Energy and comfort in buildings
Caution, these contents corresponds to the coursebooks of last year
ENG-445 / 4 credits
Teacher(s): Khovalyg Dolaana, Licina Dusan, Sonta Andrew James
Language: English
Summary
The course presents the fundamentals of energy demand in buildings while emphasizing the need for the comfort and well-being of occupants. In addition, prioritizations and trade-offs between energy and comfort are discussed.
Content
- Energy concepts in buildings
- Building simulation tools: theory and practical exercises
- Indoor thermal comfort
- Indoor air quality
- Building ventilation
- Occupant behavior in buildings
- Passive strategies (solar, thermal mass, natural ventilation, etc.)
- Heat balance at the building level, building envelope
- Heating and cooling demand in buildings
Keywords
Energy demand; human comfort; indoor environmental quality; building envelope.
Learning Prerequisites
Recommended courses
- Elementary building physics
- General physics: thermodynamics PHYS-106
- Fundamentals of indoor climate CIVIL-212
- Urban thermodynamics CIVIL-309
Important concepts to start the course
- Heat transfer, psychometrics
- Human comfort and indoor climate
- Energy demand in buildings
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Estimate heat flows and energy demand in buildings
- Assess / Evaluate interactions between comfort needs of occupants, building envelope and HVAC systems
- Interpret indoor environmental quality standards
- Use building energy simulation software to assess energy and comfort performance of buildings
Transversal skills
- Take account of the social and human dimensions of the engineering profession.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Evaluate one's own performance in the team, receive and respond appropriately to feedback.
- Communicate effectively, being understood, including across different languages and cultures.
Teaching methods
Lecture presentations, group discussions, exercises
Assessment methods
2 x written tests on the course material: 50%+50%
Supervision
| Office hours | Yes |
| Assistants | Yes |
| Forum | Yes |
Resources
Bibliography
- Lecture notes (primary source)
- Edward Allen. How Buildings Work: The natural Order of Architecture, 3rd ed.
- Y. A. Çengel; A. J. Ghajar, Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals and Applications. McGraw Hill Education, 5th edition
- ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, 2018
- Different building standards such as ISO 17772, ISO 6946, ASHRAE 55, ASHRAE 62.1, SIA 380/1, SIA 2024.
- Peer-reviewed papers and websites (will be provided throughout the semester)
Ressources en bibliothèque
- How Buildings Work / Allen
- ISO 6946, ISO 17772 (normes ISO en ligne)
- ASHRAE Handbook : Fundamentals (2021)
- SIA 380/1 (normes SIA en ligne)
- ASHRAE 55
- SIA Cahier technique 2024
- ASHRAE 62.1
- Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals and Applications / Çengel & Ghajar
Moodle Link
Prerequisite for
- Thermodynamics of comfort in buildings CIVIL-450
- Indoor air quality and ventilation CIVIL-460
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Energy and comfort in buildings
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional