Guidelines for Energy Simulation of Commercial Buildings: Final.

This report distills the experience gained from intensive computer building simulation work for the Energy Edge project. The purpose of this report is twofold: to use that experience to guide conservation program managers in their use of modeling, and to improve the accuracy of design-phase computer models. Though the main emphasis of the report is on new commercial construction, it also addresses modeling as it pertains to retrofit construction. To achieve these purposes, this report will: (1) discuss the value of modeling for energy conservation programs; (2) discuss strengths and weaknesses of computer models; (3) provide specific guidelines for model input; (4) discuss input topics that are unusually large drivers of energy use and model inaccuracy; (5) provide guidelines for developing baseline models; (6) discuss types of energy conservation measures (ECMs) and building operation that are not suitable to modeling and present possible alternatives to modeling for analysis; and (7) provide basic requirements for model documentation. This project was initiated to determine whether commercial buildings can be designed and constructed to use at least 30% less energy than if they were designed and built to meet the current regional model energy code, the Model Conservation Standards (MCS) developed by the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council. Secondary objectives of the project are to determine the incremental energy savings of a wide variety of ECMs and to compare the predictive accuracy of design-phase models with models that are carefully tuned to monitored building data.