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ECBCS News - Issue 38 October 2003

International Energy Agency

Energy Conservation inBuildings and Community

Systems Programme

In this issue:

New Annex: Testing and Validation of Building Energy Simulation Tools 5Completed Annex: Annex 31 Energy Related Environmental Impact of Buildings 7Proposed New Annexes 13SBIS on the Web 13Latest ECBCS Publications 14

A new Annex � Annex 41

Whole Building Heat, Air and MoistureResponse (MOIST-ENG)Adapted from the proposalby Hugo Hens, K.U.Leuven,Laboratory of BuildingPhysics, Belgium

BackgroundThe heat and moisture flows gener-ated by building usage, the heat, airand moisture flows that traverse theenclosure and those injected by theHVAC system are in a permanentbalance. Designers try to master thatbalance for good reasons. The air-flows that randomly distributed airpressure differences inside the build-ing generate impact the ingress ofgasses such as radon and change theheat and moisture response of theenvelope. Resulting moisture depos-its in the envelope negatively affectenergy consumption. Moisture frominside and heat and moisture fromoutside also attack the envelope�s du-rability. While the HVAC control sys-tem continuously corrects the injectedheat so as to keep the indoor tempera-

ture at comfort level, it leaves the in-door relative humidity in many casesfree floating as it is considered to beless important than temperature. Re-search however has shown that rela-tive humidity affects thermal and res-piratory comfort. It impacts percep-tion of indoor air quality (IAQ) andthe energy consumed for condition-ing. High relative humidity also fa-vours dust mites, moulds and bugs.

Objectives

A better knowledge is needed of thewhole building heat, air and moisturebalance and its effects on indoor en-vironment, on energy consumption forheating, cooling, air humidification andair drying and on the envelope�s du-rability. This became apparent duringthe research efforts of annexes 14,24 and 32. Whole building heat, air andmoisture balance has a direct impacton the microclimate that promotesmould growth, as was studied in an-nex 14. In annex 24, the indoor envi-ronment was handled as an input pa-

NEWS


The ECBCS Mission

�To facilitate and accelerate the introduction of energyconservation and environmentally sustainabletechnologies into healthy buildings and communitysystems, though innovation and research in decision-making, building products and systems, andcommercialization�

It will be done through an internet site,a newsletter and reports. Theoreticalresearch will be conducted at themodeling level, while experimentalresearch will be done at the material,room and building level. At the mate-rial level, moisture storage in buildingand finishing materials will be stud-ied. At the room and building level, theimpact on indoor climate, energy con-sumption and durability of adventitiousairflow, 3D thermal effects, humiditystorage and moisture accumulation inenvelope parts will be analyzed. SinceHAM-transfer at the enclosure androom level is a complex issue, severalmodels and several experimental testfacilities will be used to assess vari-ous simplifications of the phenomena,needed for application in buildinganalysis, and to evaluate proposals fora better performance.

Relevance

The scientific relevance of the annexproposal lies in the fact that it�s thenecessary next step towards a fullunderstanding of the HAM-reality.Research efforts are still focusing onHAM-transport in envelope parts.During the last decade, one- and two-dimensional HAM-models which in-clude moisture sources such as wind-driven rain, rising damp, initial mois-ture, interstitial condensation and sur-face condensation and which considerall hygrothermal consequences for theenvelope parts have been developed.Although several questions are stillopen, the one-dimensional models arein the process of becoming standard-ized procedures (CEN/TC 89 andASHRAE SPC160).

These envelope-related models how-ever consider the indoor climate (tem-perature, relative humidity, air pres-sures) to be a fixed boundary condi-tion. This of course is not true. Theindoor climate is a direct consequenceof the whole building and HVACHAM-balance. Moving from the en-velope to the building and the HVAC-

rameter, although measurementsshowed numerous effects of adventi-tious air flows and humidity storageon the indoor humidity conditions.Annex 32 repeatedly underlined thelinkages between envelope and wholebuilding HAM-performance.

The new annex has two main objec-tives:

First, a detailed exploration of thecomplex physics involved in wholebuilding heat, air and moisture re-sponse (HAM-response). That objec-tive includes basic research, a furtherdevelopment of existing and new mod-els, measurement of the moisture stor-age function of materials, measure-ment of the air permeance of enve-lope parts such as build, mock up test-ing, field testing and validation by in-ter-comparison of models throughcommon exercises and confrontationwith measured data.

This first objective should foster abasic understanding of transient mois-ture storage in different finishing ma-terials and moisture exchange with theindoor air. For that purpose materialstorage properties will be measured.It should help develop numerical mod-els and back experiments that link theheat and moisture storage and HAM-transfer in enclosures to the perform-ance of the building and the HVACsystem. Mock up and field measure-ments must prove the effectivenessof moisture storage under different

weather conditions (cold, warm anddry, warm and humid and maritime).

Second, an analysis of the effects ofthe whole building HAM-response oncomfort, enclosure durability and en-ergy consumption. A literature reviewshould increase the awareness forthese effects. Simultaneously, meas-ures should be studied to moderatepossible negative impacts on comfort,enclosure durability and energy con-sumption, with air-tightness, moisturemanagement, thermal insulation andhumidity storage as some of the meas-ures projected.

Scope and Means

As functional and sustainability de-mands on buildings increase, there isa growing need to better understandand explore the whole building HAM-response and its effect on comfort,energy consumption and enclosuredurability. To facilitate this, the annexwill forward a fully holistic view ofthe heat, air and moisture transferbetween the outside, the enclosure,the indoor air and the HVAC systems.Such a holistic view is a key elementto an energy-efficient and cost-effec-tive control of the three flows.

To materialize that scope, the projectwill include both research work andpromotion. Promotion should increasethe designers� and occupants� aware-ness of HAM-issues and their impact.


