Introduction to Building Performance Analysis

Environmental Impacts and Buildings

Mathematical models of global climate change have linked a human-driven increase in GHGs
to an increase in global temperatures (especially in the past !" years# since the industrial
revolution$% &he primary source of this increase in GH's has been attributed to the emissions
generated by the use of fossil fuel-based energy%
Buildings account for 40% of (orld(ide energy use ) (hich is much more than
transportation% Moreover# energy use in the form of electricity often drives the largest
environmental impacts%
&hese e*act impacts can +uantified by lifecycle assessment (LC!# ,link- the most thorough
(ay to determine the environmental impacts of a design% .'As can measure greenhouse gas
(units " C#$e " C#$ e%uivalent! to measure global (arming potential# or might measure
other things like human health# (ater# and land-use impacts% /ou may hear the (ord
0embodied energy1 or 0embodied carbon1 2 this refers to the energy or greenhouse gas
emissions caused throughout an ob3ect4s lifecycle% Alternatively# sometimes an overall
normali5ed score is used to combine many kinds of impacts into a single number (i%e% 6co-
Indicator 77$%
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is a foundational tool for sustainable design. It is a way of quantifying
the environmental impact of your designs so that you and your customers can make more
informed decisions. o learn more about LCA! see our brief primer below that introduces the basic
terms! methodologies! and tools. "link#

A "8 .'A study found that 09pecifically (ithin commercial buildings# the use and operation
phase of the material and building life cycle is so dominant that the impacts of construction#
demolition:disposal# and transportation are nearly irrelevant for most traditionally
constructed buildings%1
&et 'ero Energy Buildings
;or high performance building design# it4s most useful to measure and compare designs using
absolute energy and resource metrics% &hese comparisons are ob3ective# universally
applicable# and apples-to-apples%
<et =ero 6nergy Buildings are highly energy-efficient buildings (ill use# over the course of a
year# rene(able technology to produce as much energy as they consume from the grid% &here
are several definitions of 0<et =ero1 buildings 2 based on (here you place the boundaries for
the energy balance% Here4s a summary of the main definitions from <>6.?
8% &et 'ero (ite Energy? A site <=6B produces at least as much rene(able energy as it
uses in a year# (hen accounted for at the site%
% &et 'ero (ource Energy? A source <=6B produces (or purchases$ at least as much
rene(able energy as it uses in a year# (hen accounted for at the source%
@% &et 'ero Energy Costs? 6n el coste de un <=6B (6dificio de la >ed =ero-6nergy$# el
dinero +ue el Gestor del servicio pAblico paga al propietario por la energBa renovable
+ue el edificio e*porta a la red# es al menos igual a la cantidad +ue el propietario paga
al Gestor del servicio pAblico por los servicios y la energBa utili5ada a lo largo del aCo%
D% &et 'ero Emissions? En <=6B produce o compra energBa de fuentes renovables y sin
emisiones suficiente como para compensar las emisiones generadas por toda la
energBa consumida anualmente% 'arbono# nitrFgeno# F*idos# y F*idos de sulfuro son
emisiones +ue habitualmente compensan los =6Bs% Para calcular las emisiones totales
del edificio# la energBa importada y e*portada se multiplica por los correspondientes
coeficientes de emisiFn# basandose en la emisiFn del servicio pAblico y en las
emisiones producidas por la generaciFn in-situ (de e*istir estas$%
)esigning &et 'ero Energy Buildings
&he key to designing net 5ero energy buildings is first reducing energy demand as much as
possible# and then choosing good energy sources?
