Visit the Energy Systems Laboratory Homepage.
Computer Energy Modeling Techniques for Simulation Large Scale Correctional Institutes in Texas
Abstract
Building energy simulation programs have
undergone an increase in use for evaluating energy
consumption and energy conservation retrofits in
buildings. Utilization of computer simulation
programs for large facilities with multiple buildings,
however, has been relatively rare. Due to the
immense size of certain facilities such as college
campuses and correctional institutes, simulating
energy consumption for the entire campus and
reporting the energy use by individual building is a
time consuming task.
Initially, many computer simulation programs
were designed to operate on the assumption that the
user is simulating one building. Provisions are not
usually made to knit together outputs from multiple
buildings. Furthermore, programs such as DOE-2
have limits to the number of walls, windows, and
zones that can be simulated in one run. This paper
presents a methodology to model an entire campus
by simulating each building as a single zone
consistent with electrical feeders instead of as a
separate entity.
Since most simulation programs calculate energy
use by means of one-dimensional heat transfer,
utilizing this method becomes a practical solution,
particularly if the facility does not contain buildings
with complex internal systems. The energy use can
then be extracted from the individual simulations and
combined with specially written data handling scripts
into a whole-campus energy use. The methods are
presented using the DOE-2.1E building energy
simulation program to model a 1,000 bed case study
correctional unit located in Texas.
Citation
Heneghan, T.; Haberl, J. S.; Saman, N.; Bou-Saada, T. E. (1996). Computer Energy Modeling Techniques for Simulation Large Scale Correctional Institutes in Texas. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6685.