MeansSubtasks

The following four subtasks will becarried out in order to reach the ob-jectives:

Subtask 1: Modeling Principles andCommon Exercises

Subtask 2: Experimental Investiga-tions

Subtask 3: Boundary Conditions

Subtask 4: Long Term Perform-ance and Technology Transfer3.1.1 Operating Agent

The proposed operating agent is:Hugo Hens. Four subtask leaders willalso be appointed.

Time Schedule

The Annex will run for four years,starting at the end of 2003 and endingat the end of 2007. The first year isconsidered to be a preparatory one.A fifth year will be used to finish thereports.

Email:[email protected]

Results and End ProductsDeliverables

1. Establishment of an internet site,preparation of an annex newsletter

2. Report on whole building HAMmodeling and the integration of humid-ity transfer in building simulation pack-ages. Appendix discussing the com-mon exercises

3. Report documenting the experi-mental investigations, including thedevelopment and verification of ex-perimental test facilities and a data-base of moisture storage properties ofbuilding and finishing materials andfurnishings.

4. Report on indoor and outdoorboundary conditions for whole build-ing HAM simulation

5. Report on long term performancesin relation to comfort, durability andenergy, demonstrating the benefits ofa well controlled whole building HAMresponse, included the moisture stor-age benefits

All reports will be published in printedform and on CD-ROM.Annex beneficiaries

The Annex beneficiaries should be

- The building research community

- Engineering offices that focus onbuilding physics, energy, HVAC andsustainable construction

- Material and building system devel-opers and corporations with an inter-est in high performance systems

- Building designers

- Educational institutions

system will allow consideration of thatrelationship in full depth.

The societal relevance of the annexproposal lies in its direct relation tohuman comfort, energy and durabil-ity. Good comfort is part of everybuilding user�s satisfaction, with rela-tive humidity as one of the four pa-rameters that fix global comfort. Aseveryone spends up to 80% of theirtime in buildings, the whole societybenefits when comfort conditions areoptimal. Durability impactssustainability. A long service life infact economizes on material usage,embodied energy and embodied pol-lution. Moisture especially threatensdurability, with wind driven rain andairflow driven moisture ingress as themain sources which an enclosurefaces. The second is a direct conse-quence of the random air pressure dif-ferences that develop indoors and thatforce moist air to move through leakyenclosures. Energy also benefitssustainability. Air in- and exfiltrationrelated heat recovery diminishes theenergy used for ventilation. Humiditychanges, termed as latent energy, arevery significant in warm moist regions,where the latent load often makes upover 50% of the annual cooling load.Optimal passive energy and moisturestorage solutions may reduce that per-centage. The result is a net saving inenergy resources and less CO2 pro-duced, not only now but increasinglyin the future when the desire for well-controlled indoor environments willfurther increase, in developing coun-tries as well.


Heat Air and Moisture Reports from Earlier Annexes

Annex 14: Condensation and Moisture

Annex 24: Heat Air and Moisture Transport in InsulatedEnvelope Parts

Integral Building Envelope Performance Assessment


Testing and Validation of Building Energy Simulation ToolsAnnex 43/SHC Task 34 (in Conjunction with the IEA Solar Heating And Cooling Programme)(adapted from the Draft Annex Text, 20 May 2003)

IntroductionThe IEA Solar Heating and Cooling(SHC) Programme Tasks 12 and 22created a number of procedures fortesting and validating building energysimulation programs. These proce-dures are now being used by softwaredevelopers to diagnose and correcterrors in building energy simulationcomputer programs throughout theworld. Some of these procedures havebeen, or are in the process of being,adopted by international codes andstandards organizations for certifica-tion of software. ANSI/ASHRAEStandard 140 codified the originalIEA-BESTEST as a standard methodof test for software [1], and CEN usedBESTEST to check their referencecooling load and cooling energy cal-culation methods based on the require-ments of prEN 13791 and 13792 [2].The recently issued Energy Perform-ance Directive (EPD) of the EuropeanUnion [3] emphasizes performance-based standards and requires certifi-cation of software used to show com-pliance with energy performancestandards (normes). This is a verypositive development because withtrue performance-based normes, re-newable energy technologies in build-ings are encouraged and not con-strained by prescriptive requirements.However, the modeling of complexsolar and low energy buildings is chal-lenging, and existing methods for test-ing such software are not yet com-prehensive enough. In this context thework proposed for this new IEA taskmay be thought of as "pre-normative"research. For example, at the recentTask Definition Workshop in Delft,

participants established that the ref-erence calculation methods under de-velopment by CEN will work for thevast majority of conventional buildings,but will not be adequate for innova-tive solar and low energy buildings.Therefore, the work proposed underthis new IEA Task is meant to ensurethat the software for modeling solarand low energy buildings can betested, validated, and certified in ac-cordance with the needs of those or-ganizations responsible for promulgat-ing and enforcing building codes andstandards.

Description

This Task will investigate the avail-ability and accuracy of building energyanalysis tools and engineering modelsto evaluate the performance of solarand low-energy buildings. The scopeof the Task is limited to building en-ergy simulation tools, including emerg-ing modular type tools, and to widelyused solar and low-energy design con-cepts. Activities will include develop-ment of analytical, comparative andempirical methods for evaluating, di-agnosing, and correcting errors inbuilding energy simulation software.

The audience for the results of theTask is building energy simulation tooldevelopers, and codes and standards(normes) organizations that needmethods for certifying software.However, tool users, such as archi-tects, engineers, energy consultants,product manufacturers, and buildingowners and managers, are the ultimatebeneficiaries of the research, and willbe informed through targeted reportsand articles.