8% >educir cargas energGticas
% HiseCo de estrategias pasivas
@% Iptimi5aciFn de sistemas activas
D% >ecuperaciFn de energBa
!% GeneraciFn energGtica in-situ
J% 'omprar e*cedentes energGticos
)esign *oals for +igh ,erformance Buildings
High performance buildings aren4t only about energy% &hey also need to perform (ell for
occupants%
#ccupant Comfort
-hermal Comfort
'reating comfortable conditions is one of the biggest uses of energy in buildings and it is also
critical to the happiness and productivity of its users% &o keep people comfortable you need
to provide the right mi*ture of temperature. humidity. radiant temperature and air
speed% &he right level of these variables depends on (hat activity is occurring# ho( active the
people are# and (hat they are (earing% 6veryone has slightly different criteria for comfort# so
comfort is often measured by the percentage of occupants /ho report they0re satisfied
(ith the conditions%
1isual Comfort
Maintaining visual comfort means ensuring that people have enough light for their activities#
the light has the right +uality and balance# and people have good vie(s% .ighting is often
measured either by the amount of light falling on a surface (illuminance! or the amount
of light reflecting off of a surface (luminance!% &hese are ob3ective measures# but ho(
people e*perience this light is often sub3ective% Good visual comfort also generally means that
as much of this light is natural light as possible% Good controls can automatically balance
natural and artificial lighting%
.earn more about natural and artificial lighting and ho( to measure it% ,link-
ir 2uality
;resh air re+uires a certain percentage of outside air circulating into spaces% 'lean air
re+uires pollutant and pathogen levels to be belo( certain thresholds% Air can be kept fresh
(ith high ventilation rates. either using natural ventilation such as operable /indo/s.
or active systems such as +1C fans and ducts% 'lean air can be achieved by filtering air#
by flushing spaces (ith fresh outside air# and by not contaminating the air (ith impurities
from the building# such as volatile organic compounds from paints or materials% ,link-
coustic Comfort
Ho( humans perceive sounds and loudness is a sub3ective measure% Ho(ever# you can create
a comfortable environment by controlling ob3ective measures like decibel level (sound
pressure$# reverberation time# and the sound reflection and damping properties of
materials% 'reating barriers and sound breaks bet(een sources of noise is important% /ou can
optimi5e room shape and si5e to reduce echoes and reverberation% And you can use acoustic
tiles on ceilings and (alls to dampen the sound%
3esource 4se 5 Buildings
6aterial 4se
Materials have their o(n environmental impacts from e*traction and production# and they
also hugely affect the thermal# visual# and acoustic performance of the building% Materials are
also important because they create the physical space that your building occupants
e*perience%
Embodied energy or embodied carbon can be used as a measure of the environmental
impact of a material4s e*traction# processing# manufacture# and distribution%
Energy (ystems
6nergy systems produce# use# convert# and store energy for the building% In high performance
buildings these systems need to be both efficient and effective%
6nergy use in buildings is also one of the biggest costs throughout the lifetime of a building%
&his can be measured by looking at the 7ilo/att hours per year. per unit area (6nergy Ese
Intensity or 6EI$% Being energy efficient means getting the most out of the systems and
technologies that you4ve chosen to use% &his can be measured by the coefficient of
performance of the e+uipment%
Generally# the architect4s (ork defines the energy 0demand1 (their design places re+uirements
and constraints on ho( the building (orks$ and engineers define ho( to 0supply1 this energy%
8ater 4se
Kater is measured in terms of both +uantity and +uality% &he flo(rate of fi*tures like faucets
and the storage capacity of tanks and cisterns are different (ays to measure +uantity% Kater
+uality can be measured in a variety of (ays# and you need different +ualities for different
uses% Khether the (ater is potable or not dictates ho( it can be used% Indicators like pH#
dissolved organics# suspended solids# and turbidity help measure +uality% Also# plumbing
systems that separate potable (ater# grey(ater# and black(ater can help get the most out of
every drop%
Building )esign ,rocess
*reen Building )esign ,hases
&he process outlined ne*t more closely resembles integrated pro9ect delivery (I,)!# ,link-
(ith tighter collaboration# and shared goals# bet(een stakeholders and design disciplines%
Many pro3ects# ho(ever# are still done using the Hesign-Bid-Build process%
8% Predesign
% 'onceptual Hesign
@% Hesign Hevelopment
D% Hetailed Hesign L Hocumentation
!% 'onstruction
J% Iperations and Maintenance
,redesign
9tudying the e*isting conditions of the building site% It4s also important to set targets for
sustainability# like achieving net 5ero energy or certifying the building through a program like
.66H% /ou4ll develop and revisit these +uantitative and +ualitative goals as you move through
all of the phases%
Conceptual )esign
/our first designs (ill e*plore alternate building and system design options% &he primary focus
