Basic Principles, Most Common Computational Tools, and Capabilities for Building Energy and Urban Microclimate Simulations

George M Stavrakakis,Markos Damasiotis,Dimitris Al Katsaprakakis

doi:10.3390/en14206707

George M Stavrakakis, Markos Damasiotis + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14206707

Copy DOI

Abstract

This paper presents basic principles of built-environment physics’ modelling, and it reviews common computational tools and capabilities in a scope of practical design approaches for retrofitting purposes. Well-established simulation models and methods, with applications found mainly in the international scientific literature, are described by means of strengths and weaknesses as regards related tools’ availability, easiness to use, and reliability towards the determination of the optimal blends of retrofit measures for building energy upgrading and Urban Heat Island (UHI) mitigation. The various characteristics of computational approaches are listed and collated by means of comparison among the principal modelling methods as well as among the respective computational tools that may be used for simulation and decision-making purposes. Insights of coupling between building energy and urban microclimate models are also presented. The main goal was to provide a comprehensive overview of available simulation methods that can be used at the early design stages for planning retrofitting strategies and guiding engineers and technical professionals through the simulation tools’ options oriented to the considered case study.

Highlights

The building sector in Europe is considered as the largest consumer of energy, using up to 40% of the final energy consumption [1,2]
The present paper provides an overview of commercial or freely available computational tools that can be used to assess building energy performance and Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in open spaces
The results revealed a linear correlation between shading coefficient and leaf area, where a lower shading factor leads to a greater thermal insulation

Summary

Introduction

The building sector in Europe is considered as the largest consumer of energy, using up to 40% of the final energy consumption [1,2]. According to its (EU) 2019/786 recommendation on building renovation [4], the Commission invites Member States to establish long-term renovation strategies focused on the national building stock, including both public and private buildings, towards highly energy efficient and decarbonized building stock by 2050, prescribing measures for the cost-effective transformation of existing buildings into nearly zero-energy buildings (the so-called NZEBs). In this framework, it is acknowledged that the design approaches followed in order to achieve the highest possible energy-saving potential require advanced calculation techniques at the design stage, with the highest possible accuracy of predictions. With more strict regulations and policies, building energy renovation plans require precise estimations of energy indicators, as specific thresholds of these indicators should be satisfied, and at the same time least-cost renovation measures should be identified

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion