Empirical and Comparative Validation for a Building Energy Model Calibration Methodology

Sensors (Basel). 2020 Sep 3;20(17):5003. doi: 10.3390/s20175003.

Abstract

The digital world is spreading to all sectors of the economy, and Industry 4.0, with the digital twin, is a reality in the building sector. Energy reduction and decarbonization in buildings are urgently required. Models are the base for prediction and preparedness for uncertainty. Building energy models have been a growing field for a long time. This paper proposes a novel calibration methodology for a building energy model based on two pillars: simplicity, because there is an important reduction in the number of parameters (four) to be adjusted, and cost-effectiveness, because the methodology minimizes the number of sensors provided to perform the process by 47.5%. The new methodology was validated empirically and comparatively based on a previous work carried out in Annex 58 of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The use of a tested and structured experiment adds value to the results obtained.

Keywords: building energy models (BEMs); calibrated model validation; calibration; energy simulation; methodology; sensors; sensors saving.

Grants and funding