Paper Conference

Proceedings of uSim Conference 2020: 2nd uSim Conference of IBPSA-Scotland

     

Use of multi-scale dynamic simulation towards the creation of positive energy blocks

Lorenzo De Donatis, Olivier Neu, Ruth Kerrigan, Nick Purshouse

Abstract: This paper tackles issues related to the development and roll-out of Positive Energy Blocks and Districts (PEBs/PEDs), by using dynamic energy simulation at different scales (building and community) in order to convert existing building groups into PEBs. The research also addresses software developments necessary to enable an integration of dynamic simulation tools into wider decision support platforms that facilitate engagement with various categories of end users, such as local authorities, urban planners, building owners and occupants, as well as citizens. A historical city centre in Ireland has been taken as a casestudy. Both detailed building models and city-wide energy models have been created and simulated with the aim of creating trustful digital twins (Woods, 2019) through which driving the energy transition towards Positive Energy Blocks. Innovative tools have also been used to evaluate the effect that energy interventions and integration of Renewable Energy Systems (RES) would have on the existing electrical grid (Edenhofer, 2011). The use of future weather data has given additional value to the dynamic simulation, enabling climate change to be considered into deployment scenarios projected to the year 2050. A stepped approach is adopted towards the transition of buildings blocks into PEBs, which outcomes demonstrate that energy efficiency interventions contribute, at least, as much as the integration of RESs. Furthermore, successful roll-out of PEBs entails an active engagement of a wide and diverse range of actors, requiring decision support platforms to be adaptable to each category of end users as well as to different scales of analysis.
Pages: 188 - 195
Paper:
usim2020_B3_2_Donatis