW - microgrids KW - renewable energy KW - transport AB -

Market penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining momentum, as is the move
towards increasingly distributed, clean and renewable electricity sources. EV charging shifts a
significant portion of transportation energy use onto building electricity meters. Hence,
integration strategies for energy-efficiency in buildings and transport sectors are of increasing
importance. This paper focuses on a portion of that integration: the analysis of an optimal
interaction of EVs with a building-serving transformer, and coupling it to a microgrid that
includes PV, a fuel cell and a natural gas micro-turbine. The test-case is the Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), Singapore campus. The system under study is the Laboratory
of Clean Energy Research (LaCER) Lab that houses the award winning Microgrid Energy
Management System (MG-EMS) project. The paper analyses three different case scenarios to
estimate the number of EVs that can be supported by the building transformer serving LaCER.
An approximation of the actual load data collected for the building into different time intervals is
performed for a transformer loss of life (LOL) calculation. The additional EV loads that can be
supported by the transformer with and without the microgrid are analyzed. The numbers of
possible EVs that can be charged at any given time under the three scenarios are also determined.
The possibility of using EV fleet at NTU campus to achieve demand response capability and
intermittent PV output leveling through vehicle to grid (V2G) technology and building energy
management systems is also explored.

JF - 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA UR - https://aceee.org/files/proceedings/2012/data/papers/0193-000363.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Uncertainties in energy consumption introduced by building operations and weather for a medium-size office building JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2012 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Paul A. Mathew A1 - Xiufeng Pang KW - Building Operations KW - energyplus KW - Monte Carlo Analysis KW - Uncertainties VL - 53 U2 - LBNL-5888E JO - Energy and Buildings ER - TY - Generic T1 - Validation and Application of the Room Model of the Modelica Buildings Library T2 - Proc. of the 9th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2012 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Phalak, Kaustubh A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

The Modelica Buildings library contains a package with a model for a thermal zone that computes heat transfer through the building envelope and within a room. It considers various heat transfer phenomena of a room, including conduction, convection, short-wave and long-wave radiation. The first part of this paper describes the physical phenomena considered in the room model. The second part validates the room model by using a standard test suite provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The third part focuses on an application where the room model is used for simulation-based controls of a window shading device to reduce building energy consumption.

JF - Proc. of the 9th International Modelica Conference CY - Munich, Germany U2 - LBNL-5932E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Validation of the Window Model of the Modelica Buildings Library Y1 - 2012 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Wangda Zuo AB -

This paper describes the validation of the window model of the free open-source Modelica Buildings library. This paper starts by describing the physical modeling assumptions of the window model. The window model can be used to calculate the thermal and angular properties of glazing systems. It can also be used for steady-state simulation of heat transfer mechanism in glazing systems. We present simulation results obtained by comparing the window model with WINDOW 6 the well established simulation tool for steady-state heat transfer in glazing systems. We also present results obtained by comparing the window model with measurements carried out in a test cell at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

U2 - LBNL-5735E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Validation of three dimensional fast fluid dynamics for indoor airflow simulations T2 - the 2nd International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE2012) Y1 - 2012 A1 - Mingang Jin A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 2nd International Conference on Building Energy and Environment (COBEE2012) CY - Boulder, CO ER - TY - Generic T1 - Advanced simulations of building energy and control systems with an example of chilled water plant modeling T2 - the 8th International Forum and Workshop on Combined Heat, Air, Moisture and Pollutant Simulations (CHAMPS 2011) Y1 - 2011 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Michael Wetter JF - the 8th International Forum and Workshop on Combined Heat, Air, Moisture and Pollutant Simulations (CHAMPS 2011) CY - Nanjing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - An Assessment of the use of Building Energy Performance Simulation in Early Design T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - Cody Rose A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Natasa Mrazovic A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - Welle, Benjamin JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 CY - Sydney, Australia ER - TY - RPRT T1 - BacNet and Analog/Digital Interfaces of the Building Controls Virtual Testbed Y1 - 2011 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Zhengwei Li A1 - Xiufeng Pang AB -

This paper gives an overview of recent developments in the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB), a framework for co-simulation and hardware-in-the-loop.

First, a general overview of the BCVTB is presented. Second, we describe the BACnet interface, a link which has been implemented to couple BACnet devices to the BCVTB. We present a case study where the interface was used to couple a whole building simulation program to a building control system to assess in real-time the performance of a real building. Third, we present the ADInterfaceMCC, an analog/digital interface that allows a USB-based analog/digital converter to be linked to the BCVTB. In a case study, we show how the link was used to couple the analog/digital converter to a building simulation model for local loop control.

U2 - LBNL-5446E ER - TY - Generic T1 - BACnet and Analog/Digital Interfaces of the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed T2 - Proc. of the 12th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2011 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Zhengwei Li A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Philip Haves JF - Proc. of the 12th IBPSA Conference CY - Sydney, Australia U2 - LBNL-5446E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Calibrating whole building energy models: An evidence-based methodology JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2011 A1 - Paul Raferty A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - James O'Donnell KW - calibration KW - Methodology KW - retrofit KW - simulation KW - Version control KW - Whole building energy model AB -

This paper reviews existing case studies and methods for calibrating whole building energy models to measured data. This research describes a systematic, evidence-based methodology for the calibration of these models. Under this methodology, parameter values in the final calibrated model reference the source of information used to make changes to the initial model. Thus, the final model is based solely on evidence. Version control software stores a complete record of the calibration process, and the evidence on which the final model is based. Future users can review the changes made throughout the calibration process along with the supporting evidence. In addition to the evidence-based methodology, this paper also describes a new zoning process that represents the real building more closely than the typical core and four perimeter zone approach. Though the methodology is intended to apply to detailed calibration studies with high resolution measured data, the primary aspects of the methodology (evidence-based approach, version control, and zone-typing) are independent of the available measured data.

VL - 43 IS - 9 ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Comparison of DeST and EnergyPlus T2 - China HVAC Simulation Conference Y1 - 2011 A1 - Dandan Zhu A1 - Chuang Wang A1 - Da Yan A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - comparison KW - dest KW - energy modeling KW - energyplus KW - simulation research KW - simulation research group KW - test cases JF - China HVAC Simulation Conference CY - Beijing ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Co-simulation of building energy and control systems with the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2011 A1 - Michael Wetter KW - building simulation KW - co-simulation KW - integrated analysis KW - modular modelling AB -

This article describes the implementation of the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB). The BCVTB is a software environment that allows connecting different simulation programs to exchange data during the time integration, and that allows conducting hardware in the loop simulation. The software architecture is a modular design based on Ptolemy II, a software environment for design and analysis of heterogeneous systems. Ptolemy II provides a graphical model building environment, synchronizes the exchanged data and visualizes the system evolution during run-time. The BCVTB provides additions to Ptolemy II that allow the run-time coupling of different simulation programs for data exchange, including EnergyPlus, MATLAB, Simulink and the Modelica modelling and simulation environment Dymola. The additions also allow executing system commands, such as a script that executes a Radiance simulation. In this article, the software architecture is presented and the mathematical model used to implement the co-simulation is discussed. The simulation program interface that the BCVTB provides is explained. The article concludes by presenting applications in which different state of the art simulation programs are linked for run-time data exchange. This link allows the use of the simulation program that is best suited for the particular problem to model building heat transfer, HVAC system dynamics and control algorithms, and to compute a solution to the coupled problem using co-simulation.

VL - 3 IS - 4 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Data Enviroments and Processing in Sem-Automated Simulation with EnergyPlus T2 - CIB W078-W102 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Cody Rose A1 - Natasa Mrazovic JF - CIB W078-W102 CY - Sophia Antipolis, France ER - TY - CONF T1 - Development of a user interface for the EnergyPlus whole building energy simulation program T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Richard See A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Pramod Sreekanathan A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Kevin Settlemyre JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 CY - Sydney, Australia ER - TY - CONF T1 - Modeling and simulation of HVAC faults in EnergyPlus T2 - Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - advanced building software: energyplus KW - building simulation KW - energyplus KW - faults KW - fouling KW - modeling KW - sensor offset KW - simulation research group JF - Building Simulation 2011 CY - Australia ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modeling and simulation of HVAC Results in EnergyPlus Y1 - 2011 A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong U2 - LBNL-5564E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Modeling of Heat Transfer in Rooms in the Modelica "Buildings" Library T2 - 12th Conference of International Building Performance Ssimulation Association Y1 - 2011 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui JF - 12th Conference of International Building Performance Ssimulation Association T3 - Proceedings of Building Simulation 2011 CY - Sydney, Australia U2 - LBNL-5563E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Multi-Criteria Optimisation using Past, Real Time and Predictive Performance Benchmarks JF - Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory Y1 - 2011 A1 - Torrens, J. Ignacio A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Andrea Costa A1 - James O'Donnell VL - 19 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prevention of Compressor Short Cycling in Direct-Expansion (DX) Rooftop Units, Part 1: Theoretical Analysis and Simulation JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2011 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Mingsheng Liu VL - 117 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Prevention of Compressor Short Cycling in Direct-Expansion (DX) Rooftop Units— Part 2: Field Investigation JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2011 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Mingsheng Liu VL - 117 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Real-time Building Energy Simulation using EnergyPlus and the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed T2 - Proc. of the 12th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2011 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Zheng O'Neill A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Trevor Bailey AB -

Most commercial buildings do not perform as well in practice as intended by the design and their performances often deteriorate over time. Reasons include faulty construction, malfunctioning equipment, incorrectly configured control systems and inappropriate operating procedures (Haves et al., 2001, Lee et al., 2007). To address this problem, the paper presents a simulation-based whole building performance monitoring tool that allows a comparison of building actual performance and expected performance in real time. The tool continuously acquires relevant building model input variables from existing Energy Management and Control System (EMCS). It then reports expected energy consumption as simulated of EnergyPlus. The Building Control Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) is used as the software platform to provide data linkage between the EMCS, an EnergyPlus model, and a database. This paper describes the integrated real-time simulation environment. A proof-of-concept demonstration is also presented in the paper.

JF - Proc. of the 12th IBPSA Conference CY - Sydney, Australia U2 - LBNL-5390E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Recent developments of the Modelica Buildings library for building energy and control systems T2 - the 8th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2011 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui KW - building energy systems KW - heating AB -

At the Modelica 2009 conference, we introduced the Buildings library, a freely available Modelica library for building energy and control systems [16]. This paper reports the updates of the library and presents example applications for a range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Over the past two years, the library has been further developed. The number of HVAC components models has been doubled and various components have been revised to increase numerical robustness. The paper starts with an overview of the library architecture and a description of the main packages. To demonstrate the features of the Buildings library, applications that include multizone airow simulation as well as supervisory and local loop control of a variable air volume (VAV) system are briey described. The paper closes with a discussion of the current development.

JF - the 8th International Modelica Conference CY - Dresden, Germany UR - https://www.modelica.org/events/modelica2011/Proceedings/pages/papers/12_1_ID_113_a_fv.pdf U2 - LBNL-4793E ER - TY - CONF T1 - SimModel: A domain data model for whole building energy simulation T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Richard See A1 - Cody Rose A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - Philip Haves AB -

Many inadequacies exist within industry-standard data models as used by present-day whole-building energy simulation software. Tools such as EnergyPlus and DOE-2 use custom schema definitions (IDD and BDL respectively) as opposed to standardized schema definitions (defined in XSD, EXPRESS, etc.). Non-standard data modes lead to a requirement for application developers to develop bespoke interfaces. Such tools have proven to be error prone in their implementation – typically resulting in information loss.

This paper presents a Simulation Domain Model (SimModel) - a new interoperable XML-based data model for the building simulation domain. SimModel provides a consistent data model across all aspects of the building simulation process, thus preventing information loss. The model accounts for new simulation tool architectures, existing and future systems, components and features. In addition, it is a multi-representation model that enables integrated geometric and MEP simulation configuration data. The SimModel objects ontology moves away from tool-specific, non-standard nomenclature by implementing an industry-validated terminology aligned with Industry Foundation Classes (IFC).

The first implementation of SimModel supports translations from IDD, Open Studio IDD, gbXML and IFC. In addition, the EnergyPlus Graphic User Interface (GUI) employs SimModel as its internal data model. Ultimately, SimModel will form the basis for a new IFC Model View Definition (MVD) that will enable data exchange from HVAC Design applications to Energy Analysis applications. Extensions to SimModel could easily support other data formats and simulations (e.g. Radiance, COMFEN, etc.).

JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 U2 - LBNL-5566E ER - TY - CONF T1 - A software tool to compare measured and simulated building energy performance data T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Tobias Maile A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Matthew Garr AB -

Building energy performance is often inadequate when compared to design goals. To link design goals to actual operation one can compare measured with simulated energy performance data. Our previously developed comparison approach is the Energy Performance Comparison Methodology (EPCM), which enables the identification of performance problems based on a comparison of measured and simulated performance data. In context of this method, we developed a software tool that provides graphing and data processing capabilities of the two performance data sets. The software tool called SEE IT (Stanford Energy Efficiency Information Tool) eliminates the need for manual generation of data plots and data reformatting. SEE IT makes the generation of time series, scatter and carpet plots independent of the source of data (measured or simulated) and provides a valuable tool for comparing measurements with simulation results. SEE IT also allows assigning data points on a predefined building object hierarchy and supports different versions of simulated performance data. This paper briefly introduces the EPCM, describes the SEE IT tool and illustrates its use in the context of a building case study.

JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 CY - Sydney, Australia U2 - LBNL-6184E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Systematic Development of an Operational BIM Utilising Simulation and Performance Data in Building Operation T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 Y1 - 2011 A1 - Edward Corry A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Andrea Costa JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2011 CY - Sydney, Australia ER - TY - Generic T1 - Validation of a Fast-Fluid-Dynamics Model for Predicting Distribution of Particles with Low Stokes Number T2 - 12th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2011) Y1 - 2011 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen KW - cfd KW - ffd KW - low stokes number KW - particle transportation AB - To design a healthy indoor environment, it is important to study airborne particle distribution indoors. As an intermediate model between multizone models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a fast fluid dynamics (FFD) model can be used to provide temporal and spatial information of particle dispersion in real time. This study evaluated the accuracy of the FFD for predicting transportation of particles with low Stokes number in a duct and in a room with mixed convection. The evaluation was to compare the numerical results calculated by the FFD with the corresponding experimental data and the results obtained by the CFD. The comparison showed that the FFD could capture major pattern of particle dispersion, which is missed in models with well-mixed assumptions. Although the FFD was less accurate than the CFD partially due to its simplification in numeric schemes, it was 53 times faster than the CFD. JF - 12th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2011) CY - Austin, Texas ER - TY - CONF T1 - Assessment of Energy Impact of Window Technologies for Commercial Buildings T2 - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study Y1 - 2010 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz KW - building energy performance KW - energyplus KW - shading controls KW - simulation KW - windows JF - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of Energy Savings Potential from the Use of Demand Control Ventilation Systems in General Office Spaces in California JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2010 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - William J. Fisk KW - building simulation KW - california building energy standard KW - Commercial Building Ventilation and Indoor Environmental Quality Group KW - demand controlled ventilation KW - energy savings KW - indoor environment department KW - other AB -

Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) was evaluated for general office spaces in California. A medium size office building meeting the prescriptive requirements of the 2008 California building energy efficiency standards (CEC 2008) was assumed in the building energy simulations performed with the EnergyPlus program to calculate the DCV energy savings potential in five typical California climates. Three design occupancy densities and two minimum ventilation rates were used as model inputs to cover a broader range of design variations. The assumed values of minimum ventilation rates in offices without DCV, based on two different measurement methods, were 81 and 28 cfm per occupant. These rates are based on the co‐author's unpublished analyses of data from EPA's survey of 100 U.S. office buildings. These minimum ventilation rates exceed the 15 to 20 cfm per person required in most ventilation standards for offices. The cost effectiveness of applying DCV in general office spaces was estimated via a life cycle cost analyses that considered system costs and energy cost reductions.

The results of the energy modeling indicate that the energy savings potential of DCV is largest in the desert area of California (climate zone 14), followed by Mountains (climate zone 16), Central Valley (climate zone 12), North Coast (climate zone 3), and South Coast (climate zone 6).

The results of the life cycle cost analysis show DCV is cost effective for office spaces if the typical minimum ventilation rates without DCV is 81 cfm per person, except at the low design occupancy of 10 people per 1000 ft2 in climate zones 3 and 6. At the low design occupancy of 10 people per 1000 ft2, the greatest DCV life cycle cost savings is a net present value (NPV) of $0.52/ft2 in climate zone 14, followed by $0.32/ft2 in climate zone 16 and $0.19/ft2 in climate zone 12. At the medium design occupancy of 15 people per 1000 ft2, the DCV savings are higher with a NPV $0.93/ft2 in climate zone 14, followed by $0.55/ft2 in climate zone 16, $0.46/ft2 in climate zone 12, $0.30/ft2 in climate zone 3, $0.16/ft2 in climate zone 3. At the high design occupancy of 20 people per 1000 ft2, the DCV savings are even higher with a NPV $1.37/ft2 in climate zone 14, followed by $0.86/ft2 in climate zone 16, $0.84/ft2 in climate zone 3, $0.82/ft2 in climate zone 12, and $0.65/ft2 in climate zone 6.

DCV was not found to be cost effective if the typical minimum ventilation rate without DCV is 28 cfm per occupant, except at high design occupancy of 20 people per 1000 ft2 in climate zones 14 and 16.

Until the large uncertainties about the base case ventilation rates in offices without DCV are reduced, the case for requiring DCV in general office spaces will be a weak case.

PB - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory CY - Berkeley VL - 3 IS - 2 U2 - LBNL-3523E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Automated Continuous Commissioning of Commercial Buildings T2 - DoD SERDP-ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium and Workshop Y1 - 2010 A1 - Trevor Bailey A1 - Zheng O'Neill A1 - Madhusudana Shashanka A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Xiufeng Pang JF - DoD SERDP-ESTCP Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium and Workshop CY - Washington, D.C. U2 - LBNL-5734E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - BuildWise Final Report Y1 - 2010 A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Andrea Costa A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Karsten Menzel A1 - Dirk, Alan ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A comparison of global optimization algorithms with standard benchmark functions and real-world applications using EnergyPlus JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2010 A1 - Jérôme Henri Kämpf A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Darren Robinson KW - algorithm KW - application using energyplus KW - building energy minimization KW - covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy algorithm and hybrid differential evolution KW - optimization KW - particle swarm optimization and hooke-jeeves AB -

There is an increasing interest in the use of computer algorithms to identify combinations of parameters which optimize the energy performance of buildings. For such problems, the objective function can be multi-modal and needs to be approximated numerically using building energy simulation programs. As these programs contain iterative solution algorithms, they introduce discontinuities in the numerical approximation to the objective function. Metaheuristics often work well for such problems, but their convergence to a global optimum cannot be established formally. Moreover, different algorithms tend to be suited to particular classes of optimization problems. To shed light on this issue we compared the performance of two metaheuristics, the hybrid CMA-ES/HDE and the hybrid PSO/HJ, in minimizing standard benchmark functions and real-world building energy optimization problems of varying complexity. From this we find that the CMA-ES/HDE performs well on more complex objective functions, but that the PSO/HJ more consistently identifies the global minimum for simpler objective functions. Both identified similar values in the objective functions arising from energy simulations, but with different combinations of model parameters. This may suggest that the objective function is multi-modal. The algorithms also correctly identified some non-intuitive parameter combinations that were caused by a simplified controls sequence of the building energy system that does not represent actual practice, further reinforcing their utility.

VL - 3 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Co-simulation for performance prediction of integrated building and HVAC systems - An analysis of solution characteristics using a two-body system JF - Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory Y1 - 2010 A1 - Marija Trcka A1 - Jan Hensen A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

Integrated performance simulation of buildings and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems can help in reducing energy consumption and increasing occupant comfort. However, no single building performance simulation (BPS) tool offers sufficient capabilities and flexibilities to analyze integrated building systems and to enable rapid prototyping of innovative building and system technologies. One way to alleviate this problem is to use co-simulation to integrate different BPS tools. Co-simulation approach represents a particular case of simulation scenario where at least two simulators solve coupled differential-algebraic systems of equations and exchange data that couples these equations during the time integration.

This article analyzes how co-simulation influences consistency, stability and accuracy of the numerical approximation to the solution. Consistency and zero-stability are studied for a general class of the problem, while a detailed consistency and absolute stability analysis is given for a simple two-body problem. Since the accuracy of the numerical approximation to the solution is reduced in co-simulation, the article concludes by discussing ways for how to improve accuracy.

VL - 18 IS - 7 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Development and Testing of Model Predictive Control for a Campus Chilled Water Plant with Thermal Storage T2 - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2010 A1 - Brian E. Coffey A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Brandon Hencey A1 - Francesco Borrelli A1 - Yudong Ma A1 - Sorin Bengea AB -

A Model Predictive Control (MPC) implementation was developed for a university campus chilled water plant. The plant includes three water-cooled chillers and a two million gallon chilled water storage tank. The tank is charged during the night to minimize on-peak electricity consumption and take advantage of the lower ambient wet bulb temperature. A detailed model of the chilled water plant and simplified models of the campus buildings were developed using the equation-based modeling language Modelica. Steady state models of the chillers, cooling towers and pumps were developed, based on manufacturers' performance data, and calibrated using measured data collected and archived by the control system. A dynamic model of the chilled water storage tank was also developed and calibrated. A semi-empirical model was developed to predict the temperature and flow rate of the chilled water returning to the plant from the buildings. These models were then combined and simplified for use in a MPC algorithm that determines the optimal chiller start and stop times and set-points for the condenser water temperature and the chilled water supply temperature. The paper describes the development and testing of the MPC implementation and discusses lessons learned and next steps in further research.

JF - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings PB - Omnipress CY - Asilomar, California, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Development of an isothermal 2D zonal air volume model with impulse conservation T2 - Clima 2010, 10th Rehva World Congress "Sustainable Energy Use in Buildings" Y1 - 2010 A1 - Norrefeldt Victor A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Gunnar Gruen AB -

This paper presents a new approach to model air flows with a zonal model. The aim of zonal models is to perform quick simulations of the air distribution in rooms. Therefore an air volume is subdivided into several discrete zones, typically 10 to 100. The zones are connected with flow elements computing the amount of air exchanged between them. In terms of complexity and needed computational time zonal models are a compromise between CFD calculations and the approximation of perfect mixing. In our approach the air flow velocity is used as property of the zones. Thus the distinction between normal zones and jet or plume influenced zones becomes obsolete. The model is implemented in the object oriented and equation based language Modelica. A drawback of the new formulation is that the calculated flow pattern depends on the discretization. Nevertheless, the results show that the new zonal model performs well and is a useful extension to existing models.

