Parametric behavior maps: A method for evaluating the energy performance of climate-adaptive building envelopes

Abstract

This research presents a new method for evaluating the energy performance of climate-adaptive building envelopes (CABEs) called parametric behavior maps (PBMs). There are three main challenges when evaluating a CABE for energy performance that are not overcome by the currently accepted process: (1) representing complex three-dimensional dynamic geometry; (2) generating various candidate CABE control scenarios by integrating environmental factors and their thresholds; and (3) representing a CABE's time-varying behavior within a single building energy model (BEM). To overcome these challenges, the PBM method was developed. This method makes two key contributions to the field of performance-driven building design. First, it is capable of generating hourly CABE operation scenarios to evaluate CABE performance using a single BEM, regardless of dynamic operation and any geometric complexity. Second, the PBM method is superior at handling the effects of thermal energy storage with dynamic operations than is the currently accepted process. The reliability of the PBM method was validated by comparing indoor temperature profiles obtained from a PBM and the existing method. The new method enables designers to integrate the energy performance of a CABE system with multiple control scenarios, ultimately improving the building design process.