Building retrofitting using geothermal equipment is a complex problem involving multiple thermal systems. At the design step, engineers need to evaluate building thermal performance, to size heating/cooling emission components, to design the Ground Sourced Heat Pump, etc. During operational and post occupancy steps, models are required to validate the performance of the design, or to perform fault detection to facilitate maintenance. Most of these tasks require numerical models to perform prediction or to guide the decisions.
The GeoFit project gathers a lot of partners with strong knowledge in different technologies. The Research and Development tasks are split in several work packages according to the different parts of the global system (building envelope, heat pump, ground heat exchanger, Building Energy Management System). For each work package, partners bring, or develop specific models that help the design, or assess the performance of the future building. A total of 6 main models has been identified and are presented in this document.
In order to have a global picture of a retrofitting project, most of the models will have to collaborate, or to exchange information. Therefore, this document has 3 objectives:
- To give an overview of all the numerical models developed in GeoFit: their purpose, their complexity, the required inputs and the desired outputs.
- To “place” the models in a typical retrofitting design process: when a model should be used, and what are the required information to perform simulation.
- To show the level of interaction between the models: describe which model requires input from another model, or which model need to collaborate or to perform “cosimulation”.
Finally, the last chapter describes how these models will be integrated in the GeoBIM platform.