JF - Clima 2010, 10th Rehva World Congress "Sustainable Energy Use in Buildings" CY - Antalya, Turkey ER - TY - CONF T1 - Energy Monitoring Systems value, issues and recommendations based on five case studies T2 - Clima 2010 conference Y1 - 2010 A1 - Paul Raferty A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Andrea Costa JF - Clima 2010 conference CY - Antalya, Turkey ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Fast and informative flow simulation in a building by using fast fluid dynamics model on graphics processing unit JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2010 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 45 IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Fast simulation of smoke transport in buildings T2 - the 41st International HVAC&R congress Y1 - 2010 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 41st International HVAC&R congress CY - Beograd, Serbian ER - TY - Generic T1 - Impact of time-splitting schemes on the accuracy of FFD simulations T2 - the 7th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2010) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Jianjun Hu A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 7th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2010) CY - Syracuse, NY ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Impacts of Static Pressure Reset on VAV System Air Leakage, Fan Power, and Thermal Energy JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2010 A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Jingjuan Feng A1 - Zhan Wang A1 - Keke Zheng A1 - Xiufeng Pang VL - 116 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improvements on FFD modeling by using different numerical schemes JF - Numerical Heat Transfer, Part B Fundamentals Y1 - 2010 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Jianjun Hu A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 58 IS - 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Improvements on the fast fluid dynamics model for indoor airflow simulation T2 - the 4th National Conference of IBPSA-USA (SimBuild2010) Y1 - 2010 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 4th National Conference of IBPSA-USA (SimBuild2010) CY - New York, NY ER - TY - Generic T1 - Model Predictive Control of Thermal Energy Storage in Building Cooling Systems T2 - American Control Conference Y1 - 2010 A1 - Yudong Ma A1 - Francesco Borrelli A1 - Brandon Hencey A1 - Brian E. Coffey A1 - Sorin Bengea A1 - Philip Haves AB - A model-based predictive control (MPC) is designed for optimal thermal energy storage in building cooling systems. We focus on buildings equipped with a water tank used for actively storing cold water produced by a series of chillers. Typically the chillers are operated at night to recharge the storage tank in order to meet the building demands on the following day. In this paper, we build on our previous work, improve the building load model, and present experimental results. The experiments show that MPC can achieve reductionin the central plant electricity cost and improvement of its efficiency. JF - American Control Conference CY - Baltimore, Maryland, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modeling and Measurement Constraints in Fault Diagnostics for HVAC Systems JF - ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Controls Y1 - 2010 A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - David M. Auslander A1 - Peter L. Bartlett A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael D. Sohn AB - Many studies have shown that energy savings of five to fifteen percent are achievable in commercial buildings by detecting and correcting building faults, and optimizing building control systems. However,in spite of good progress in developing tools for determining HVAC diagnostics, methods to detect faults in HVAC systems are still generally undeveloped. Most approaches use numerical filtering or parameter estimation methods to compare data from energy meters and building sensors to predictions from mathematical or statistical models. They are effective when models are relatively accurate and data contain few errors. In this paper, we address the case where models are imperfect and data are variable, uncertain, and can contain error. We apply a Bayesian updating approach that is systematic in managing and accounting for most forms of model and data errors. The proposed method uses both knowledge of first principle modeling and empirical results to analyze the system performance within the boundaries defined by practical constraints. We demonstrate the approach by detecting faults in commercial building air handling units. We find that the limitations that exist in air handling unit diagnostics due to practical constraints can generally be effectively addressed through the proposed approach. ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simulations of air distribution in buildings by FFD on GPU JF - HVAC&R Research Y1 - 2010 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 16 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Statistical Pattern Analysis Framework for Rooftop Unit Diagnostics JF - International Journal of Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Research Y1 - 2010 A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - David M. Auslander A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael D. Sohn ER - TY - Generic T1 - Systems Approach to Energy Efficient Building Operation: Case Studies and Lessons Learned in a University Campus T2 - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2010 A1 - Satish Narayanan A1 - Michael G. Apte A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - John Elliott AB -

This paper reviews findings from research conducted at a university campus to develop a robust systems approach to monitor and continually optimize building energy performance. The field analysis, comprising three projects, included detailed monitoring, model-based analysis of system energy performance, and implementation of optimized control strategies for both district and building-scale systems. One project used models of the central cooling plant and campus building loads, and weather forecasts to analyze and optimize the energy performance of a district cooling system, comprising chillers, pumps and a thermal energy storage system. Fullscale implementation of policies devised with a model predictive control approach produced energy savings of about 5%, while demonstrating that the heuristic policies implemented by the operators were close to optimal during peak cooling season and loads. Research was also conducted to evaluate whole building monitoring and control methods. A second project performed in a campus building combined sub-metered end-use data, performance benchmarks, energy simulations and thermal load estimators to create a web-based energy performance visualization tool prototype. This tool provides actionable energy usage information to aid in facility operation and to enable performance improvement. In a third project, an alternative to demand controlled ventilation enabled by direct measurements of building occupancy levels was assessed. Simulations were used to show 5-15% reduction in building HVAC system energy usage when using estimates of actual occupancy levels.

JF - 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings PB - Omnipress CY - Asilomar, California, USA SN - 0-918249-60-0 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Anisotropy invariant Reynolds stress model of turbulence (AIRSM) and its application on attached and separated wall-bounded flows JF - Flow, Turbulence and Combustion Y1 - 2009 A1 - V. Kumar A1 - Bettina Frohnapfel A1 - Jovan Jovanović A1 - Michael Breuer A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Ibrahim Hadzić A1 - Richard Lechner KW - Anisotrpoy KW - Invariant map KW - Reynolds stress model KW - Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes KW - Separated wall-bounded flow KW - Turbulence KW - Turbulence modeling AB -

Numerical predictions with a differential Reynolds stress closure, which in its original formulation explicitly takes into account possible states of turbulence on the anisotropy-invariant map, are presented. Thus the influence of anisotropy of turbulence on the modeled terms in the governing equations for the Reynolds stresses is accounted for directly. The anisotropy invariant Reynolds stress model (AIRSM) is implemented and validated in different finite-volume codes. The standard wall-function approach is employed as initial step in order to predict simple and complex wall-bounded flows undergoing large separation. Despite the use of simple wall functions, the model performed satisfactory in predicting these flows. The predictions of the AIRSM were also compared with existing Reynolds stress models and it was found that the present model results in improved convergence compared with other models. Numerical issues involved in the implementation and application of the model are also addressed.

VL - 83 IS - 1 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Application of software tools for moisture protection of buildings in different climate zones T2 - 6th International Conference on Cold Climate, Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Y1 - 2009 A1 - Martin Krus A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Klaus Sedlbauer AB -

The application of software tools for moisture protection of buildings in different climatic zones is demonstrated in this paper. The basics of the programs are presented together with a typical application for a problem specific for the chosen climatic zone. A 1-D calculation has been performed for tropical climate zone with the improvement of a flat roof in Bangkok as an example. For half timbered buildings, which are common in the temperate zone with the 2-D model an infill insulation and its benefits are demonstrated. Finally the combined appliance of the whole building model and the mould risk prognosis model is shown in detail as a special case for the cold climate zone: In heated buildings of cold climate zones the internal climate with its low relative humidity in wintertime often causes discomfort and health problems for the occupants. In case of using air humidifier the risk of mould growth increases. Instead of an uncontrolled humidifying of the dry air an innovativecontrol system using a thermal bridge, which switches the humidifier off when condensation occurs is presented. To quantify the improvement in the comfort while preventing the risk of mould growth for a typical building comparative calculations of the resulting inner climates and its consequences on comfort have been performed.

JF - 6th International Conference on Cold Climate, Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning CY - Sisimiut, Groenland ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Assessment of Energy Impact of Window Technologies for Commercial Buildings Y1 - 2009 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz A1 - Mehry Yazdanian U2 - LBNL-6035E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Case study of zero energy house design in UK JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2009 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Julie Gwilliam A1 - Phillip Jones VL - 41 IS - 11 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - CCLEP Reduces Energy Consumption by More than 50% for a Luxury Shopping Mall JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2009 A1 - Lixia Wu A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Gang Wang A1 - Thomas G. Lewis AB -

The Continuous Commissioning Leading Project (CCLEP) process is an ongoing process to apply system optimization theory and advanced technologies to commercial retrofit projects. It was developed by Liu et al (2006) through a U.S. Department of Energy grant to the University of Nebraska and the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) for continuous commissioning applications in commercial retrofit projects. The CCLEP process, procedures and seven case study results have already been presented (Liu et al 2006).

CCLEP was applied to a luxury shopping mall and office building. The case study building has ten single fan dual-duct VAV AHUs, 123 dual-duct pneumatic controller pressure independent terminal boxes, and a central heating and cooling plant. Major retrofit efforts include upgrading pneumatic to DDC controls for all AHUs, installing main hot deck dampers, replacing the boiler, installing VFD on fans and pumps, and installing Fan Airflow Stations (FAS) and Pump Waterflow Stations (PWS). This paper presents the optimal control strategies, which include main hot deck damper control, supply fan control integrated with FAS, return fan control, optimal control for terminal boxes, chilled water temperature and chilled water pump speed control, hot water temperature and hot water pump control. The measured hourly utility data after CCLEP show that annual HVAC electricity consumption is reduced by 56% and gas use is reduced by 36%.

This paper demonstrates the energy savings and system performance improvement through retrofits and optimal system control. This paper will present the case study building information, CCLEP major retrofits, CCLEP optimal control strategies, CCLEP results and conclusions

VL - 115 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A close look at the China design standard for energy efficiency of public buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2009 A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - ASHRAE 90.1 KW - building energy standard KW - China KW - commercial buildings KW - energy efficiency KW - gb50189-2005 AB -

This paper takes a close look at the China national standard GB50189-2005, Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings, which was enforced on July 1, 2005. The paper first reviews the standard, then compares the standard with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 to identify discrepancies in code coverage and stringency, and recommends some energy conservation measures that can be evaluated in the design of public buildings to achieve energy savings beyond the standard. The paper also highlights several important features of 90.1-2004 that may be considered as additions to the GB50189-2005 standard during the next revision. At the end the paper summarizes the latest developments in building energy standards and rating systems in China and the US.

VL - 41 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of energy efficiency between variable refrigerant flow systems and ground source heat pump systems JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2009 A1 - Xiaobing Liu A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - building simulation KW - doe-2 KW - energy efficiency KW - gshp KW - vrf AB -

With the current movement towards net zero energy buildings, many technologies are promoted with emphasis on their superior energy efficiency. The variable refrigerant flow (VRF) and ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems are probably the most competitive technologies among these. However, there are few studies reporting the energy efficiency of VRF systems compared with GSHP systems. In this article, a preliminary comparison of energy efficiency between the air-source VRF and GSHP systems is presented. The computer simulation results show that GSHP system is more energy efficient than the air-source VRF system for conditioning a small office building in two selected US climates. In general, GSHP system is more energy efficient than the air-source VRV system, especially when the building has significant heating loads. For buildings with less heating loads, the GSHP system could still perform better than the air-source VRF system in terms of energy efficiency, but the resulting energy savings may be marginal.

VL - 42 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Co-simulation of innovative integrated HVAC systems in buildings JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2009 A1 - Marija Trcka A1 - Jan Hensen A1 - Michael Wetter KW - building performance simulation KW - co-simulation KW - hvac simulation KW - innovative building system modelling and simulation AB -

Integrated performance simulation of buildings HVAC systems can help in reducing energy consumption and increasing occupant comfort. However, no single building performance simulation (BPS) tool offers sufficient capabilities and flexibilities to analyze integrated building systems and to enable rapid prototyping of innovative building and system technologies. One way to alleviate this problem is to use co-simulation, as an integrated approach to simulation. This article elaborates on issues important for co-simulation realization and discusses multiple possibilities to justify the particular approach implemented in the here described co-simulation prototype. The prototype is validated with the results obtained from the traditional simulation approach. It is further used in a proof-of-concept case study to demonstrate the applicability of the method and to highlight its benefits. Stability and accuracy of different coupling strategies are analyzed to give a guideline for the required coupling time step.

VL - 2 UR - http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a913244253&fulltext=713240928 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Coupled simulations for naturally ventilated rooms between building simulation (BS) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for better prediction of indoor thermal environment JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2009 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong VL - 44 IS - 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Fast parallelized flow simulations on graphic processing units T2 - the 11th International Conference on Air Distribution in Rooms (RoomVent 2009) Y1 - 2009 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 11th International Conference on Air Distribution in Rooms (RoomVent 2009) CY - Busan, Korea ER - TY - COMP T1 - Generic Optimization Program User Manual Version 3.0.0 Y1 - 2009 A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

A software tool that automates the analysis of functional tests for air-handling units is described. The tool compares the performance observed during manual tests with the performance predicted by simple models of the components under test that are configured using design information and catalog data. Significant differences between observed and expected performance indicate the presence of faults. Fault diagnosis is performed by analyzing the variation of these differences with operating point using expert rules and fuzzy inferencing.

The tool has a convenient user interface to facilitate manual entry of measurements made during a test. A graphical display compares the measured and expected performance, highlighting significant differences that indicate the presence of faults. The tool is designed to be used by commissioning providers conducting functional tests as part of either new building commissioning or retro-commissioning, as well as by building owners and operators conducting routine tests to check the performance of their HVAC systems. The paper describes the input data requirements of the tool, the software structure, the graphical interface, and summarizes the development and testing process used.

VL - 113 U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL-2077E ER - TY - Generic T1 - High performance computing for indoor air T2 - 11th International IBPSA Conference (Building Simulation 2009) Y1 - 2009 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - 11th International IBPSA Conference (Building Simulation 2009) CY - Glasgow, U.K. ER - TY - Generic T1 - An implementation of co-simulation for performance prediction of innovative integrated HVAC systems in buildings T2 - Proc. of the 11th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2009 A1 - Marija Trcka A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jan Hensen AB - Integrated performance simulation of buildings and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC)systems can help reducing energy consumption and increasing level of occupant comfort. However, no singe building performance simulation (BPS) tool offers sufficient capabilities and flexibilities to accommodate the ever-increasing complexity and rapid innovations in building and system technologies. One way to alleviate this problem is to use co-simulation. The co-simulation approach represents a particular case of simulation scenario where at least two simulators solve coupled differential-algebraic systems of equations and exchange data that couples these equations during the time integration. This paper elaborates on issues important for co-simulation realization and discusses multiple possibilities to justify the particular approach implemented in a co-simulation prototype. The prototype is verified and validated against the results obtained from the traditional simulation approach. It is further used in a case study for the proof-of-concept, to demonstrate the applicability of the method and to highlight its benefits. Stability and accuracy of different coupling strategies are analyzed to give a guideline for the required coupling frequency. The paper concludes by defining requirements and recommendations for generic co-simulation implementations. JF - Proc. of the 11th IBPSA Conference CY - Glasgow, Scotland UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2009/BS09_0724_731.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Improving Control and Operation of a Single Duct VAV System through CCLEP JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2009 A1 - Young-Hum Cho A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Xiufeng Pang AB -

With the energy crisis of the early 1970s came the realization that buildings could be made much more efficient without sacrificing comfort. Over the last 30 years, use of variable air volume systems has become common practice. Many variable air volume (VAV) systems with pneumatic controls were installed in the 1980s and are still in use. However, these systems often have outdated control strategies and deficient mechanical systems are deficient, which may cause occupant discomfort and excess energy consumption.

An ASHRAE committee proposed building commissioning in 1988 to ensure that system performance met design specifications. Continuous Commissioning (CC[R]) technology was developed and implemented in 1992. CC is an ongoing process to resolve operating problems, improve comfort, optimize energy use and identify retrofits for existing commercial and institutional buildings and central plant facilities [1-5]. Since 1999, the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at the University of Nebraska has conducted extensive research to implement optimal system control during the design phase and finalize the optimal setpoints after system installation. ESL researchers have developed and implemented the Continuous Commissioning Leading Energy Project (CCLEP) process with federal and industry support. The CCLEP process has two stages: the contracting stage and the implementation stage. During the contracting stage, a comprehensive technical evaluation is performed. The CCLEP implementation stage involves planning, retrofit and trouble shooting, and optimization and follow-up. The CCLEP process, procedures and seven case study results are presented in [6].

This paper presents information on the case study facility, existing and improved control sequences, and building performance improvement and energy consumption measures before and after CCLEP implementation

VL - 115 IS - 2 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Key Factors - Methodology for Enhancement and Support of Building Energy Performance T2 - Building Simulation 2009 Y1 - 2009 A1 - Andrea Costa A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Paul Raferty A1 - James O'Donnell AB -

This paper presents the Key Factors methodology that supports energy managers in determining the optimal building operation strategy in relation to both energy consumption and thermal comfort. The methodology is supported by the utilisation of calibrated building energy simulation models that match measured data gathered by an extensive measurement framework. The paper outlines the proposed methodology defining the underpinning concepts and illustrating the performance metrics required to capture the effect of different building operation strategies. A brief case study is discussed to demonstrate the application of the methodology.

JF - Building Simulation 2009 CY - Glasgow, Scotland UR - http://zuse.ucc.ie/iruse/papersNew/AndreaGlasgow.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - Modelica Library for Building Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems T2 - Proceedings of the 7th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2009 A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

The Buildings library is a freely available Modelica library that is based on Modelica.Fluid. It contains component models for building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. It also contains an interface that allows co-simulation with the Ptolemy software framework for concurrent, real-time, embedded systems developed by the University of California at Berkeley. The primary applications are controls design, energy analysis and model-based operation. The library has been used to model hydronic space heating systems, variable air volume flow systems and it has been linked to the EnergyPlus building energy simulation program for co-simulation using Ptolemy II. The library contains dynamic and steady-state component models that are applicable for analyzing fast transients when designing control algorithms and for conducting annual simulations when assessing energy performance. For most models, dimensional analysis is used to compute the performance for operating points that differ from nominal conditions. This allows parameterizing models in the absence of detailed geometrical information which is often impractical to obtain during the conceptual design phase of building systems.

JF - Proceedings of the 7th International Modelica Conference CY - Como, Italy VL - 43 UR - http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_article/index.en.aspx?issue=043;article=44 ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Modelica-based model library for building energy and control systems T2 - Proceedings of the 11th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2009 A1 - Michael Wetter KW - modelica AB -

This paper describes an open-source library with component models for building energy and control systems that is based on Modelica, an equation-based object oriented language that is well positioned to become the standard for modeling of dynamic systems in various industrial sectors. The library is currently developed to support computational science and engineering for innovative building energy and control systems. Early applications will include controls design and analysis, rapid prototyping to support innovation of new building systems and the use of models during operation for controls, fault detection and diagnostics. This paper discusses the motivation for selecting an equation-based object-oriented language. It presents the architecture of the library and explains how base model scan be used to rapidly implement new models. To demonstrate the capability of analyzing novel energy and control systems, the paper closes with an example where we compare the dynamic performance of a conventional hydronic heating system with thermostatic radiator valves to an innovative heating system. In the new system, instead of a centralized circulation pump, each of the 18 radiators has a pump whose speed is controlled using a room temperature feedback loop, and the temperature of the boiler is controlled based on the speed of the radiator pump. All flows are computed by solving for the pressure distribution in the piping network, and the controls include continuous and discrete time controls.

JF - Proceedings of the 11th IBPSA Conference CY - Glasgow, Scotland UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2009/BS09_0652_659.pdf U2 - LBNL-2739E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Modelica-based Modeling and Simulation to Support Research and Development in Building Energy and Control Systems JF - Journal of Building Performance Simulation Y1 - 2009 A1 - Michael Wetter KW - modelica AB - Traditional building simulation programs possess attributes that make them difficult to use for the design and analysis of building energy and control systems and for the support of model-based research and development of systems that may not already be implemented in these programs. This paper presents characteristic features of such applications, and it shows how equation-based object-oriented modeling can meet requirements that arise in such applications. Next, the implementation of an open-source component model library for building energy systems is presented. The library has been developed using the equation-based object-oriented Modelica modeling language. Technical challenges of modeling and simulating such systems are discussed. Research needs are presented to make this technology accessible to user groups that have more stringent requirements with respect to the numerical robustness of simulation than a research community may have. Two examples are presented in which models from the here described library were used. The first example describes the design of a controller for a nonlinear model of a heating coil using model reduction and frequency domain analysis. The second example describes the tuning of control parameters for a static pressure reset controller of a variable air volume flow system. The tuning has been done by solving a non-convex optimization problem that minimizes fan energy subject to state constraints. VL - 2 UR - http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a911401852&fulltext=713240928 IS - 2 U2 - LBNL-2740E ER - TY - Generic T1 - “The Monitoring,” Panel: Chill-Off T2 - Silicon Valley Leadership Group Data Center Energy Efficiency Summit Y1 - 2009 A1 - Dean Nelson A1 - Brian Day A1 - Geoffrey C. Bell A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Mike Ryan JF - Silicon Valley Leadership Group Data Center Energy Efficiency Summit CY - Sunnyvale, CA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Multi-criteria optimisation using past, historical, real time and predictive performance benchmarks T2 - SEEP 2009: 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Energy & Environmental Protection Y1 - 2009 A1 - Torrens, J. Ignacio A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Andrea Costa JF - SEEP 2009: 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Energy & Environmental Protection ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Neue objektorientierte hygrothermische Modell-Bibliothek zur Ermittlung des hygrothermischen und hygienischen Komforts in Räumen JF - Bauphysik Y1 - 2009 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Klaus Sedlbauer A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Kurt Kießl VL - 31 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Pervasive Knowledge-Based Networking for Maintenance Inspection in Smart Buildings T2 - MUCS 2009: 6th IEEE International Workshop on Managing Ubiquitous Communications and Services Y1 - 2009 A1 - Paul Mara A1 - Declan O'Sullivan A1 - Rob Brennan A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Kris McGlinn A1 - James O'Donnell JF - MUCS 2009: 6th IEEE International Workshop on Managing Ubiquitous Communications and Services CY - Barcelona, Spain ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Real time or faster-than-real-time simulation of airflow in buildings JF - Indoor Air Y1 - 2009 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 19 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simulation-based assessment of the energy savings benefits of integrated control in office buildings JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2009 A1 - Eric Shen A1 - Tianzhen Hong KW - daylighting KW - energy conservation KW - energy consumption KW - energy efficiency KW - energy management systems KW - lighting control systems AB -

The purpose of this study is to use existing simulation tools to quantify the energy savings benefits of integrated control in office buildings. An EnergyPlus medium office benchmark simulation model (V1.0_3.0) developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) was used as a baseline model for this study. The baseline model was modified to examine the energy savings benefits of three possible control strategies compared to a benchmark case across 16 DOE climate zones. Two controllable subsystems were examined: (1) dimming of electric lighting, and (2) controllable window transmission. Simulation cases were run in EnergyPlus V3.0.0 for building window-to-wall ratios (WWR) of 33% and 66%. All three strategies employed electric lighting dimming resulting in lighting energy savings in building perimeter zones ranging from 64% to 84%. Integrated control of electric lighting and window transmission resulted in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) energy savings ranging from –1% to 40%. Control of electric lighting and window transmission with HVAC integration (seasonal schedule of window transmission control) resulted in HVAC energy savings ranging from 3% to 43%. HVAC energy savings decreased moving from warm climates to cold climates and increased when moving from humid, to dry, to marine climates.

VL - 2 IS - 4 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Standardization of thermo-fluid modeling in Modelica.Fluid 1.0 T2 - Proc. of the 7th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2009 A1 - Rüdiger Franke A1 - Francesco Casella A1 - Martin Otter A1 - Katrin Proelss A1 - Michael Sielemann A1 - Michael Wetter KW - modelica AB -

This article discusses the Modelica.Fluid library that has been included in the Modelica Standard Library 3.1. Modelica.Fluid provides interfaces and basic components for the device-oriented modeling of one dimensional thermo-fluid flow in networks containing vessels; pipes; fluid machines; valves and fittings.

A unique feature of Modelica.Fluid is that the component equations and the media models as well as pressure loss and heat transfer correlations are decoupled from each other. All components are implemented such that they can be used for media from the Modelica.Media library. This means that an incompressible or compressible medium; a single or a multiple substance medium with one or more phases might be used with one and the same model as long as the modeling assumptions made hold. Furthermore;

trace substances are supported. Modeling assumptions can be configured globally in an outer System object. This covers in particular the initialization; uni- or bi-directional flow; and dynamic or steady-state formulation of mass; energy; and momentum balance. All assumptions can be locally refined for every component.

While Modelica.Fluid contains a reasonable set of component models; the goal of the library is not to provide a comprehensive set of models; but rather to provide interfaces and best practices for the treatment of issues such as connector design and implementation of energy; mass and momentum balances. Applications from various domains are presented.

JF - Proc. of the 7th International Modelica Conference PB - Linköping University Electronic Press CY - Como, Italy VL - 43 SN - 978-91-7393-513-5 UR - http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp_article/index.en.aspx?issue=043;article=13 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Technical Assistance to Beichuan Reconstruction: Creating and Designing Low- to Zero-carbon Communities in New Beichuan Y1 - 2009 A1 - Tengfang T. Xu A1 - Chuang Wang A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Mark D. Levine PB - LBNL UR - http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0vv4m1gb U2 - LBNL-2819E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Towards a Very Low Energy Building Stock: Modeling the US Commercial Building Stock to Support Policy and Innovation Planning JF - Building Research and Information Y1 - 2009 A1 - Brian E. Coffey A1 - Sam Borgeson A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz A1 - Joshua S. Apte A1 - Paul A. Mathew A1 - Philip Haves AB -

This paper describes the origin, structure and continuing development of a model of time varying energy consumption in the US commercial building stock. The model is based on a flexible structure that disaggregates the stock into various categories (e.g. by building type, climate, vintage and life-cycle stage) and assigns attributes to each of these (e.g. floor area and energy use intensity by fuel type and end use), based on historical data and user-defined scenarios for future projections. In addition to supporting the interactive exploration of building stock dynamics, the model has been used to study the likely outcomes of specific policy and innovation scenarios targeting very low future energy consumption in the building stock. Model use has highlighted the scale of the challenge of meeting targets stated by various government and professional bodies, and the importance of considering both new construction and existing buildings.

