Parametric tool development for design-integrated energy demand analysis based on ISO 52016
and simplified Life Cycle Assessment.

Abstract

According to recent studies, over 32% of the energy consumption in Switzerland is accounted to the building sector [1]. This large percentage indicates the need for efficient building design in order to decrease the energy demand. The biggest impact with the least cost during a construction procedure is during the design phase. Consequently, it is of importance to have the capability to estimate the energy demand of a building during this phase and explore the optimized combination to ensure the best outcome.
Another important aspect when designing a building is sustainability. This is not limited to the operational stage of the building but expands to the embodied energy and carbon footprint during construction phase. When aiming for a green building a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is fundamental.

With the above as basis this thesis is focused on developing a simple and fast tool consisting of two parts. The first part of the tool will calculate the energy demand of buildings based on the ISO standards, using monthly calculation approach, and the second part will allow the user to perform an LCA analysis. In this way the user will have an integrated approach and will be allowed to objectively compare alternatives.

In the first chapters of this thesis the ISO standard used and the tool are presented. First the most important elements of the calculation process of the ISO 52016-1 are described. After that, the development of the complete tool, with energy demand and the LCA part, is described in detail, including inputs, assumption, outputs and the workflow.

In order to examine the response of the tool different building configurations are simulated and compered to each other. Since the tool is based on a static calculation procedure the same configurations are also simulated in with a dynamic tool so that the difference in behavior can be observed. In addition, a comparison with the SIA tool for energy demand [2], developed in a parallel thesis in the same department, is made. This aims in the evaluation of the diversions between the two standards.

For the LCA part, a variety of constructions is simulated representing different materials and different thermal transmittances. The environmental impact is examined in terms of primary energy and carbon emissions during the operation and construction phase.
Finally, the results of the simulations are presented and the conclusions are derived. The conclusions focus first on the static tools response to changes in the original building configuration and the respective behavior of the dynamic tool. Furthermore, the LCA outcome is discussed along with the comparison of the ISO and SIA standards.