Building Energy Analysis Tools

Dr. Faiz Ahmed Chundeli

School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada
 Contents (Part I)
1. Building Energy Simulation Software
(An Overview)

2. Weather Data Access and Visualization

(Data & Visualization)

3. Web-based Climatological Analytical Tools

(2D/3D sun path, CIE Sky, 3D Shading, Shading Mask)

4. Web Based Building Physics

(Daylight Analysis)

5. Web-based Whole Building Simulation

(MIT Design Advisor)

6. Other Building Performance Analysis Tools

(Building/Urban Level Advanced tools)
 Contents (Part II)
1. Fundamentals of Urban Climate Research

2. Urban Climate (Scales)

3. Energy budgets (Urban Physics)

4. Simulation and Modeling tools

5. Case Studies
 1. Building Energy Simulation software

• Building Energy Simulation/Analysis (BES/BEA) software

are in no short supply.

• However, their excessive complexity makes many of them

inaccessible to architects for early-stage design decisions.
 1. Building Energy Simulation software

• Within this context, many research groups and software developers

have been working on tools that 1) are publicly-available, 2) require
minimal input data, 3) have short run times, and 4) are suitable for
benchmarking purposes and calculating energy or cost-savings.

• A comprehensive list could be found in the Building Energy

Simulation Tool (BEST) directory (Best Directory).
https://www.buildingenergysoftwaretools.com/software-listing

1. Nima Forouzandeh, Tahsildoost, M., & Zomorodian, Z. S. (2021). A review of web-based building energy analysis applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, 127251.
 2. Weather Data Sources
(Data Access and Visualization)

• In the last decade, building energy simulation (BES) became a

central component in building energy systems’ design and
optimization.

• For each building location, BES requires one year of hourly weather
data.

2. Dias, J., et.al (2020). Comparison of methodologies for generation of future weather data for building thermal energy simulation. Energy and Buildings, 206, 109556.
 2. Weather Data Sources
(Data Access and Visualization)

• The most commonly used methodology to produce current climate

files is called Typical Meteorological Year (TMY).

• Even though single year weather data files are the common practice
in BES, it often does not represent the long-term climate variability
but only the long-term monthly means.

2. Dias, J., et.al (2020). Comparison of methodologies for generation of future weather data for building thermal energy simulation. Energy and Buildings, 206, 109556.
 2. Weather Data Sources
(Data Access and Visualization)

Data Source: https://energyplus.net/

www.climate.onebuilding.org
METEONORM database.
 3. Web-based Climatological
Analytical Tools

Climate Consultant
Data Visualization 2D/3D
3D Sun-Path/Shadow
Psychrometric Chart
CIE Sky
Shading Mask

Climate Consultant: http://www.energy-design-tools.aud.ucla.edu/climate-consultant/request-climate-consultant.php

Andrew Marsh Tool Access: http://andrewmarsh.com/software/
 3. Web-based Climatological
Analytical Tools

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=evEyoYYAAAAJ&hl=en

www.adrewmarsh.com
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

1. Aperture/Collector 2. Absorber 3.Thermal Mass 4. Distribution 5. Control
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

1. Aperture/Collector
• The large glass area through which sunlight enters the building.
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

2. Absorber
• The hard, darkened surface of the interiors, such as a masonry wall, floor, or
water container, anything in the direct path of sunlight.
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

3. Thermal mass
• Materials that retain or store the heat produced by sunlight. While the
absorber is an exposed surface, the thermal mass is the material below
and behind this surface.
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

4. Distribution
• Heat circulates from the collection and storage points to
different areas through conduction, convection and radiation.
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

Building Physics and Energy Performance

5. Control
• Window and Roof overhangs can be used to shade.
 4. Web Based Building Physics
(Understanding Building Physics)

level of detail (LOD)

Archetype Generation and classification

1. Orientation
2. Size of the units (Ground/First Floor)
3. Material used
4. Contextual (Adjacent plots, vegetation etc)
 Dynamic- Daylight
https://energyplus.net/
 5. Web-based Whole Building Simulation

Recent trends show that many of the tools are web interfaces to
visualize energy data for benchmarking, as well as simulation
results for building energy analysis.

