Paper Conference

Proceedings of eSim 2016: 9th Conference of IBPSA-Canada

     

Climate change in Canada: impacts on building energy use intensity

Nathan Kegel

Abstract: Whole building energy simulation is a useful tool in assessing building energy performance and many codes require energy simulation. One of the key inputs into the building energy model is climate data. Climate data impacts virtually every dependent variable in an energy simulation including HVAC efficiency, solar heat gain, and conduction. Many energy codes require the use of certain climate files which often contain climate data that is not recent. Given the scientific consensus that rapid climate change is being seen around the globe, using old climate data may have detrimental impacts on designing or retrofitting buildings that will see dramatically different climates in the future. This research explored varying the type and date range of climate data in Vancouver, Canada to ascertain the impact of climate change on building energy use intensity (EUI). The results show significant variations in building EUI for four building types in Vancouver. Further, the results show that varying climate conditions can alter the “optimal” solution for building materials, HVAC system selection, and more.
Pages: 158 - 166
Paper:
esim2016_59-62