Asset and operational energy performance rating of a modern apartment in Malta

Abstract

This paper aims to evaluate the asset and operational energy performance rating of a modern apartment in Malta, by comparing modelling results of DesignBuilder-EnergyPlus and the Energy Performance Rating of Dwellings Malta (EPRDM) software, to actual energy consumption of the apartment. Results showed that EPRDM results compared favourably with the DesignBuilder results, although, the latter one showed higher energy consumption for cooling. This is attributed to the fact that EnergyPlus considers the hottest week in the sizing of cooling systems and the simulation is carried out dynamically for every hour of the day. Actual energy consumption for heating and cooling is generally lower than modelled results, which augurs well for the overall energy consumption in Maltese buildings. The thermal mass of Maltese buildings plays an important role in reducing peak loads. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.