Energy Performance Assessment of Buildings

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Develop ideas for improving the energy performance of existing buildings. [SM7M, SM8M, SM9M, EA5M, EL12M, EL13M, P12M, P9m]
• Link energy policy targets to energy efficiency requirements in buildings. [EL8M, EL11M, EL12M]
• Analyse and critically assess the energy and comfort performance of buildings. [SM7M, SM8M, SM9M, EL13M]
• Conduct a simple SAP/SBEM assessment. [SM7M, SM8M, SM9M, EA6M, EA5M, EA7M, D9M, D10M, EL8M, EL9M, EL11M, EL12M, EL13M, P12M, P9m, P10m, G1]

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The energy and sustainability assessment methods and certificates used in the United
• Undertaking Target Emission Rate (TER) calculations using SAP/SBEM for simple buildings. [SM7M, SM9M]
• The policies, economic and societal issues influencing energy performance assessment of buildings. [EL11M, EL12M]
• SBEM and the Code for Sustainable Homes, Passivhaus (newbuild and EnerPHit). [EL11M, EL12M, P12m, P9m]
• Kingdom for domestic and commercial buildings. This includes: BREEAM, EPC, DEC, SAP. [EL11M, EL12M, P9m]
• Understanding Part L and its impact on building energy performance. [EL12M]
• Producing design recommendations for buildings to deliver energy efficiency improvements. [SM7M, SM8M, EA5M, D9M, P12M, P9m]
• The functionality of building performance simulation tools such as TRNSYS. [EA6M, D9M, D10M]

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Problem solving. [EA6M, EA5M, EA7M, D9M, D10M]
• Make appropriate decisions based on judgement. [EA5M, D9M, EL13M]
• Use assessment methods to support decisions. [EA6M, D10M, EL13M, P9m, P10m]
• Produce a concise technical report. [G1]

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Construct a basic TRNSYS simulation model or SAP simulation model. [EA6M, EA7M]
• Conduct a simple walk through energy performance assessment of a building. [EA5M, EA7M, EL13M, G1]
• Use SAP/SBEM tools available for building performance assessment. [SM9M, EA6M, EA5M, D9M, D10M, EL11M, EL12M, P12M, P9m]

The module links legislation with the technical understanding required to demonstrate the compliance of a building design approach. It comprises the following: 1. An overview of the following regulations and assessment tools: BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), EPBD (EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings), Part L of the Building Regulations, EPC (Energy Performance Certificates), DEC (Display Energy Certificates), SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure), SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model), Code for Sustainable Homes, SPEAR (Arup). Pure energy rating systems such as SBEM and SAP will be bridged to more broad sustainability based rating systems such as BREEAM. The students will be given an overview of each tool but the focus will be on building regulation compliance assessment using SBEM, Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates (for public buildings) and the Code for Sustainable Homes (for domestic buildings). 2. Building physics, including heating energy requirement calculations for simple buildings using the traditional elemental methods. 3. Valuing of microgeneration / low and zero carbon technologies in carbon calculations (photovoltaics, solar thermal, microwind, ground source and air source heat pumps, micro-CHP, biomass boilers and heating systems). Calculating carbon payback times of low carbon technologies. 4. EPC and DEC certificates – the difference between ‘design’ and ‘in operation’ energy performance. 5. Measuring energy performance in walk through surveys and long-term data monitoring. 6. Understanding human comfort and user behaviour. 7. Dynamic computer simulation. Basic principles of dynamic simulation and introduction to software simulation packages.

The course will comprise lectures and computer classes on the use of the SAP (NHER Plan Assessor), iSBEM and TRNSYS software tools to model simple case study buildings.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.