for energy efficiency during this phase are daylighting and glare# natural ventilation# shading
and solar gains# distribution of internal loads# and envelope materials%
)esign )evelopment
Huring this phase you4ll begin problem solving and studying the details of alternate design
concepts chosen in the conceptual design stage%
)etailed )esign and )ocumentation
Ince the final design is aligned upon# the team (ill prepare for construction by creating a fully
articulated design and building information model% A final version of the simulation and
energy analysis (ill document the target energy performance and provide a benchmark for
validation during the construction phases% Kith this information you4ll also be ready to finali5e
many of the documents you4ll need for building certification systems like .66H%
Construction
Kith the design fully (orked-out by the engineers and architects# you4ll no( ensure that the
construction team can efficiently build the pro3ect to the design and performance
specifications%
&his is (hen building materials are usually purchased% Iften the specifications allo( Mlike-or-
better4 substitutions% A detailed BIM model and coordinated energy model (ill help assure
that any substitutions (ill actually meet performance re+uirements%
#perations and 6aintenance
Ince all of the occupants move in# you4ll (ant to continue monitoring energy use and thermal
comfort to confirm that the building is running smoothly# to continually improve operations
(continuous commissioning$# and to detect errors and faults in e+uipment or controls early%
Ingoing monitoring and maintenance is important to ensure the building continues to
perform (ell%
Also# because changes are usually made during construction# you (ill revise the BIM model
and the details of the energy model according to the final design%
Building ,erformance nalysis (B,!
In addition to driving a more efficient overall design process# BIM is po(erful for sustainable
design because it can help you iteratively test# analy5e# and improve your design% &his is called
Building ,erformance nalysis (B,!%
9tatistician George 6%P% Bo* is +uoted as saying? :ll models are /rong. but some are
useful;< &he same goes for building information models 2 and the key is to make your models
as useful as possible% ;or e*ample# a model is useful if it is able to predict future observations%
&he information of the model (BIM$ includes the geometry of the pro3ect (shapes# layout$# the
physical properties of the materials ((all constructions# thermal properties# visual
properties$# the type of the spaces in the building# and schedules of operations of each part
of the building% Ither inputs that can be part of the model include the location of the
building and (eather files# (hich contain detailed information on such environmental
characteristics as temperature# the sun0s path and /ind patterns%
Esing this information# analysis engines can run simulations on things like energy use and
lighting levels% /ou can then make better design decisions by analy5ing and documenting the
e*pected performance of your design%
Hifferent models are used by different people at different times% 6*amples of different
0flavors1 of BIM are?
An architect might author a model that describes the building geometry model%
An architect or engineer might create an energy model from the building geometry%
(6AM N 6nergy Analytical Model$
An M6P engineer might create a discipline design model that fully describes piping and
HOA' duct(ork# for e*ample%
&he entire team might collate their models into an aggregated design model to
coordinate different elements of the pro3ects coming together in @H%
Manufacturers and contractors can use a fabrication model to make customi5ed
assemblies for a building%
;acilities or energy engineers can use an e*isting conditions model to coordinate
maintenance and retrofits%
)esign ,hases 5 BI6 Level of )etail
Huring the design process# you4ll be making both big and small decisions% Iften the decisions
you4ll make move from a larger scale (overall building form! to smaller scale
(components and materials for a shading device!%
,redesign phase
At this point of design# try not to be frustrated about not taking to many decissions% &his is all
about creating the references around the pro3ect# and making sure that climate and physical
conte*t are implemented in your design development%
Enderstanding the climate (ill give the team a good idea of (hat kind of passive design
strategies (ill be appropriate for the pro3ect% 6arly sun studies can yield additional insights
that (ill inform conceptual design strategies%
&ools to consider
'ivil @H or >evit (site map$
Oasari or >evit (surroundings# e*isting conditions$
6cotect Keather &ool
Conceptual )esign phase
Huring conceptual design# the model usually consists of overall building massing (height#
volume# location# orientation$# along (ith basic assumptions about construction type and
building schedules% Most details of the building (ill not be kno(n at this time# so conceptual
energy models (ill be built (ith simple volumes and areas. default values. and generic
materials and e+uipment% 'onceptual models help the team align on high-level decisions like
the form# orientation# and program of the building%
&ools to consider?