ObjectivesThe goal of this Task is to undertakepre-normative research to develop acomprehensive and integrated suite ofbuilding energy analysis tool tests in-volving analytical, comparative, andempirical methods. These methodswill provide for quality assurance ofsoftware, and some of the methodswill be enacted by codes and stand-ards bodies to certify software usedfor showing compliance to buildingenergy standards. This goal will bepursued by accomplishing the follow-ing objectives:

- Create and make widely available acomprehensive and integrated suite ofIEA Building Energy Simulation Test(BESTEST) cases for evaluating, di-agnosing, and correcting building en-ergy simulation software. Tests willaddress modeling of the building ther-mal fabric and building mechanicalequipment systems in the context ofsolar and low energy buildings.

- Maintain and expand as appropriateanalytical solutions for building energyanalysis tool evaluation.

- Create and make widely availablehigh quality empirical validation datasets, including detailed and unambigu-ous documentation of the input datarequired for validating software, for aselected number of representativedesign conditions.

Means

The work will be divided into twosubtasks:

(1) Subtask A: Comparative Tests


In Subtask A, the Participants willexpand the IEA SHC Task 12 andTask 22 BESTEST-type comparative/diagnostic evaluation tests to include:

- ground-coupled heat transfer withrespect to floor slab and basementconstructions

- multi-zone buildings

- buildings with double-skin facades

Analytical verification tests for evalu-ating basic heat transfer and math-ematic processes in building energyanalysis tools will be included wherepossible.

(2) Subtask B: Empirical Validation

In Subtask B, the Participants willexpand the IEA SHC Task 22 empiri-cal validation tests and data sets toinclude validation of models for:

- Thermal and solar/optical perform-ance of windows and shading

- Solar impacts on room heating/cool-ing loads

- Illuminance calculations

- Interaction between natural (day-lighting), shading, and electrical light-ing and HVAC systems

- Control strategies required to in-crease efficiency of heating and cool-ing plants, and especially control mod-els for components such as: chillers,boilers, fans and pumps in the contextof solar and low energy buildings.

Results

The products of work performed inthis Annex will be designed for useby building energy analysis tool devel-opers, and standard making organiza-tions that need software certificationprotocols. Products from Tasks 12 and22 are already being used, or consid-ered for use by a number of such or-ganizations including CEN, ISO,ASHRAE, and ANSI among others.In addition, the Energy PerformanceDirective (EPD) of the European

Union requires development of soft-ware certification methods. TheDutch Energy Diagnosis Reference(EDR) [4], which adapted IEABESTEST (from Task 12) [5] forloads analysis certification, is an ex-ample of a national response to theEPD that may be a model for othermember countries. The EPD is com-prehensive, and will require furtherdevelopment of software test protocolsas proposed in this new task.

The results of this Task are plannedas follows:Subtask A: Comparative Testing

(a) Usable BESTEST-type test speci-fications - including equivalent inputsthat can accommodate a variety ofcomputer programs - that can be in-corporated into codes and standardsused for certifying building energysimulation computer programs. Thetest procedures will address theSubtask A topics listed in the preced-ing section. Analytical solutions will beincluded where possible.

(b) Along with the test specificationsdescribed in "(a)", final reports will alsoinclude: benchmark simulation results,modeler reports, enumeration of bugsfound and/or corrected in simulationsoftware, and improvements to the testprocedure resulting from internationalfield trials.Subtask B: Empirical Validation

(a) An expanded set of empirical vali-dation test procedures and data setsbased on highly instrumented test fa-cilities or buildings, addressing theSubtask B topics listed in the preced-ing section.

(b) A report or series of reports onthe results of evaluating widely usedbuilding energy simulation tools withthe empirical data sets.

Products of all subtasks will also in-clude technical papers or articles pre-sented at international congresses orin professional journals throughout the

course of the Task. Such papers willinclude assessments of the impact ofimproved building energy analysis toolsin the areas being studied.

Time Schedule

September 2003 December 2006.

Operating Agent

US Department of Energy

Participants Countries

Australia, Canada, France, Germany,Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzer-land, United Kingdom, United States

References

1. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140-2001. "Method of Test for Evaluationof Building Energy Analysis Compu-ter Programs." Atlanta, Georgia, US:American Society of Heating, Refrig-erating, and Air-Conditioning Engi-neers. 2001.

2. J.-R. Millet. Paris, France: CentreScientifique et Technique du Batiment.Personal Communications at IEASHC Task Definition Workshop, April24-25, 2003, Delft, Netherlands.

3. Directive 2002/91/EC of the Euro-pean Parliament and of the Councilof 16 December 2002 on the energyperformance of buildings. Distributedprior to the Task Definition Workshop,April 24-25, 2003, Delft, Netherlandsby W. Maassen of TNO-Bouw, Delft,Netherlands.

4. J.J.N.M. Hogeling. "Advanced en-ergy management in buildings withEDR: Why and How." Rotterdam,Netherlands, ISSO. Distributed priorto the Task Definition Workshop, April24-25, 2003, Delft, Netherlands by W.Maassen of TNO-Bouw, Delft, Neth-erlands.

5. R. Judkoff and J. Neymark. "In-ternational Energy Agency BuildingEnergy Simulation Test (BESTEST)


Completed Annex: Annex 31 Energy Related EnvironmentalImpact of Buildings

IntroductionThe IEA Annex 31 is a project estab-lished under the auspices of the In-ternational Energy Agency�s (IEA)Agreement on Energy Conservationin Buildings and Community Systems(ECBCS). Overall, the project reportsinclude a directory of current tools, adescription of tool theory and meth-ods, case studies of tool applicationsand research reports on how toolsperform.

