DYNASTEE, an informal network: Dynamic Analysis, Simulation and Testing applied to the Energy and Environmental Performance of Buildings

The PASLINK EEIG network for outdoor test centres has changed its legal position in 2009 and has become an integrated network under INIVE EEIG (www.inive.org).

Over the years, the Grouping of Outdoor Test Centres (formerly PASLINK EEIG), has actively supported activities and initiated European research projects related to the energy performance assessment of buildings. Real experimental set-up for outdoor tesing of building components provided high quality dataseries for estimation of thermal characteristic parameters.

The objective of DYNASTEE is to provide a multidisciplinary environment for a cohesive approach to the research work related to the energy performance assessment of buildings in relation to the Energy Performance for Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Abstracts for the Special Issue of Building & Environment on the subject of Outdoor testing, Analysis and Modelling are now available.

The activities of PASLINK will continue and emphasis will be on analysis and modelling in the DYNASTEE platform while testing will remain a topic of PASLINK. Further information on all activities will be presented on this web-site www.dynastee.info.

The name that will be used for the network will be DYNASTEE-PASLINK.

DYNASTEE-PASLINK will give a presentation on analysis and modelling during the PALENC 2010 5th European Conference on Energy Performance & Indoor Climate in Buildings (EPIC 2010) and 1st Cool Roofs Conference 29 September – 1 October 2010, Rhodes Island, Greece palenc2010.conferences.gr

Dynamic techniques produce more accurate and detailed characterisation of building energy flows and environmental performance by considering transient effects.

The DYNASTEE network aims to bring together expertise around the topic of Building Energy Performance Assessment using Dynamic Analysis and Modelling techniques, with the objective of maintaining the expertise at a high level of skill by training and information exchange.

Statistical identification of thermal parameters of buildings has in recent years emerged as a promising new tool for the assessment of the energy performance of buildings. The use of identification methods is well established in many fields (e.g. process control, econometrics) but the application to building energy performance assessment is rather new.

Dynamic methods have advantages over more commonly used steady state approaches to performance assessment of both buildings and the building stock.

Dynamic techniques produce more accurate and detailed characterisation of building energy flows and consumption by considering thermal mass and non-linear effects.

LAUNCH OF AN INFORMAL NETWORK

This informal network should be seen as a spin off from 10 years of PASLINK activities on Analysis and Simulation in former European projects such as PASLINK, PV-Hybrid-PAS, IQ-Test and recently the DAME-BC Accompanying Measure project. One of the objectives of the DAME-BC project was to launch an informal network.

It is the right moment to:

• Extend the network on analysis and modelling work in the direction of the integration of renewable energy resources in the built environment
• Extend the network with innovation organisations
• Bundle the expertise in different disciplines, such as statistics, building research, renewable energies
• Focus on the dynamic aspects in analysis and modelling. Note that the lower the energy consumption of a building becomes, the more dynamic behaviour is observed from for example occupance behaviour, natural ventilation, non linear behaviour of applications and installations.
• Support the development of calculation methods for standard organisations (e.g. CEN).

The PASLINK network has been focusing on experimental investigations based on a Quality Assured test cell environment. The opportunities for major projects involving the PASLINK infrastructure are declining at a European scale. The outdoor test centres are continuing with more local projects. DYNASTEE will shift the emphasis to analysis and simulation, building on the success of IQ-Test and DAME-BC projects and be more inclusive of a range of well-configured outdoor test environments.

However PASLINK focuses on experimental investigations based on a Quality Assured test cell environment. The opportunities for major projects involving the PASLINK infrastructure are declining at a European scale. The outdoor test centres are continuing with more local projects. DYNASTEE will shift the emphasis to analysis and simulation, building on the success of IQ-Test and DAME-BC, and be more inclusive of a range of well-configured outdoor test environments.

Possible applications of system identification techniques are: energy labelling of buildings, energy retrofit evaluations, performance control in energy management systems, field testing of building components including innovative and systems based on renewable energy technologies, development of methods for pre-normative research and validation of simulation tools.

The network is intended for those who are involved in research and applications of energy analysis of buildings, based on performance data. But organisations such CEN have shown interest too. In the past PASLINK has contributed to the development of the standard EN12494 on “in-situ measurements” bringing in their expertise on analysis. Similarly, it could support the definition of standards on building performance issues.

OBJECTIVES OF DYNASTEE

The network is aimed at the exchange of experience between physicists and statisticians, to establish the state-of-the art, to bring theory and practice closer together and to identify the most promising lines of further research in the field of identification techniques:

• Forum, e.g. a platform for information exchange on the aforementioned topic
• Dynamic Analysis and Simulation of Building Energy Projects; analysis of building stock databases
• Development and sharing of software tools or components for software tools and databases
• Work out Case studies to promote and explain the potential of the application of dynamic analysis methods
• Training on Analysis and Simulation, using measured and simulated data.
• A slightly broader perspective through inclusion of testing/monitoring methodologies for producing suitable data for the Dynamic analysis, etc.

APPROACH

• Regular information exchange using the web-site. A database of articles and papers will be set-up. A login procedure would be introduced. The web-site would be updated on a two monthly basis.
• Regular workshops could be organised, focusing for example on, training, accompanying measures, etc.
• Bringing expertise together to solve in small teams specific projects and problems.
• Voluntary participation in benchmark exercises, to maintain and improve the level of skill in dynamic analysis and modelling.
• Use of network expertise for Europe wide building stock analysis.
• A bi-annual newsletter as a PDF document distributed by e-mail.