Building Simulation
Dynamic simulation, summer heat protection, BIM and comfort analysis
Dynamic building simulation models the thermal behaviour of a building across the full year, using hourly weather data, thermal mass and realistic usage profiles. It provides the basis for heating and cooling load calculation, summer heat protection and comfort assessment. This topic area explains the methods behind transient calculation and their normative foundations.
10 articles in this category
Dynamic Building Simulation: Fundamentals
Building simulation explained: dynamic vs. steady-state calculation, fields of application, result quantities and software for thermal building simulation.
Summer Thermal Protection (DIN 4108-2)
Verification per DIN 4108-2: solar heat gain coefficient vs. dynamic building simulation — methods, overheating degree hours and the 1200 Kh limit.
IFC Import for Building Simulation
From BIM model to simulation: how IFC files improve the workflow between CAD and building simulation
Steady-State vs. Dynamic Calculation
Comparison of steady-state energy demand calculation and dynamic simulation: methods, accuracy and fields of application
Building Simulation Software Comparison
EnergyPlus, IDA ICE, TRNSYS and VICUS Buildings: overview and comparison of the leading simulation programs
Indoor Climate & Comfort Analysis
Thermal comfort in buildings: how simulation predicts indoor temperatures, overheating and well-being
Validation Standards for Building Simulation
ASHRAE 140, EN 15255/15265, EN ISO 13791, IEA SHC Task 34, CIBSE TM 33 — overview of validation procedures for thermal building simulation.
VICUS Solver: the Engine Behind VICUS Buildings
How does a dynamic building simulation solve its equations? From the energy balance via the dependency graph and CVODE to the Newton iteration.
Building Energy Demand Calculation
Calculating building energy demand: heating and cooling demand, steady-state monthly balance (DIN V 18599) vs. dynamic building simulation — methods compared.
Hygrothermal Simulation
Hygrothermal simulation per DIN EN 15026: heat and moisture transport in building components — interior insulation, condensation and the limits of the Glaser method.
Overview: Building Simulation
The articles in this topic area explain how the thermal behaviour of buildings can be calculated and which method suits which planning task. The starting point is the difference between steady-state and dynamic calculation: monthly balance and design methods are sufficient for many compliance checks, but as soon as overheating, thermal mass or time-varying loads have to be assessed, an hourly simulation is required.
Typical planning questions include summer thermal protection to DIN 4108-2, where thermal simulation is the alternative to the solar heat gain index method, the assessment of indoor climate and thermal comfort, and the calculation of building energy demand for variants of envelope and usage. A separate article covers IFC import for building models created from BIM data and its limitations.
The fundamentals of dynamic building simulation and the article on the calculation engine explain which balance equations are solved. The contributions on validation standards and the software comparison show how results from different programs can be checked and compared. Moisture transport in building components is a discipline of its own; the article on hygrothermal simulation separates it from energy-oriented building simulation.