Review of twenty-five web-based energy simulation tools,

developed in the past few years

1. Nima Forouzandeh, Tahsildoost, M., & Zomorodian, Z. S. (2021). A review of web-based building energy analysis applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, 127251.
 5. Web-based Whole Building Simulation

1. Nima Forouzandeh, Tahsildoost, M., & Zomorodian, Z. S. (2021). A review of web-based building energy analysis applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, 127251.
 5. Web-based Whole Building Simulation

1. Nima Forouzandeh, Tahsildoost, M., & Zomorodian, Z. S. (2021). A review of web-based building energy analysis applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, 127251.
 5. Web-based Whole Building Simulation

Complexity and Accuracy Level

1. Nima Forouzandeh, Tahsildoost, M., & Zomorodian, Z. S. (2021). A review of web-based building energy analysis applications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 306, 127251.
 MIT Design Advisor
http://designadvisor.mit.edu/design/
Autodesk, FormIt
Velux Daylight
Visualizer
 (Basic tools –
Thermal)
Energy 2D/3D
 6. Other Building Performance Analysis Tools
Advanced tools

1. NEO 9. EnergyPlus
2. EDAPT 10.EnergyPro
11.IES VE
3. Vasari 12.Trane Trace
4. Sefaira 13.Carrier Hap
5. DesignBuilder 14.Energy-10
6. Green Building Studio 15.Solar Shoebox
7. Open Studio 16.System Advisor Model (SAM)
8. ECOTECT 17.TRNSYS
9. eQUEST/DOE-2.2
 6. Other Building Performance Analysis Tools
Advanced tools

Scheme of heat and mass flows of the thermodynamic system of the building stock at a neighborhood scale with
the control surface (black line) between the building stock and the outdoor environment
(Mutani & Todeschi, 2020)
 Conclusion
1. Need for Scientific Temperament
2. Learning tools and techniques
3. Scientific instruments and field measurements
4. Read, Read and Read
 Exercise
1. Building Location with 2D sun-path
2. 3D Sun-path for a House/Apartment Block
3. Psychometric chart for your location
4. Shading Mass from Parking or Portico of your residence/Apartment
5. Daylight Analysis of a room
 (Understanding Building Physics)

Passive Strategies – Key References

• Sadineni et al. [1] provide exhaustive technical review of the building envelope components for the
potential of their passive energy savings.

• They review selected types of walls, such as Trombewalls, ventilated walls and glazed walls,
fenestration technologies including aerogel, vacuum glazing and spectrally selective low-e coatings,
roofing techniques such as green roofs, photovoltaic roofs, radiant-transmissive barrier and
evaporating roof cooling systems, as well as the use of the thermal insulation and phase-change
materials.

Sadineni SB, Madala S, Boehm RF. Passive building energy savings: a review of building envelope components.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2011; 15:3617–31.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Pacheco et al. [2] review the building design criteria that can reduce energy demand for heating and
cooling of the residential buildings. These criteria discuss suitable parameters for the build-ing
orientation, shape and the ratio of building surface and volume, building envelope and its U-value,
glazing and shading, and passive heating and cooling mechanisms.

Pacheco R, Ordónẽz J, MartínezG. Energy efficient design of building: a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews 2012; 16:3559–73.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Charron and Athienitis [3] review existing guidelines for the design of low and net zero energy solar
homes with respect to landscaping, floor plan and orientation, thermal mass, windows and sizing
HVAC systems, the relevant technologies for meeting the heating loads in heating-dominated
climates.

Charron R, Athienitis A. Design and optimization of net zero energy solar homes. ASHRAE Transactions 2006; 112:285–
95.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Kaynakli [4] reviews the methods for determining the optimum thickness of the thermal insulation
in a building envelope, in particular, the optimum economic thickness, which is the value providing
the minimum total life cycle cost of insulation.

• Kaynakli [4] also discusses the effects of thermal insulation on reducing energy consumption, green
house gas emissions and environmental impact.

Kaynakli O. A review of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for building applications.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2012; 16:415–25.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Chan etal. [5] review, on one hand, technologies for passive solar heating via buoyancy effect
(Trombe wall, solar chimney, unglazed perforated absorber collector and roof-based systems) and, on
the other hand, technologies for passive solar cooling via evaporative effect and their building
integration.

Chan HY, Riffat SB, Zhu J. Review of passive solar heating and cooling
technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2010; 14:781–9.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Shi and Chew [6] review the energy saving potential of various fenestration options: side windows,
clerestories, light shelves, louvers, prismatic glazing, skylights, roof monitors and light pipes.

Shi L, Chew MYL. A review on sustainable design of renewable energy

systems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2012; 16:192–207.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Quesada et al. [7] review the theoretical, experimental, developmental and feasibility studies of solar
facades carried out during the last ten years.

1. Quesada G, Rousse D, Dutil Y, Badache M, Hallé S. A comprehensive review of solar facades. Opaque solar
facades. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2012; 16:2820–32.
2. Quesada G, Rousse D, Dutil Y, Badache M, Hallé S. A comprehensive review of solar facades. Transparent and
translucent solar facades. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2012; 16:2643–51.
 Passive Strategies – Key References

• Hughes etal. [8] review the practice of implementing the common passive (night ventilation, wind
towers) and active (split air conditioning, air handling units), as well as some complex (desiccant
cooling and absorption cooling systems) cooling technologies in buildings.

Hughes BR, Chaudhry HN, Ghani SA. A review of sustainable cooling technologies in buildings. Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews 2011; 15:3112–20.