Design and control optimisation of adaptive insulation systems for office buildings. Part 1: Adaptive technologies and simulation framework

This paper is the first of a two part study, which aims to evaluate the performance of adaptive insulation. Part 1 proposes a simulation framework for optimising adaptive insulation design and control parameters and explains its implementation. The customised simulation strategy optimises design and control aspects of adaptive building envelopes by minimising the total primary energy use and thermal discomfort within a building. Moreover the simulation model for adaptive insulation is validated qualitatively. Part 2 applies this framework in a parametric study to explore the potential of adaptive insulation.