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1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief History of Building Energy Simulation
The changing importance of building physics in design, along with improved technological
capabilities, has led to an evolution in the attempts to model the complex dynamics of the energy
flows in buildings. Ultimately, the need for accurate modelling and simulation techniques is to aid
design decisions.
Early modelling attempts would generally be steady-state models, whereby a building could be
broken down into an array of points or nodes, with energy flows between different nodes, as
shown in Figure 1. Such a system of nodes can be thought of as an electrical network: each node is
at a different temperature (analogous to voltage), and there are heat flows between nodes
(analogous to current), with the rate of transfer dependent on the thermal resistance (analogous to
electrical resistance).
The main problem with such a steady-state model is that the environment clearly varies with time;
weather variations, both daily and annually, result in significantly varying external temperatures,
wind speeds, and incident solar radiation. Not only are there weather variations, but the activity
within the building also varies, and thus casual gains are constantly changing. Meanwhile, the effect
of thermal mass in the building allows energy to be stored and released, adding yet another
temporal variation.
As computing power increased, dynamic models of energy flows in buildings began to appear. These
dynamic models are based on the equations governing energy and mass transfer, and avoid many of
the assumptions and limitations of previous simplified models. For example, dynamic models can
capture the time-dependency of energy flows, such as climactic conditions, thermal mass, and
internal gains. The added complexity of dynamic models comes as a cost though: they are more
time-intensive than steady-state models, both in terms of the time needed to construct the model
and also the time needed to run the simulations, whilst they also require a greater level of details in
terms of inputs to the model.
Ultimately it is up to the individual to decide which type of model is more appropriate on a case-bycase basis. For some studies, a quick estimate of the monthly energy use will be adequate. In these
cases, steady-state models (often spreadsheet based) would be most appropriate. In other studies,
an accurate profile of the energy use and internal conditions will be required. In these cases a
dynamic model should be used.
The VE software does not require the user to have any knowledge of computer programming or of
the mathematics and equations that govern building physics, as all the interaction between the user
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and the software is done through a graphical user interface (GIU). Such a piece of software is known
as a black box in computing parlance. The user, therefore, is only required to give the software
specific inputs, whilst the outputted results are given graphically; however, knowledge of building
physics is fairly essential in being able to interpret the results with any sense.
A model of a building can be constructed within VE using the ModelIT module, which can then be
analysed in a variety of ways; for example, the software includes a module called Radiance that
looks at the viability of day-lighting and a module called MacroFlo that investigates the
effectiveness of natural ventilation.
IES-VE is commercially available software, and is regularly used within the building services industry.
It is a powerful piece of software, which is capable of modelling complicated building environments
even the Engineering Department (see Figure 3 below). However, like all pieces of software, it has
a learning curve associated with it, and it has its quirks lots of them! If you are patient though, IESVE will reward you with a good understanding of how your modelled building should operate.
2 Constructing a Model
2.1 Some Quick Tips
IES-VE includes a navigator that is designed to guide you through the process of constructing a
model and conducting energy or lighting analysis. The navigator, shown in Figure 4, also enables you
to quickly find the appropriate menu, button, or tab for the task you are working on by simply
clicking on the description of the task that you want to carry out. This can be very helpful, since it
can be difficult for beginners to find their way around the software otherwise. The navigator also
includes check boxes and text boxes to allow you to add notes and tick off completed stages in a
project. This can be useful when collaboratively working on a project.
IES have also created a simplified version of IES-VE called VE Gaia that is aimed at architects and
those less used to energy modelling. It contains most of the same functionality as IES-VE, but with
fewer numerical inputs and more emphasis on presentation of models, results, and analysis.
Annual academic licenses of VE Gaia can be downloaded for free from www.iesve.com. There are
also demonstration videos of the software on YouTube.
specify building parameters inside Sketchup and then export the model to IES-VE for the full dynamic
energy calculations. This isnt necessarily advisable, however, as importing models from Sketchup
often introduces a number of compatibility errors. In most cases, its easier just to build your model
in ModelIT. Existing models can also be imported using gbXML.
