Building Energy Calculation Software – Interpreting the Results

After setting up your energy model with all data about the building, the next step is to interpret the results from the building energy calculation software. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the different result parameters.

Energy balance

The Energy balance is calculated for every hour during the year and is divided into Emitted energy and Supplied energy to and from the building.

The result from the building energy calculation software are presented as indicators and divided into different indicator categories. An example of a category is Heating (unit kWh/year) and Specific heating. (unit kWh/m2/year). The indicators that you want to keep an extra eye on during the calculation can be activated and shown on the right side of the application.

All indicators are available as hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly values. The indicators can be used to create customized graphs that are added to the report. The graphs can either be presenting the indicator as a function of the time or as a function of the outdoor temperature with the maximum peak power shown. The indicators can also be exported to the txt file for further investigation.

A building’s energy consumption

Heating

The indicators for heating are called Heat supply from a heat pump or Heat supply if another energy source than heat pump is used (district heating, electric heating, etc). Heating can be supplied to the building either by the heating system, ventilation, or hot tap water.

In a calculation where the heat pump is used, you might see both the indicators Heat supply from the heat pump and Heat supply in the result. Heat supply in that case refers to the heat that cant be delivered by the heat pump. Therefore an extra heating system needs to be installed for the hours during the year when the heat pump is not enough. The Heat supply from the heat pump and Heat supply is summarized in the indicator Total heat supply.

Cooling

There can be cooling needs in both room air and supply air (ventilation) depending on if the cooling setpoint is on the room air – or supply air temperature. Cooling due to condensation of moisture is presented as Latent cooling.

Electricity use

Depending on the installations in the building, different indicators for electricity use will be calculated: Electricity to ventilation fans, circulation pumps, cooling machines, or heat pumps. Process energy (Building operational energy and Occupancy energy) is also electricity use in the building but since they don’t originate from any of the settings in ventilation/cooling/heating systems, they are presented in a separate category called ‘Process energy’.

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