Microclimate and building energy consumption: study of different coupling methods

Abstract

The aims of this study are to highlight the microclimatic phenomena to which the energy consumption of a building is the most sensitive and to compare different approaches to coupling microclimate and building energy simulation models. We first present a study in which spatial variations in outdoor air temperature are not taken into account so as to compare the relative effect of convective and radiative heat flux on the outer surface energy balance. Then, several coupling methods are implemented, for which energy consumption in winter and indoor temperature in summer are compared between insulated and non-insulated buildings. Results show that for the urban context, taking into account long-wave radiative heat fluxes is crucial. Moreover, representing local modifications in outdoor air temperature is necessary for non-insulated buildings in summer, but can be neglected in winter. In conclusion, an intermediate coupling method that can be used under certain assumptions is proposed.