VL - 37:5 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Application of Machine Learning in Fault Diagnostics of Mechanical Systems T2 - International Conference on Modeling, Simulation and Control Y1 - 2008 A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - David M. Auslander A1 - Peter L. Bartlett A1 - Philip Haves JF - International Conference on Modeling, Simulation and Control ER - TY - Generic T1 - Benchmarking and Equipment and Controls Assessment for a ‘Big Box’ Retail Chain T2 - ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2008 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Brian E. Coffey A1 - Scott Williams AB -

The paper describes work to enable improved energy performance of existing and new retail stores belonging to a national chain and thereby also identify measures and tools that would improve the performance of ‘big box' stores generally. A detailed energy simulation model of a standard store design was developed and used to:

The core enabling task of the project was to develop an energy model of the current standard design using the EnergyPlus simulation program. For the purpose of verification of the model against actual utility bills, the model was reconfigured to represent twelve existing stores (seven relatively new stores and five older stores) in different US climates and simulations were performed using weather data obtained from the National Weather Service. The results of this exercise, which showed generally good agreement between predicted and measured total energy use, suggest that dynamic benchmarking based on energy simulation would be an effective tool for identifying operational problems that affect whole building energy use. The models of the seven newer stores were then configured with manufacturers' performance data for the equipment specified in the current design and used to assess the energy and cost benefits of increasing the efficiency of selected HVAC, lighting and envelope components. The greatest potential for cost-effective energy savings appears to be a substantial increase in the efficiency of the blowers in the roof top units and improvements in the efficiency of the lighting. The energy benefits of economizers on the roof-top units were analyzed and found to be very sensitive to the operation of the exhaust fans used to control building pressurization.

JF - ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Asilomar, California, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparing computer run time of building simulation programs JF - Building Simulation Y1 - 2008 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz A1 - Michael Wetter KW - computer run time KW - doe-2 KW - energyplus KW - simulation program AB -

This paper presents an approach to comparing computer run time of building simulation programs. The computing run time of a simulation program depends on several key factors, including the calculation algorithm and modeling capabilities of the program, the run period, the simulation time step, the complexity of the energy models, the run control settings, and the software and hardware configurations of the computer that is used to make the simulation runs. To demonstrate the approach, simulation runs are performed for several representative DOE-2.1E and EnergyPlus energy models. The computer run time of these energy models are then compared and analyzed.

VL - 1 IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Comparisons of HVAC Simulations between EnergyPlus and DOE-2.2 for data centers T2 - ASHRAE Conference Y1 - 2008 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Dale A. Sartor A1 - Paul A. Mathew A1 - Mehry Yazdanian KW - data center KW - doe-2 KW - energy performance KW - energyplus KW - simulation JF - ASHRAE Conference VL - 115 Part 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Convergence of IT and Facilities Real-Time and Historic Data Leads to Data Center Efficiency T2 - ITHERM Y1 - 2008 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya JF - ITHERM T3 - Panel: Energy Efficient Data Center CY - Orlando, FL ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Coupled simulations for naturally ventilated residential buildings JF - Automation in Construction Y1 - 2008 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong VL - 17 IS - 4 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Design of Underlying Network Infrastructure of Smart Buildings T2 - 2008 IET 4th International Conference on Intelligent Environments Y1 - 2008 A1 - Alan McGibney A1 - Martin Klepal A1 - James O'Donnell KW - design KW - optimisation KW - Wireless BMS AB -

Wireless Building Management Systems (BMS) are an attractive option when it comes to building retrofitting due to the cost constraints introduced by wired systems. A crucial part of the wireless BMS is the initial planning stage, this process can be impossible for a designer to undertake, therefore highlighting the requirement for a software design tool to aid in this process.

JF - 2008 IET 4th International Conference on Intelligent Environments CY - Seattle, WA SN - 978-0-86341-894-5 UR - http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=4629790 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - EnergyPlus Analysis Capabilities for Use in Title 24 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Philip Haves KW - building simulation KW - code compliance KW - energyplus KW - title 24 PB - LBNL UR - http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/0z78090x U2 - LBNL-822E ER - TY - RPRT T1 - EnergyPlus Run Time Analysis Y1 - 2008 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Philip Haves PB - LBNL UR - http://escholarship.org/uc/item/36h4m5z0 U2 - LBNL-1311E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Fault Diagnostics and Supervised Testing: How Fault Diagnostic tools can be Proactive? T2 - Eleventh International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Controls Y1 - 2008 A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - David M. Auslander A1 - Peter L. Bartlett A1 - Philip Haves AB - The topic of fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) is studied from the perspective of proactive testing. Unlike most research focus in the diagnosis area in which system outputs are analyzed for diagnosis purposes, in this paper the focus is on the other side of the problem: manipulating system inputs for better diagnosis reasoning. In other words, the question of how diagnostic mechanisms can direct system inputs for better diagnosis analysis is addressed here. It is shown how the problem can be formulated as decision making problem coupled with a Bayesian Network based diagnostic mechanism. The developed mechanism is applied to the problem of supervised testing in HVAC systems. JF - Eleventh International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Controls UR - http://www.actapress.com/Content_of_Proceeding.aspx?proceedingID=503 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Gebäudesimulation mit adaptiven Modellierungsansätzen T2 - BAUSIM 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui JF - BAUSIM 2008 CY - Kassel, Germany ER - TY - CONF T1 - IFC BIM-based Methodology for Semi-Automated Building Energy Performance Simulation T2 - CIB W78, Proc. 25th conf Y1 - 2008 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - CIB W78, Proc. 25th conf CY - Santiago, Chile U2 - LBNL-919E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Integrating the Specification, Acquisition and Processing of Building Performance Information T2 - 12th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering Y1 - 2008 A1 - Martin Keller A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Karsten Menzel A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Ufuk Gökçe JF - 12th International Conference on Computing in Civil and Building Engineering CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Modelica-Based Model Library for Building Energy and Control Systems T2 - Building Simulation '09 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Michael Wetter JF - Building Simulation '09 CY - Glasgow, Scotland ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Modular Building Controls Virtual Test Bed for the Integration of Heterogeneous Systems T2 - SimBuild 2008, July 30-August 1 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Philip Haves AB -

This paper describes the Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB) that is currently under development at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. An earlier prototype linked EnergyPlus with controls hardware through embedded SPARK models and demonstrated its value in more cost-effective envelope design and improved controls sequences for the San Francisco Federal Building. The BCVTB presented here is a more modular design based on a middleware that we built using Ptolemy II, a modular software environment for design and analysis of heterogeneous systems. Ptolemy II provides a graphical model building environment, synchronizes the exchanged data and visualizes the system evolution during run-time. Our additions to Ptolemy II allow users to couple to Ptolemy II a prototype version of EnergyPlus, MATLAB/Simulink or other simulation programs for data exchange during run-time. In future work we will also implement a BACnet interface that allows coupling BACnet compliant building automation systems to Ptolemy II. We will present the architecture of the BCVTB and explain how users can add their own simulation programs to the BCVTB. We will then present an example application in which the building envelope and the HVAC system was simulated in EnergyPlus, the supervisory control logic was simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and Ptolemy II was used to exchange data during run-time and to provide real-time visualization as the simulation progresses.

JF - SimBuild 2008, July 30-August 1 CY - Berkeley, CA U2 - LBNL-650E ER - TY - Generic T1 - Object-oriented hygrothermal building physics library as a tool to predict and to ensure a thermal and hygric indoor comfort in building construction by using a Predicted-Mean-Vote (PMV) control ventilation system T2 - 8th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics in the Nordic Countries 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Andreas Holm A1 - Klaus Sedlbauer AB -

The indoor temperature and humidity conditions of the building envelope are important parameters for the evaluation of the thermal and hygric indoor comfort. In the research project GENSIM a new hygrothermal building library, based on the object- and equation-oriented model description language Modelica® has been developed by the Fraunhofer Institutes IBP and FIRST. This library includes many models as for instance a hygrothermal wall model, an air volume model, a zone model, a window model and an environment model. Due to the object-oriented modelling approach, some models of this library can be configured to a complex hygrothermal room model, which can predict the time dependent indoor temperature and humidity conditions in a building construction. In this paper we will introduce in a first step the object-oriented hygrothermal room model of this library. In a second step, the validation of the room model with some field experiments will be shown. In a third step we willpresent some simulation results, we obtained by coupling the room model with an implemented Predicted-Mean-Vote (PMV) control ventilation system to predict and to ensure a thermal and hygric indoor comfort in one case study. In the conclusion, the possible range of future applications of this new hygrothermal building physics library and demands for further research are indicated.

JF - 8th Nordic Symposium on Building Physics in the Nordic Countries 2008 CY - Copenhagen, Denmark VL - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Overcoming the Complexity of Diagnostic Problems due to Sensor Network Architecture T2 - Eleventh International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Controls Y1 - 2008 A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - David M. Auslander A1 - Peter L. Bartlett A1 - Philip Haves AB -

In fault detection and diagnostics, limitations coming from the sensor network architecture are one of the main challenges in evaluating a system's health status. Usually the design of the sensor network architecture is not solely based on diagnostic purposes, other factors like controls, financial constraints, and practical limitations are also involved. As a result, it quite common to have one sensor (or one set of sensors) monitoring the behaviour of two or more components. This can significantly extend the complexity of diagnostic problems. In this paper a systematic approach is presented to deal with such complexities. It is shown how the problem can be formulated as a Bayesian network based diagnostic mechanism with latent variables. The developed approach is also applied to the problem of fault diagnosis in HVAC systems, an application area with considerable modeling and measurement constraints.

JF - Eleventh International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Controls UR - https://www.actapress.com/Content_Of_Proceeding.aspx?ProceedingID=503 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Reducing Energy Use In Florida Buildings T2 - 16th Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates, December 15-17, 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Richard Raustad A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - Robin K. Vieira AB -

The 2007 Florida Building Code (ICC, 2008) requires building designers and architects to achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating for commercial buildings located throughout Florida. Although the Florida Building Code is strict in the minimum requirements for new construction, several aspects of building construction can be further improved through careful thought and design. This report outlines several energy saving features that can be used to ensure that new buildings meet a new target goal of 85% energy use compared to the 2007 energy code in order to achieve Governor Crist's executive order to improve the energy code by 15%.

To determine if a target goal of 85% building energy use is attainable, a computer simulation study was performed to determine the energy saving features available which are, in most cases, stricter than the current Florida Building Code. The energy savings features include improvements to building envelop, fenestration, lighting and equipment, and HVAC efficiency. The imp acts of reducing outside air requirements and employing solar water heating were also investigated. Th e purpose of the energy saving features described in this document is intended to provide a simple, prescriptive method for reducing energy consumption using the methodology outlined in ASHRAE Standard 90.1 (ASHRAE, 2007).

There are two difficulties in trying to achieve savings in non-residential structures. First, there is significant energy use caused by internal loads for people and equipment and it is difficult to use the energy code to achieve savings in this area relative to a baseline. Secondly, the ASHRAE methodology uses some of the same features that are proposed for the new building, so it may be difficult to claim savings for some strategies that will produce savings such as improved ventilation controls, reduced window area, or reduced plug loads simply because the methodology applies those features to the comparison reference building.

Several measures to improve the building envelope characteristics were simulated. Simply using the selected envelope measures resulted in savings of less than 10% for all building types. However, if such measures are combined with aggressive lighting reductions and improved efficiency HVAC equipment and controls, a target savings of 15% is easily attainable.

JF - 16th Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates, December 15-17, 2008 CY - Dallas, TX ER - TY - CONF T1 - Specification of an Information Delivery Tool to Support Optimal Holistic Environmental and Energy Management in Buildings T2 - SimBuild 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2008 CY - Berkeley, CA, USA U2 - LBNL-918E ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Unlocking Historical Data in Critical IT JF - Data Center Dynamics Focus Y1 - 2008 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya ER - TY - CONF T1 - Using SPARK as a Solver for Modelica T2 - SimBuild 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael A. Moshier A1 - Edward F. Sowell JF - SimBuild 2008 CY - Berkeley, CA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Using SPARK as a solver for Modelica T2 - Proc. of the 3rd SimBuild Conference Y1 - 2008 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Michael A. Moshier A1 - Edward F. Sowell AB -

Modelica is an object-oriented acausal modeling language that is well positioned to become a de-facto standard for expressing models of complex physical systems. To simulate a model expressed in Modelica, it needs to be translated into executable code. For generating run-time efficient code, such a translation needs to employ algebraic formula manipulations. As the SPARK solver has been shown to be competitive for generating such code but currently cannot be used with the Modelica language, we report in this paper how SPARK's symbolic and numerical algorithms can be implemented in OpenModelica, an open-source implementation of a Modelica modeling and simulation environment. We also report benchmark results that show that for our air flow network simulation benchmark, the SPARK solver is competitive with Dymola, which is believed to provide the best solver for Modelica.

JF - Proc. of the 3rd SimBuild Conference CY - Berkeley, CA, USA UR - http://www.ibpsa.us/simbuild2008/technical_sessions/SB08-DOC-TS03-1-Wetter.pdf U2 - LBNL-634E ER - TY - CONF T1 - Utilisation of Whole Building Energy Simulation Output to Provide Optimum Decision Support for Building Managers T2 - SimBuild 2008 Y1 - 2008 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2008 CY - Berkeley, CA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Advanced Zone Simulation in EnergyPlus: Incorporation of Variable Properties and Phase Change Material (PCM) Capability T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Curtis O. Pedersen JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - Airflow Network Modeling in EnergyPlus T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Lixing Gu JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Building Controls Virtual Test Bed – a Simulation Environment for Developing and Testing Control Algorithms, Strategies and Systems T2 - Building Simulation ’07 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Peng Xu KW - controls KW - development system KW - hardware-in-the-loop KW - testing AB -

The paper describes the design of a Building Controls Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB), a simulation environment for the development of control algorithms and strategies for the major energy systems in buildings, HVAC, lighting, active facades and on-site generation. The BCVTB is based on the whole building energy simulation program EnergyPlus and includes both the pure simulation and the hardware-in-the-loop methods of implementing the controls. For convenience and scalability, the design of the hardware-in-the-loop interface for supervisory controls uses BACnet rather than the analog interface used for local loop control. The paper concludes with a case study of the use of a prototype implementation of the BCVTB to precommission the building control system for the naturally-ventilated San Francisco Federal Building. A number of problems were found with the control program, demonstrating the value of the precommissioning and the effectiveness of the technique.

JF - Building Simulation ’07 CY - Bejing, China UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2007/p748_final.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - Comparison of Co-Simulation Approaches for Building and HVAC/R System Simulation T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Marija Trcka A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jan Hensen JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - Generic T1 - Comparison of co-simulation approaches for building and HVAC/R system simulation.
 T2 - Proc. of the 10th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2007 A1 - Marija Trcka A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jan Hensen AB - Appraisal of modern performance-based energy codes, as well as heating, ventilation, air- conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) system*design require use of an integrated building and system performance simulation program. However, the required scope of the modeling library of such integrated tools often goes beyond those offered in available simulation programs. One remedy for this situation would be to develop the required models in an existing simulation program. However, due to the lack of model interoperability, the model would not be available in other simulation programs. We suggest co-simulation for HVAC/R system simulation as an approach to alleviate the above issues. In co-simulation, each subsystem is modeled and simulated in the appropriate simulation program, potentially on different computers, and intermediate results are communicated over the network during execution time. We discuss different co-simulation approaches and give insights into specific prototypes. Based on the prototypes, we compare the approaches in terms of accuracy, stability and execution time, using a simple case study. We finish with results discussions and recommendations on how to perform co-simulation to maintain the required accuracy of simulation results. JF - Proc. of the 10th IBPSA Conference CY - Beijing, China UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2007/p503_final.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - Computational fluid dynamics for indoor environment modeling: past, present, and future T2 - the 6th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2007) Y1 - 2007 A1 - Qingyan Chen A1 - Zhao Zhang A1 - Wangda Zuo JF - the 6th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2007) CY - Sendai, Japan ER - TY - CONF T1 - Computer Model of a University Building Using the EnergyPlus Program T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Danielle Monfet A1 - Radu Zmeureanu A1 - Roland Charneux A1 - Nicolas Lemire JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - A convenient coupled simulation method for thermal environment prediction in naturally ventilated buildings T2 - 2nd PALENC conference and 28th AIVC conference, 27-29 September Y1 - 2007 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - 2nd PALENC conference and 28th AIVC conference, 27-29 September ER - TY - CONF T1 - Coverage Problem for Sensors Embedded in Temperature Sensitive Environments T2 - IEEE Infocom, 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Arunabha Sen A1 - Nibedita Das A1 - Ling Zhou A1 - Bao Hong Shen A1 - Sudheendra Murthy A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya JF - IEEE Infocom, 2007 CY - Anchorage, AL ER - TY - CONF T1 - Discussion of strategies for UK zero energy building design T2 - 2nd PALENC conference and 28th AIVC conference, 27-29 September Y1 - 2007 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Julie Gwilliam JF - 2nd PALENC conference and 28th AIVC conference, 27-29 September ER - TY - CONF T1 - Economizer Control Using Mixed Air Enthalpy T2 - the 7th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations Y1 - 2007 A1 - Jingjuan Feng A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Xiufeng Pang JF - the 7th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations T3 - 7th CY - San Francisco, CA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Energy Index Evaluation of Buildings in Function of the External Temperature T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Papa, Renata Pietra A1 - Patricia Romeiro da Silva Jota A1 - Assis, Eleonora JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Energy Performance of Underfloor Air Distribution Systems Y1 - 2007 A1 - Fred S. Bauman A1 - Thomas L. Webster A1 - Hui Jin A1 - Wolfgang Lukaschek A1 - Corinne Benedek A1 - Edward A. Arens A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Anna Lui A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Darryl J. Dickerhoff PB - California Energy Commission - Public Interest Energy Research Program ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Facade design optimization for naturally ventilated residential buildings in Singapore JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2007 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong A1 - Shuo Li VL - 39 IS - 8 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Global Efficiency of Direct Flow Vacuum Collectors in Autonomous Solar Desiccant Cooling: Simulation and Experimental Results T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Paul Bourdoukan A1 - Etienne Wurtz A1 - Maurice Spérandio A1 - Patrice Joubert JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The impacts of facade and ventilation strategies on indoor thermal environment for a naturally ventilated residential building in Singapore JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2007 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong VL - 42 IS - 12 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Integrated Static Pressure Reset with Fan Air Flow Station in Dual-duct VAV System Control T2 - ASME Energy Sustainability Y1 - 2007 A1 - Lixia Wu A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Gang Wang A1 - Xiufeng Pang JF - ASME Energy Sustainability CY - Long Beach, CA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Investigation of the possibility of applying natural ventilation for thermal comfort in residential buildings in Singapore JF - Architectural Science Review Y1 - 2007 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong VL - 50 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Potential of Buried Pipes Systems and Derived Techniques for Passive Cooling of Buildings in Brazilian Climates T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Pierre Hollmuller A1 - Joyce Carlo A1 - Martin Ordenes A1 - Fernando Westphal A1 - Roberto Lamberts JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - Generic T1 - Real time airflow simulation in buildings T2 - the 6th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2007) Y1 - 2007 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 6th International Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings Conference (IAQVEC 2007) CY - Sendai, Japan ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Semi-automated Commissioning Tool for VAV Air Handling Units: Functional Test Analyzer JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2007 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Moosung Kim A1 - Massieh Najafi A1 - Peng Xu AB -

A software tool that automates the analysis of functional tests for air-handling units is described. The tool compares the performance observed during manual tests with the performance predicted by simple models of the components under test that are configured using design information and catalog data. Significant differences between observed and expected performance indicate the presence of faults. Fault diagnosis is performed by analyzing the variation of these differences with operating point using expert rules and fuzzy inferencing.

The tool has a convenient user interface to facilitate manual entry of measurements made during a test. A graphical display compares the measured and expected performance, highlighting significant differences that indicate the presence of faults. The tool is designed to be used by commissioning providers conducting functional tests as part of either new building commissioning or retro-commissioning, as well as by building owners and operators conducting routine tests to check the performance of their HVAC systems. The paper describes the input data requirements of the tool, the software structure, the graphical interface, and summarizes the development and testing process used.

VL - 113 UR - http://gaia.lbl.gov/btech/papers/60979.pdf IS - Pt. 1 U2 - LBNL-60979 U5 -

Design and Retrofit Tools

ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Simplified Hot Water Distribution System Model (DOE-2) T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Lixing Gu JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - Simulation Enhanced Prototyping of an Experimental Solar House T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Ruchi Choudhary A1 - Godfried Augenbroe A1 - Russell Gentry A1 - Huafen Hu JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - Simulation of Energy Management Systems in EnergyPlus T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Peter G. Ellis A1 - Paul A. Torcellini A1 - Drury B. Crawley JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - The Study of a Simple HVAC Interface of EnergyPlus in the Chinese Language T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Junjie Liu A1 - Wenshen Li A1 - Xiaojie Zhou JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - Use of Simulation Tools for Managing Buildings Energy Demand T2 - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 Y1 - 2007 A1 - Alberto Hernandez A1 - Flávio Neto A1 - Augusto Sanzovo Fiorelli JF - Proc. Building Simulation 2007 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Using Indicators to Profile Energy Consumption and Inform Energy Policy in a University - A Case Study in Ireland JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2007 A1 - Brian Ó Gallachóir A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - James O'Donnell KW - building energy performance KW - Energy in services sector KW - energy policy KW - University AB -

The services sector has the least amount of energy end use data available, which poses significant challenges to companies within the sector attempting to benchmark their energy performance and inform energy management decisions. This paper explores through a case study analysis the use of simple performance indicators and how additional data and new metrics can greatly enhance the understanding of energy trends and in particular the assessment of building energy performance. The country chosen for the analysis is Ireland, where the services sector has experienced high energy demand growth since 1990 (4.1% annually) compared with the EU-15 (1.5% annually). Despite this growth, the available energy data is poor, in particular for the public service sub-sectors. The case study chosen is an institution within the education sub-sector, University College Cork. The paper presents some simple energy performance indicators that have been used to date to inform energy policy. The paper then introduces new approaches and tools for assessing energy performance in buildings and how these may be utilised to improve the energy policy decision making and energy management. It discusses how these approaches are been implemented for buildings with separate functions, presents some initial results and discusses future planned work.

VL - 39 IS - 8 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Validation of fast fluid dynamics for room airflow T2 - the 10th International IBPSA Conference (Building Simulation 2007) Y1 - 2007 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Qingyan Chen JF - the 10th International IBPSA Conference (Building Simulation 2007) CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - CONF T1 - VAV System Optimization through Continuous Commissioning in an Office Building T2 - the 7th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations Y1 - 2007 A1 - Young-Hum Cho A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Mingsheng Liu JF - the 7th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations CY - San Francisco, CA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Advanced modeling and simulation techniques in MOSILAB: A system development case study T2 - 5th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2006 A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Thilo Ernst A1 - Peter Schwarz A1 - Mathias Vetter A1 - Andreas Holm A1 - Juergen Leopold A1 - Alexander Mattes A1 - Andre Nordwig A1 - Peter Schneider A1 - Christoph Wittwer A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Gerhardt Schmidt JF - 5th International Modelica Conference T3 - 2006 ER - TY - Generic T1 - An Analysis of Building Envelope Upgrades for Residential Energy Efficiency in Hot and Humid Climates T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Mini Malhotra A1 - Jeff S. Haberl JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Analysis Process for Designing Double Skin Facades and Associated Case Study T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ian Doebber A1 - Maurya McClintock JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Application of Building Energy Simulation and Calibration in Two High-Rise Commercial Buildings in Shanghai T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Yiqun Pan A1 - Zhizhong Huang A1 - Gang Wu A1 - Chen Chen JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Assessment of the Technical Potential for Achieving Zero-Energy Commercial Buildings T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Paul A. Torcellini A1 - John Ryan JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings ER - TY - Generic T1 - Automated Multivariate Optimization Tool for Energy Analysis T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Peter G. Ellis A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Nicholas Long A1 - Paul A. Torcellini JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Brownian Motion Based Convective- Conductive Model for the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids JF - Journal of Heat Transfer Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan VL - 128 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-Centric Thermal Management of Future High Power Microprocessors T2 - IEEE CPMT International Symposium and Exhibition on Advanced Packaging Materials Y1 - 2006 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Wei, X. A1 - Andrei G. Fedorov A1 - Yogendra K. Joshi A1 - Navdeep Bajwa A1 - Anyuan Cao A1 - Pulickel Ajayan JF - IEEE CPMT International Symposium and Exhibition on Advanced Packaging Materials CY - Atlanta, GA ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Case Study Demonstrating the Utility of Inter-Program Comparative Testing for Diagnosing Errors in Building Simulation Programs T2 - eSim 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Andreas Weber A1 - Ian Beausoleil-Morrison A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Teemu Vesanen A1 - Sébastien Lerson JF - eSim 2006 CY - Toronto, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Case Study of Continuous Commissioning in an Office Building T2 - the 6th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations Y1 - 2006 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Zheng, B A1 - Mingsheng Liu JF - the 6th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations CY - Shenzhen, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Case Study of Demand Shifting with Thermal Mass in Two Large Commercial Buildings JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2006 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves VL - 112 IS - Pt. 1 U2 - LBNL-58649 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Characterization of the Temperature Oscillation Technique to Measure the Thermal Conductivity of Fluids JF - International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Y1 - 2006 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - S. Nara A1 - P. Vijayan A1 - Tang, T. A1 - W. Lai A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - David W. Song A1 - J. Wang KW - Temperature oscillation technique KW - Thermal conductivity KW - thermal diffusivity AB -

The temperature oscillation technique to measure the thermal diffusivity of a fluid consists of filling a cylindrical volume with the fluid, applying an oscillating temperature boundary condition at the two ends of the cylinder, measuring the amplitude and phase of the temperature oscillation at any point inside the cylinder, and finally calculating the fluid thermal diffusivity from the amplitude and phase values of the temperature oscillations at the ends and at the point inside the cylinder. Although this experimental technique was introduced by Santucci and co-workers nearly two decades ago, its application is still limited, perhaps because of the perceived difficulties in obtaining accurate results. Here, we attempt to clarify this approach by first estimating the maximum size of the liquid’s cylindrical volume, performing a systematic series of experiments to find the allowable amplitude and frequency of the imposed temperature oscillations, and then validating our experimental setup and the characterization method by measuring the thermal conductivity of pure water at different temperatures and comparing our results with previously published work.

