Experiences testing enhanced building performance simulation prototypes on potential user group

Previous work involving literature review, simulation tool analysis and interviews with world leading building performance consulting engineers and designers has shown that building performance simulation (BPS) is mostly limited to code compliance checking of the final building design whilst it could provide useful information and guidelines throughout the entire design process [Hopfe et al., 2005/ 2006]. It is aim of this research to enhance the current use of building performance simulation (BPS) in practice and therefore to build up a multi-aspects prototype simulation-based design environment for optimization of buildings and systems among others. For that reason, three prototypes were developed in the past addressing simple uncertainty/ sensitivity analysis, decision making under uncertainty/ sensitivity, and the use of optimization techniques for multi-objective optimization. An online survey was prepared to check how designers feel satisfied with the different prototypes, the guided set-up and the varying outcome. This paper summarizes the results of the user reaction to the three approaches

Rapid prototyping in order to improve building performance simulation for detailed design support

Building performance simulation (BPS) is a powerful tool to support building and system designers in emulating how orientation, building type, HVAC system etc. interacts the overall building performance. Currently BPS is used only for code compliance in the detailed design, neither to make informed choices between different design options nor for building and/ or system optimization [Wilde, 2004].BPS could/ should be used in a way of indicating design solutions, introducing an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis and building and/ or system optimization. This research is about enhancing the use of BPS in the detailed design by supporting design and system optimization

Rapid prototyping in order to improve building performance simulation for detailed design support

Building performance simulation (BPS) is a powerful tool to support building and system designers in emulating how orientation, building type, HVAC system etc. interacts the overall building performance. Currently BPS is used only for code compliance in the detailed design, neither to make informed choices between different design options nor for building and/ or system optimization [Wilde, 2004].BPS could/ should be used in a way of indicating design solutions, introducing an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis and building and/ or system optimization. This research is about enhancing the use of BPS in the detailed design by supporting design and system optimization

Design optimization during the different design stages

The A/E/C (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industry is very traditional. In contrast to other industries (e.g. car or ship industry) no prototypes are trialled and tested before manufacturing. Each building is unique, thereby excluding large scale production. Over the past thirty years, computers have become ubiquitous even in the AEC industry. Yet in building design we are still exchanging data and making design decisions as a century ago, with paper drawings and reports. Although building design support tools are used for design confirmation at the end of the design process, important decisions are already made in the conceptual design stage. This paper reports an ongoing research which focuses on the different stages of the design process, their needs and key issues. Depending on the distinction of the design stages, literature review was done in the field of Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. The variability in the definition of their fitnessfunction, the difference of inheritance, mutation etc. could add benefit to one specific design stage. The paper finishes with indicating trends for future work

Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for detailed design support

Nowadays, building performance simulation (BPS) is still primarily used for code compliance checking in the Netherlands whilst it could provide the user already useful design information by e.g. indicating design solutions or introducing uncertainty analysis (UA) and sensitivity analysis (SA). This paper summarizes results from an ongoing research introducing UA and SA in BPS. A case study is performed based on a hypothetical building which is part of an international test method for assessing the accuracy of BPS tools with respect to various building performance parameters. SA is accomplished via a freeware tool called Simlab. This is used as a pre- and postprocessor for the BPS software VA114. The SA is based on seven different input parameters, covering different categories like uncertainties in physical and design parameters as well as in boundary conditions. The sample matrix for the different input was generated with the Latin hypercube method. Results considering energy consumption (annual heating and cooling, peak loads) and thermal comfort (weight over- and underheating hours) are compared. The paper will finish with indicating how this research will be proceeded

Model uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for thermal comfort prediction