Participating Countries andOrganisations

Fourteen countries participated inAnnex 31, each supplying one or moreexperts to the Annex 31 meetings, andby supporting the on-going researchwork and writing undertaken by these

experts and their colleagues, withintheir national organizations and agen-cies. Participating countries include:Australia, Canada (Operating Agent),Denmark, Finland (Resources),France (Theory), Germany (WebSite), Japan, Netherlands (Applica-tions), New Zealand, Norway, Swe-den (Reference Materials), Switzer-land, United Kingdom, and the USA(Case Studies).

Experts participating in Annex 31were typically architects, engineers orscientists. All have brought to the workboth a practical and academic under-standing of buildings and environmen-tal issues. Many have been involvedwith the development of methods andtools within their organizations andcountries.

and Diagnostic Method." Golden,Colorado, US: National RenewableEnergy Laboratory. NREL/TP-472-6231. 1995.

Project Plans from Task Definition Workshop, April 24 -25,2003 at The Netherlands Organization (TNO Bouw), Delft,Netherlands

Five project (or work) plans are included for:

- Shading/Daylighting load interaction

- Double Façade

- Ground Coupling

- Multi-zone

- Control Strategies and Mechanical Equipment


Description of the AnnexMission

Through collaborative research andcommunications Annex 31 will en-courage development and applicationof appropriate tools and assessmentmethods for improving the energy-re-lated environmental impact of build-ings.Mandate

The mandate of Annex 31 is to pro-vide information on how to improvethe Energy-Related EnvironmentalImpact of Buildings. Specifically, An-nex 31 has focused on how tools andassessment methods might improvethe energy-related impact of buildingson interior, local and global environ-ments.

Tools stimulate communication, makeenergy and environmental efficiencyquantifiable and ultimately make itpossible to set goals and monitor per-formance. The ultimate objective is topromote energy efficiency of buildingsby increasing the use of appropriatetools by practitioners.Audience

Annex 31 reports may be of interestto users of tools, to groups engaged intool design, and to anyone establish-ing policy and guidelines for promot-ing better decision-making within thebuilding sector. Specifically, this in-cludes:

- Policy developers, regulatory Groupsand others who may wish to encour-age or mandate the use of tools andmethods;

- Educators, researchers and stu-dents;

- Practitioners, including design pro-fessionals;

- Tool developers.

Dissemination of Results

Dissemination of the Annex 31 re-search results and report is importantand will be accomplished through sev-eral venues. Key deliverables and dis-semination methods are planned asfollows:

- Annex 31 Website

The full Annex 31 report will be avail-able on the annex31.org website, withlinks to it from the ECBCS andCanada Mortgage and Housing Cor-poration (CMHC) websites.

- Annex 31 Tools Directory cross-linked to the US DOE website

The Tools Directory report of theAnnex 31 website will be cross-linkedto the US Department of Energy(DOE) web-based database of Build-ing Energy Software.

- Annex 31 Tools Directory availableon the SBIS

All the tools listed in the Annex 31Tools Directory are included in theMethods and Tools section of the in-ternational Sustainable Building Infor-mation System (SBIS) database de-veloped by the International Initiativefor a Sustainable Built Environment(iiSBE). The SBIS will be updated ona continuous basis by iiSBE.

- Annex 31 Report Highlight

A printed report highlight summariz-ing the work of Annex 31 will beprinted and distributed to all Annex 31participants. Copies of the highlightreport will be deposited with theECBCS Executive Committee Sup-port and Service Unit (ESSU) andavailable from the ECBCS bookshop.

- Annex 31 CD-ROM

The full Annex 31 report will be avail-able on a CD-ROM and included withthe Annex 31 Report Highlight book-let.

- ECBCS newsletter and SummaryReport

Annex 31 report completion article inthe ECBCS newsletter and produc-tion of an ECBCS project SummaryReport.

Program Plan

Process Actions since November2002 ExCo Meeting

- All final documents edited,reformatted and cleaned up stylisti-cally to present a clear and consistentpackage of information.

- Developed an Annex 31 highlight re-port that summarizes the research andresults of Annex 31, which combinedwith the CD-ROM of complete An-nex 31 research, provides an acces-sible overview and complete recordof the project.

- Website format and structure im-proved for clearer navigation throughAnnex 31 material.

- The iiSBE engaged to provide thehost server for the Annex 31 website,contracted and managed by CMHCon behalf of the Annex 31 partici-pants.

Previous Annex 31 ProcessSummary

- Completed development of reviewof all Annex 31 reports by designatedExCo members.

- Changed name of Annex 31 �Sum-mary Reports� to �Core Reports� tonot cause confusion with IEA nomen-clature for produced project reports.

- All the tools listed in the Annex 31Tools Directory have been includedin the Methods and Tools section ofthe international Sustainable BuildingInformation System (SBIS) databasedeveloped by the International Initia-tive for a Sustainable Built Environ-ment (iiSBE).


�Outline of Annex 31� Report

The main information of the Annex31 project report is categorized intosix sections.

A project overview is provided in theAbout Annex 31 report. A series offour Core Reports provide the mainbody of information. This informationis supplemented by detailed referencedocuments in the seven BackgroundReports.

A Directory of Tools presents anoverview of international tools usedfor evaluating the environmental im-pact of buildings, with links to ongo-ing databases of building assessmenttools (DOE and SBIS). Also includedis a Glossary of key terminology usedin the reports in several languages,and a Links section presenting all theparticipants and agencies that contrib-uted to Annex 31.

- About Annex 31

- Core Reports

- Background Reports

- Directory of Tools

- Glossary

- Links

ABOUT ANNEX 31About Annex 31 provides a mandateand content overview with an intro-duction to the IEA and the Annex 31project and report format. It includesan overview of the Annex 31 Man-date, Participants, Audience, Process,and a summary of all Research re-ports.