VL - 49 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001793100600144X IS - 17-18 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Characterization of the Temperature Oscillation Technique to Measure the Thermal Conductivity of Fluids JF - International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Y1 - 2006 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - S. Nara A1 - P. Vijayan A1 - Tang, T. A1 - W. Lai A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - David W. Song A1 - J. Wang KW - Temperature oscillation technique KW - Thermal conductivity KW - thermal diffusivity AB -

The temperature oscillation technique to measure the thermal diffusivity of a fluid consists of filling a cylindrical volume with the fluid, applying an oscillating temperature boundary condition at the two ends of the cylinder, measuring the amplitude and phase of the temperature oscillation at any point inside the cylinder, and finally calculating the fluid thermal diffusivity from the amplitude and phase values of the temperature oscillations at the ends and at the point inside the cylinder. Although this experimental technique was introduced by Santucci and co-workers nearly two decades ago, its application is still limited, perhaps because of the perceived difficulties in obtaining accurate results. Here, we attempt to clarify this approach by first estimating the maximum size of the liquid’s cylindrical volume, performing a systematic series of experiments to find the allowable amplitude and frequency of the imposed temperature oscillations, and then validating our experimental setup and the characterization method by measuring the thermal conductivity of pure water at different temperatures and comparing our results with previously published work.

VL - 49 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001793100600144X IS - 17-18 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Coupling between the CFD simulation and building simulation for better prediction of natural ventilation T2 - the 2nd International conference on sustainable architecture and urban design in tropical regions, Jogjakarta Y1 - 2006 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 2nd International conference on sustainable architecture and urban design in tropical regions, Jogjakarta ER - TY - CONF T1 - A coupling method to increase the accuracy of natural ventilation prediction in thermal simulation program T2 - the 2nd International conference on sustainable architecture and urban design in tropical regions, Jogjakarta Y1 - 2006 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 2nd International conference on sustainable architecture and urban design in tropical regions, Jogjakarta ER - TY - CONF T1 - Dehumidification Enhancement of Direct Expansion Systems through Component Augmentation of the Cooling Coil T2 - Fifteenth Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates, July 24-26, 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Douglas Kosar A1 - Don Shirey A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - Muthasamy Swami A1 - Richard Raustad AB -

Diverse air conditioning products with enhanced dehumidification features are being introduced to meet the increased moisture laden ventilation air requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62 in humid climates. In this evaluation, state point performance spreadsheet models for single path, mixed air packaged systems compare a conventional "off the shelf" direct expansion (DX) cooling system and its performance to systems that augment the DX coil with enhanced dehumidification components, such as heat exchangers and desiccant dehumidifiers. Using common performance metrics for comparisons at ARI rating conditions, these alternative systems define a best practice for enhanced dehumidification performance. The state point performance spreadsheet models combine available algorithms from the EnergyPlus™ simulation program for DX coils and heat exchangers with newly developed algorithms for desiccant dehumidifiers. All the models and their algorithms are applied in EnergyPlus™ for simulations of annual system cooling performance, including sensible and latent loads met, energy consumed, and humidity levels maintained, in select building types and climatic locations. Per this EnergyPlus™ analysis, these enhanced dehumidification systems present challenging decision-making tradeoffs between humidity control improvements over conventional DX systems, condensing (compressor) unit energy consumption reductions versus DX cool and reheat approaches, and fan energy use increases due to the additional component pressure drops.

JF - Fifteenth Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates, July 24-26, 2006 CY - Orlando, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development of a Model Specification for Performance Monitoring Systems for Commercial Buildings T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Robert J. Hitchcock A1 - Kenneth L. Gillespie A1 - Martha Brook A1 - Christine Shockman A1 - Joseph J Deringer A1 - Kristopher L. Kinney JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development of a Model Specification for Performance Monitoring Systems for Commercial Buildings T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Robert J. Hitchcock A1 - Kenneth L. Gillespie A1 - Martha Brook A1 - Christine Shockman A1 - Joseph J Deringer A1 - Kristopher L. Kinney AB -

The paper describes the development of a model specification for performance monitoring systems for commercial buildings. The specification focuses on four key aspects of performance monitoring: performance metrics measurement system requirements data acquisition and archiving data visualization and reporting The aim is to assist building owners in specifying the extensions to their control systems that are required to provide building operators with the information needed to operate their buildings more efficiently and to provide automated diagnostic tools with the information required to detect and diagnose faults and problems that degrade energy performance. The paper reviews the potential benefits of performance monitoring, describes the specification guide and discusses briefly the ways in which it could be implemented. A prototype advanced visualization tool is also described, along with its application to performance monitoring. The paper concludes with a description of the ways in which the specification and the visualization tool are being disseminated and deployed.

JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Asilomar, California, USA UR - http://www.aceee.org/proceedings-paper/ss06/panel03/paper10 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Dynamic Controls for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response: Framework Concepts and a New Construction Case Study in New York T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Sila Kiliccote A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - David S. Watson A1 - Glenn D. Hughes JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of Aggregation Kinetics on the Thermal Conductivity of Nanoscale Colloidal Solutions (Nanofluids) JF - Nanoletters Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan VL - 6 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Effect of Coloidal Chemistry on the Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids T2 - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan JF - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition CY - Chicago, IL ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Energy Performance of the Cold-Formed Steel-Frame and Wood-Frame Houses Developed for Thailand T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Prechaya Mahattanataw A1 - Charunpat Puvanant A1 - Darunee Mongkolsawat JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Enhanced Mass Transport in Nanofluids JF - Nanoletters Y1 - 2006 A1 - S. Krishnamurthy A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher AB -

Thermal conductivity enhancement in nanofluids, which are liquids containing suspended nanoparticles, has been attributed to localized convection arising from the nanoparticles' Brownian motion. Because convection and mass transfer are similar processes, the objective here is to visualize dye diffusion in nanofluids. It is observed that dye diffuses faster in nanofluids compared to that in water, with a peak enhancement at a nanoparticle volume fraction, φ, of 0.5%. A possible change in the slope of thermal conductivity enhancement at that same φ signifies that convection becomes less important at higher φ. The enhanced mass transfer in nanofluids can be utilized to improve diffusion in microfluidic devices.

VL - 6 IS - 3 JO - Nano Lett. ER - TY - Generic T1 - Evaluation of Demand Shifting Strategies With Thermal Mass in Large Commercial Buildings T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Peng Xu JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Evaluation of Methods for Determining Demand-Limiting Setpoint Trajectories in Commercial Buildings Using Short-Term Data Analysis T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Kyoung-ho Lee A1 - James E. Braun JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Experience Testing EnergyPlus With the IEA HVAC Bestest E300-E545 Series and IEA HVAC Bestest Fuel-Fired Furnace Series T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Michael J. Witte A1 - Robert H. Henninger A1 - Drury B. Crawley JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Guide for Specifying Performance Monitoring Systems in Commercial and Institutional Buildings T2 - 14th National Conference on Building Commissioning Y1 - 2006 A1 - Kenneth L. Gillespie A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Robert J. Hitchcock A1 - Joseph J Deringer A1 - Kristopher L. Kinney AB -

This paper describes a guide for specifying performance monitoring systems that was developed as part of jointly funded CEC PIER-DOE project intended to assist commercial and institutional building owners in specifying what is required to obtain the information necessary to initiate and sustain an ongoing commissioning activity. The project's goal was to facilitate the delivery of specific performance related information to the benefit of both commissioning providers and building operators. A number of large-building owners were engaged in order to help create 'market pull' for performance monitoring while producing a specification that met their needs. The specification guide and example specification language addresses four key aspects of performance monitoring:

The paper describes key aspects of the guide including how measurement accuracy requirements relate to the performance metrics that are used in both troubleshooting and routine reporting. Guide development activities and related tech-transfer efforts are also presented.

JF - 14th National Conference on Building Commissioning CY - San Francisco, CA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Halfway to Zero Energy in a Large Office Building T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Mark Hanson A1 - Steven Carlson A1 - Dan Sammartano A1 - Thomas Taylor JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - IFC to CONTAM Translator T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Mangesh Basarkar A1 - Muthasamy Swami JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Boston, MA ER - TY - CONF T1 - The impacts of facade designs: orientations, window to wall ratios and shading devices on indoor environment for naturally ventilated residential buildings in Singapore T2 - the 23st International conference on Passive and Low energy architecture, Geneva Y1 - 2006 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 23st International conference on Passive and Low energy architecture, Geneva ER - TY - Generic T1 - Implementation of an Earth Tube System Into EnergyPlus Program T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Kwang Ho Lee A1 - Richard K. Strand JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Library of HVAC Component Models for use in Automated Diagnostics T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Dimitri Curtil AB -

The paper describes and documents a library of equipment reference models developed for automated fault detection and diagnosis of secondary HVAC system (air handling units and air distribution systems). The models are used to predict the performance that would be expected in the absence of faults. The paper includes a description of the use of automatic documentation methods in the library.

JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Boston, MA UR - http://www.ibpsa.us/pub/simbuild2006/papers/SB06_034_041.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - Low Energy Cooling Technologies for Sub-Tropical/Warm Humid Climate Building Systems T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Ashfaque Ahmed Chowdhury A1 - Mohammad Golam Rasul A1 - Mohammad Masud Kamal JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Measured energy performance of a US-China demonstration energy-efficient commercial building T2 - 2007 ASHRAE Winter Meeting, January 27-31, 2007 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Yu Joe Huang A1 - Ruidong Jin A1 - Guoxiong Yang AB -

In July 1998, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) and China's Ministry of Science of Technology (MOST) signed a Statement of Work (SOW) to collaborate on the design and construction of an energyefficient demonstration office building and design center to be located in Beijing. The proposed 13,000 m2 (140,000 ft2) nine-story office building would use U.S. energy-efficient materials, space-conditioning systems, controls, and design principles that were judged to be widely replicable throughout China. The SOW stated that China would contribute the land and provide for the costs of the base building, while the U.S. would be responsible for the additional (or marginal) costs associated with the package of energy efficiency andrenewable energy improvements to the building. The project was finished and the building occupied in 2004.

Using DOE-2 to analyze the energy performance of the as-built building, the building obtained 44 out of 69 possible points according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, including the full maximum of 10 points in the energy performance section. The building achieved a LEED Gold rating, the first such LEED-rated office building in China, and is 60% more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1-1999. The utility data from the first year's operation match well the analysis results, providing that adjustments are made for unexpected changes in occupancy and operations. Compared with similarly equipped office buildings in Beijing, this demonstration building uses 60% less energy per floor area. However, compared to conventional office buildings with less equipment and window air-conditioners, the building uses slightly more energy per floor area.

JF - 2007 ASHRAE Winter Meeting, January 27-31, 2007 CY - Dallas, TX U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL-60978 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Methodology for Analyzing the Technical Potential for Energy Performance in the U.S. Commercial Buildings Sector With Detailed Energy Modeling T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Drury B. Crawley JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Model for Naturally Ventilated Cavities on the Exteriors of Opaque Building Thermal Envelopes T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Brent T. Griffith JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Modelica versus TRNSYS — A Comparison Between an Equation-Based and a Procedural Modeling Language for Building Energy Simulation T2 - Proc. of the 2nd SimBuild Conference Y1 - 2006 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Christoph Haugstetter AB -

The EnergyPlus building energy simulation software has been tested using the IEA HVAC BESTEST E300-E545 series of tests and the IEA HVAC BESTEST Fuel-Fired test series. The first is a series of comparative tests for a single-zone DX cooling system which tests a program's ability to model hourly loads over an expanded range of performance conditions for various air mixing, infiltration, thermostat set-up, overload conditions, and various economizer control schemes. The second is a series of analytical/semianalytical comparative tests for a single-zone fuel-fired furnace which tests a program's ability to model steady state performance, varying outdoor and indoor conditions, and circulating and draft fan operation. Each of these HVAC BESTEST series were used to test EnergyPlus prior to new public releases. The application of these tests proved to be very useful in several ways: a) revealed algorithmic errors which were fixed, b) revealed algorithmic shortcomings which were improved or eliminated through the use of more rigorous calculations for certain components, and c) caught newly introduced bugs before public release of updates.

JF - Proc. of the 2nd SimBuild Conference CY - Cambridge, MA, USA UR - http://www.ibpsa.us/pub/simbuild2006/papers/SB06_001_008.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - MOSILAB: Ein Modelica-Simulationswerkzeug zur energetischen Gebäude- und Anlagensimulation T2 - 16. Symposium Thermische Solarenergie Y1 - 2006 A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Andre Nordwig A1 - Mathias Vetter A1 - Christoph Wittwer A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Peter Schneider JF - 16. Symposium Thermische Solarenergie CY - Bad Staffelstein, Germany SN - 3-934681-45-X ER - TY - Generic T1 - Multizone Airflow Model in Modelica T2 - Proc. of the 5th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2006 A1 - Michael Wetter KW - contaminant transport KW - multizone airflow AB -

We present the implementation of a library of multi-zone airflow models in Modelica and a comparative model validation with CONTAM. Our models have a similar level of detail as the models in CONTAM and COMIS. The multizone airflow models allow modeling the flow between rooms through doors, staircases or construction cracks. The flow can be caused by buoyancy effects, such as stack effects in high rise buildings or air temperature imbalance between adjoining rooms, by flow imbalance of a ventilation system, or by wind pressure on the building envelope. The here presented library can be used with a Modelica library for thermal building and HVAC system simulation to compute interzonal air flow rates. The combined use facilitates the integrated design of building systems, which is typically required for analyzing the interaction of room control loops in variable air volume flow systems through open doors, the flow in naturally ventilated buildings and the pressure in elevator shafts caused by stacked effects.

JF - Proc. of the 5th International Modelica Conference CY - Vienna, Austria UR - https://www.modelica.org/events/modelica2006/Proceedings/sessions/Session413.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - Multizone Building Model for Thermal Building Simulation in Modelica T2 - Proc. of the 5th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2006 A1 - Michael Wetter AB - We present a room model for thermal building simu- lation that we implemented in Modelica. The room model can be used for controls analysis and energy analysis of one or several rooms that are connected through airflow or heat conduction. The room model can assess energy storage in the air and in the build- ing construction materials, heat transfer between the room and the outside environment and the humidity and CO2 release to the room air. The humidity storage in the building construction materials is not modeled. We also describe a novel separation of heat transfer mechanisms on which our room model is built on. The separation allowed a significant reduction in model de- velopment time, and it allows using state-of-the-art programs for computing prior to the thermal building simulation certain energy flows, such as solar heat gain of an active facade without breaking feedback loops between the HVAC system and the room. JF - Proc. of the 5th International Modelica Conference CY - Vienna, Austria UR - https://www.modelica.org/events/modelica2006/Proceedings/sessions/Session5b4.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - Natural ventilation simulation by using coupling building simulation and CFD simulation program for accurate prediction of indoor thermal environment T2 - the 23st International conference on Passive and Low energy architecture , Geneva Y1 - 2006 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 23st International conference on Passive and Low energy architecture , Geneva ER - TY - CONF T1 - A numerical study of Trombe wall for enhancing stack ventilation in buildings T2 - The 23rd International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Geneva Y1 - 2006 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Angui Li JF - The 23rd International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Geneva ER - TY - Generic T1 - Performance of High-Performance Glazing in IECC Compliant Building Simulation Model (DOE-2) T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Jaya Mukhopadhyay A1 - Jeff S. Haberl JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Precision control for generalized pattern search algorithms with adaptive precision function evaluations JF - SIAM Journal on Optimization Y1 - 2006 A1 - Elijah Polak A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

In the literature on generalized pattern search algorithms, convergence to a stationary point of a once continuously differentiable cost function is established under the assumption that the cost function can be evaluated exactly. However, there is a large class of engineering problems where the numerical evaluation of the cost function involves the solution of systems of differential algebraic equations. Since the termination criteria of the numerical solvers often depend on the design parameters, computer code for solving these systems usually defines a numerical approximation to the cost function that is discontinuous with respect to the design parameters. Standard generalized pattern search algorithms have been applied heuristically to such problems, but no convergence properties have been stated. In this paper we extend a class of generalized pattern search algorithms to include a subprocedure that adaptively controls the precision of the approximating cost functions. The numerical approximations to the cost function need not define a continuous function. Our algorithms can be used for solving linearly constrained problems with cost functions that are at least locally Lipschitz continuous. Assuming that the cost function is smooth, we prove that our algorithms converge to a stationary point. Under the weaker assumption that the cost function is only locally Lipschitz continuous, we show that our algorithms converge to points at which the Clarke generalized directional derivatives are nonnegative in predefined directions. An important feature of our adaptive precision scheme is the use of coarse approximations in the early iterations, with the approximation precision controlled by a test. We show by numerical experiments that such an approach leads to substantial time savings in minimizing computationally expensive functions.

VL - 16 IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Radiant Slab Cooling: A Case Study of Building Energy Performance T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Zhen Tian A1 - James A. Love JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simulation Strategies for Healthcare Design to Achieve Comfort and Optimize Building Energy Use T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Shruti Narayan A1 - Isabelle Lavedrine A1 - Maurya McClintock JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Thermal Performance Simulation of an Atrium Building T2 - eSim 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Özgür Göçer A1 - Aslihan Tavil A1 - Ertan Özkan JF - eSim 2006 CY - Toronto, Canada ER - TY - Generic T1 - Using EnergyPlus for California Title-24 Compliance Calculations T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Yu Joe Huang A1 - Norman Bourassa A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Ender Erdem A1 - Robert J. Hitchcock JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Using EnergyPlus for California Title-24 compliance calculations T2 - SimBuild 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Yu Joe Huang A1 - Norman Bourassa A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Ender Erdem A1 - Robert J. Hitchcock AB -

For the past decade, the non-residential portion of California's Title-24 building energy standard has relied on DOE-2.1E as the reference computer simulation program for development as well as compliance. However, starting in 2004, the California Energy Commission has been evaluating the possible use of EnergyPlus as the reference program in future revisions of Title-24. As part of this evaluation, the authors converted the Alternate Compliance Method (ACM) certification test suite of 150 DOE-2 files to EnergyPlus, and made parallel DOE-2 and EnergyPlus runs for this extensive set of test cases. A customized version of DOE-2.1E named doe2ep was developed to automate the conversion process. This paper describes this conversion process, including the difficulties in establishing an apples-to-apples comparison between the two programs, and summarizes how the DOE-2 and EnergyPlus results compare for the ACM test cases.

JF - SimBuild 2006 CY - Cambridge, MA U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL-61527 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Validierung der eindimensionalen hygrothermischen Wandmodelle der Modelica-Bibliothek "BuildingPhysicsLibrary" T2 - BauSIM 2006 Y1 - 2006 A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Andreas Holm JF - BauSIM 2006 CY - Munich, Germany SN - 978-3-00-019823-6 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Zero Energy Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition T2 - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2006 A1 - Paul A. Torcellini A1 - Shanti Pless A1 - Michael Deru A1 - Drury B. Crawley JF - 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building design optimization using a convergent pattern search algorithm with adaptive precision simulations JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2005 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Elijah Polak AB -

We propose a simulation–precision control algorithm that can be used with a family of derivative free optimization algorithms to solve optimization problems in which the cost function is defined through the solutions of a coupled system of differential algebraic equations (DAEs). Our optimization algorithms use coarse precision approximations to the solutions of the DAE system in the early iterations and progressively increase the precision as the optimization approaches a solution. Such schemes often yield a significant reduction in computation time. We assume that the cost function is smooth but that it can only be approximated numerically by approximating cost functions that are discontinuous in the design parameters. We show that this situation is typical for many building energy optimization problems.We present a new building energy and daylighting simulation program, which constructs approximations to the cost function that converge uniformly on bounded sets to a smooth function as precision is increased.We prove that for our simulation program, our optimization algorithms construct sequences of iterates with stationary accumulation points. We present numerical experiments in which we minimize the annual energy consumption of an office building for lighting, cooling and heating. In these examples, our precision control algorithm reduces the computation time up to a factor of four.

VL - 37 IS - 6 U2 - LBNL-57341 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Building Effectiveness Communication Ratios for Improved Building Life Cycle Management T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation Conference 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - John F. McCarthy AB -

Many existing building energy performance assessment frameworks, quantifying and categorising buildings post occupancy, offer limited feedback on design decisions. An environment providing decision makers with pertinent information to assess the consequences of each design decision in a timely, cost effective and practical manner is required to promote viable low-energy solutions from the outset. This paper outlines a performance-based strategy utilising building effectiveness communication ratios stored in Building Information Models (BIM). Decision makers will be capable of rating the building's energy performance throughout its natural life cycle without imposing adverse penalties on facilities located in dissimilar climatic zones subjected to stringent building codes and regulations. With this advancement in building energy assessment in place, a progressive improvement in energy efficiency for the building stock is a feasible and realistic target.

JF - IBPSA Building Simulation Conference 2005 CY - Montréal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Building Pressure Control in VAV System with Relief Air Fan T2 - the 5th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations Y1 - 2005 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Zheng, B A1 - Mingsheng Liu JF - the 5th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations CY - Pittsburgh, PA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - BuildOpt - A new building energy simulation program that is built on smooth models JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2005 A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

Building energy simulation programs compute numerical approximations to physical phenomena that can be modeled by a system of differential algebraic equations (DAE). For a large class of building energy analysis problems, one can prove that the DAE system has a unique once continuously differentiable solution. Consequently, if building simulation programs are built on models that satisfy the smoothness assumptions required to prove existence of a unique smooth solution, and if their numerical solvers allow controlling the approximation error, one can use such programs with Generalized Pattern Search optimization algorithms that adaptively control the precision of the solutions of the DAE system. Those optimization algorithms construct sequences of iterates with stationary accumulation points and have been shown to yield a significant reduction in computation time compared to algorithms that use fixed precision cost function evaluations. In this paper, we state the required smoothness assumptions and present the theorems that state existence of a unique smooth solution of the DAE system. We present BuildOpt, a detailed thermal and daylighting building energy simulation program. We discuss examples that explain the smoothing techniques used in BuildOpt. We present numerical experiments that compare the computation time for an annual simulation with the smoothing techniques applied to different parts of the models. The experiments show that high precision approximate solutions can only be computed if smooth models are used. This is significant because today's building simulation programs do not use such smoothing techniques and their solvers frequently fail to obtain a numerical solution if the solver tolerances are tight. We also present how BuildOpt's approximate solutions converge to a smooth function as the precision parameter of the numerical solver is tightened.

