Performance simulation of climate adaptive building shells - Smart Energy Glass as a case study

As opposed to traditional building shells, climate adaptive building shells (CABS) do have the ability to change their properties and behavior over time. Provided they are designed and operated effectively, CABS offer the potential for energy savings without the need for compromising comfort levels. This paper explores the role that building performance simulation (BPS) can play in designing CABS. After analyzing the distinguishing characteristics of CABS, the need for BPS is introduced. The potential role of BPS is then illustrated via the case study of Smart Energy Glass. Based on a description of underlying physics, the model abstraction process is discussed first. This results in an integrated model for performance simulations that couples TRNSYS and DAYSIM. This model is empirically validated and subsequently used to evaluate the potential of Smart Energy Glass in a renovation case under various operational scenario’s. The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research and development of Smart Energy Glass.