Ability to undertake simulations to determine the impact of passive solar gain in a building.

Task

Instructions

1. Access a simple exemplar and explore the model.

Return to your home folder and start up ESP-r. From the top level menu, choose open existing and then exemplar options and select the base case cellular model from the technical features category. The model should be copied into your home directory. Explore the basic features of the model by selecting browse/edit/simulate, then composition. View the geometry, constructions and operations files for the model.

2. Change the size of the window in the manager_a office.

Return to the Project manager->browse/edit/simulate->composition menu, select the geometry & attribution option, and select the manager_a zone. Reduce the size of the window as follows: select vertex coordinates, change the x,y,z coordinates of vertex 16 from (2.9, 0, 1.0) to (1.5, 0, 1.0) and vertex 17 from (2.9, 0, 2.9) to (1.5, 0, 2.9). Save the updated vertices and geometry file.

3. Run a winter simulation and determine the heating requirements.

Return to the Browse/Edit/Simulate menu. Run a simulation for a winter week (the default period).

Run the results analysis. Look graphically at the dry bulb temperatures and heating load in the two offices over the simulation period. Then find the total heating requirement and number of heating hours for the two offices by returning to the results analysis menu and selecting enquire about.

4. Undertake a summer simulation and determine cooling requirements.

Repeat the simulation but change the period. In the simulation controller menu, select simulation presets and choose the summer week and undertake a simulation.

In the results analysis, look graphically at temperatures and cooling loads, and find the total cooling requirement and number of cooling hours for the two offices by returning to the results analysis menu and selecting enquire about.

Check the solar radiation values for the simulation period, e.g. by graphically displaying the appropriate climate parameters in the results analysis.

5. Undertake a summer simulation without cooling and study thermal comfort levels.

Switch off the heating and cooling system in the model by going to the Browse/Edit/Simulate menu. Select zones in the Controls part of the menu and choose dereference.

Repeat the summer week simulation under these "free-floating" conditions. In the results analysis, look graphically at the temperatures, then select indoor environmental quality->comfort. Look at the various comfort metrics for the two offices. (Note that this data can also be output into a file so that it can be imported into other programs.)

6. Investigate the impact of orientation.

Change the orientation of the building by going to the Browse/Edit/Simulate menu. Select Composition and then Global tasks. Rotate the building (all zones) about the site origin. Repeat the summer week simulation and results analysis to determine the impact on internal temperatures.