VL - 40 IS - 8 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Computational Analysis of the Colloidal Stability of Nanofluids T2 - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition Y1 - 2005 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher JF - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition CY - Orlando, FL ER - TY - CONF T1 - Continuous Commissioning of an Office Building T2 - the 5th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations Y1 - 2005 A1 - Zheng, B A1 - Mingsheng Liu A1 - Xiufeng Pang JF - the 5th International Conference of Enhanced Building Operations CY - Pittsburgh, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Contrasting the Capabilities of Building Energy Performance Simulation Programs T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Drury B. Crawley A1 - Jon W. Hand A1 - Michael Kummert A1 - Brent T. Griffith JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Design of the Natural Ventilation System for the New San Diego Children's Museum T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Martha Brook JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Effect of Particle Material on the Static Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids T2 - Heat Transfer Conference Y1 - 2005 A1 - P. Vijayan A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - S. Nara A1 - W. Lai A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - David W. Song A1 - J. Wang JF - Heat Transfer Conference CY - San Francisco, CA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of double glazed façade on energy consumption, thermal comfort and condensation for a typical office building in Singapore JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2005 A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Aida Noplie Chandra A1 - Anupama Rana Pandey A1 - Xiaolin Wei VL - 37 IS - 6 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Experimental Determination of the Effect of Varying Base Fluid and Temperature on the Static Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids T2 - ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, November 5-11, 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - S. Nara A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - P. Vijayan A1 - W. Lai A1 - W. Rosenthal A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - David W. Song A1 - Jinlin Wang AB -

The heat transfer abilities of fluids can be improved by adding small particles of sizes of the order of nanometers. Recently a lot of research has been done in evaluating the thermal conductivity of nanofluids using various nanoparticles. In our present work we address this issue by conducting a series of experiments to determine the effective thermal conductivity of alumina-nanofluids by varying the base fluid with water and antifreeze liquids like ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. Temperature oscillation method is used to find the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid. The results show the thermal conductivity enhancement of nanofluids depends on viscosity of the base fluid. Finally the results are validated with a recently proposed theoretical model.

JF - ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, November 5-11, 2005 PB - ASME CY - Orlando, FL SN - 0-7918-4221-5 ER - TY - CONF T1 - A hygrothermal building model based on the object-oriented modeling language Modelica T2 - Ninth International IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2005 A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Andreas Holm A1 - Wolfram Haupt JF - Ninth International IBPSA Conference CY - Montreal, Canada SN - 2-553-01152-0 ER - TY - CONF T1 - The impacts of facade and ventilation strategies on indoor thermal environment for a naturally ventilated residential building in Singapore T2 - the 10th International conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Beijing Y1 - 2005 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 10th International conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Beijing ER - TY - CONF T1 - Improving the Data Available to Simulation Programs T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Jon W. Hand A1 - Drury B. Crawley A1 - Michael Donn A1 - Linda K. Lawrie AB -

Building performance simulation tools have significantly improved in quality and depth of analysis capability over the past thirty-five years. Yet despite these increased capabilities, simulation programs still depend on user entry for significant data about building components, loads, and other typically scheduled inputs. This often forces users to estimate values or find previously compiled sets of data for these inputs. Often there is little information about how the data were derived, what purposes it is fit for, which standards apply, uncertainty associated with each data field as well as a general description of the data.

A similar problem bedeviled access to weather data and Crawley, Hand, and Lawrie (1999) described a generalized weather data format developed for use with two energy simulation programs which has subsequently lead to a repository which is accessed by thousands of practitioners each year.

This paper describes a generalized format and data documentation for user input—whether it is building envelope components, scheduled loads, or environmental emissions—the widgets upon which all models are dependant. We present several examples of the new input data format including building envelope component, a scheduled occupant load, and environmental emissions.

JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Model-Based Automated Functional Testing-Methodology and Application to Air Handling Units JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 2005 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Moosung Kim VL - 111 IS - Pt. 1 U2 - LBNL-55802 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Modeling Ground Source Heat Pump Systems in a Building Energy Simulation Program (EnergyPlus) T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Daniel E. Fisher A1 - Simon J. Rees JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, canada ER - TY - Generic T1 - MOSILAB: Development of a modelica based generic simulation tool supporting modal structural dynamics T2 - 4th International Modelica Conference Y1 - 2005 A1 - Christoph Nytsch-Geusen A1 - Thilo Ernst A1 - Peter Schneider A1 - Mathias Vetter A1 - Andreas Holm A1 - Juergen Leopold A1 - Ullrich Doll A1 - Andre Nordwig A1 - Peter Schwarz A1 - Christoph Wittwer A1 - Thierry Stephane Nouidui A1 - Gerhardt Schmidt A1 - Alexander Mattes JF - 4th International Modelica Conference CY - Hamburg, Germany ER - TY - CONF T1 - Natural Ventilation Analysis of an Office Building with Open Atrium T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Mohit Mehta JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Parametric Analysis of a Solar Desiccant Cooling System using the SimSPARK Environment T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Etienne Wurtz A1 - Chadi Maalouf A1 - Laurent Mora A1 - Francis Allard JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Reducing Building Operational Cost Through Environmental Effectiveness Ratios T2 - Building Simulation 2005 IBPSA International Conference Y1 - 2005 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Brian Ó Gallachóir JF - Building Simulation 2005 IBPSA International Conference CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Semi-Automated Functional Test Data Analysis Tool T2 - 13th National Conference on Building Commissioning Y1 - 2005 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Moosung Kim AB -

The growing interest in commissioning is creating a demand that will increasingly be met by mechanical contractors and less experienced commissioning agents. They will need tools to help them perform commissioning effectively and efficiently. The widespread availability of standardized procedures, accessible in the field, will allow commissioning to be specified with greater certainty as to what will be delivered, enhancing the acceptance and credibility of commissioning. In response, a functional test data analysis tool is being developed to analyze the data collected during functional tests for air-handling units.

The functional test data analysis tool is designed to analyze test data, assess performance of the unit under test and identify the likely causes of the failure. The tool has a convenient user interface to facilitate manual entry of measurements made during a test. A graphical display shows the measured performance versus the expected performance, highlighting significant differences that indicate the unit is not able to pass the test. The tool is described as semi-automated because the measured data need to be entered manually, instead of being passed from the building control system automatically. However, the data analysis and visualization are fully automated. The tool is designed to be used by commissioning providers conducting functional tests as part of either new building commissioning or retro-commissioning, as well as building owners and operators interested in conducting routine tests periodically to check the performance of their HVAC systems.

JF - 13th National Conference on Building Commissioning T3 - Proceedings of the 13th National Conference on Building Commissioning CY - New York City, NY U2 - LBNL-58648 U4 -

May 4-6, 2005

U5 -

CD

ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simulating Tall Buildings Using EnergyPlus T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Peter G. Ellis A1 - Paul A. Torcellini JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Simulation-Based Testing and Training Environment for Building Controls T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2005 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Joseph J Deringer AB -

A hybrid simulation environment for controls testing and training is described. A real-time simulation of a building and HVAC system is coupled to a real building control system using a hardware interface. A prototype has been constructed and tested in which the dynamic performance of both the HVAC equipment and the building envelope is simulated using SPARK (Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel). A low cost hardware interface between the simulation and the real control system is implemented using plug-in analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog cards in a personal computer. The design and implementation of the hardware interface in SPARK are described. The development of a variant of this environment that uses a derivative of EnergyPlus to test the implementation of a natural ventilation control strategy in real control hardware is also described.

Various applications of the hybrid simulation environment are briefly described, including the development of control algorithms and strategies, control system product testing and the pre-commissioning of building control system installations. The application to the education and training of building operators and HVAC service technicians is discussed in more detail, including the development of a community college curriculum that includes the use of the hybrid simulation environment to teach both control system configuration and HVAC troubleshooting.

JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, CO U2 - LBNL-55801 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Specifiction of an IFC-Based Intelligent Graphical User Interface to Support Building Energy Simulation T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Barry O'Sullivan A1 - Marcus Keane JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Thermal analysis of climate environments based on weather data in Singapore for naturally ventilated buildings T2 - the 10th International conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate,Beijing Y1 - 2005 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Nyuk Hien Wong JF - the 10th International conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate,Beijing ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Thermal Conductivity of Nanoscale Colloidal Solutions (Nanofluids) JF - Physical Review Letters Y1 - 2005 A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan VL - 94 IS - 025901-1 – 025901-4. ER - TY - CONF T1 - Two DOE-2 functions T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation Y1 - 2005 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Charles N. Eley A1 - Erik Kolderup AB - This paper presents two DOE-2 functions to expand the modeling capability of DOE-2.1E, a popular calculation engine for building energy simulations. The first function models sensible and total heat recovery between outside air and exhaust air, with optional evaporative precooling of exhaust air before the heat recovery. The existing heat recovery of DOE-2 only allows preheating outside air when exhaust air is more than 10°F warmer than outside air. The second function models distributed energy storage for direct expansion air conditioners which cannot be modeled by any existing system type of DOE-2.1E. JF - IBPSA Building Simulation CY - Canada UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2005/BS05_0419_426.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - Two DOE-2 Functions T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 Y1 - 2005 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Charles N. Eley A1 - Erik Kolderup JF - IBPSA Building Simulation 2005 CY - Montreal, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Using a Fan Air Flow Station to Control Building Static Pressure in a VAV System T2 - the 2005 International Solar Energy Conference Y1 - 2005 A1 - Zheng, B A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Mingsheng Liu JF - the 2005 International Solar Energy Conference CY - Orlando, FL ER - TY - JOUR T1 - ANN Modeling and Self-tuning Control of the Oil Field Heating Furnace JF - Computer Measurement and Control (Chinese) Y1 - 2004 A1 - Yongcheng Jiang A1 - Xiufeng Pang VL - 12 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Brownian Dynamics Simulation to Determine the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids JF - Journal of Applied Physics Y1 - 2004 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Saha, S.K. A1 - Ajay K. Yadav A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher KW - complex fluids KW - Disperse systems KW - Thermal conduction in nonmetallic liquids AB -

A nanofluid is a fluid containing suspended solid particles, with sizes on the order of nanometers. Normally, nanofluids have higher thermal conductivities than their base fluids. Therefore, it is of interest to predict the effective thermal conductivity of such a nanofluid under different conditions, especially since only limited experimental data are available. We have developed a technique to compute the effective thermal conductivity of a nanofluid using Brownian dynamics simulation, which has the advantage of being computationally less expensive than molecular dynamics, and have coupled that with the equilibrium Green-Kubo method. By comparing the results of our calculation with the available experimental data, we show that our technique predicts the thermal conductivity of nanofluids to a good level of accuracy.

VL - 95 IS - 11 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Design Optimization Using a Convergent Pattern Search Algorithm with Adaptive Precision Simulations JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Elijah Polak VL - 37 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building energy performance simulation as part of interoperable software environments JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2004 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac VL - 39 U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL/PUB-905 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building Energy Performance Simulation as Part of Interoperable Software Environments JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2004 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac VL - 39 ER - TY - CONF T1 - BuildingPI: A Future Tool for Building Life Cycle Analysis T2 - SimBuild 2004 1st International Conference of IBPSA-USA Y1 - 2004 A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2004 1st International Conference of IBPSA-USA CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA U2 - LBNL-56071 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - BuildOpt 1.0.1 validation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Elijah Polak A1 - Van P. Carey U2 - LBNL-54658 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - BuildOpt - A new building energy simulation program that is built on smooth models JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

Building energy simulation programs compute numerical approximations to physical phenomena that can be modeled by a system of differential algebraic equations (DAE). For a large class of building energy analysis problems, one can prove that the DAE system has unique solution that is once continuously differentiable in the building design parameters. Consequently, if building simulation programs are built on models that satisfy the smoothness assumptions required to prove existence of a unique smooth solution, and if their numerical solvers allow controlling the approximation error, one can use such programs with generalized pattern search optimization algorithms that adaptively control the precision of the solutions of the DAE system. Those optimization algorithms construct sequences of iterates with stationary accumulation points and have been shown to yield a significant reduction in computation time compared to algorithms that use fixed precision cost function evaluations. In this paper, we state the required smoothness assumptions and present the theorems that state existence of a unique smooth solution of the DAE system. We present BuildOpt, a detailed thermal and daylighting building energy simulation program. We discuss examples that explain the smoothing techniques used in BuildOpt. We present numerical experiments that compare the computation time for an annual simulation with the smoothing techniques applied to different parts of the models. The experiments show that high precision approximate solutions can only be computed if smooth models are used. This is significant because today's building simulation programs do not use such smoothing techniques and their solvers frequently fail to obtain a numerical solution if the solver tolerances are tight. We also present how BuildOpt's approximate solutions converge to a smooth function as the precision parameter of the numerical solver is tightened.

VL - 40 IS - 8 U2 - LBNL-54657 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Comparative Analysis of One-Dimensional Slat-Type Blind Models T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Chanvit Chantrasrisalai A1 - Daniel E. Fisher JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A comparison of deterministic and probabilistic optimization algorithms for nonsmooth simulation-based optimization
 JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jonathan A. Wright KW - coordinate search KW - direct search KW - genetic algorithm KW - hooke–jeeves KW - optimization KW - particle swarm optimization AB -

In solving optimization problems for building design and control, the cost function is often evaluated using a detailed building simulation program. These programs contain code features that cause the cost function to be discontinuous. Optimization algorithms that require smoothness can fail on such problems. Evaluating the cost function is often so time-consuming that stochastic optimization algorithms are run using only a few simulations, which decreases the probability of getting close to a minimum. To show how applicable direct search, stochastic, and gradient-based optimization algorithms are for solving such optimization problems, we compare the performance of these algorithms in minimizing cost functions with different smoothness. We also explain what causes the large discontinuities in the cost functions.

VL - 39 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A convergent optimization method using pattern search algorithms with adaptive precision simulation JF - Building Services Engineering Research and Technology Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Elijah Polak AB -

Thermal building simulation programs, such as EnergyPlus, compute numerical approximations to solutions of systems of differential algebraic equations. We show that the exact solutions of these systems are usually smooth in the building design parameters, but that the numerical approximations are usually discontinuous due to adaptive solvers and finite precision computations. If such approximate solutions are used in conjunction with optimization algorithms that depend on smoothness of the cost function, one needs to compute high precision solutions, which can be prohibitively expensive if used for all iterations. For such situations, we have developed an adaptive simulation–precision control algorithm that can be used in conjunction with a family of derivative free optimization algorithms. We present the main ingredients of the composite algorithms, we prove that the resulting composite algorithms construct sequences with stationary accumulation points, and we show by numerical experiments that using coarse approximations in the early iterations can significantly reduce computation time.

VL - 25 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Design and Testing of a Control Strategy for a Large Naturally Ventilated Office Building JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 2004 A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Philip Haves AB -

The design for the new Federal Building for San Francisco includes an office tower that is to be naturally ventilated. Each floor is designed to be cross-ventilated, through upper windows that are controlled by the building management system. Users have control over lower level windows, which can be as much as 50% of the total openable area. There are significant differences in the performance and the control of the windward and leeward sides of the building, and separate monitoring and control strategies are determined for each side. The performance and control of the building has been designed and tested using a modified version of EnergyPlus. Results from studies with EnergyPlus and computational fluid dynamics are used in designing the control strategy. Wind-driven cross-ventilation produces a main jet through the upper openings of the building, across the ceiling from the windward to the leeward side. Below this jet, the occupied regions are subject to a recirculating airflow. Results show that temperatures within the building are predicted to be satisfactory, provided a suitable control strategy is implemented that uses night cooling in periods of hot weather. The control strategy has 10 window opening modes. EnergyPlus was extended to simulate the effects of these modes, and to assess the effects of different forms of user behaviour. The results show how user behaviour can significantly influence the building performance.

(Note: PDF contains both LBNL-56010 & LBNL-56010 Conf.)

VL - 25 U1 -

Commercial Building Systems Group

U2 - LBNL-56010 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Design and Testing of a Control Strategy for a Large Naturally Ventilated Office Building JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 2004 A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Philip Haves AB - The design for the new Federal Building for San Francisco includes an office tower that is to be naturally ventilated. Each floor is designed to be cross-ventilated, through upper windows that are controlled by the building management system. Users have control over lower level windows, which can be as much as 50% of the total openable area. There are significant differences in the performance and the control of the windward and leeward sides of the building, and separate monitoring and control strategies are determined for each side. The performance and control of the building has been designed and tested using a modified version of EnergyPlus. Results from studies with EnergyPlus and computational fluid dynamics are used in designing the control strategy. Wind-driven cross-ventilation produces a main jet through the upper openings of the building, across the ceiling from the windward to the leeward side. Below this jet, the occupied regions are subject to a recirculating airflow. Results show that temperatures within the building are predicted to be satisfactory, provided a suitable control strategy is implemented that uses night cooling in periods of hot weather. The control strategy has 10 window opening modes. EnergyPlus was extended to simulate the effects of these modes, and to assess the effects of different forms of user behaviour. The results show how user behaviour can significantly influence the building performance. VL - 25 UR - http://bse.sagepub.com/content/25/3/223 IS - 3 U2 - LBNL-56010 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Determining the Effective Viscosity of a Nanofluid Using Brownian Dynamics Simulation T2 - 1st International Symposium on Micro & Nano Technology Y1 - 2004 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher JF - 1st International Symposium on Micro & Nano Technology CY - Honolulu, HI ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Development of a Thermal Energy Storage Model for EnergyPlus JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2004 A1 - Pyeongchan Ihm A1 - Moncef Krarti A1 - Gregor P. Henze KW - energyplus KW - thermal energy storage (tes) system VL - 36 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development of Trade-Off Equations for EnergyStar Windows T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Yu Joe Huang A1 - Robin Mitchell A1 - Stephen E. Selkowitz JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA U2 - LBNL-55517 ER - TY - Generic T1 - EnergyPlus: An Update T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Drury B. Crawley A1 - Linda K. Lawrie A1 - Curtis O. Pedersen A1 - Frederick C. Winkelmann A1 - Michael J. Witte A1 - Richard K. Strand A1 - Richard J. Liesen A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Yu Joe Huang A1 - Robert H. Henninger A1 - Jason Glazer A1 - Daniel E. Fisher A1 - Don B. Shirley A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Peter G. Ellis A1 - Lixing Gu JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Evaluation of the Temperature Oscillation Technique to Calculate Thermal Conductivity of Water and Systematic Measurement of the Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Oxide – Water Nanofluiids T2 - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Y1 - 2004 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - P. Vijayan A1 - Tang, T. A1 - S. Nara A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - J. Wang A1 - David W. Song JF - International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, CY - Anaheim, CA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Experience Testing EnergyPlus With the ASHRAE 1052-RP Building Fabric Analytical Tests T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael J. Witte A1 - Robert H. Henninger A1 - Drury B. Crawley JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Flow in an Underfloor Plenum T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Paul F. Linden JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Framework for Coupling Room Air Models to Heat Balance Model Load and Energy Calculations (RP-1222) JF - HVAC&R Research (ASHRAE) Y1 - 2004 A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Qingyan Chen VL - 10 IS - 2 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - GenOpt 2.0.0 - Generic optimization program Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter AB -

GenOpt is an optimization program for the minimization of a cost function that is evaluated by an external simulation program. It has been developed for optimization problems where the cost function is computationally expensive and its derivatives are not available or may not even exist. GenOpt can be coupled to any simulation program that reads its input from text files and writes its output to text files. The independent variables can be continuous variables (possibly with lower and upper bounds), discrete variables, or both, continuous and discrete variables. Constraints on dependent variables can be implemented using penalty or barrier functions.

GenOpt has a library with local and global multi-dimensional and one-dimensional optimization algorithms, and algorithms for doing parametric runs. An algorithm interface allows adding new minimization algorithms without knowing the details of the program structure.

GenOpt is written in Java so that it is platform independent. The platform independence and the general interface make GenOpt applicable to a wide range of optimization problems.

GenOpt has not been designed for linear programming problems, quadratic programming problems, and problems where the gradient of the cost function is available. For such problems, as well as for other problems, special tailored software exists that is more efficient.

U2 - LBNL-54199 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Graph-theoretic Methods in Simulation Using SPARK T2 - High Performance Computing Symposium of the Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference Y1 - 2004 A1 - Edward F. Sowell A1 - Michael A. Moshier A1 - Philip Haves AB - This paper deals with simulation modeling of nonlinear, deterministic, continuous systems. It describes how the Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK) uses the mathematical graph both to describe models of such systems, and to solve the embodied differential-algebraic equation systems (DAEs). Problems are described declaratively rather than algorithmically, with atomic objects representing individual equations and macro objects representing larger programming entities (submodels) in a smooth hierarchy. Internally, in a preprocessing step, graphs are used to represent the problem at the level of equations and variables rather than procedural, multi-equation blocks. Benefits obtained include models that are without predefined input and output sets, enhancing modeling flexibility and code reusability, and relieving the modeler from manual algorithm development. Moreover, graph algorithms are used for problem decomposition and reduction, greatly reducing solution time for wide classes of problems. After describing the methodology the paper presents results of benchmark tests that quantify performance advantages relative to conventional methods. In a somewhat contrived nonlinear example we show O performance as opposed JF - High Performance Computing Symposium of the Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference T3 - Society for Modeling Simulation International CY - Arlington, VA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Graph-Theoretic Methods in Simulation Using SPARK T2 - High Performance Computing Symposium of the Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference (Society for Modeling Simulation International) Y1 - 2004 A1 - Edward F. Sowell A1 - Michael A. Moshier A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Dimitri Curtil JF - High Performance Computing Symposium of the Advanced Simulation Technologies Conference (Society for Modeling Simulation International) CY - Arlington, Virginia, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Heat transfer and natural ventilation from single-sided heated solar chimney for buildings JF - Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering Y1 - 2004 A1 - Angui Li A1 - Phillip Jones A1 - Pingge Zhao A1 - Liping Wang VL - 3 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - IFC HVAC Interface to EnergyPlus: A Case of Expanded Interoperability for Energy Simulation T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - Tobias Maile JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - IFC HVAC interface to EnergyPlus - A case of expanded interoperability for energy simulation T2 - SimBuild 2004 Y1 - 2004 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - Tobias Maile JF - SimBuild 2004 CY - Boulder, CO U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL/PUB-907 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Improvement of the ASHRAE Secondary HVAC Toolkit Simple Cooling Coil Model for Simulation T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Rahul Chillar A1 - Richard J. Liesen JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Near Real-Time Weather Data Archive T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Nicholas Long JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - A numerical study of vertical solar chimney for Enhancing stack ventilation in buildings T2 - The 21st International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, The Netherlands Y1 - 2004 A1 - Liping Wang A1 - Angui Li JF - The 21st International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, The Netherlands ER - TY - Generic T1 - Numerical Tools For Particle- Fluid Interactions T2 - Pulmonary Research Forum: American Lung Association of Arizona & New Mexico Y1 - 2004 A1 - R. Calhoun A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ajay K. Yadav A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya JF - Pulmonary Research Forum: American Lung Association of Arizona & New Mexico ER - TY - CONF T1 - Peak Demand Reduction from Pre-Cooling with Zone Temperature Reset in an Office Building T2 - 2004 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2004 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - James E. Braun KW - demand shifting (pre-cooling) AB -

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential for reducing peak-period electrical demand in moderate-weight commercial buildings by modifying the control of the HVAC system. An 80,000 ft2 office building with a medium-weight building structure and high window-to-wall ratio was used for a case study in which zone temperature set-points were adjusted prior to and during occupancy. HVAC performance data and zone temperatures were recorded using the building control system. Additional operative temperature sensors for selected zones and power meters for the chillers and the AHU fans were installed for the study. An energy performance baseline was constructed from data collected during normal operation. Two strategies for demand shifting using the building thermal mass were then programmed in the control system and implemented progressively over a period of one month. It was found that a simple demand limiting strategy performed well in this building. This strategy involved maintaining zone temperatures at the lower end of the comfort region during the occupied period up until 2 pm. Starting at 2 pm, the zone temperatures were allowed to float to the high end of the comfort region. With this strategy, the chiller power was reduced by 80-100% (1 - 2.3 W/ft2) during normal peak hours from 2 - 5 pm, without causing any thermal comfort complaints. The effects on the demand from 2 - 5 pm of the inclusion of pre-cooling prior to occupancy are unclear.

