[Bldg-sim] calibrated comfort modelling

Tue Jul 22 08:55:57 PDT 2025

Hi Jeff,

This is food for thought. We're reviewing a naturally ventilated (free
running) building that has summer comfort issues. The scope is purely
overheating which is bad for about two weeks of the year - no energy
analysis. We'll probably simulate about 1 month maximum.

We can't hope to establish all of the known unknowns (e.g., glazing
performance, local heat island effects). It will be more of an "informative"
piece of work, but I'm hoping it will result in some iterations with
improved inputs. All the same, I think we need to carefully manage the
client's expectations.

Thanks!

Chris

From: Haberl, Jeff <jhaberl at tamu.edu> 
Sent: 22 July 2025 16:04
To: bldg-sim at onebuilding.org; chris.malcolm.yates at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Bldg-sim] calibrated comfort modelling

Hello Chris:

Actually, you touch on a rather complicated topic, for several reasons.

First, many "calibrated building energy simulations" often use small periods
of time (1 to 2 weeks) when they try to match the actual interior
temperatures and the whole-building energy use. For example, the following
studies tried to match indoor temps for selected periods and then looked at
how the simulated whole-building energy use matched the actual energy use:
(there's more available at https://esl.tamu.edu/)

Norford, L., Socolow, R., Hsieh, E. Spadaro, J. "Two-to-one discrepancy
between measured and predicted performance of a 'low-energy'office building:
insights from a reconciliation based on the DOE-2 model", Energy and
buildings, 1994 - Elsevier

Kim, C., Haberl, J. 2023. "Impact of Thermal Zone Modeling on a Small Office
Building With All-electric HVAC Systems in Hot-humid and Cold-humid
climates, Science and Technology for the Built Environment (December).

Oh, S., Baltazar, J.C., Haberl, J. 2020. "Analysis of zone-by-zone indoor
environmental conditions and electricity savings from the use of a smart
thermostat: A residential case study", Science and Technology for the Built
Environment, Vol. 26, No. 3, ESL-PA-20-03-02  (March).

Zhao, X. 2025 "Development of Simplified Building Energy Simulation Models
for Atrium Buildings to be Used for Urban-Scale Building Energy Models
(UBEM)", PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture, Texas A&M University,
December.

Jung, S. 2020 "Analysis of Residential Building Energy Code Compliance for
New and Existing Buildings Based on Building Energy Simulation",  PhD
Thesis, Department of Architecture, Texas A&M University, December.

Kootin-Sanwu, V. 2004 "Development of Energy Efficient Housing for
Low-Income Families," PhD Thesis, Department of Architecture,

Texas A&M University, May.

Problem is that doing this for a whole year can be overwhelmingly
problematic since there are often occupants in the building who are
unpredictable. Also, often getting multizone temps to match, does not always
help matching the whole building energy use, and vice-versa. 

In addition, in residential, single family, the concrete slab under the
building plays a big role in the heating/cooling, showing up more like
seasonality. In many cases, slab temperature is not measured, or even
simulated very well.

In several studies indoor temps were regressed against outside temps to
create a statistical relationship. Then the equation was used to predict the
indoor temps for the whole year. A lot of work.

Finally, in all cases you need to have nearby or on-site hourly weather
measurements, including temp, humidity, solar, wind speed which is very time
consuming if you don't have a nearby feed to tap into. Also, calibration of
these sensors is non-trivial.

At best we've used the term "two way" calibration, to indicate some effort
to match indoor temps and whole-building energy use. This quickly becomes
3,4,5-way calibrations when you try to match other indoor conditions, like
humidity, HVAC cycling (which you can see using high frequency data), slab
temps, natural ventilation, etc.

So, to sum it up...its complicated...and an endless source of thesis
material.

Jeff

Jeff S. Haberl, Ph.D., P.E.inactive, FASHRAE, FIBPSA               We are
like fluttering leaves on the branches of trees

Liz & Nelson Mitchell Professor in Residential Design           in the
forest of the landscape that surrounds us.

Department of Architecture
If we could, for just a moment, flutter together, 

Texas A&M University
we could lift the earth up to be a better place.  JSH 2022

College Station, TX 77845-3581

Office: 979-845-6507, Lab: 979-845-6065

Fax 979-862-2457

jhaberl at tamu.edu,www.esl.tamu.edu <mailto:jhaberl at tamu.edu,www.esl.tamu.edu>

  _____  

From: Bldg-sim <bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org
<mailto:bldg-sim-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org> > on behalf of Chris Yates
via Bldg-sim <bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org
<mailto:bldg-sim at lists.onebuilding.org> >
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 7:42 AM
To: bldg-sim at onebuilding.org <mailto:bldg-sim at onebuilding.org>
<bldg-sim at onebuilding.org <mailto:bldg-sim at onebuilding.org> >
Subject: [Bldg-sim] calibrated comfort modelling 

Hello bldg-sim'rs! Calibrated *energy* modelling is (relatively) well
understood. However, can anybody point to any work in calibrated *comfort*
simulation - academic or otherwise. The only work I'm aware of is based on
overheating

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Hello bldg-sim'rs!

Calibrated *energy* modelling is (relatively) well understood. However, can
anybody point to any work in calibrated *comfort* simulation - academic or
otherwise.

The only work I'm aware of is based on overheating in residential dwellings
in the UK by Dr Ben Roberts of Loughborough University
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143624419847349
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0143624
419847349__;!!KwNVnqRv!EO5sd_mm8OpR9qOHCZ_4LnmcMUN7KRXRCovgsm-U8LxFIsUmGohku
FxiCKHYDoFGcxS2O1ME9Y5tvtuqLWNYQCGXowY$> 

Is anybody aware of any other work done out there?

Cheers

Chris

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