A graphical method for passive building energy analysis

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3266356· OSTI ID:5493846

Subbarao, K; Anderson, J V

A new graphical approach which establishes the groundwork for a simplified building design method is presented. The admittances of each of the building elements to the major driving functions (principally outdoor temperature and solar radiation) are represented in the form of a two-dimensional vector, and the overall dynamic response of the building is obtained by vector addition. The interaction among components is shown to be naturally accounted for by a modification of the admittance of the component. Emphasis is placed on diagrammatic vector addition to quickly give the user an idea of the relative size of the dynamic contribution made by each component of the building. This is analogous to the addition of the steadystate heat loss coefficients through various elements of the building to form the overall heat loss coefficient. From the results of this addition and from a simple analysis of the weather, one can easily obtain the elevation of the average indoor temperature above the average outdoor temperature, and the amplitude and phase of the diurnal (or any other frequency) fluctuation of the indoor air temperature. The former is a measure of the solar gain that actually reaches the indoor air, and the latter describe the various thermal masses in the building and their coupling to the indoor air and solar radiation. Thus, these values represent in a succinct yet thorough manner the interaction of the building and its environment.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO 80401
• OSTI ID: 5493846
• Journal Information: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States) Vol. 105:2; ISSN JSEED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
AIR
AMPLITUDES
BUILDINGS
DAILY VARIATIONS
DESIGN
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENT
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
GRAPHS
HEAT LOSSES
HEATING SYSTEMS
LOSSES
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TENSORS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VARIATIONS
VECTORS
WEATHER