On the benefits of whole-building IAQ, ventilation, infiltration, and energy analysis using co-simulation between CONTAM and EnergyPlus

Abstract

Publicly available tools to perform whole-building simulation of indoor air quality, ventilation, and energy have been available for several decades. Until recently, these tools were developed in isolation, such as the whole-building contaminant transport and airflow analysis tool, CONTAM, developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the whole-building energy analysis tool, EnergyPlus, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The ability to couple these tools during runtime has been implemented through co-simulation, enabling improved analysis of the interdependent effects of temperature and airflow on contaminant transport and energy use on a whole-building scale. This presentation will include the development of a set of coupled reference building models for the purposes of evaluating the potential benefits of using co-simulation between CONTAM and EnergyPlus. A set of Residential Prototype Building Models available from DOE has been modified by NIST and utilized to demonstrate the coupling process and the benefits of this coupling with respect to IAQ and energy analysis, and to evaluate multiple whole-building simulation methods related to infiltration, ventilation, and occupant exposure. These methods include an original EnergyPlus prototype model, the original model with NIST-based infiltration correlations, co-simulation between EnergyPlus and CONTAM, and stand-alone CONTAM simulations. Potential benefits will be explored related to the ability of co-simulation to address the effects of variations in building typology and ventilation system performance on contaminant transport results while leveraging the capabilities of whole-building energy analysis.