JF - 2004 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, CA U2 - LBNL-55800 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Modeling with the EnergyPlus Calculation Engine T2 - World Renewable Energy Congress VIII and Expo Y1 - 2004 A1 - Brent T. Griffith A1 - Peter G. Ellis JF - World Renewable Energy Congress VIII and Expo CY - Denver, Colorado, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Resources for Teaching Building Energy Simulation T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Richard K. Strand A1 - Richard J. Liesen A1 - Michael J. Witte JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simulation of Tubular Daylighting Devices and Daylighting Shelves in EnergyPlus T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Peter G. Ellis A1 - Richard K. Strand A1 - Kurt T. Baumgartner JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - THES T1 - Simulation-Based Building Energy Optimization T2 - Mechanical Engineering Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter JF - Mechanical Engineering PB - University of California, Berkeley CY - Berkeley, CA, USA VL - Ph.D. ER - TY - ABST T1 - Simulation-based building energy optimization Y1 - 2004 A1 - Michael Wetter KW - dissertation AB -

This dissertation presents computational techniques for simulation-based design optimization of buildings and heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and lighting systems in which the cost function is smooth. In such problems, the evaluation of the cost function involves the numerical solution of systems of differential algebraic equations (DAE). Since the termination criteria of the iterative solvers often depend on the design parameters, a computer code for solving such systems usually defines a numerical approximation to the cost function that is discontinuous in the design parameters. The discontinuities can be large in cost functions that are evaluated by commercial building energy simulation programs, and optimization algorithms that require smoothness frequently fail if used with such programs. Furthermore, controlling the numerical approximation error is often not possible with commercial building energy simulation programs.

In this dissertation, we present BuildOpt, a new detailed thermal building and daylighting simulation program. BuildOpt's simulation models dene a DAE system that is smooth in the state variables, in time and in the design parameters. This allows proving that the DAE system has a unique solution that is smooth in the design parameters, and it is required to compute high precision approximating cost functions that converge to a cost function that is smooth in the design parameters as the DAE solver tolerance is tightened.

For simulation programs that allow such a precision control, we constructed subprocedures for Generalized Pattern Search (GPS) optimization algorithms that adaptively control the precision of the cost function evaluations: coarse precision for the early iterations,with precision progressively increasing as a stationary point is approached. This scheme significantly reduces the computation time, and it allows to prove that the sequence of iterates contains stationary accumulation points. For optimization problems in which commercial building energy simulation programs are used to evaluate the cost function, we compared by numerical experiment several deterministic and probabilistic optimization algorithms.

ER - TY - Generic T1 - A simulation-based testing and training environment for building controls T2 - Simbuild 2004 Y1 - 2004 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Joseph J Deringer AB -

A hybrid simulation environment for controls testing and training is described. A real-time simulation of a building and HVAC system is coupled to a real building control system using a hardware interface. A prototype has been constructed and tested in which the dynamic performance of both the HVAC equipment and the building envelope is simulated using SPARK (Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel). A low cost hardware interface between the simulation and the real control system is implemented using plug-in analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog cards in a personal computer. The design and implementation of the hardware interface in SPARK are described. The development of a variant of this environment that uses a derivative of EnergyPlus to test the implementation of a natural ventilation control strategy in real control hardware is also described. Various applications of the hybrid simulation environment are briefly described, including the development of control algorithms and strategies, control system product testing and the pre-commissioning of building control system installations. The application to the education and training of building operators and HVAC service technicians is discussed in more detail, including the development of a community college curriculum that includes the use of the hybrid simulation environment to teach both control system configuration and HVAC troubleshooting.

JF - Simbuild 2004 CY - Boulder, CO U2 - LBNL-55801 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Specification and Implementation of IFC Based Performance Metrics to Support Building Life Cycle Assessment of Hybrid Energy Systems T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Specification and Implementation of IFC Based Performance Metrics to Support Building Life Cycle Assessment of Hybrid Energy Systems T2 - SimBuild 2004: Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2004: Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, CO U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL/PUB-906 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Specification and Implementation of IFC-Based Performance Metrics to Support Building Life Cycle Assessment of Hybrid Energy Systems T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Specification of IFC Based Performance Metrics to Support Building Life Cycle Analysis of Hybrid Energy Systems T2 - SimBuild 2004 1st International Conference of IBPSA-USA Y1 - 2004 A1 - Elmer Morrissey A1 - James O'Donnell A1 - Marcus Keane A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - SimBuild 2004 1st International Conference of IBPSA-USA CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Transferred Just on Paper? Why Doesn't the Reality of Transferring/Adapting Energy Efficiency Codes and Standards Come Close to the Potential? T2 - ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2004 A1 - Joseph J Deringer A1 - Maithili Iyer A1 - Yu Joe Huang JF - ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, California, USA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Updating traditional CRM system by terminal server JF - Journal of Chongqing University (Natural Science Edition) Y1 - 2004 A1 - Wangda Zuo A1 - Tianyi Yang A1 - Wenyan Zou VL - 27 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Use of Simulation in the Design of a Large Naturally Ventilated Office Building JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 2004 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça AB - The design for the new Federal Building for San Francisco includes an office tower that is to be naturally ventilated. The EnergyPlus thermal simulation program was used to evaluate different ventilation strategies for space cooling and rationalize the design of the façade. The strategies include ventilation driven by different combinations of wind, internal stack and external stack. The simulation results indicate that wind-driven ventilation can maintain adequate comfort even during hot periods. Computational fluid dynamics was used to study the airflow and temperature distribution in the occupied spaces arising from different combinations of window openings and outside conditions and thereby inform both the design of the windows and the control strategy. VL - 25 UR - http://bse.sagepub.com/content/25/3/211 IS - 3 U2 - LBNL-56011 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Variable Heat Recovery in Double Bundle Electric Chillers T2 - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation Y1 - 2004 A1 - Richard J. Liesen A1 - Rahul Chillar JF - SimBuild 2004, Building Sustainability and Performance Through Simulation CY - Boulder, Colorado, USA ER - TY - CONF T1 - Virtual Building Environments - Applying Information Modeling to Buildings T2 - European Conference on Product and Process Modeling in the Building and Construction Industry (ECPPM) 2004 Y1 - 2004 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac AB -

A Virtual Building Environment (VBE) is a place where building industry project staffs can get help in creating Building Information Models (BIM) and in the use of virtual buildings. It consists of a group of industry software that is operated by industry experts who are also experts in the use of that software. The purpose of a VBE is to facilitate expert use of appropriate software applications in conjunction with each other to efficiently support multidisciplinary work. This paper defines BIM and virtual buildings, and describes VBE objectives, set-up and characteristics of operation. It informs about the VBE Initiative and the benefits from a couple of early VBE projects.

JF - European Conference on Product and Process Modeling in the Building and Construction Industry (ECPPM) 2004 CY - Istanbul, Turkey U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL-56072 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - An automated functional test and fault detection method Y1 - 2003 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Moosung Kim A1 - Philip Haves U2 - LBNL-53512 U3 -

474664

ER - TY - Generic T1 - Comparison of a generalized pattern search and a genetic algorithm optimization method T2 - Proc. of the 8th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2003 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Jonathan A. Wright ED - Godfried Augenbroe ED - Jan Hensen AB -

Building and HVAC system design can significantly improve if numerical optimization is used. However, if a cost function that is smooth in the design parameter is evaluated by a building energy simulation program, it usually becomes replaced with a numerical approximation that is discontinuous in the design parameter. Moreover, many building simulation programs do not allow obtaining an error bound for the numerical approximations to the cost function. Thus, if a cost function is evaluated by such a program, optimization algorithms that depend on smoothness of the cost function can fail far from a minimum.

For such problems it is unclear how the Hooke-Jeeves Generalized Pattern Search optimization algorithm and the simple Genetic Algorithm perform. The Hooke-Jeeves algorithm depends on smoothness of the cost function, whereas the simple Genetic Algorithm may not even converge if the cost function is smooth. Therefore, we are interested in how these algorithms perform if used in conjunction with a cost function evaluated by a building energy simulation program.

In this paper we show what can be expected from the two algorithms and compare their performance in minimizing the annual primary energy consumption of an office building in three locations. The problem has 13 design parameters and the cost function has large discontinuities. The optimization algorithms reduce the energy consumption by 7% to 32%, depending on the building location. Given the short labor time to set up the optimization problems, such reductions can yield considerable economic gains.

JF - Proc. of the 8th IBPSA Conference CY - Eindhoven, Netherlands VL - III UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2003/BS03_1401_1408.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Computer Measurement and Automation System for Gas-fired Heating Furnace JF - Journal of Harbin Institute of Technology (Chinese) Y1 - 2003 A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Yongcheng Jiang A1 - Yan-shu Miao A1 - Jun Xiong VL - 35 IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A convergent optimization method using pattern search algorithms with adaptive precision simulation T2 - Proceedings of the 8th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2003 A1 - Michael Wetter A1 - Elijah Polak ED - Godfried Augenbroe ED - Jan Hensen KW - coordinate search KW - direct search KW - genetic algorithm KW - hooke–jeeves KW - optimization KW - particle swarm optimization AB -

In solving optimization problems for building design and control, the cost function is often evaluated using a detailed building simulation program. These programs contain code features that cause the cost function to be discontinuous. Optimization algorithms that require smoothness can fail on such problems. Evaluating the cost function is often so time-consuming that stochastic optimization algorithms are run using only a few simulations, which decreases the probability of getting close to a minimum. To show how applicable direct search, stochastic, and gradient-based optimization algorithms are for solving such optimization problems, we compare the performance of these algorithms in minimizing cost functions with different smoothness. We also explain what causes the large discontinuities in the cost functions.

JF - Proceedings of the 8th IBPSA Conference CY - Eindhoven, Netherlands VL - III ER - TY - Generic T1 - Design and Testing of a Control Strategy for a Large Naturally Ventilated Office Building T2 - Building Simulation ’03 Y1 - 2003 A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça A1 - Paul F. Linden A1 - Erin McConahey A1 - Philip Haves JF - Building Simulation ’03 CY - Eindhoven, Netherlands U2 - LBNL-56010 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Determining the Effective Thermal Conductivity of a Nanofluid Using Brownian Dynamics Simulation T2 - National Heat Transfer Conference Y1 - 2003 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Saha, S.K. A1 - Ajay K. Yadav A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher JF - National Heat Transfer Conference CY - Las Vegas, NV ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Field Testing Model-Based Condition Monitoring on a HVAC Cooling Coil Sub-System JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 2003 A1 - Richard A. Buswell A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Jonathan A. Wright VL - 24 IS - 2 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Improving building energy performance simulation with software interoperability T2 - Building Simulation 2003 Y1 - 2003 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac JF - Building Simulation 2003 CY - Eindhoven, Netherlands VL - 1 U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL/PUB-908 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Library of component reference models for fault detection Y1 - 2003 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves U1 -

Commercial Building Systems Group

U2 - LBNL-53505 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Research of ANN Internal Model Self-tuning Control Applied in Combustion Process Control of Heating Furnace in Oil Field JF - Journal of Central South University, Technology Y1 - 2003 A1 - Yongcheng Jiang A1 - Xiufeng Pang A1 - Fu,Shaobo VL - 34 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Use of Simulation in the Design of a Large Naturally Ventilated Commercial Office Building T2 - Building Simulation ’03 Y1 - 2003 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Guilherme Carrilho da Graça A1 - Paul F. Linden JF - Building Simulation ’03 CY - Eindhoven, Netherlands UR - http://www.inive.org/members_area/medias/pdf/Inive/IBPSA/UFSC912.pdf U2 - LBNL-56011 ER - TY - CONF T1 - VisualDOE – A Green Design Tool T2 - The 4th International Symposium on HVAC Y1 - 2003 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Charles N. Eley A1 - Erik Kolderup JF - The 4th International Symposium on HVAC CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - On Approaches to Couple Energy Simulation and Computational Fluid Dynamics Programs JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2002 A1 - Zhiqiang Zhai A1 - Qingyan Chen A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Joseph H. Klems AB -

Energy simulation (ES) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can play important roles in building design by providing complementary information about the buildings' environmental performance. However, separate applications of ES and CFD are usually unable to give an accurate prediction of building performance due to the assumptions involved in the separate calculations. Integration of ES and CFD eliminates many of these assumptions since the information provided by the models is complementary. Several different approaches to integrating ES and CFD are described. In order to bridge the discontinuities of time-scale, spatial resolution and computing speed between ES and CFD programs, a staged coupling strategy for different problems is proposed. The paper illustrates a typical dynamic coupling process by means of an example implemented using the EnergyPlus and MIT-CFD programs.

VL - 37 ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Computer Simulation Appraisal of Non-Residential Low Energy Cooling Systems in California T2 - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2002 A1 - Norman Bourassa A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Yu Joe Huang AB -

An appraisal of the potential performance of different Low Energy Cooling (LEC) systems in nonresidential buildings in California is being conducted using computer simulation. The paper presents results from the first phase of the study, which addressed the systems that can be modeled, with the DOE-2.1E simulation program.

The following LEC technologies were simulated as variants of a conventional variable-air-volume system with vapor compression cooling and mixing ventilation in the occupied spaces:

Results are presented for four populous climates, represented by Oakland, Sacramento, Pasadena and San Diego. The greatest energy savings are obtained from a combination of displacement ventilation and air-side indirect/direct evaporative pre-cooling. Cool beam systems have the lowest peak demand but do not reduce energy consumption significantly because the reduction in fan energy is offset by a reduction in air-side free cooling. Overall, the results indicate significant opportunities for LEC technologies to reduce energy consumption and demand in non-residential new construction and retrofit.

JF - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Asilomar, California, USA U2 - LBNL-50677 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Field Testing of Component-Level Model-Based Fault Detection Methods for Mixing Boxes and VAV Fan Systems T2 - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2002 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves AB -

An automated fault detection and diagnosis tool for HVAC systems is being developed, based on an integrated, lifecycle, approach to commissioning and performance monitoring. The tool uses component-level HVAC equipment models implemented in the SPARK equation-based simulation environment. The models are configured using design information and component manufacturers' data and then fine-tuned to match the actual performance of the equipment by using data measured during functional tests of the sort using in commissioning. This paper presents the results of field tests of mixing box and VAV fan system models in an experimental facility and a commercial office building. The models were found to be capable of representing the performance of correctly operating mixing box and VAV fan systems and detecting several types of incorrect operation.

JF - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Asilomar, California, USA U2 - LBNL-50678 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Field Testing of Component-Level Model-Based Fault Detection Methods for Mixing Boxes and VAV Fan Systems T2 - 2002 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2002 A1 - Peng Xu A1 - Philip Haves AB -

An automated fault detection and diagnosis tool for HVAC systems is being developed, based on an integrated, life-cycle, approach to commissioning and performance monitoring. The tool uses component-level HVAC equipment models implemented in the SPARK equation-based simulation environment. The models are configured using design information and component manufacturers' data and then fine-tuned to match the actual performance of the equipment by using data measured during functional tests of the sort using in commissioning. This paper presents the results of field tests of mixing box and VAV fan system models in an experimental facility and a commercial office building. The models were found to be capable of representing the performance of correctly operating mixing box and VAV fan systems and detecting several types of incorrect operation.

JF - 2002 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Pacific Grove, California U2 - LBNL-50678 U3 -

80FJ53

U4 -

August 18-23, 2002

U5 -

CD

ER - TY - Generic T1 - HVAC Component Data Modeling Using Industry Foundation Classes T2 - System Simulation in Buildings ’02 Y1 - 2002 A1 - Vladimir Bazjanac A1 - James Forester A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Darko Sucic A1 - Peng Xu AB -

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) object data model of buildings is being developed by the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI). The aim is to support data sharing and exchange in the building and construction industry across the life-cycle of a building.

This paper describes a number of aspects of a major extension of the HVAC part of the IFC data model. First is the introduction of a more generic approach for handling HVAC components. This includes type information, which corresponds to catalog data, occurrence information, which defines item-specific attributes such as location and connectivity, and performance history information, which documents the actual performance of the component instance over time. Other IFC model enhancements include an extension of the connectivity model used to specify how components forming a system can be traversed and the introduction of time-based data streams.

This paper includes examples of models of particular types of HVAC components, such as boilers and actuators, with all attributes included in the definitions. The paper concludes by describing the on-going process of model testing, implementation and integration into the complete IFC model and how the model can be used by software developers to support interoperability between HVAC-oriented design and analysis tools.

JF - System Simulation in Buildings ’02 CY - Liège, Belgium U2 - LBNL-51365 ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Integration of Engineering and Architecture: a Perspective on Natural Ventilation for the new San Francisco Federal Building T2 - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Y1 - 2002 A1 - Erin McConahey A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim Chirst AB -

A description of the in-progress design of a new Federal Office Building for San Francisco is used to illustrate a number of issues arising in the design of large, naturally ventilated office buildings. These issues include the need for an integrated approach to design involving the architects, mechanical and structural engineers, lighting designers and specialist simulation modelers. In particular, the use of natural ventilation, and the avoidance of air-conditioning, depends on the high degree of exposed thermal mass made possible by the structural scheme and by the minimization of solar heat gains while maintaining the good daylighting that results from optimization of the façade. Another issue was the need for a radical change in interior space planning in order to enhance the natural ventilation; all the individual enclosed offices are located along the central spine of each floorplate rather than at the perimeter. The role of integration in deterring the undermining of the design through value engineering is discussed. The comfort criteria for the building were established based on the recent extension to the ASHRAE comfort standard based on the adaptive model for naturally ventilated buildings. The building energy simulation program EnergyPlus was used to compare the performance of different natural ventilation strategies. The results indicate that, in the San Francisco climate, wind-driven ventilation provides sufficient nocturnal cooling to maintain comfortable conditions and that external chimneys do not provide significant additional ventilation at times when it when it would be beneficial.

JF - 2002 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings CY - Asilomar, California, USA U2 - LBNL-51134 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Modeling the Behavior of F1-ATPase Biomolecular Motors Using Brownian Dynamics Simulation T2 - BioDevice Interface Science and Technology Workshop Y1 - 2002 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan JF - BioDevice Interface Science and Technology Workshop CY - Scottsdale, AZ ER - TY - Generic T1 - Non-Linear Recursive Parameter Estimation Applied to Fault Detection and Diagnosis in Real Buildings T2 - System Simulation in Buildings ’02 Y1 - 2002 A1 - Richard A. Buswell A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - Jonathan A. Wright JF - System Simulation in Buildings ’02 CY - Liège, Belgium ER - TY - CONF T1 - Understanding the Behavior of an F1-ATPase Biomolecular Motor Using Brownian Dynamics Simulation T2 - US-Japan Nanotherm Seminar: Nanoscale Thermal Science and Engineering Y1 - 2002 A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya A1 - Patrick E. Phelan JF - US-Japan Nanotherm Seminar: Nanoscale Thermal Science and Engineering CY - Berkeley, CA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Analysis of an Information Monitoring and Diagnostic System to Improve Building Operations JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2001 A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Satkartar T. Khalsa A1 - Philip Haves KW - building control system KW - building operation KW - imds AB -

This paper discusses a demonstration of a technology to address the problem that buildings do not perform as well as anticipated during design. We partnered with an innovative building operator to evaluate a prototype information monitoring and diagnostic system (IMDS). The IMDS consists of a set of high-quality sensors, data acquisition software and hardware, and data visualization software including a web-based remote access system, that can be used to identify control problems and equipment faults. The information system allowed the operators to make more effective use of the building control system and freeing up time to take care of other tenant needs. They report observing significant improvements in building comfort, potentially improving tenant health and productivity. The reduction in the labor costs to operate the building is about US$ 20,000 per year, which alone could pay for the information system in about 5 years. A control system retrofit based on findings from the information system is expected to reduce energy use by 20% over the next year, worth over US$ 30,000 per year in energy cost savings. The operators are recommending that similar technology be adopted in other buildings.

VL - 33 IS - 8 U2 - LBNL-46038 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Comparison of Chiller Models for use in Model-Based Fault Detection T2 - International Conference for Enhancing Building Operations Y1 - 2001 A1 - Priya Sreedharan A1 - Philip Haves AB -

Selecting the model is an important and essential step in model based fault detection and diagnosis (FDD). Factors that are considered in evaluating a model include accuracy, training data requirements, calibration effort, generality, and computational requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate different modeling approaches for their applicability to model based FDD of vapor compression chillers. Three different models were studied: the Gordon and Ng Universal Chiller model (2nd generation) and a modified version of the ASHRAE Primary Toolkit model, which are both based on first principles, and the DOE-2 chiller model, as implemented in CoolToolsTM, which is empirical. The models were compared in terms of their ability to reproduce the observed performance of an older, centrifugal chiller operating in a commercial office building and a newer centrifugal chiller in a laboratory. All three models displayed similar levels of accuracy. Of the first principles models, the Gordon-Ng model has the advantage of being linear in the parameters, which allows more robust parameter estimation methods to be used and facilitates estimation of the uncertainty in the parameter values. The ASHRAE Toolkit Model may have advantages when refrigerant temperature measurements are also available. The DOE-2 model can be expected to have advantages when very limited data are available to calibrate the model, as long as one of the previously identified models in the CoolTools library matches the performance of the chiller in question.

JF - International Conference for Enhancing Building Operations CY - Austin, TX U2 - LBNL-48149 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Demand Relief and Weather Sensitivity in Large California Commercial Buildings T2 - International Conference for Enhancing Building Operations Y1 - 2001 A1 - Satkartar Kinney A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Lixing Gu A1 - Philip Haves AB -

A great deal of research has examined the weather sensitivity of energy consumption in commercial buildings; however, the recent power crisis in California has given greater importance to peak demand. Several new loadshedding programs have been implemented or are under consideration. Historically, the target customers have been large industrial users who can reduce the equivalent load of several large office buildings. While the individual load reduction from an individual office building may be less significant, there is ample opportunity for load reduction in this area. The load reduction programs and incentives for industrial customers may not be suitable for commercial building owners. In particular, industrial customers are likely to have little variation in load from day to day. Thus a robust baseline accounting for weather variability is required to provide building owners with realistic targets that will encourage them to participate in load shedding programs.

JF - International Conference for Enhancing Building Operations CY - Austin, TX ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Efficient Solution Strategies for Building Energy System Simulation JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 2001 A1 - Edward F. Sowell A1 - Philip Haves KW - building energy systems KW - computational efficiency KW - graph theory applications KW - hvac simulation KW - hvacsim+ models KW - spark models AB -

The efficiencies of methods employed in solution of building simulation models are considered and compared by means of benchmark testing. Direct comparisons between the Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK) and the HVACSIM+ programs are presented, as are results for SPARK versus conventional and sparse matrix methods. An indirect comparison between SPARK and the IDA program is carried out by solving one of the benchmark test suite problems using the sparse methods employed in that program. The test suite consisted of two problems chosen to span the range of expected performance advantage. SPARK execution times versus problem size are compared to those obtained with conventional and sparse matrix implementations of these problems. Then, to see if the results of these limiting cases extend to actual problems in building simulation, a detailed control system for a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system is simulated with and without the use of SPARK cut set reduction. Execution times for the reduced and non-reduced SPARK models are compared with those for an HVACSIM+ model of the same system. Results show that the graph-theoretic techniques employed in SPARK offer significant speed advantages over the other methods for significantly reducible problems and that by using sparse methods in combination with graph-theoretic methods even problem portions with little reduction potential can be solved efficiently.

VL - 33 U2 - LBNL-45936 ER - TY - Generic T1 - GenOpt - A Generic Optimization Program T2 - Proc. of the 7th IBPSA Conference Y1 - 2001 A1 - Michael Wetter ED - Roberto Lamberts ED - Cezar O. R. Negrão ED - Jan Hensen AB -

The potential offered by computer simulation is often not realized: Due to the interaction of system variables, simulation users rarely know how to choose input parameter settings that lead to optimal performance of a given system. Thus, a program called GenOpt® that automatically determines optimal parameter settings has been developed.

GenOpt is a generic optimization program. It minimizes an objective function with respect to multiple parameters. The objective function is evaluated by a simulation program that is iteratively called by GenOpt. In thermal building simulation — which is the main target of GenOpt — the simulation program usually has text-based I/O. The paper shows how GenOpt's simulation program interface allows the coupling of any simulation program with text based I/O by simply editing a configuration file, avoiding code modification of the simulation program. By using object-oriented programming, a high-level interface for adding minimization algorithms to GenOpt's library has been developed. We show how the algorithm interface separates the minimization algorithms and GenOpt's kernel, which allows implementing additional algorithms without being familiar with the kernel or having to recompile it. The algorithms can access utility classes that are commonly used for minimization, such as optimality check, line-search, etc.

GenOpt has successfully solved various optimization problems in thermal building simulation. We show an example of minimizing source energy consumption of an office building using EnergyPlus, and of minimizing auxiliary electric energy of a solar domestic hot water system using TRNSYS. For both examples, the time required to set up the optimization was less than one hour, and the energy savings are about 15%, together with better daylighting usage or lower investment costs, respectively.

JF - Proc. of the 7th IBPSA Conference CY - Rio de Janeiro VL - I UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2001/BS01_0601_608.pdf U2 - LBNL-48371 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Nodal Model for Displacement Ventilation and Chilled Ceiling Systems in Office Spaces JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2001 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Philip Haves KW - Chilled ceilings KW - commercial buildings KW - Displacement ventilation KW - energy KW - Heat Transfer KW - Nodal model KW - simulation AB -

A nodal model has been developed to represent room heat transfer in displacement ventilation and chilled ceiling systems. The model uses precalculated air flow rates to predict the air temperature distribution and the division of the cooling load between the ventilation air and the chilled ceiling. The air movements in the plumes and the rest of the room are represented separately using a network of ten air nodes. The values of the capacity rate parameters are calculated by solving the heat and mass balance equations for each node using measured temperatures as inputs. Correlations between parameter values for a range of cooling loads and supply air flow rates are presented.

VL - 36 UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1999/BS99_D-05.pdf IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Numerical Investigation of Transient Buoyant Flow in a Room with a Displacement Ventilation and Chilled Ceiling System JF - International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Y1 - 2001 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - James J. McGuirk A1 - Philip Haves AB -

The air flow in the office ventilation system known as displacement ventilation is dominated by a gravity current from the inlet and buoyant plumes above internal heat sources. Calculations of the flow and heat transfer in a typical office room have been made for this type of ventilation system used in conjunction with chilled ceiling panels. These calculations have been made in parallel with full size test chamber experiments. It has been found that with higher values of internal load (45 and 72 W m−2 of floor area) the flow becomes quasi-periodic in nature. Complex lateral oscillations are seen in the plumes above the heat sources which impinge on the ceiling and induce significant recirculating flows in the room. The frequency spectra of the transient calculations show good agreement with those of the experimental results. Comparison is also made between calculated mean room air speeds and temperature profiles and measured values.

VL - 44 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0017931000003483 IS - 16 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Strategies for Coupling Energy Simulation Programs and Computational Fluid Dynamics Programs T2 - Building Sim 2001 Y1 - 2001 A1 - Zhiqiang Zhai A1 - Qingyan Chen A1 - Joseph H. Klems A1 - Philip Haves AB -

Energy simulation (ES) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can play important roles in building design by providing complementary information about the buildings' environmental performance. However, separate applications of ES and CFD are usually unable to give an accurate prediction of building performance due to the assumptions involved in the separate calculations. Integration of ES and CFD eliminates many of these assumptions since the information provided by the models is complementary. Several different approaches to integrating ES and CFD are described. In order to bridge the discontinuities of time-scale, spatial resolution and computing speed between ES and CFD programs, a staged coupling strategy for different problems is proposed. The paper illustrates a typical dynamic coupling process by means of an example implemented using the EnergyPlus and MIT-CFD programs.

JF - Building Sim 2001 CY - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil VL - 1 U1 -

Simulation Research Group

U2 - LBNL-48286 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Use of Whole Building Simulation in On-Line Performance Assessment: Modeling and Implementation Issues T2 - Building Simulation ’01 Y1 - 2001 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - David Claridge A1 - Mingsheng Liu AB -

The application of model-based performance assessment at the whole building level is explored. The information requirements for a simulation to predict the actual performance of a particular real building, as opposed to estimating the impact of design options, are addressed with particular attention to common sources of input error and important deficiencies in most simulation models. The role of calibrated simulations is discussed. The communication requirements for passive monitoring and active testing are identified and the possibilities for using control system communications protocols to link on-line simulation and energy management and control systems are discussed. The potential of simulation programs to act as "plug-and-play" components on building control networks is discussed.

JF - Building Simulation ’01 CY - Rio de Janeiro ER - TY - Generic T1 - Better IAQ Through Integrating Design Tools For The HVAC Industry T2 - Healthy Buildings 2000 Y1 - 2000 A1 - Tuomas Laine A1 - Risto Kosonen A1 - Kim Hagström A1 - Panu Mustakallio A1 - De-Wei Yin A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Qingyan Chen AB -

There is currently no effective combination of interoperable design tools to cover all critical aspects of the HVAC design process. Existing design tools are separately available, but require expertise and operating time that is beyond the scope of a normal design project. For example, energy analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are not used in practical design, leading to poor indoor air quality and/or unnecessary energy consumption in buildings.

A prototype integrated software tool for demonstration, process mapping and proof-of-concept purposes was developed under a new international, Finland/USA jointly funded development project BildIT. Individual design tools were simplified and adapted to specific applications and also integrated so that they can be used in a timely and effective manner by the designer. The core of the prototype linked together an architectural CAD system, a 3D space model, a CFD program and a building energy simulation program and it utilises real product data from manufacturer's software. Also the complex building design, construction, maintenance and retrofit processes were mapped to get a template for the structure of the integrated design tool.

JF - Healthy Buildings 2000 CY - Espoo, Finland U2 - LBNL-48456 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Building simulation: an overview of development and information sources JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 2000 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Siaw K. Chou A1 - T.Y. Bong KW - building simulation AB -

We review the state-of-the-art on the development and application of computer-aided building simulation by addressing some crucial questions in the field. Although the answers are not intended to be comprehensive, they are sufficiently varied to provide an overview ranging from the historical and technical development to choosing a suitable simulation program and performing building simulation. Popular icons of major interested agencies and simulation tools and key information sources are highlighted. Future trends in the design and operation of energy-efficient ‘green' buildings are briefly described.

VL - 35 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of Peak Load Predictions and Treatment of Solar Gains in the Admittance and Heat Balance Load Calculation Procedures JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 2000 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Jeffrey D. Spitler A1 - Michael J. Holmes A1 - Philip Haves AB - Calculation of design cooling loads is of critical concern to designers of HVAC systems. The work reported here has been carried out under a joint ASHRAE-CIBSE research project to compare design cooling calculation methods. Peak cooling loads predicted by the ASHRAE heat balance method are compared with those predicted by a number of implementations of the admittance method using different window models. The results presented show the general trends in overprediction or underprediction of peak load. Particular attention is given to different window modelling practices. The performance of the methods is explained in terms of some of the underlying assumptions in the window models, and by reference to specific inter-model comparisons. VL - 21 UR - http://bse.sagepub.com/content/21/2/125 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Model-based Performance Monitoring: Review of Diagnostic Methods and Chiller Case Study T2 - ACEEE Summer School Y1 - 2000 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Satkartar T. Khalsa AB -

The paper commences by reviewing the variety of technical approaches to the problem of detecting and diagnosing faulty operation in order to improve the actual performance of buildings. The review covers manual and automated methods, active testing and passive monitoring, the different classes of models used in fault detection, and methods of diagnosis. The process of model-based fault detection is then illustrated by describing the use of relatively simple empirical models of chiller energy performance to monitor equipment degradation and control problems. The CoolTools™ chiller model identification package is used to fit the DOE-2 chiller model to on-site measurements from a building instrumented with high quality sensors. The need for simple algorithms to reject transient data, detect power surges and identify control problems is discussed, as is the use of energy balance checks to detect sensor problems. The accuracy with which the chiller model can be expected to predict performance is assessed from the goodness of fit obtained and the implications for fault detection sensitivity and sensor accuracy requirements are discussed. A case study is described in which the model was applied retroactively to high-quality data collected in a San Francisco office building as part of a related project (Piette et al. 1999).

JF - ACEEE Summer School CY - Asilomar, California, USA U2 - LBNL-45949 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Qualitative Comparison of North American and U.K. Cooling Load Calculation Procedures JF - International Journal of Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Research Y1 - 2000 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Jeffrey D. Spitler A1 - Morris G. Davies A1 - Philip Haves AB -

A qualitative comparison is presented between three current North American and U.K. design cooling load calculation methods. The methods compared are the ASHRAE Heat Balance Method, the Radiant Time Series Method and the Admittance Method, used in the U.K. The methods are compared and contrasted in terms of their overall structure. In order to generate the values of the 24 hourly cooling loads, comparison was also made in terms of the processing of the input data and the solution of the equations required. Specific comparisons are made between the approximations used by the three calculation methods to model some of the principal heat transfer mechanisms. Conclusions are drawn regarding the ability of the simplified methods to correctly predict peak-cooling loads compared to the Heat Balance Method predictions. Comment is also made on the potential for developing similar approaches to cooling load calculation in the U.K. and North America in the future.

VL - 6 IS - 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Use of an Information Monitoring and Diagnostic System for Commissioning and Ongoing Operations T2 - 8th National Conference on Building Commissioning PECI Y1 - 2000 A1 - Mary Ann Piette A1 - Satkartar T. Khalsa A1 - Philip Haves AB - This paper discusses a demonstration of a technology to address the problem that buildings do not perform as well as anticipated during design. We partnered with an innovative building operator to evaluate a prototype Information Monitoring and Diagnostic System (IMDS). The IMDS consists of a set of high-quality sensors, data acquisition software and hardware, and data visualization software, including a web-based remote access system that can be used to identify control problems and equipment faults. The IMDS allowed the operators to make more effective use of the control system, freeing up time to take care of other tenant needs. The operators report observing significant improvements in building comfort, potentially improving tenant health and productivity. Reduction in hours to operate the building are worth about $20,000 per year, which alone could pay for the IMDS in about five years. A control system retrofit based on findings from the IMDS is expected to reduce energy use by 20 percent over the next year, worth over $30,000 per year in energy cost savings. The operators recommend that similar technology be adopted in other buildings. While the current IMDS is oriented toward manual, human-based diagnostic techniques, we also evaluated automated diagnostic techniques. Strategies for utilizing results from this demonstration to influence commercial building performance monitoring for commissioning and operations will be discussed. Background JF - 8th National Conference on Building Commissioning PECI UR - http://imds.lbl.gov/pubs/paper383.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A design day for building load and energy estimation JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 1999 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Siaw K. Chou A1 - T.Y. Bong KW - building simulation KW - design day KW - doe-2 KW - peak load calculation KW - weather data AB -

We describe how a design day for building energy performance simulation can be selected from a typical meteorological year of a location. The advantages of the design day weather file are its simplicity and flexibility in use with simulation programs. The design day is selected using a weather parameter comprising the daily average dry bulb temperature and total solar insolation. The selection criterion addresses the balance between the need to minimise the part-load performance of the air-conditioning systems and plants and the number of hours of load not met. To validate the versatility of the design day weather file, we compare simulation results of the peak load and load profile of a building obtained from the DOE-2.1E code and a specially developed load estimation program, PEAKLOAD. PEAKLOAD is developed using the transfer function method and ASHRAE databases. Comparative results are in good agreement, indicating that a design day thus selected can be used when quick answers are required and simulations using a TMY file cannot be easily done or justified.

VL - 34 IS - 4 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Nodal Model for Displacement Ventilation and Chilled Ceiling Systems in Office Spaces T2 - Building Simulation ’99 Y1 - 1999 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Philip Haves AB -

A nodal model has been developed to represent room heat transfer in displacement ventilation and chilled ceiling systems. The model uses precalculated air flow rates to predict the air temperature distribution and the division of the cooling load between the ventilation air and the chilled ceiling. The air movements in the plumes and the rest of the room are rep- resented separately using a network of ten air nodes. The values of the capacity rate parameters are calculated by solving the heat and mass balance equations for each node using measured temperatures as inputs. Correlations between parameter values for a range of cooling loads and supply air flow rates are presented.

JF - Building Simulation ’99 CY - Kyoto, Japan UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1999/BS99_D-05.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - Numerical Performance of a Graph-Theoretic HVAC Simulation Program T2 - Building Simulation ’99 Y1 - 1999 A1 - Edward F. Sowell A1 - Philip Haves AB - The Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK) uses graph-theoretic techniques to match equations to variables and build computational graphs, yielding solution sequences indicated by needed data flow. Additionally, the problem graph is decomposed into strongly connected components, thus reducing the size of simultaneous equation sets, and small cut sets are determined, thereby reducing the number of iteration variables needed to solve each equation set. The improvement in computational efficiency produced by this graph theoretic preprocessing depends on the nature of the problem. The paper explores the improvement one might expect in practice in three ways. First, two problems chosen to span the range of performance are studied and some of the factors determining the performance are identified and discussed. The problem selected to exhibit a large improvement consists of a set of sparsely coupled non-linear equations. The problem selected to represent the other end of the performance spectrum is a set of equations obtained by discretizing Laplace's equation in two dimensions, e.g. a heat conduction problem. Execution time versus problem size is compared to that obtained with sparse matrix implementations of the same problems. Then, to see if the results of these somewhat contrived limiting cases extend to actual problems in building simulation, a detailed control system model of a six- zone VAV HVAC system is simulated with and without the use of cut set reduction. Execution times are compared between the reduced and non-reduced SPARK models, and with those from an HVACSIM+ model of the same system. JF - Building Simulation ’99 CY - Kyoto, Japan UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1999/BS99_A-05.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - The application of Problem Reduction Techniques Based on Graph Theory to the Simulation of Non-Linear Continuous Systems T2 - EUROSIM’98 Y1 - 1998 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Edward F. Sowell JF - EUROSIM’98 CY - Manchester, UK ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of North American and U.K. Cooling Load Calculation Procedures - Methodology JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1998 A1 - Jeffrey D. Spitler A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Philip Haves AB - This paper describes the methodology used in a quanti- tative comparison between the current North American and United Kingdom cooling load calculation methods. Three calculation methods have been tested as part of a joint ASHRAE/CIBSE research project: the ASHRAE heat balance method and radiant time series method and the admittance method, used in the U.K. A companion paper (Rees et al.1998) describes the results of the study. The quantitative comparison is primarily organized as a parametric study—each building zone/weather day combination compared may be thought of as a combination of various parameters, e.g., exterior wall type, roof type, glazing area, etc. Specifically, this paper describes the overall organization of the study, the parameters and parameter levels that can be varied, and the tools developed to create input files, automate the load calculations, and extract the results. A brief descrip- tion of the cooling load calculation procedure implementa- tions is also given. The methodology presented and the tools described could also be used to make comparisons between other calculation methods. VL - 104 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Comparison of North American and U.K. Cooling Load Calculation Procedures - Results JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1998 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Jeffrey D. Spitler A1 - Philip Haves AB - Calculation of design cooling loads is of critical concern to designers of HVAC systems. The work reported here has been carried out under a joint ASHRAE/CIBSE research project to compare design cooling calculation methods. Three calculation methods have been tested, the ASHRAE heat balance method and radiant time series method, and the admit- tance method, used in the U.K. The results presented in this paper show the general trends in over/underprediction of peak load in the simplified methods compared to the heat balance method. The performance of the simplified methods is explained in terms of some of the underlying assumptions in the methods and by reference to specific examples. VL - 104 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Component-Based and Equation-Based Solvers for HVAC Simulation: a Comparison of HVACSIM+ and SPARK T2 - System Simulation in Buildings '98 Y1 - 1998 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Edward F. Sowell JF - System Simulation in Buildings '98 CY - Liège, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Outdoor synthetic temperature for the calculation of space heating load JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 1998 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yi Jiang KW - heating load calculation KW - outdoor design conditions KW - residential buildings KW - stochastic analysis KW - thermal performance of buildings AB -

Methods to select the outdoor design temperature (ODT) for heating load calculation specified in current design codes in different countries are firstly discussed. Then a new method namely Stochastic Analysis is presented to determine the outdoor synthetic temperature (OST), which fully considers the randomness of weather and internal casual gains, and the thermal performance of buildings. The concept of OST enables the design of space heating system to be the trade-off between economics and risk. Finally, case studies of the influence of different building components on OST of a residential room in Beijing have been studied, which shows that OST depends upon building structures as well as weather conditions. It is recommended that OST rather than ODT should be employed in heating load calculation hence, sizing equipment for space heating systems.

VL - 28 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Standard Simulation Testbed for the Evaluation of Control Algorithms & Strategies JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1998 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Leslie K. Norford A1 - Mark DeSimone AB -

This paper, which reports the results of ASHRAE Research Project 825, describes the development of a set of tools and supporting data to facilitate the evaluation of HVAC control algorithms and strategies using computer simulation. The tools consist of a documented set of component models for use in two component-based HVAC simulation programs. New models have been developed to enable explicit simulation of flow rates and pressure drops in ventilation systems, particularly variable-air-volume (VAV) systems, and detailed simulation of algorithms and strategies used in HVAC control systems. A mixed-use building equipped with a VAV HVAC system has been extensively documented, and a detailed model of the fabric, mechanical equipment, and controls has been produced in order to illustrate the capabilities and use of the tools. Values for the parameters in the component models describing the fabric and mechanical equipment are based on construction drawings, manufacturer's specifications, surveys, and measurements. Detailed models of the strategies for fan control, supply air temperature control, and room temperature control were developed from the controls manufacturer's technical information and the configuration of the actual control system. A simulation model of the whole building was then assembled from the models of the fabric, mechanical equipment, and controls. Results obtained by exercising the test bed in order to demonstrate its use in evaluating the performance of interacting control loops are presented. The paper concludes by discussing possible applications and extensions of the test bed.

VL - 104 IS - Pt. 1A ER - TY - Generic T1 - Fault Modelling in Component-based HVAC Simulation T2 - Building Simulation '97 Y1 - 1997 A1 - Philip Haves AB - Models of faulty components or processes may either be used on-line as part of a fault detec- tion and diagnosis (FDD) system or may be used in simulations to train or test FDD procedures. Some faults may be modelled by choosing suit- able values of the parameters of fault free models, whereas other faults require specific extensions to fault free models. An example of the modelling of various faults in a cooling coil subsystem is pre- sented and different methods of using simulation in testing and training are discussed. JF - Building Simulation '97 CY - Prague, Czech Republic UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1997/BS97_P101.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - IISABRE: An integrated building simulation environment JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 1997 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yi Jiang KW - btp KW - building simulation KW - dest KW - energy performance KW - gui AB -

An integrated building simulation environment, IISABRE, is introduced. IISABRE consists of CABD, BTP and IISPAM. CABD is an AutoCAD-based building descriptor enabling users to draw a building and define information. Some design tools are built into CABD, and a STEP-based building database can be generated, which provides an open mechanism to share the building database with other programs. BTP is a program for the detailed dynamic simulation of building thermal performance. With a PC 486DX50 (8M RAM) running in MS-Windows 3.11, BTP needs about 40 minutes to calculate the annual hourly energy demand for a building with 20 zones. IISPAM is a knowledge-based system for translating the STEP-based building database into ASCII-based data files for BTP. IISABRE can be widely employed in the field of building environmental engineering in order to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the thermal comfort of the indoor environment.

VL - 32 IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Model-Based Approach to the Commissioning of HVAC Systems T2 - CLIMA 2000 Y1 - 1997 A1 - Richard A. Buswell A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim I. Salsbury JF - CLIMA 2000 CY - Brussles, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A new multizone model for simulation of building thermal performance JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 1997 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yi Jiang AB -

A new multizone model which is an improvement on the state space model is presented, which is potentially more efficient in the simulation of large scale buildings than other methods such as finite difference, transfer functions, or finite volume. The modeling philosophy is firstly discussed. Then the principle and algorithm of the new model are described. Finally, a PC based program BTP developed based on state-of-the-art modeling strategy reveals its applicability with fast calculation speed and satisfactory accuracy in the modeling of building energy performance.

VL - 32 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Condition Monitoring in HVAC Subsystems using First Principles Models JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1996 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - Jonathan A. Wright VL - 102 IS - Pt. 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development and Testing of a Prototype Tool for HVAC Control System Commissioning T2 - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1996 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Jorgensen, D.R. A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - Arthur L. Dexter KW - air conditioning KW - automatic KW - commissioning KW - controls KW - prototypes KW - testing KW - year 1996 AB -

Describes a set of automated tests for use in commissioning the controls associated with coils and mixing boxes in air-handling units. The test procedures were developed using a computer simulation of an office building air conditioning system and were verified by manual testing in real buildings. A prototype automated commissioning system was then evaluated in blind tests on a large air conditioning test rig. Concludes that automated commissioning has the potential to reduce the cost and increase the thoroughness of HVAC controls commissioning. A prototype commissioning tool is under development based on the described approach.

JF - ASHRAE Transactions CY - Atlanta, GA VL - 102 IS - Pt. 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Detailed Modelling and Simulation of a VAV Air-Conditioning System T2 - Building Simulation '95 Y1 - 1995 A1 - Philip Haves AB - The paper describes a component-based dynamic simulation of a variable air volume (VAV) airconditioning system. The model is based closely on the design of one floor of a real commercial office building in London. The model includes an air handling unit and a duct system incorporating pressure-independent VAV boxes. The paper describes the simulation environment used to test control systems and to develop fault detection and diagnosis procedures and presents results of simulations that illustrate how the simulation can be used to study the interactions between control loops. JF - Building Simulation '95 CY - Madison, WI UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1995/BS95_056_63.pdf ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Fault Detection and Diagnosis Method Based on First Principles Models and Expert Rules T2 - Tsinghua HVAC-95 Y1 - 1995 A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Jonathan A. Wright JF - Tsinghua HVAC-95 CY - Bejing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Integrated building design system JF - HV&AC, in Chinese Y1 - 1995 A1 - Yi Jiang A1 - Tianzhen Hong IS - 6 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A Model of a Displacement Ventilation/Chilled Ceiling Cooling System Suitable for Annual Energy Simulation T2 - Building Simulation '95 Y1 - 1995 A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Philip Haves JF - Building Simulation '95 CY - Madison, WI ER - TY - Generic T1 - Modelling and Simulation of Low Energy Cooling Systems T2 - Tsinghua HVAC-95 Y1 - 1995 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Simon J. Rees A1 - Harrington, L. JF - Tsinghua HVAC-95 CY - Bejing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Nanofluids for Heat Transfer Applications JF - Annual Review of Heat Transfer Y1 - 1995 A1 - Patrick E. Phelan A1 - Ravi S. Prasher A1 - Prajesh Bhattacharya VL - 14 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Prediction of building thermal performance under random conditions T2 - TSINGHUA-HVAC-'95 Y1 - 1995 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yi Jiang JF - TSINGHUA-HVAC-'95 CY - Beijing, China ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Stochastic weather model for building HVAC systems JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 1995 A1 - Tianzhen Hong A1 - Yi Jiang AB -

The weather is a multi-dimensional stochastic process; the traditional typical or standard meteorological year is not enough to describe the random behaviour of weather. The model presented in this paper is based on the vector auto-regressive (VAR) time series method. From the validation results, it can be seen that the stochastic weather model is essential to describe real climate behaviour, and the accuracy obtained is sufficient for the application of the stochastic weather model in the simulation and stochastic analysis of building HVAC systems.

VL - 30 IS - 4 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Component-Based Modelling of VAV Systems T2 - System Simulation in Buildings '94 Y1 - 1994 A1 - Philip Haves JF - System Simulation in Buildings '94 CY - Liège, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Design, Construction and Commissioning of Building Emulators for EMCS Applications JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1994 A1 - Shengwei Wang A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Pierre Nusgens VL - 100 IS - Pt. 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Evaluating the Performance of Building Control Systems using an Emulator JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 1994 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves AB - The control performance of an air-conditioning system is assessed using a qualitative method of evaluation. Fuzzy logic is used to relate performance criteria expressed in the form of IF-THEN rules to quantitative measures of energy consumption, discomfort, and maintenance costs. Test data were generated using an emulator consisting of a real-time simulation of the building shell and HVAC plant, together with a hardware interface that connects the simulation to commercial control equipment. Two case studies are presented. In the first, the effect of changing the strategy used to determine the zone temperature set-points is evaluated using 'expert rules', generated by a hypothetical facilities manager. In the second case study, the effect of varying the tuning parameters of the control system is evaluated using two sets of rules assumed to represent the differing perspectives of a facilities manager and a control engineer. VL - 15 UR - http://bse.sagepub.com/content/15/3.toc IS - 3 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Fault Detection in Air-Conditioning Systems Using A.I. Techniques T2 - BEP'94 Y1 - 1994 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Richard S. Fargus A1 - Philip Haves JF - BEP'94 CY - York, England ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Investigation of the Reliability of Building Emulators for Testing Energy Management and Control Systems JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1994 A1 - Henk C. Peitsman A1 - Shengwei Wang A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Satu H. Kärki A1 - Cheol P. Park VL - 100 IS - Pt. 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Model-Based Approaches to Fault Detection and Diagnosis in Air-Conditioning System T2 - System Simulation in Buildings '94 Y1 - 1994 A1 - Mourad Benouarets A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Richard S. Fargus A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Tim I. Salsbury A1 - Jonathan A. Wright JF - System Simulation in Buildings '94 CY - Liège, Belgium ER - TY - Generic T1 - Automatic Commissioning of HVAC Control Systems T2 - CLIMA 2000 Y1 - 1993 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Jorgensen, D.R. JF - CLIMA 2000 CY - London, England ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development of Techniques to Assist in the Commissioning of HVAC Control Systems T2 - CIBSE National Conference Y1 - 1993 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Jorgensen, D.R. JF - CIBSE National Conference CY - Manchester, UK ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Stochastic analysis of building thermal processes JF - Building and Environment Y1 - 1993 A1 - Yi Jiang A1 - Tianzhen Hong AB -

A methodology is presented for investigating the uncertainty properties of the building thermal processes caused by the random behaviour of the meteorological processes and the casual gains. A detailed building thermal model is used with a stochastic weather model and a random casual gain model. The probability distribution of the zone temperature of the building is calculated directly from these models. The overheating risk has been analysed as an example. The probability distribution of the periods when the zone temperature is higher than the demand temperature is calculated. The result shows all the possible situations rather than only a sample as would be obtained by running a normal simulation using given weather data. The influence of different building components on the overheating risk has been studied. The result shows that the most likely component for overheating risk in a residential building in Beijing is the window size. The thermal mass of the internal walls and the placing of windows have little effect on overheating risk.

