A Methodology to Investigate the Deviations between Simple and Detailed Dynamic Methods for the Building Energy Performance Assessment

Abstract

The research investigates the validity of the simple hourly method, as introduced by the EN ISO 52016-1 standard, for the assessment of the building energy demand for heating and cooling, by comparing it with a detailed dynamic model (EnergyPlus). A new methodology is provided to identify and quantify the causes of deviations between the models. It consists in the split of the contributions of the air heat balance (AHB) equation by dynamic driving force, and in the adoption of consistency options of the modeling parameters related to specific physical phenomena. A case study approach is adopted in the article to achieve the research objective. The results show that the deviations in the heating and cooling loads between the two calculation methods can be mainly ascribed to the use of different surface heat transfer coefficients, and to a different modeling of the extra thermal radiation to the sky. Providing a methodology to validate the calculation method, this work is intended to contribute to the enhancement of the use of simple dynamic models and to the improvement of the standardization activity.