Figure 5 shows some of the toolbars that are available in the ModelIT module. The modules box
contains a list of all the various modules that are available. For now we will stay in the ModelIT
module, but well use other ones later. Also displayed is a room list, which shows all the spaces that
have been created. So far we havent created any spaces, so its empty, but soon it will start to fill
up.
Various toolbars are also available. Placing the mouse over any icon should display a short
description of the icons function. For more details on each icon, or if you ever encounter any
trouble and are unsure of how to proceed, press F1 to get the (very useful) help menu.
To create a new space, you can use any one of the draw icons, shown in
Figure 6. The draw prism icon can be used to construct simple cuboids,
by clicking and dragging to achieve the required area. You can specify
the height of the room, and also give the room a reference to help you
navigate your model later on.
Figure 6 Draw icons in ModelIT
If you make a mistake when youre trying to create a space, either select the room, delete it, and try
again, or use the various icons in the edit toolbar to change the dimensions of the room. The edit
toolbar can also be used for other operations, such as copying rooms, moving rooms, or rotating
them, as shown in Figure 9 below.
material inside the systems materials database, click copy material, and then return to the
construction description (C) to paste the material onto the appropriate layer.
Figure 11 Defining constructions: (A) Building template manager; (B) Constructions database;
(C) Construction definition; (D) Materials database
A similar process can be used to define glazed constructions, such as windows or rooflights. When
creating glazed constructions, shading devices can be specified, such as shutters, curtains, or blinds,
and activity profiles (see 2.3.2) can be used to indicate under what time periods or conditions
shading devices will be used.
Once all the necessary constructions have been created, they can be assigned to the building by
selecting the appropriate surfaces and using the assign constructions option in the Apache module
of IES-VE, as shown in Figure 12. To assign a construction to a surface, select the surface you wish to
alter, click on assign constructions, select the surface type and the existing construction, and then
select the replacement construction and hit Replace.
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Figure 13 Apache profiles database: (A) Profiles database; (B) Daily profile creator; (C) Weekly profile
creator
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Figure 14 Specifying thermal conditions: room conditions; HVAC system; internal gains; and air
exchanges
The heating, cooling and ventilation system can be specified in the system tab. Different system
profiles can be specified in the Apache Systems database, shown in (B) in Figure 15. For example,
some rooms in your building may be mechanically heated and ventilated, whilst others might have
radiators and natural ventilation. To specify a particular system configuration, open up the UK NCM
system wizard, and select a system type and other options from those given, as shown in (C) in
Figure 15. Pressing Yes, save and apply (as shown in (D) in Figure 15) will apply the system
parameters for the selected system configuration.
Detailed HVAC systems can be specified and modelled in the standalone module ApacheHVAC,
which can be linked to any analysis done in the main Apache module. ApacheHVAC allows for more
complex systems to be analysed, included mixtures of energy supply sources, detailed control
schemes, renewable energy sources, heat-exchangers, ventilation, humidification, and cooling.
After selecting and applying a system configuration, specific parameters of the system can be
changed in Apache Systems, such as the fuel type or the heating system efficiency. Properties of the
domestic hot water (DHW) system can also be specified in Apache systems, as shown in Figure 15.
Internal gains for each room, such as lighting, occupants, and computers, can be specified in the
internal gains tab, as shown in Figure 16. Multiple sources of internal gains can be added, with
parameters set for each source, such as the heat output per square metre. The activity profiles
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created in 2.3.2 can be selected under variation profile, in order to specify the magnitude and
duration of each internal gain.
Figure 15 Specifying system properties: (A) System tab; (B) Apache Systems; (C) System data wizard;
(D) Apply system parameters
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Finally in the thermal conditions section of the building template manager there is the air
exchanges tab, which can be used to specify the volumetric flow rate of infiltration, natural
ventilation, and mechanical ventilation. These are added in a similar manner to the internal gains,
with the magnitude of the air flow defined and the duration specified using activity profiles. If you
are confident that you know the magnitude and duration of the air flows into a space, then it is
reasonable to specify them in the air exchanges tab. However, there is a more accurate way of
defining natural ventilation, via the MacroFlo module or tab, as described below.