VL - 28 IS - 4 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Stochastic analysis of overheating risk in buildings T2 - CLIMA 2000 Y1 - 1993 A1 - Yi Jiang A1 - Tianzhen Hong JF - CLIMA 2000 CY - London, UK ER - TY - Generic T1 - Climate Change and Passive Cooling in Europe T2 - PLEA'92 Conference Y1 - 1992 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Kenny, G. A1 - Susan Roaf JF - PLEA'92 Conference CY - Auckland, New Zealand ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Environmental Control in Energy Efficient Buildings T2 - Energy Efficient Buildings: A Design Guide Y1 - 1992 A1 - Philip Haves JF - Energy Efficient Buildings: A Design Guide PB - Blackwell Scientific Publications Ltd CY - Oxford SN - 0470219521 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Impacts of Climate Change T2 - International Energy Agency Future Buildings Forum Workshop on Innovative Cooling Y1 - 1992 A1 - Mike Hulme A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Boardman, B. JF - International Energy Agency Future Buildings Forum Workshop on Innovative Cooling CY - Solihull, England ER - TY - Generic T1 - Self-tuning Control with Fuzzy Rule-Based Supervision for HVAC Applications T2 - ITAC 91 Y1 - 1991 A1 - Keck-Voon Ling A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Geng, G. A1 - Philip Haves JF - ITAC 91 T3 - International Symposium on Intelligent Tuning and Adapative Control CY - Singapore ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Use of a Building Emulator to Develop Techniques for Improved Commissioning and Control of HVAC Systems JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1991 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Jorgensen, D.R. A1 - Keck-Voon Ling A1 - Geng, G. KW - air conditioning KW - automatic KW - commissioning KW - computer programs KW - controls KW - energy management KW - heating KW - ventilation VL - 97 IS - 1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Use of a Building Emulator to Evaluate Control Strategies Implemented in Commercial BEMS T2 - Building Environmental Performance '91 Y1 - 1991 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Arthur L. Dexter JF - Building Environmental Performance '91 CY - Cantebury, England ER - TY - Generic T1 - Use of Building Emulators to Evaluate the Performance of Building Energy Management Systems T2 - Building Simulation '91 Y1 - 1991 A1 - Hossein Vaezi-Nejad A1 - E. Hutter A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - George E. Kelly A1 - Pierre Nusgens A1 - Shengwei Wang AB -

Three complementary approaches may be used in the evaluation of the performance of building control systems-simulation, emulation and field testing. In emulation a real-time simulation of the building and HVAC plant is connected to a real building energy management system (BEMS) via a hardware interface. Emulation has the advantage of allowing controlled, repeatable experiments whilst testing real devices that may contain proprietary algorithms. Building emulators have been developed by the authors in the context of lEA Annex 17, which is concerned with the use of simulation to evaluate the performance of BEMS. The paper discusses different approaches to the design of building emulators and describes the different architectures, hardware and software used by the authors. The problem of evaluating the overall performance of BEMS is discussed and results are presented that illustrate the use of emulators to investigate the influence of the tuning of local loop controls on building performance.

JF - Building Simulation '91 CY - Nice, France ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Influence of Tuning on the Performance of a Building Control System T2 - System Simulation in Buildings '90 Y1 - 1990 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves JF - System Simulation in Buildings '90 CY - Liège, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A Robust Self-Tuning Controller for HVAC Applications JF - ASHRAE Transactions Y1 - 1989 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simulation of Local Loop Controls T2 - Building Simulation 89 Y1 - 1989 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Philip Haves JF - Building Simulation 89 CY - Vancouver, Canada ER - TY - CONF T1 - Thermal Energy Storage System Sizing T2 - IBPSA Building Simulation '89 Y1 - 1989 A1 - Dominique Dumortier A1 - Ron C. Kammerud A1 - Birdsall, Bruce E. A1 - Brandt Andersson A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - William L. Carroll A1 - Frederick C. Winkelmann JF - IBPSA Building Simulation '89 CY - Vancouver, BC, Canada UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1989/BS89_357_362.pdf U2 - LBNL-27203 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Daylight in Dynamic Thermal Modelling Programs: a Case Study JF - Building Services Engineering Research & Technology Y1 - 1988 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Paul J. Littlefair AB -

Heating, cooling and lighting energy consumptions in buildings are inter-related, and a model which treats thermal performance and lighting simultaneously is required in order to evaluate the full benefits of daylighting in buildings. A lighting facility has been included in a dynamic building simulation program (SERI-RES) used in the Department of Energy's passive solar programme. Interior daylight illuminance is calculated using an extension of the daylight factor method. The lighting usage of various lighting systems is predicted from the daylight illuminance, and the thermal consequences of that lighting use included in the thermal simulation of the building. The applicability of the method described in this paper is not limited to SERI-RES. The method could be incorporated in any building energy analysis program intended for the UK or similar climates.

VL - 9 IS - 4 JO - Building Serv Eng Res Technol ER - TY - MGZN T1 - The HVAC Costs of Fresh Air Ventilation Y1 - 1988 A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - Cecile Meyer JF - ASHRAE Journal IS - September ER - TY - CONF T1 - The HVAC Costs of Increased Fresh Air Ventilation Rates in Office Buildings T2 - ASHRAE 1988 Annual Meeting Y1 - 1988 A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - Cecile Meyer JF - ASHRAE 1988 Annual Meeting PB - LBNL CY - Ottawa, ON, Canada. ER - TY - CONF T1 - Modeling Cogeneration Systems with DOE-2.1C T2 - ASHRAE 1988 Winter Meeting Y1 - 1988 A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - Steven D. Gates JF - ASHRAE 1988 Winter Meeting PB - LBNL CY - Dallas, TX ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Saving Electricity in Commercial Buildings with Adjustable-Speed Drives JF - IEEE Transactions of Industry Applications Y1 - 1988 A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - Anibal T De Almeida AB -

Fan and chiller energy savings achievable in commercial buildings with adjustable-speed drives are described. The savings are estimated with the aid of parametric simulations from a sophisticated, hourly building energy simulation model. Two prototypes-a single-zone retail store and a multizone medium office building-are simulated for five U.S. locations. The model incorporates part-load performance curves for both inlet vane and adjustable-speed drive controls for fans and centrifugal chillers. The results identify economic conditions that justify the added expense of adjustable-speed drives.

PB - IEEE VL - 24 IS - 3 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Towards an Environment for HVAC Control System Evaluation T2 - USER-1 Building Simulation Conference Y1 - 1988 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Trewella, D. JF - USER-1 Building Simulation Conference T3 - European Society for Computer Simulation CY - Ostend, Belgium ER - TY - JOUR T1 - On Using Degree-days to Account for the Effects of Weather on Annual Energy Use in Office Buildings JF - Energy and Buildings Y1 - 1988 A1 - Joseph H. Eto AB -

To better quantify the effects of conservation measures, degree.day-based techniques are commonly used to isolate weather.induced changes in building energy use. In this paper, we use a building energy simulation model, which allows us to hold fixed all influences on energy use besides weather, to evaluate several degree-day-based techniques. The evaluation is applied to simulated electricity and natural gas consumption for two large office building prototypes located in five U.8. climates. We review the development of degree day- based, weather-normalization techniques to identify issues for applying the techniques to office buildings and then evaluate the accuracy of the techniques with the simulated data. We conclude that, for the two office building prototypes and five U.8. locations examined, most techniques perform reasonably well; accuracy, in predicting annual consumption, is generally better than 10%. Our major finding is that accuracy among individual techniques is overwhelmed by circumstances outside the control of the analyst, namely, the choice of the initial year from which the normalization estimates are made.

VL - 12 IS - 2 ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Application of Simulation to the Evaluation of Building Energy Control Systems T2 - UKSC87 Conference Y1 - 1987 A1 - Philip Haves JF - UKSC87 Conference T3 - United Kingdom Simulation Council CY - Bangor, UK ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Performance of Roofpond Cooled Residences in U.S. Climate JF - Passive Solar Journal Y1 - 1987 A1 - Gene Clark A1 - Fred M. Loxsom A1 - Earl S. Doderer A1 - Philip Haves AB -

The thermal advantages of a roofpond as an element of a residential cooling system are described. The authors conducted heat transfer experiments at two roofpond residences (RPRs) at Trinity University; the authors used data from these experiments to validate RPR simulations. Results of measurements of vertical and horizontal temperature differences within roofponds are discussed. Horizontal heat transfer within one water bag was effective. Thermal resistance at the outer surface of a water bag with a deflated glazing can be significant. Simulation shows that an RPR can provide comfort without supplemental sensible cooling during almost all hours of a typical summer in any U.S climate. Ceiling fans are important in most climates. In the most demanding climates, the residence and the pond insulating panels must have high R-value. A map is included that provides RPR design guidance. The simulations indicate that dehumidification will be required to control mold, mildew, and ceiling condensation in an RPR in most climates; energy and power displacement by an RPR is sensitive to the humidity control required and the efficiency of the dehumidifier used.

VL - 4 IS - 3 JO - Passive Sol. J. ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Use of Dynamic Simulation Models to Evaluate Algorithms for Building Energy Control: Experience with HVACSIM+ T2 - International Congress on Building Energy Management Y1 - 1987 A1 - Arthur L. Dexter A1 - Mahroo M. Eftekhari A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Fábio Gonçalves Jota JF - International Congress on Building Energy Management T3 - Proceedings of ICBEM’87 CY - Lausanne, Switzerland VL - 8 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Development of SERI-RES within the UK Passive Solar Programme T2 - 10th National Passive Solar Conference Y1 - 1986 A1 - John G.F. Littler A1 - Philip Haves JF - 10th National Passive Solar Conference T3 - ASES CY - Boulder, CO ER - TY - Generic T1 - Generation of Data for Passive Solar Building Simulation from a Three Dimensional Architectural Modelling System T2 - PLEA'86 Conference Y1 - 1986 A1 - Cedric Green A1 - Philip Haves JF - PLEA'86 Conference CY - Pecs, Hungary ER - TY - CONF T1 - A Comparison of Weather Normalization Techniques for Commercial Building Energy Use T2 - DOE/ASHRAE/BTECC Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings III Y1 - 1985 A1 - Joseph H. Eto JF - DOE/ASHRAE/BTECC Conference on Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings III PB - LBNL CY - Clearwater Beach, FL U2 - LBNL-21217 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Cooling Strategies Based on Indicators of Thermal Storage in Commercial Building Mass T2 - Second Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates Y1 - 1985 A1 - Joseph H. Eto JF - Second Symposium on Improving Building Systems in Hot and Humid Climates CY - College Station, Texas U2 - LBNL-19912 ER - TY - CONF T1 - The DOE-2 Computer Program for Thermal Simulation of Buildings T2 - American Institute of Physics (AIP) Y1 - 1985 A1 - Birdsall, Bruce E. A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Richard B. Curtis A1 - Ender Erdem A1 - Joseph Eto A1 - James J. Hirsch A1 - Karen H. Olson A1 - Frederick C. Winkelmann JF - American Institute of Physics (AIP) PB - American Institute of Physics VL - 135 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Implications of Office Building Thermal Mass and Multi-day Temperature Profiles for Cooling Strategies T2 - ASME/AIChe National Heat Transfer Conference Y1 - 1985 A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - Gay Powell KW - commercial buildings KW - cooling energy KW - energy conservation KW - peak demand KW - thermal mass AB -

This paper describes a study of the cooling energy requirements that result from thermal storage in building mass, and suggests methods for predicting and controlling its energy cost implications. The study relies on computer simulations of energy use for a large office building prototype in El Paso, TX using the DOE-2 building energy analysis program. Increased Monday cooling energy requirements resulting from the weekend shut-down of HVAC systems are documented. Predictors of energy use and peak demands, which account for thermal storage in building mass, are described. Load-shifting, sub-cooling and pre-cooling equipment operating strategies are evaluated with explicit reference to utility rate schedules.

JF - ASME/AIChe National Heat Transfer Conference CY - Denver, CO U2 - LBL-19212 ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Integration of Graphic and Thermal Simulation Models T2 - Computer Graphics '85 Conference Y1 - 1985 A1 - Cedric Green A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Paul Huddy JF - Computer Graphics '85 Conference PB - Wembley, Online Publications Ltd CY - Pinner, Middlesex, UK ER - TY - Generic T1 - New Features of the DOE-2.1c Energy Analysis Program T2 - International Building Performance Simulation Association Y1 - 1985 A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Ender Erdem A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - James J. Hirsch A1 - Frederick C. Winkelmann JF - International Building Performance Simulation Association PB - International Building Performance Simulation Association UR - http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS1985/BS85_195_200.pdf ER - TY - CONF T1 - Commercial Building Cogeneration Opportuntities T2 - ACEEE Summer Study in Energy Efficient Buildings Y1 - 1984 A1 - Joseph H. Eto JF - ACEEE Summer Study in Energy Efficient Buildings CY - Santa Cruz, CA UR - http://aceee.org/files/proceedings/1984/data/papers/SS84_Panel1_Paper_059.pdf#page=1 U2 - LBNL-18176 ER - TY - CONF T1 - The DOE-2 Building Energy Analysis Program T2 - ASEAN Conference on Energy Conservation in Buildings Y1 - 1984 A1 - Richard B. Curtis A1 - Birdsall, Bruce E. A1 - Walter F. Buhl A1 - Ender Erdem A1 - Joseph H. Eto A1 - James J. Hirsch A1 - Karen H. Olson A1 - Frederick C. Winkelmann JF - ASEAN Conference on Energy Conservation in Buildings CY - Singapore U2 - LBNL-18046 ER - TY - CONF T1 - Optimal Cogeneration Systems for High-Rise Office Buildings T2 - 18th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference Y1 - 1983 A1 - Joseph H. Eto JF - 18th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference CY - Orlando, FL U2 - LBNL-16126 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Results of Validated Simulations of Roof Pond Residences T2 - 8th National Passive Solar Conference Y1 - 1983 A1 - Gene Clark A1 - Fred M. Loxsom A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Earl S. Doderer JF - 8th National Passive Solar Conference CY - Santa Fe, NM ER - TY - Generic T1 - Selection and Sizing of Low Energy Cooling Systems for More Humid Climates T2 - 2nd International Passive and Low Energy Architecture Conference Y1 - 1983 A1 - Philip Haves JF - 2nd International Passive and Low Energy Architecture Conference CY - Crete, Greece ER - TY - Generic T1 - SERI-RES: a Thermal Simulation Model for Passive Solar and Low Energy Buildings T2 - Design methods for Passive Solar Buildings Conf Y1 - 1983 A1 - Philip Haves JF - Design methods for Passive Solar Buildings Conf T3 - UK-ISES (C34) ER - TY - Generic T1 - Accuracy of a Simple Method of Estimating the Minimum Temperature of a Sealed Roof Pond T2 - Annual Meeting of American Section of the International Solar Energy Society Y1 - 1982 A1 - Brady Schutt A1 - Gene Clark A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Merino, M. AB -

Detailed heat flux and temperature measurements have been made in two residential scale roof pond buildings in San Antonio, Texas from July to November 1981. The minimum temprature of the 4 in deep roof pond sealed in PVC bags was approximately equal to the minimum ambient dry bulb temperature. The sensitivity of this equality to changes in meteorological conditions, maximum pond temperature and thermal load is evaluated using the measurements. Verified simulations are then used to evaluate the sensitivity of this equality to changes in the thermal load, and to changes in the depth, surface emittance and surface thermal resistance of the sealed pond in various climates. For the range of roof pond design options of interest in passive cooling of buildings, the minimum pond temperature was found to be within 2 F of the minimum ambient temperature in all climates considered. The equality of these minimum temperatures is advocated as a useful rule of thumb for feasibility assessment and as part of a simplified design methodology. The simulated minimum pond temperature was found to be surprisingly insensitive to a 50% decrease in the fraction of pond area exposed to the sky.

JF - Annual Meeting of American Section of the International Solar Energy Society CY - Houston, TX VL - 5 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Dehumidification and Passive Cooling for Retrofit and Conventional Construction T2 - 7th National Passive Solar Conference Y1 - 1982 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Fred M. Loxsom A1 - Earl S. Doderer JF - 7th National Passive Solar Conference CY - Knoxville, TN ER - TY - Generic T1 - Design and Operating Strategies and Sizing Relationships for Solar Regenerated Desiccant Dehumidifiers Used with Passive Cooling Systems T2 - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference Y1 - 1981 A1 - Peter E. Nelson A1 - Philip Haves JF - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference CY - Miami, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Economic Analysis of Desiccant Dehumidifiers in Passive Solar Residences T2 - 1981 Annual Meeting of ASISE Y1 - 1981 A1 - Peter E. Nelson A1 - McDougal, G. A1 - Philip Haves JF - 1981 Annual Meeting of ASISE CY - Philadelphia, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Experimental Validation of a Computer Model of a Solar Regenerated Desiccant Dehumidification System T2 - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference Y1 - 1981 A1 - Peter E. Nelson A1 - Philip Haves JF - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference CY - Miami, FL ER - TY - CONF T1 - Heat Loss Rates from Wetted Tilted Surfaces T2 - 1st International Passive and Hybrid Cooling Conference, November 6-16, 1981 Y1 - 1981 A1 - Haines, R. A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Vollink, D. ED - Arthur Bowen ED - Gene Clark JF - 1st International Passive and Hybrid Cooling Conference, November 6-16, 1981 T3 - Passive Cooling PB - American Section of the International Solar Energy Society CY - Miami Beach, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Measurement of Components of Heat Transfer in Passive Cooling Systems T2 - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference Y1 - 1981 A1 - Fred M. Loxsom A1 - Gene Clark A1 - Merino, M. A1 - Philip Haves JF - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference CY - Miami, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Simulated Performance of a Passively Cooled Residence with a Solar Regenerated Desiccant Dehumidifier T2 - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference Y1 - 1981 A1 - Philip Haves JF - 1st International Passive & Hybrid Cooling Conference CY - Miami, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - Heat Transfer in Passively Cooled Buildings T2 - ASME/AIChE National Heat Transfer Conference Y1 - 1980 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Bently, D. A1 - Gene Clark JF - ASME/AIChE National Heat Transfer Conference CY - Orlando, FL ER - TY - Generic T1 - The Thermal Benefits and Cost Effectiveness of Earth Berming T2 - 5th National Passive Solar Conference Y1 - 1980 A1 - Speltz, J. A1 - Philip Haves AB -

A number of advantages are claimed for earth sheltered buildings; the earth provides both insulation and thermal storage and also serves to reduce infiltration and noise. This paper seeks to quantify the thermal advantages of both earth sheltering and perimeter insulation by comparing the simulated thermal performance of an earth sheltered house, a house with perimeter insulation and a house with neither. The fuel savings are then compared to the estimated construction costs to determine cost-effectiveness. The major saving from an earth sheltered building is obtained in colder climates where the effective elevation of the frost line due to the earth berms considerably reduces the cost of the foundation.

JF - 5th National Passive Solar Conference CY - Amherst, MA VL - 5.1 ER - TY - Generic T1 - One Dimensional Representations of the Heat Flow Beneath a Building T2 - US DOE Solar Energy Storage Options Conference Y1 - 1979 A1 - Philip Haves JF - US DOE Solar Energy Storage Options Conference CY - San Antonio, TX ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Radio Structure of a Sample of 101 Quasars from the Parkes ±4º Survey JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1976 A1 - Michael Bentley A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Ralph E. Spencer A1 - David Stannard KW - Angular Distribution KW - Astronomical Catalogs KW - Quasars KW - Radio Emission KW - Radio Sources (Astronomy) KW - Radio Spectra KW - Spectrum Analysis KW - Ultrahigh Frequencies VL - 176 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - High Resolution Observations of Extended Radio Sources at 1666 MHz JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1975 A1 - Michael Bentley A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Ralph E. Spencer A1 - David Stannard VL - 173 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Orientation of the Magnetic Field in Radio Sources JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1975 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Robin G. Conway KW - extragalactic radio sources KW - magnetic field configurations KW - polarization (waves) KW - polarization characteristics KW - polarized electromagnetic radiation KW - radiant flux density KW - radio galaxies AB -

Recent data on the polarization of extragalactic radio sources are used to investigate the distribution of Delta, the angle between the major axis of a source and the intrinsic position angle of the E vector of linear polarization. Previous work on this subject has led to widely divergent conclusions. It is found that sources of high radio luminosity usually have Delta near 90 deg, implying that the magnetic fields in such sources are oriented along the major axis. For radio galaxies with low luminosity, on the other hand, Delta tends to lie nearer zero deg.

VL - 173 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Polarization Parameters of 183 Extragalactic Radio Sources JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1975 A1 - Philip Haves VL - 173 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Polarization of Radio Sources at 31 CM JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1974 A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Robin G. Conway A1 - David Stannard KW - Astronomical Catalogs KW - extragalactic radio sources KW - faraday effect KW - interferometry KW - microwave emission KW - polarized electromagnetic radiation KW - Quasars KW - radiant flux density KW - radio astronomy KW - statistical analysis KW - tables (data) KW - very high frequencies AB -

Measurements of the linear polarization of extragalactic radio sources have been made over a range of wavelengths in order to study both the properties of the sources themselves and the Faraday rotation along the line of sight to the observer. As part of a continuing program of such measurements the flux densities and integrated polarizations of 226 sources (including 134 quasars) were observed at 966 MHz (lambda 31 cm), to complement previous measurements at lambda 49 and lambda 74 cm (Conway et al. 1972). These results have been combined with others at shorter wavelengths in a discussion of the polarization properties of quasars (Conway et al. 1974). All the sources have angular sizes of 1 arcmin or less

VL - 169 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - QSOs of High Redshift? JF - Nature Y1 - 1974 A1 - Ian W.A. Browne A1 - Michael Bentley A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Neil J. McEwan A1 - Ralph E. Spencer A1 - David Stannard VL - 252 IS - 5480 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The Radio Polarization of Quasars JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Y1 - 1974 A1 - Robin G. Conway A1 - Philip Haves A1 - Philipp P. Kronberg A1 - David Stannard A1 - Jacques P. Vallée A1 - John F. C. Wardle AB -

Observations over a wide range of wavelengths, 2.2 ≤ λ ≤ 73 cm, have been combined to define the wavelength variation of the degree of linear polarization m(λ) for 120 quasars with known redshift. For the majority, m(λ) decreases monotonically with increasing wavelength but for 35 sources the polarization curve is inverted at short wavelengths. A classification is given, based on both the polarization curve and the radio spectrum, and the results are interpreted in terms of the presence or absence of opaque components in the source. The depolarization which occurs at long wavelengths is accounted for by a combination of spectral effects and Faraday depolarization. For 46 steep-spectrum sources the depolarization curve appears to be dominated by the Faraday effect, and has been used to deduce the electron density within the radiating components. In this group of sources the correlation between depolarization and redshift noted by Kronberg et al. is confirmed and strengthened. A discussion is given of some theoretical models of radio sources in the light of the depolarization data.

VL - 168 JO - Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. ER -