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The Framework of an Optimization Model for the Thermal Design of Building Envelopes
Abstract
Careful long term decisions in the design and
operation of buildings can significantly improve the
thermal performance and thus reduce the
consumption of energy. The availability and ease of
use of today's computers can be a sigruficant benefit
to the decision making process of building design.
In dealing with the building as a thermal
system, the proper selection of its components and
their relationships can be organized using a systems
approach. This can be achieved by coupling an
optimization technique into the thermal performance
of buildings early in the design process. This
requires formulating the building as a well-defined
thermal system in a framework suitable for the
application of systematic approaches. The aim of this
paper is to describe the basic framework of a
building thermal design optimization model by
defining building design variables, a criterion of
optimality, constraints, and a suitable thermal
simulation model that can be integrated into the
proper optimization technique.
Citation
Al-Homoud, M. S.; Degelman, L. O.; Boyer, L. L. (1994). The Framework of an Optimization Model for the Thermal Design of Building Envelopes. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6633.