CORE REPORTS

The main outputs of the Annex 31project research are the Core Re-ports. These consist of four reportsthat provide a comprehensive intro-duction to the theory of tool design andapplication.

These include:

- The Environmental Framework;

- The Decision-Making Framework;

- Types of Tools;

- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)Methods for Buildings.

The core reports have been writtenfor an informed and technical readerfamiliar with the building sector. How-ever, no specialized knowledge of en-vironmental assessment methods ortools is required.Environmental Framework

An environmental framework is thefoundation to any analysis of the en-ergy-related environmental impact ofbuildings. The environmental frame-work provides a consistent and com-prehensive system for describing thephysical interactions arising through-out the life cycle of buildings. Thisreport provides a detailed descriptionof the concepts and methods used toanalyse the technical systems thataffect the environment, including thecause and effect chains.Decision-Making Framework

A decision-making framework isrequired in order to effectively designand develop environmental assess-ment methods and tools. This reportserves to clarify how and when spe-cific actors become involved in deci-sions, at each stage in a building�slifecycle. The Framework defines thescope of each decision, and the typesof evaluation criteria and decision-sup-port tools that may be beneficial.Types of Tools

Tools inform the decision-makingprocess by helping actors understandthe consequences of different choices.Tools are the interface between theenvironmental framework and thedecision-making framework. To beeffective, they must be tailored to theplanning phase, the knowledge base


of the user, and the concerns of theactors � including the applicable as-sessment criteria and standards. Thisreport describes every category ofenvironmental assessment tool, andtheir information requirements. Thereport identifies key features thatmake tools effective.LCA Methods for Buildings

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is atechnique for assessing the environ-mental aspects and potential impactsthroughout a product�s life � from rawmaterial acquisition through produc-tion, use and disposal.

This report begins by summarisinghow to apply the basic LCA methodto building products, single buildingsand groups of buildings. The reportthen examines six problem areas en-countered when LCA methods areused for buildings. Suggestions aremade about how to adapt the LCAmethod and overcome specific prob-lems.

BACKGROUND REPORTS

Seven background reports have beenprepared for Annex 31 and provideexperts and tool developers with ad-ditional detail and technical informa-tion on key aspects of tool design anduse.Context and Methods for ToolDesigners

The art of tool design is evolving inconcert with the sophistication of us-ers, improved information technologyand increased market demand forgreen buildings. The Context andMethods report provides an overviewof the most important issues currentlyfacing tool developers. It includes top-ics of building lifetimes, energy flows,occupant behaviour, user needs andpresentation of results. Many of thecritical assumptions about building life-times, energy flows and occupant be-haviour are addressed. The needs andmotivations of actors are carefully

analysed. Methods for connectingtools with users are discussed, andexamples are given for how tool de-velopers can best present results.Comparative Applications: AComparison of Different ToolResults for Similar Residential &Commercial Buildings

This report describes the results of theAnnex 31 research project in whichthe environmental impact of both asingle dwelling and an office buildingwere assessed with tools from theparticipating countries. All the toolswere intended to assist in quantifyingor qualifying the environmental pro-file of a building, or to assist decision-makers in improving the environmen-tal performance of a building design.The research was designed to addressa large number of questions about thesimilarities and differences betweentools.

The results indicate that transparencyof a tool is one of the most importantcharacteristics. Significant differencesin outputs between tools occurred asa result of differences in data infra-structure (e.g. energy mix), systemboundaries, data allocation andweighting factors.Case Studies of How Tools AffectDecision-Making

The intent of this report is to explorehow life-cycle assessment tools havehad an impact on the design and envi-ronmental performance of buildings.Six countries were asked to submitcase studies of building projects wheretools were intentionally used to cre-ate more efficient and environmentallyfriendly building or building stock.Each case study includes informationon the site and project, the energy andenvironmental features, the assess-ment tool and the results.Data Needs and Sources

In this report a more detailed exami-nation is conducted of data require-


ments and sources. An attempt ismade to inventory as exhaustively aspossible the data needed for a com-plete detailed assessment of impactsat any aggregation level.

The data needed to assess the energyrelated environmental impact of build-ings depends strongly on the type oftool used and, among others, on theaggregation level considered (i.e.product/building/stock).Assessing the Adaptability ofBuildings

This report examines all aspects ofadaptability in buildings, from princi-ples to strategies to specific features.Evaluation methods and potential ben-efits are discussed. Adaptability re-fers to the capacity of buildings to ac-commodate substantial change. Overthe course of a building�s lifetime,change is inevitable, both in the so-cial, economic and physical surround-ings, and in the needs and expecta-tions of occupants. All other thingsbeing equal, a building that is moreadaptable will be utilized more effi-ciently, and stay in service longer, be-cause it can respond to changes at alower cost. A longer and more effi-cient service life for the building may,in turn, translate into improved envi-ronmental performance over thelifecycle.Sensitivity and Uncertainty

This report describes how to under-take sensitivity and uncertainty analy-sis, and includes examples of how suchexercises can improve decisions. Thekey purpose of sensitivity analysis isto identify and focus on key data andassumptions that have the most influ-ence on a result � thereby simplifyingdata collection and analysis withoutcompromising the results. A parallelto sensitivity analysis is uncertaintyanalysis.

Experience shows that uncertaintyrelated to an LCA inventory can besignificant, and must be considered

when performing comparative LCA�s.Sensitivity and uncertainty analysiscan be used at many stages through-out the assessment of energy relatedenvironmental impacts from buildings.

