Influence of Different Temperature Control Patterns Through TRV on District Heating Loads

Abstract

This paper describes the application of dynamic energy simulation in order to analyze the application of thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on four existing multi-family buildings that are served by a district heating network. A complex and detailed energy model of each case study was defined by means of the energy simulation code EnergyPlus, in order to predict the effect of the employment of TRVs on the heating energy consumptions. The building geometry and envelope characteristics were extracted from the building energy performance certificates; each room equipped with a radiator was defined as a single thermal zone in order to simulate the effect of the TRVs. Measured energy rates and water flow rates of the district heating were used to calibrate the numerical model. In the calibrated model, the impact of TRV control as well as the consequent heat transfer between neighboring rooms were taken into account. Each case study was simulated with and without TRVs. The simulation results show that the use of TRVs can bring a reduction on total heating energy consumption ranging from a minimum of 5 % to a maximum of 20 %.