Indoor Climate and Energy Model Calibration with Monitored Data of a Naturally Ventilated Dairy Barn in a Cold Climate

Abstract

HighlightsIndoor climate and energy model of a dairy barn is constructed and calibrated with collected data.Long-term monitoring of indoor conditions and electricity consumption greatly facilitates the model calibration process.Statistical benchmarks given by guidelines confirm the usability and reliability of the model.Abstract. This study demonstrates an application of ICE model calibration by using sensor building metrics in a naturally ventilated dairy house in a cold climate. The barn, at the time of the study, had 70 lactating cows and 30 calves with a total animal area of 1922 m2 and other auxiliary areas of 268 m2. Indoor condition data were collected by four integrated sensors inside the barn for six months, from March to August 2019. IDA ICE 4.8 SP1 simulation software was used to build and simulate the model, with calibration steps conducted first manually, then statistically. Actual weather and indoor condition data during the monitored period were used for calibration; statistical indices of the calibrated model were confirmed by the benchmarks given from ASHRAE Guideline 14-2014, IPMVP version 2016, and FEMP version 4.0 2015. The yielded result was a baseline ICE model, which can be further utilized in the study of energy conservation measures (ECMs), retrofitting feasibility, and ammonia and other contaminant gas emission mitigation. The abovementioned calibration practice and the proposals built on it open a pathway to achieve a higher level of energy efficiency for this type of livestock building. Keywords: Cold weather, Dairy farms, Model calibration, Natural ventilation.