Building Performance Simulation (BPS) is poorly used to support informed decision making between different design options nor is it used for building and/ or system optimization. Currently BPS is only used for code compliance during the detailed design [Wilde, 2004]. The approach of this research by using an existing tool as initial prototype is rapid prototyping to make incremental improvement of BPS. This paper elaborates the above in more detail in particular by focusing on an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for thermal comfort prediction. A case study is described to evaluate the necessity of the use of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis in BPS. For that purpose an in the Netherlands well-known and commonly-used simulation tool for the detailed design is chosen. Furthermore, a range of results reflecting the impact of UA and SA are presented

Adapting advanced engineering design approaches to building design - potential benefits

A number of industries continuously progress advancing their design approaches based on the changing market constraints. Examples such as car, ship and airplane manufacturing industries utilize process setups and techniques, that differ significantly from the processes and techniques used by the traditional building industry. One important difference between the building and other industries is that no prototypes are trialed and tested before manufacturing. This fact causes the design stages to be highly iterative without implementing prototype performance data into the global design process. Evolutionary design i.e. is one technique that aims to adapt the biologic process of evolution to engineering. This technique could have the potential benefit of reducing the design iteration from concept creation to construction. The paper identifies possible differences between the industries and the analysis of the benefits from adapting Evolutionary design to concept creation, evaluation and optimization based on building performance criteria. This paper summarizes the latest research findings documented in subject related literature. Furthermore the iterative character of building design will be detailed by stating key results from design team observations. The final conclusions will indicate reasons why techniques as evolutionary design were not yet successfully integrated to building design

An exploration of the option space in student design projects for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis with performance simulation

This paper describes research conducted to gather empirical evidence on extent, character and content of the option space in building design projects, from the perspective of a climate engineer using building performance simulation for concept evaluation. The goal is to support uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis integrated to building performance simulation (BPS) tools. The integration will need to assist design rather than automate design, allowing a spontaneous, creative and flexible process that acknowledges the expertise of the design team members. The paper investigates the emergent option space and its inherent uncertainties of an artificial setting (student design studios). The preliminary findings provide empirical evidence of the high variability of the option space that can be subjected to uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis

Relation between design requirements and building performance simulation

The aim of this paper is to reveal the relation between basic design requirements and the use of building performance simulation in current design practice. As a starting point to focus future research on building performance simulation a number of interviews with building design practitioners were conducted to find the answer to the question: "What general information can be obtained on the building design requirements, providing a background for the context in which future building performance simulation tools or support environments will be used?" The results of the interviews with world leading building services professionals are elaborated focusing on the relationship of value drivers and design requirements, which prescribe the building performance. The literature review on architectural programming together with the outcomes of the interviews will reveal whether the value drivers such as flexibility, functionality and sustainability are identified in the program of requirements, accommodating the client’s expectation on the building performance or not. The results are summarized and interpreted suggesting alternatives for the use of building performance simulation

The impact of future climate scenarios on decision making in building performance simulation: a case study

Expected climate change may turn into a key challenge for building designers in the 21st century [Homes et al. 2007].In response to this challenge simulation packages have started to provide future climate scenarios to predict the energy demands and thermal comfort in buildings. The need to make predictions for climate change scenarios is becoming increasingly important.This paper describes the integration of climate change scenarios in one of the building performance simulation tools, i.e. VA114, which is used extensively in the Netherlands. Based on the existing traditional reference year "De Bilt 64/65", NEN 5060:2008 released a new norm that introduces four new climate files for different types of climate adjustments. KNMI on the other hand assembled four different future scenarios for the expected climate change. The climate files from the NEN and the KNMI future scenarios have been combined in a future climate data analysis for usage within the targeted simulation software VA114. The paper describes a case study focusing on the impact that a climate scenario may have on a concrete design decision. The case study involves two HVAC system designs: (1) a conventional cooling/heating system and (2) a heating/ cooling storage system. Both options are simulated and compared. The impact of climate change is shown on energy use and thermal comfort. It is then shown how the climate scenarios (and their inherent uncertainties) impact the uncertainty in the outcomes and how these outcomes influence the choice between the design options. The conclusions of the paper highlight the relevance of different (uncertain) climate scenarios and the role they play in design decision making