Exploring the Interplay between CAD and FreeFem++ as an Energy Decision-Making Tool for Architectural Design

The energy modelling software tools commonly used for architectural purposes do not allow a straightforward real-time implementation within the architectural design programs. In addition, the surrounding exterior spaces of the building, including the inner courtyards, hardly present a specific treatment distinguishing these spaces from the general external temperature in the thermal simulations. This is a clear disadvantage when it comes to streamlining the design process in relation to the whole-building energy optimization. In this context, the present study aims to demonstrate the advantages of the FreeFem++ open source program for performing simulations in architectural environments. These simulations include microclimate tests that describe the interactions between a building architecture and its local exterior. The great potential of this mathematical tool can be realized through its complete system integration within CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software such as SketchUp or AutoCAD. In order to establish the suitability of FreeFem++ for the performance of simulations, the most widely employed energy simulation tools able to consider a proposed architectural geometry in a specific environment are compared. On the basis of this analysis, it can be concluded that FreeFem++ is the only program displaying the best features for the thermal performance simulation of these specific outdoor spaces, excluding the currently unavailable easy interaction with architectural drawing programs. The main contribution of this research is, in fact, the enhancement of FreeFem++ usability by proposing a simple intuitive method for the creation of building geometries and their respective meshing (pre-processing). FreeFem++ is also considered a tool for data analysis (post-processing) able to help engineers and architects with building energy-efficiency-related tasks

Integration of Building Energy Modeling (BEM) and Building Information Modeling (BIM): Workflows and Case Study

Building Energy Modeling (BEM) intends to quantify buildings’ energy performance to help designers and architects better understand the environmental impacts of their decisions. Building Information Modeling (BIM) refers to a digital, model-based representation, where information about building design can be shared among different stakeholders and used during all stages of buildings’ lifecycle. The purpose of this research was to investigate integration of BEM and BIM, using two analysis tools. Green Building Studio (GBS) and Sefaira are two performance analysis software programs, which can be used both in the form of BIM plug-in/built-in tools, as well as web applications to analyze and quantify energy performance of buildings. To capture their level of integration with BIM, an existing Campus Recreation Building on UMass Amherst campus was used as a case study to evaluate modeling processes, requirements, and workflows. Comparative analysis between modeled and actual energy consumption data was also performed to analyze accuracy of the different simulation programs. This paper discusses each tool capabilities and drawbacks in providing accurate energy analysis procedures and results

ASSESSMENT OF DEGRADATION OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS IN RELATION TO SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES

Sustainability is the one of the newest design considerations in building construction. Current programs of sustainability such as Energy Star for buildings and LEED, are providing methods to reduce operational energy use and encourage sustainable building materials. While these methods do aid in building sustainability, a more encompassing method of analysis has been provided with Life cycle Analysis. Life Cycle Analysis aims to provide a complete method of carbon accounting for the life of the building. This accounting includes the construction of the building through the occupancy and even the demolition and removal of waste. When predicting the used carbon for a building in the future, current methods are to use a linear analysis method. The objective of this paper is to introduce entropy into the analysis, and review the total impact. This natural degradation of the building and equipment will change the performance throughout the life of the building. A dynamic degradation model is investigated in this research. With degradation, equipment will use 27.3% more electrical use at the end of life, with at total energy use increase of 15.6%. This increase is important to be included in total building energy accounting for accuracy

Energy productivity analysis framework for buildings : a case study of GCC region

A new analysis framework is developed and applied to assess the benefits of building energy efficiency policies and programs. One of the main advantages of the new energy productivity analysis is that it accounts for both economic and energy performances of energy efficiency actions using only one metric. Specifically, the approach applies the concept of energy productivity to the building sector and accounts for both value added and energy savings of energy efficiency measures. Moreover, the proposed analysis accounts for all quantifiable benefits of energy efficiency programs including economic, environmental, and social. In this paper, the general guidelines for the energy productivity analysis are first described. Then, the analysis is applied to evaluate energy efficiency renewable energy programs for both existing and new buildings in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The analysis results indicate that retrofitting the existing building stock can provide significant benefits and can improve the energy productivity of the building sector in all GCC countries and free up large energy volumes and investment potentials to the development of other economic sectors. In particular, the analysis indicates that reduction in energy consumption, peak demand, and carbon emissions due to deep retrofit programs for the existing building stock can double the energy productivity of the GCC region

Energy Star: A Competitive Advantage?

Voluntary government programs such as ENERGY STAR have been created to promote energy efficiency within different organizations and businesses, and this study is dedicated to discovering whether or not businesses that become certified building partners with ENERGY STAR obtain a competitive advantage. Through two different methods of analysis, an observational analysis and a test of means, data on profitability ratios from twenty-five ENERGY STAR partners are examined to determine if partnering with ENERGY STAR results in a competitive advantage

Origins of Whole-building Energy Simulation Programs Used for High Performance Commercial Buildings: Contributions of the MATEUS, SHEP, TACS, CP-26, CP-33 and RESPTK Programs

Today, there are many building energy simulation programs in use. Some programs are publicly available, while others are restricted to private use. However, currently, there are only a few large, public domain programs that are widely used, such as DOE-2.2/eQUEST, TRNSYS, EnergyPlus and proprietary programs, such as TRACE and HAP. All these programs have their roots in the development of the 1950s and 1960s. Several previous papers have traced the origins of building energy simulation programs to the Post Office program. However, there were earlier programs that were not widely discussed in these previous papers, including the Mathematical Analysis of Thermal Environment in Underground Shelters (MATEUS) program, the SHelter Environmental Prediction (SHEP) program, the Thermo-dynamic Analysis Computer System (TACS) program and several miscellaneous computer programs that contributed significantly to the development of the Post Office program and the NBSLD program, which included: the FORTRAN IV program to calculate heat flux response factors for a multi-layer slab (i.e., the CP-26 program), the Response Factors Calculation program (RESPTK) and the FORTRAN IV program to calculate z-transfer functions for the calculation of transient heat transfer through walls and roofs (i.e., the CP-33 program). In addition, contributions of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Task Group on Energy Requirements (TGER) to the development of early computer programs were not widely discussed in detail in these previous studies. Therefore, this study revisits the importance of the earlier programs that contributed to the development of the Post Office program and the NBSLD program

Expectations, reality and perspectives in using bim for the green building design

In the late 1970s when the first programs for building energy consumption simulation appeared, architectural practice was based on paper documentation and 2D drafting programs were considered as state of the art technologies. The requirement for 3D building models for computer-based energy simulation minimized the use of this technology in everyday practice. With the appearance of BIM applications that enable creation of information rich 3D building models, everyone expected that this technology can easily provide all data necessary for energy consumption simulation. Today, the market is full of different BIM related applications that are advertised as solutions for the green building design. The paper gives an overview of energy consumption simulation tools and their connection to two BIM applications - ArchiCAD and Revit and demonstrates that recent development of both technologies does not fully meet expectations. The paper indicates means to avoid overoptimistic expectations from software tools that can help designers to achieve better comprehension of the real merits that BIM can bring to green building design. The paper addresses usability of using BIM for sustainable refurbishment. The paper concludes with the analysis of the Semantic Web technologies which can contribute to a better understanding of simulation results, and can provide more information about energy efficiency of the components used in BIM applications' libraries

Expectations, reality and perspectives in using bim for the green building design

In the late 1970s when the first programs for building energy consumption simulation appeared, architectural practice was based on paper documentation and 2D drafting programs were considered as state of the art technologies. The requirement for 3D building models for computer-based energy simulation minimized the use of this technology in everyday practice. With the appearance of BIM applications that enable creation of information rich 3D building models, everyone expected that this technology can easily provide all data necessary for energy consumption simulation. Today, the market is full of different BIM related applications that are advertised as solutions for the green building design. The paper gives an overview of energy consumption simulation tools and their connection to two BIM applications - ArchiCAD and Revit and demonstrates that recent development of both technologies does not fully meet expectations. The paper indicates means to avoid overoptimistic expectations from software tools that can help designers to achieve better comprehension of the real merits that BIM can bring to green building design. The paper addresses usability of using BIM for sustainable refurbishment. The paper concludes with the analysis of the Semantic Web technologies which can contribute to a better understanding of simulation results, and can provide more information about energy efficiency of the components used in BIM applications' libraries

Evaluating the economic return to public wind energy research and development in the United States

The U.S. government has invested in wind energy research since 1976. Building on a literature that has sought to develop and apply methods for retrospective benefit-to-cost evaluation for federal research programs, this study provides a quantitative analysis of the economic social return on these historical wind energy research investments. Importantly, the study applies multiple innovative methods and varies important input parameters to test the sensitivity of the results. The analysis considers public wind research expenditures and U.S. wind power deployment over the period 1976–2017, while also accounting for the full useful lifetime of wind projects built over this period. Assessed benefits include energy cost savings and health benefits due to reductions in air pollution. Overall, this analysis demonstrates sizable, positive economic returns on past wind energy research. Under the core analysis and with a 3% real discount rate, the net benefits from historical federal wind energy research investments are found to equal $31.4 billion, leading to an 18 to 1 benefit-to-cost ratio and an internal rate of return of 15.4%. Avoided carbon dioxide emissions are not valued in monetary terms, but are estimated at 1510 million metric tons. Alternative methods and input assumptions yield benefit-to-cost ratios that fall within a relatively narrow range from 7-to-1 to 21-to-1, reinforcing in broad terms the general finding of a sizable positive return on investment. Unsurprisingly, results are sensitive to the chosen discount rate, with higher discount rates leading to lower benefit-to-cost ratios, and lower discount rates yielding higher benefit-to-cost ratios