Numerical Modeling of Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings

Abstract Various software for building energy modeling are considered, which allow to determine the amount of energy required for building operation already at the design stage. The uncertainty of energy models for non-residential buildings ranges from ±10 to ±40% compared to the actual energy consumption. Energy consumption of heating, ventilation and hot water supply systems of two multi-story residential buildings was calculated using IES VE modeling software. Actual values of energy consumption in buildings were obtained according to the data of commercial metering devices. The following errors were observed in the energy consumption models of residential buildings in IES VE software compared to the actual building conditions: for heating — up to ±33%, for hot water supply — from plus 38% to plus 95%. The calculation results can be used to estimate the relative energy performance and compare different modeling alternatives, as well as the effectiveness of energy-saving measures, though, cannot be used to estimate the actual energy consumption.