Simulation by Design: A Parametric Design Tool for Zero Energy Buildings

Abstract

To address the shortcomings of integrating building simulation in architectural design and to make it more appealing to students, a simple interface to Energyplus was created. This interface models a simple rectangular building that is passively heated by direct gain and cooled by ventilation. A simple photovoltaic interface has also been added to supply fan energy. This tool has an OpenGL modeler for visualization and uses Energyplus for calculations. The interface will run a full year simulation and graph the results. The results are reported in a yearly graph that shows the outdoor and indoor temperature. The indoor temperature range is based on adaptive comfort level. The interface was tested and used in an introductory design studio in order to comply with the 2010 imperative. The students simulated a simple box and changed the buildings parameters until the building fell within the adaptive comfort zone for most of the year. The climate simulated was Chicago, IL. Using these parameters the students then designed the building. The resulting designs show that even though the students were restricted in parameters, such as window percentage, they were still able to creatively design unique buildings that use zero to negative net energy for heating and cooling in a climate such as Chicago.