Stock Aggregation

Stock Aggregation refers to the proc-ess of evaluating the performance ofa building stock using environmentalassessments of components of thestock. For example, total energy useby a stock of buildings can be esti-mated by adding up (or �aggregating�)the energy estimates for all the indi-vidual buildings within the stock. Orfor less effort, a subset of representa-tive buildings can be analyzed, and theresults then factored in proportion tothe total number of such buildings inthe stock. This report explains whyStock Aggregation is frequently thebest method for assessing stocks.Examples are given of how stock ag-gregation can assist in policy devel-opment at the local and regional scale.The method is also shown to offer sig-nificant benefits for planners, busi-nesses in the building sector, and utili-ties.

DIRECTORY OF TOOLSThe next main section of the Annex31 project report is the Directory ofTools. Improving the environmentalperformance of buildings and buildingstocks is best accomplished using toolsas decision-making aids. Many coun-tries now have a variety of tools thathave been tailored for use by specificusers and to fill particular analyticalneeds. Annex 31 has completed aninternational survey of tools, and hasused the survey to create a directoryof tools that is accessible on the An-nex 31website.

The purpose of the Directory is toprovide a quick overview of the toolsthat are currently available or soon tobe released. Each tool is described interms of its functions, audience, us-ers, software application & tech sup-port, data requirements, strengths,


availability and contact information.The directory includes a broad arrayof decision making tools including aSurvey of LCA Tools, AssessmentFrameworks, Rating Systems, Tech-nical Guidelines, Catalogues, Check-lists and Certificates.

Plus, collaboration was developed andlinks have been established betweenthe Annex 31 Directory of Tools andthe US Department of Energy (DOE)web-based database of Building En-ergy Software Tools (http://www.eren .doe .gov/bui ld ings /tools_directory/).

Tools in the Annex 31 Tool Directoryare now also listed in the Method andTools section of the Sustainable Build-ing Information System (SBIS) data-base. The SBIS is a newly createdinternational database designed to pro-vide users with general but broad in-formation about sustainable buildingand links to detailed sources of infor-mation. The SBIS provides data anda search mechanism for eight catego-ries of information that include Tech-nologies, Method and Tools, Policiesand Programs, Research and Devel-opment Projects, Buildings, Docu-ments, People, and Events. Buildingupon the directory created in Annex31, the SBIS database will provide acurrent and updateable informationsource on sustainable design Tools.

GLOSSARY

The Annex 31 Glossary section hasbeen designed to standardise the manyspecialized terms used for describingthe environmental performance ofbuildings in a number of languagesincluding English, French, German andJapanese. The glossary emerged asa result of ongoing communication dif-ficulties experienced within Annex 31.

Academics and researchers in the 14participating countries used differentEnglish terms interchangeably. Vary-ing translations compounded this prob-lem. The solution was to carefully re-

view the use of all terminology, withspecial reference to terms used in in-ternational standards, and then totranslate a standard set of Englishterms into the other languages com-monly used within the Annex.

LINKS

Annex 31 benefited from the partici-pation of many individuals and agen-cies from the member countries.Names and contact information arelisted in the Links to Participants andAgencies section.

Each of the participants in Annex 31contributed valuable material to thefinal reports, over an extended periodof time, and their effort is greatly ap-preciated. Completion of the final re-ports, CD-ROM and web site weremanaged by Thomas Green (Canada,Operating Agent), with coordinationsupport from Nils Larsson (Canada),project work led by Sebastian Moffatt(Canada), and web site constructionby Thomas Lützkendorf (Germany).Substantial research, writing and re-view efforts were undertaken withgreat dedication by many participants,and many Annex members were in-volved in commenting on the com-pleted work.

Next Steps

The final steps for Annex 31 projectwork include:

- Completion of the Annex 31 websiteand loading the final project onto theannex31.org server;

- Installation of links between Annex31 website and the ECBCS website;

- Production of the Highlight Reportand CD-ROM and distribution toECBCS ESSU and all Annex 31 par-ticipants.

Note: final draft Annex 31 materialson interim website at http://www.annex31.com/


The website at <www.sbis.info> is thehome of the Sustainable Building In-formation System, or SBIS. There ismuch to be found of interest in thesite.

The system has been launched by theInternational Initiative for a Sustain-able Built Environment (iiSBE), withthe support of several organizationsaround the world. The goal of thesystem is to allow users all over theworld to gain access to a rich body ofinformation related to sustainablebuilding in several languages.

Several linked files will provide rela-tional access. The individual files in-clude:

- Advanced Technologies

- Methods and Tools

- R&D Projects

- Policies and Programs

- Buildings

- People

- Events

- Documents

- Relevant websites

All of the files contain individualrecords related to the file subject forbrowsing by SBIS users, either liveon the web or on a CD, to be issuedquarterly. The Documents file willalso allow SBIS users to downloadPDF-format documents that havebeen contributed by individuals or or-ganizations.

The CD version includes some fea-tures (illustrations and a multi-lingualinterface) that will migrate to the webversion over time. Also, the whole

system is being continuously aug-mented. Feedback from users in thisregard is warmly welcomed.

Members of iiSBE will also obtain theCD version on request. If you wishto learn more about iiSBE or join tohelp support this project, use the fol-lowing contact details. Annual cost forindividuals is $75 CAD, or less than50 Euros.

