Building energy analysis simulation: Experience of three programs in use

Abstract

This paper reports an experience of using three building energy analysis programs- BLAST-3.0, DOE-2.1D and ESP version 7 release 2b. The programs are validated and their results compared for the subtropical climate of Hong Kong. Two occupied buildings have been studied to evaluate the programs; a ten-storey office building and a Polytechnic lecturer's office. The indoor conditions and the energy consumptions of the two buildings were measured. The predicted energy performance is compared with the measured energy consumption for the two buildings. Discrepancies between the simulated results and the measured performance, and likely problems in the application of these programs by practicing engineers, are discussed. The applicability of the three programs is further demonstrated by simulating the energy performance of a hypothetical test building, where the programs' predictions of building load imposed on the air conditioning plant are compared.