Rapid simulation of various types of HVAC systems in the early design stage

Considerations on indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency need to be addressed early in the conceptual design stage of low-energy buildings. This paper describes an investigation on how to appropriately expand the hourly method of ISO 13790 to include performance assessment of different configurations of heating and cooling strategies. The implementation of the new thermal simulation procedure works as a plug-in to architectural sketching tool where it can execute an annual simulation within approx. 9 milliseconds. The plug-in may therefore qualify as a suitable tool for rapid and precise performance assessment of various heating and cooling strategies in the early design stage.