Calibrating Detailed Building Energy Simulation Programs with Measured Data—Part II: Application to Three Case Study Office Buildings (RP-1051)

Abstract

The companion paper proposed a general methodology of calibrating detailed building energy simulation programs to performance data that also allowed the determination of the prediction uncertainty of intended energy conservation measures. The methodology strived to provide a measure of scientific rigor to the process of calibration as a whole, which has remained an art form with no clear consensus guidelines despite being followed by numerous professionals for several decades. The proposed methodology, while providing a clear structure consistent with that adopted in more mature scientific fields, also uses expert domain knowledge and is flexible enough to satisfy different users with different personal preferences and biases. This paper attests to the overall validity of the methodology by presenting the results of applying it to three case study office buildings—two synthetic and one actual. Conclusions on various variants of the overall calibration methodology are presented, along with guidelines and a summary of lessons learned on how to implement such a calibration methodology. Future research needed prior to implementation in commercial hourly detailed simulation programs is also identified.