A review on the basics of building energy estimation

Energy security, environmental concerns, thermal comfort, and economic matters are driving factors for the development of research on reducing energy consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions in every sector of the economy. Building energy consumption estimation has become a key approach to achieve the goals on energy consumption and emissions reduction. Energy performance of building is complicated since it depends on multiple variables associated to the building characteristics, equipment and systems, weather, occupants, and sociological influences. This paper aims to provide an up-to-date review on the basics of building energy estimation. Regarding models, a classification for energy estimation models is proposed based on the different classifications found in the literature review. The paper focuses on models developed with whole building energy simulation software and their validation. This focus is justified because of the importance that whole building energy tools have gained on areas such as green building design, and analysis of energy conservation strategies and retrofits. Since a suitable weather file is a major component for reliably simulations, the section about weather data provides pertinent information.