International Initiative for a Sustain-able Built Environment130 Lewis StreetOttawa, K2P 0S7, Canada

Tel: 1 613 769-1242Fax: 1 613 232-7018

email: [email protected]://iisbe.orghttp://www.sbis.info

Sustainable Building Information System on the Webfrom iiSBEBy Nils Larsson, Executive Director, iiSBE

Proposed New Annexes Under Consideration

Integrating Environmentally Responsive Elements in Buildings

Energy Efficient Electric Lighting For Buildings

Heat Pumps and Reversible HVAC


The ECBCS Bookshop - www.ecbcs.orgc/o FaberMaunsell Ltd (Attn: Janet Blacknell),Beaufort House, 94/96 Newhall Street,Birmingham B3 1PB Great Britainemail [email protected], or [email protected]: +44(0)121 262 1994

Technical Synthesis Reportfor Annex 19 - Low SlopeRoof Systems

by John PalmerThe need for energy efficiency hasincreased the amount of insulationrequired, and for well-insulated low-slope roofs this has increased the de-mand for information on design, instal-lation, and maintenance needs. A pri-mary purpose of this Annex was toassess and report on the current roof-ing practices in the context of an ac-cumulating database on performance.

Annex 19 �Low-slope roof systems�completed its work with a report enti-tled �A Guidebook for Insulated Low-slope Roof Systems�, published inFebruary 1994. The objective of thereport was to describe available in-formation and good practice whenworking with highly energy efficientlow-slope roof systems. The reportdescribes the various types of low-slope roof and the insulating materi-als that may be used. The require-ments of the various constructionmethods and insulation combinationsare discussed on the context of possi-ble modes of failure. Examples of suc-cessful methods are provided.

Price £20.00 plus postage.

Technical Synthesis Reportfor Annex 32 - IntegralBuilding EnvelopePerformance Assessment

by Peter Warren

A good envelope design should be theresult of a systematic approach,checking all relevant elements. A newapproach to consider the building andthe envelope quality is the �perform-ance concept�. The performance ofan envelope includes all aesthetic andphysical properties to be fulfilled bythat envelope, integrated into the func-tion of the building as a whole.

The objective of Annex 32 was todevelop a methodology for perform-ance assessment that will support theintegral design and the evaluation proc-ess of building envelopes, with the aimof realising significant energy savingalong with environmental and indoorcomfort benefits.

Although the envelope in itself is acrucial element for the overallperformance of the building, theinteraction with other buildingcomponents, and the climatic controlsystems is of equal importance.Therefore, the emphasis of the

Annex was on the overall perform-ance of the building seen from theperspective of the envelope. Whilethe focus is on energy efficiency, ahigh quality was aimed at withrespect to aspects such as durability,comfort, acoustics, moisture.

The work of the Annex was dividedinto two principal Subtasks:

Subtask A: Development of a com-prehensive assessment methodology,including performance criteria, lead-ing to a rational strategy for optimisingbuilding envelopes, based on an inte-gral performance approach.

Subtask B: Testing and evaluatingthe developed methodology by apply-ing it on selected case studies. Thecase studies are ranked in three the-matic groups: retrofitting, advancedenvelopes and performance testing.concentrating on both evaluation andimprovement of design tools, assess-ment methodology, performance cri-teria and practical experience.

Price £20.00 plus postage.

New to the ECBCS Bookshop - Latest Publications


Executive Committee MembersAUSTRALIAMr John Murray37 Flanagan StreetGarran ACT 2605Tel: +61 2 6282 5575Fax: +61 2 6282 5544Email: [email protected] Jean Lebrun, Director,Lab.de Thermodynamique,Université de LiègeCampus du Sart-Tilman, Bâtiment B49Chemin des Chevreuils, B 4000 LiègeTel: +32 43 664801Tel: (Secretariat) +32 43 664800Fax: +32 43 664812e-mail: [email protected] R Atif (Chairman)Director, Indoor Environment ResearchProgram, National Research Council,1500 Montreal Road (M-24)Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6Tel: +1 613 993 9580Fax: +1 613 954 3733email: [email protected] be arranged

CZECH REPUBLICIrena PlockovaCzech Energy AgencyU Sovovych mlynu 9118 00 Praha 1Tel: +425 257 532 151Fax: +425 257 530 478Email: [email protected] Jens WindeleffHead of SectionR&D and JI DivisionDanish Energy AuthorityAmaliegade 44DK-1256 Copenhagen K.Tel: +45 33 92 68 18Fax: +45 33 11 47 43email: [email protected] Virtanenc/o Nella JanssonVTT Building and TransportPO Box 1804FIN-02044 VTTFINLAND

Tel:+358 50 596 7690Fax:+358 9 6959 0666e-mail: [email protected] Pierre HérantBâtiment et Collectivités, Agence del�Environment et de la Maîtrise de l�EnergieCentre de Sophia Antipolis, 06560 ValbonneTel: +33 4 93 95 7947Fax: +33 4 93 65 3196e-mail:[email protected]

GERMANYMr Jürgen GehrmannForschungszentrum Jülich, ProjektträgerBiologie, Okologie, EnergiePostfach 1913D 52425 JülichTel: +49 2461 614852Fax: +49 2461 613131e-mail:[email protected] Dimitrios NomidisHead, Energy Saving Division, Ministry ofDevelopment, Michalacopoulou str. 80GR-101 92 AthensTel: +30 1 7709100Fax: +30 1 7717612e-mail: [email protected] Joseph NowarskiDirector � Energy ConservationMinistry of National Infrastructure, P O Box13106 , Jerusalem 91130Tel: +972 2 5316115Fax: +972 2 5316081e-mail: [email protected] Marco CitterioENEA SIRE HABC.R. CasacciaVia Anguillarese 30100060 S. Maria di GaleriaRomaTel: + 39 06 3048 3703Fax:+39 06 3048 [email protected] Yuichiro KodamaKobe Design University, Gakuen-nishi 8-1-1Nishi-ku , KobeTel/Fax: +81 78 796 2571e-mail: [email protected] Piet HeijnenAccount Manager Sector Bouw, NOVEM BV,Swentiboldstraat 21, Postbus 17, 6130 AASittardTel: +31 46 4 202268Fax: +31 46 4 528260e-mail: [email protected] ZEALANDMr Michael DonnSchool of ArchitectureVictoria University of WellingtonPO Box 600, Wellington 1Tel:+64 4 463 6221Fax:+64 4 463 6204email: [email protected] Jørn Brunsell (Vice Chairman)Norwegian Building Research InstitutePO Box 123 Blindern, N-0314 OsloTel: +47 22 96 55 46Fax: +47 22 96 57 25e-mail: [email protected]