Oasari
>evit
6cotect
)esign )evelopment
&hese models consist of generali5ed systems or assemblies (ith appro=imate +uantities#
si5e# and shape% &he geometry is built from generic elements but more refined assumptions
are made on constructions# materials# e+uipment%
)etailed )esign and )ocumentation
Construction
#perations and 6aintenance
(oft/are /or7flo/s
Getting the most out of soft(are analysis re+uires that you think critically about (hen and
ho( to use it% Ask yourself? Khat are you trying to decide and optimi5eP Khat4s the right tool
for the 3obP
Here4s a conceptual frame/or7 that (e use throughout this course for :2uic7 3eference<
guides for soft/are analysis%
>no/ing *oals and 6etrics
&he first step of the analysis process is creating a clear picture of /hat you0re trying to
learn and (hat aspects of the design you4re trying optimi5e% &hat can help you understand
(hat tools to use# and (hat to look for in the analysis results%
4sing -ools for (imulation 5 nalysis
Ince you kno( your goals and metrics# you can start running simulations and doing
analysis% It4s best to first do some back-of-the napkin calculations to have an idea of /hat
the results should be before you run the simulations%
)esign #ptimi?ation )ecisions
&he results of your simulation are only useful if you analy5e them and can use them to
improve the design% &his means comparing your results (ith other design options# industry
baselines and best practices# and your e*pected results%
It4s important to pay attention to patterns and anomalies in the results# identify sensitivity of
design parameters# and understand the role of various parts of the systems% /our
analysis should focus on understanding and improving the variables that are driving the
performance and cost of your design%
By follo(ing this process# you4ll be prepared to make an informed design decision%
&he original inspiration from this (ork came from an Autodesk Eniversity Presentation by
Asb3orn .evring and Haniel <ielsen in "88% ,link-
utodes7 Building )esign -ools
Autodesk makes a host of products for building design% Autodesk4s core BIM tools (ith BPA
capabilities are? >evit# Oasari# and Green Building 9tudio%
*reen Building (tudio is a (eb-based simulation engine for (hole building energy
analysis% It is based on the HI6- simulation engine and po(ers the (hole-building
energy analysis tools across Autodesk products% It can perform analysis on any gbQM.
file and does not have modeling capabilities%
3evit is Autodesk4s flagship BIM product% It is a full-featured parametric building
information modeling platform for use throughout the design process% >evit models
use 0Building 6lements1 like (alls# roofs# (indo(s# and floors to create @H models%
&here are also conceptual massing capabilities# using basic shapes to model building
form and orientation earlier in the design process% In addition to architectural design# it
has tools for M6P design and structural design%
1asari is a simplified# parametric BIM tool that uses the same modeling conventions as
>evit4s conceptual massing tools 2 and the same file format as >evit%
8hole Building Energy nalysis
Green Building 9tudio is Autodesk4s core (hole building energy simulation engine# and po(ers
the analysis in both >evit and Oasari%
3evit supports energy analysis for both conceptual forms and detailed
architectural models%
1asari supports energy analysis only for conceptual forms%
,erformance-based )esign (tudies
It includes studies like sun path. solar radiation. /ind. airflo/. climate. and daylighting%
utodes7 3evit and 1asari have some additional built-in capabilities for doing
performance-based design studies%
utodes7 Ecotect is a more speciali5ed tool that e*cels at these types of studies%
$hole building energy simulation results from %reen &uilding
'tudio
$ind flow and solar radiation studies based in
Autodesk (asari.