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APRIL 07 - THERMAL MODELLING SERVICE SIMPLIFIES COMPLIANCE

A new facility to effectively calculate the thermal efficiency of a building to ensure compliance with Approved Document L is being launched by Passivent Ltd.

The Environmental Modelling Service has been developed in conjunction with De Montfort University’s award-winning Institute of Energy & Sustainable Development (IESD)*, giving specifiers and architects what Passivent believes is the most impartial, authoritative assessment available in the marketplace.

The Service enables building designers to select from three levels of evaluation: the Dynamic Thermal Simulation (DTS), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Daylight Modelling. Each option identifies opportunities to implement effective energy savings and CO2 reduction using natural ventilation solutions and helps provide professional indemnity insurance cover.

Dynamic Thermal Simulation (DTS) geometrically models the entire building envelope, taking into account all internal heat sources (including people and computers), and the effect of surrounding buildings, and can predict air changes/hour, internal CO2 concentrations and hours exceeding internal peak temperatures. It does not model spatial distribution and assumes each room has a single, well-mixed volume of air.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) establishes the detailed ventilation performance and thermal analysis of a building and shows how the appropriate Regulations are met and that the ventilation system operates as intended. It can only provide data according to typical days and hours, not ‘worst case scenario’, on the basis the latter is rare and short-lived.

Daylight modeling details how natural illumination of a building and solar heat penetration affects the internal space temperature, enabling judgement to be made on solar shading, type of glazing, size, quantity and positioning of windows and rooflights, and to thus assess realistically how the sun will affect the ventilation and cooling strategy.

David Stolton, Passivent Commercial Product Manager, explains, “The advance in technology means it is increasingly possible to predict heating and cooling loads, from the simplistic ‘steady state’, through the simple dynamic modelling technique to computer environmental modelling. Our service is independent of any one software manufacturer and uses the most appropriate design tools for each application. The combination of our expertise as leaders in the design and supply of natural ventilation solutions, and IESD’s experience in developing environmental policies within the context of a low carbon future, creates a huge knowledge bank of how best to implement effective energy savings and create a comfortable internal environment within a building.”

Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group and is the UK’s leading designer and supplier of natural ventilation systems for both domestic and commercial applications. The company is a founder member of the NatVent EC-EU-funded project co-ordinated by the Building Research establishment to develop practical natural ventilation solutions for the commercial sector. It has contributed to the BISRIA Guide BG2/2005 Wind Driven Natural Ventilation Systems, and is a member of the DfES steering committee on natural ventilation guidance for schools, Building Bulletin 101.

The Insititute of Energy & Sustainable Development won the Building Services Environmental Initiative Award 2006, and is a founder member of the English affiliate of the International Building Performance Simulation Association and Faraday Partnership for the Integration of New and Renewable Energy in Buildings.

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