POLANDProf Stanislaw MierzwinskiSilesian Technical UniversityFaculty of Environmental and EnergyEngineering, Dept of Heating, Ventilation &Dust Removal Technology, ul Konarskiego 2044 101 GliwiceTel: +48 32 2 37 1280Fax: +48 32 2 37 2559email: [email protected]. Eduardo MaldonadoFaculdade de EngenhariaUniversidade do PortoRua Dr. Roberto Rriass/n 4200-465 PortoTel: +351 22 508 14 00Fax: +351 22 508 14 41Email: [email protected] Conny RolénFormasBox 1206Birger Jarls torg 5S-111 82 StockholmTel: +46 8 775 4030Fax: +46 8 775 4010email: [email protected] Mark ZimmermannEMPA-ZEN, Uberlandstrasse 129CH 8600 DübendorfTel: +41 1 823 4178Fax: +41 1 823 4009email: [email protected] be arrangedUKMr Paul DavidsonBREGarstonWatford WD25 9XXTel: +44 (0)1923 664437Fax: +44 (0)1923 664787Email: [email protected] Richard Karney,Senior Technical Advisor, Office of BuildingTechnologies, State and CommunityProgrammes, US Department of Energy,Mail Stop EE-4211000 Independence Ave, SW,Washington DC 20585Tel: +1 202 586 9240Fax: +1 202 586 1628e-mail: [email protected]


Current Projects and Operating Agents

5 Air Infiltration and VentilationCentre (1979-)Dr Peter WoutersINIVE EEIGBoulevard Poincaré 79B-1060 BrusselsBelgium

Tel: +32 2 655 7711Fax: +32 2 653 0729e-mail: [email protected]: www.aivc.org

36 Retrofitting in EducationalBuildings � Energy Concept Adviserfor Technical Retrofit Measures(1998-2002)Hans ErhornFrauhofer Institute of Building PhysicsNobelstr.12D-70569 StuttgartGERMANY

Tel: +49 711 970 3380Fax: +49 711 970 3399e-mail:[email protected]

37 Low Exergy Systems for Heatingand Cooling of Buildings (1999-2003)Markku Virtanenc/o Nella JanssonVTT Building and TransportPO Box 1804FIN-02044 VTTFINLAND

Tel:+358 50 596 7690Fax:+358 9 6959 0666e-mail: [email protected]://www.vtt.fi/rte/projects/annex37

38 Solar Sustainable Housing(with Solar Heating and CoolingTask 28) (2000-2005)Robert Hastings (Operating Agent)Architecture, Energy & Environment GmbHKirchstrasse 1CH 8304 WallisellenSwitzerland

Tel: +41 1 883 1717 or 16Fax: +41 1 883 1713

Email: [email protected] Erhorn (ECBCS Representative)Frauhofer Institute of Building PhysicsNobelstr.12D-70569 StuttgartGERMANY

Tel: +49 711 970 3380Fax: +49 711 970 3399e-mail:[email protected]

39 High Performance ThermalInsulation Systems (2001-)Markus Erb and Hanspeter EicherDr H Eicher and Pauli AGKasernenstrasse 21, CH-4410 LiestalSwitzerlandTel: +41 61 921 99 91Fax: +41 61 923 00 [email protected]

40 Commissioning of Building HVACSystems for Improving EnergyPerformance (2001-)Jean Christophe VisierCSTB, Head of Automation & EnergyManagement Group84 Avenue Jean Jaurès, BP 02F-77421 Marne la Vallée Cedex 02France

Tel: +33 1 64 68 82 94Fax: +33 1 64 68 83 50email: [email protected]

41 Whole Building Heat, Air andMoisture Response (MOIST-ENG)Prof. Hugo HensK.U. LeuvenDepartment of Civil EngineeringLaboratory of Building PhysicsKasteelpark Arenberg, 51B-3001 LeuvenBelgium

Tel: +32 16 32 44Fax: +32 16 32 19 80Email: [email protected]

42 COGEN-SIM : The Simulation ofBuilding-IntegratedFuel Cell and Other CogenerationSystemsDr Ian Beausoleil-MorrisonCANMET Energy Technology CentreNatural Resources Canada580 Booth Street, 13th FloorOttawa K1A 0E4Canada

Tel: +1 613 943 2262Fax: +1 613 996 9909Email: [email protected]

43 Testing and Validation of BuildingEnergy Simulation ToolsRon JudkoffBuildings & Thermal Systems CenterNational Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)1617 Cole Blvd.Golden, CO 80401USA

Tel: +1 303 384 7520Fax: +1 303 384 7540Email: [email protected]

IEA SecretariatMr Alan MeierOffice of Energy Efficiency, Technology, R&D,9 Rue de la Fédération75739 Paris Cedex 15FRANCETel: +33 1 40 57 66 85e-mail: [email protected]

Nancy TurckIEA Legal Office9 rue de la Fédération75739 Paris Cedex 15Franceemail: [email protected]

Published byThe ECBCS Secretariat (ESSU)ECBCS Executive Committee Support Services Unit/ECBCS Bookshop Tel: +44(0)121 262 1900c/o Janet Blacknell, FaberMaunsell Ltd, Fax: +44(0)121 262 1994Beaufort House, 94/96 Newhall Street, Birmingham B3 1PB email [email protected] Britain Web www.ecbcs.org