The Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU) at the University of Strathclyde has partnered with energy software provider Arbnco on an ambitious Knowledge Transfer Partnership, which aims to address the so-called ‘energy performance gap’ as buildings often underperform when compared to design expectations.
The energy performance gap is the difference between design predictions and operational performance in buildings. The performance gap leads to fluctuating energy costs and increased energy consumption, resulting in inefficient buildings.
It also creates market confusion with the predicted asset performance of a standardised building becoming disconnected from operational reality.
Currently, many initiatives investigating energy performance gaps make use of dynamic integrated building performance simulation tools to analyse remedial actions and upgrades. Building simulation differs from compliance type models, such as Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM), currently used to support estate management. However, this capability of simulation models is often compromised by the lack of prior calibration to match prediction to current performance.
This KTP aims to develop a software tool to undertake such calibrations automatically. This solution will lead to high-quality building simulation models for posterior use in energy analysis and decision-making regarding the operation, maintenance and retrofitting of large estates. Arbnco intends to integrate this calibration tool with its existing products and also offer automatic calibration through a new cloud-based service.
The calibration tool will employ actual performance data (energy and indoor environment) to routinely calibrate building simulation models prior to application for energy analysis. The KTP will also incorporate an element of ‘wellness’, with both Arbnco and the University of Strathclyde studying potential uses of calibrated models to evaluate interactions between energy, thermal comfort and indoor air quality.
Professor Joe Clarke, director of ESRU, stated: “This KTP will contribute towards closing the energy gap and understanding its causes. KTPs are an exceptional knowledge transfer mechanism, allowing academics to convey research outcomes to a business via a recent graduate. In this way the business can accelerate the transformation of research to new commercial products and solutions.”
Maureen Eisbrenner, co-founder of Arbnco explained: “People’s health and wellbeing should be at the core of everything we do and we need to ensure buildings are not only energy efficient but a positive environment to work in. The KTP aims to highlight poor performing buildings and, more importantly, the reason behind poor performance.” She went on to say, “The long-term plan is to develop a tool that can be used internationally. This means that funds with buildings in multiple countries can develop a consistent global policy on asset and energy management.”