Once a thermal conditions template has been created which includes room conditions, system
details, and information about internal gains and air exchanges it can be applied to a room in the
Apache module, by selecting the space in question, and then using the assign room thermal
template to selection set button.
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Once an opening type has been created in the building template manager, it can be applied to the
building in a similar manner to the constructions, as described in 2.3.1 and shown in Figure 12.
After the properties of the building, services, and occupant activities have all been specified, the
model is almost ready to run. First, however, the software needs to know where the building is
located, as this determines climatic conditions, with important factors such as the external
temperature and solar gains.
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Figure 20 Displaying results in Vista: (A) Profile graphs; (B) Monthly tables; (C) Set dates
The graphical display (see (A) in Figure 20) shows the change in different variables over time. The set
dates icon (see (C) in Figure 20) can be used to zoom in on a specific month, week, or day, in order
to examine the profile more carefully. Left-click to select the start date and right-click to select the
end data for the period that you wish to examine.
In Figure 20, the graph (A) shows the variation of the internal air temperature, the space heating
load, and the heat losses due to natural ventilation for the whole building. It can be seen that the
building is operating as expected, with a temperature of 19C being maintained by the heating
system during the operational hours of 9am-5pm, and with natural ventilation being used to cool the
building when the temperature goes above 25C.
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The monthly tables (see (B) in Figure 20) can be used to display the monthly (and yearly) totals for
different variables. In Figure 20, the table (B) shows that there is an annual heating load of
approximately 3.3MWh per year for the building, or 112kWh/m per year not very good
considering PassivHaus standards recommend less than 15kWh/m per year.
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Figure 21 Assessing improvements in Vista: (A) Weekly profile of heating load and internal air
temperature; (B) Monthly and yearly total heating load; (C) Monthly and yearly total energy delivered
It can be seen in Figure 21 that the improved insulation and heating system reduces the heating load
significantly, and reduces the total energy delivered by 79%. If no room or space is selected, then the
different loads, energy, and CO2 emissions can be displayed and assessed for the building as a whole.
A quick comparison shows that the above improvements have reduced the total annual CO2
emissions by approximately 46%.
The other display options in Vista allow you to assess improvements in different ways. For example,
the synopsis option displays the minimum, maximum, and mean values for a selected variable in a
certain time period. Also, when using the graphical display (see either (A) in Figure 20 or (A) in Figure
21), clicking on the graph itself will bring up the values of the variables displayed at a given point in
the time profile.
The range tests option can be used to show the frequency of a variable having a certain value. For
example, a range test can be conducted to see for how many hours of the year the air temperature
in a room exceeds 25C. There are also a number of variables that define the thermal comfort in a
room, such as the predicted mean vote, which can be used to look at the effect of technologies on
improving the internal conditions of a space.
There are plenty of other ways of improving a building and making it more energy efficient that have
not been described here, such as roof insulation or other HVAC improvements. There are also many
other ways of analysing the data and making an assessment of different technologies. The best thing
is to experiment with the software and look at the effect of changing different properties of the
building and its systems. And dont forget to save everything as you go along!
4 Conclusion
The notes presented here are only an introduction to IES-VE. As you can see, there is a fairly steep
learning curve to the software, and it definitely has some quirks that make it confusing and annoying
at times. As mentioned above, the best strategy is to play around with the software and to try and
become comfortable with navigating between the various menus, toolbars, and displays. If you ever
get stuck, the manuals in the Help menu (F1) are always a good place to start.
A good place to start would be to try and replicate the example shown here: to build a two room
house with windows on each face, and to investigate the effect of using different insulation
materials, glazing, and heating systems.
Finally, if you get very confident with the software, there are a number of other modules beyond
ModelIT and Apache that can be used to assess the energy efficiency and comfort of your building.
Modules such as SunCast (for solar analysis), MacroFlo and MicroFlo (for natural ventilation
analysis), and Vista (for results analysis) have already been mentioned. In addition, ApacheHVAC can
be used to design and assess more complicated HVAC systems for your building; RadianceIES can be
used to simulate and assess day-lighting in spaces; and CompLib can be used to model and add
components for your building.
Enjoy!
Adam Booth, atb29@cam.ac.uk
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