CIBSE Building Simulation Awards at Build2Perform 2020

 The CIBSE Building Simulation Group held its Annual Prizes at Build to Perform 2020; the CIBSE Building Simulation Awards; and the new CIBSE Building Simulation Young Modeller Awards.

Darren Woolf, chairman of the CIBSE BSG group, introduced the CIBSE Building Simulation Award which focuses on the use of building simulation in projects, and aims to encourage innovation in building simulation techniques. Our 6 finalists from Artelia, Atelier Ten, chapmanbdsp, Cundall, Hilson Moran and WSP, presented their exemplar projects followed by the judging panel’s brief questions. 

• Artelia - Innovative Method to minimize simulation & analysis time
• Atelier Ten - Jewel Changi Airport
• Chapmanbdsp - Manoel Island
• WSP - Modelling the World’s Tallest Tower
• Cundall - Optimisation of overheating assessments for residential and commercial buildings using python in IESVE
• Hilson Moran - Healthy Cities

Meredith Davey, from Atelier Ten, was announced the winner, for his presentation on Jewel Changi Airport. The project, which included the world’s largest indoor waterfall, stood out to the judges for the attention to detail and the methods used to understand the implications of the design desires, particularly in relation to the effect that aspects of the design would have on thermal comfort.

The two runners-up were Shane Orme, of WSP, for his modelling of the world’s tallest tower, which was commended for the representation of physics; and Adrien Dumolard, of E-nergy, for his innovative method to minimise simulation and analysis time.

The event this year included the new Young Modeller Award. With the CIBSE Building Simulation Young Modeller Awards we recognise the outstanding contributions of young engineers, apprentices and sustainability consultants working with building simulation and encompassing any type of simulation for the built environment.

Weijun ‘Allen’ Mei, of Cyclone Energy Group, Chicago, was the recipient of the first Young Modeller Award. His submission included 140 models on which he had worked , and Mei was praised by the judges for his advocacy of performance-based compliance and modelling support design, and improving commercial software development. His work helping students to be more exposed to real-world modelling practices through universities and mentoring was also noted.

A high commendation was awarded to Nishesh Jain, PhD student researcher at the Institute of Environmental Design and Engineering at University College London, in recognition of his outstanding work on knowledge transfer and making building simulation design accessible.

Once the finalists had completed their presentations and while the judges headed off to deliberate. Our sponsors - David Cocking of Design Builder, Andrew Hilmy of EDSL, Eric Roberts of IES, Naghman Khan of SimScale and Nick Hopper of Monodraught - presented some of their latest developments and took part in a discussion on the future of the building simulation. They were asked the following question and their responses initiated a great debate. 

“ What are the major trends you are seeing in building simulation and what you are doing in the next 5 – 10 years to respond to these demands? "

The video of their presentations can be seen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lueGRYhblr0

CIBSE BSG IBPSA Event - Estimating airborne infection through simulation and analysis - 5th May 2021

The 5th May saw our most recent collaboration with IBPSA with a webinar aimed at the topic of Airborne Infection with example of how simulation and analysis can estimate its diffusion.

A copy of the webinar can be found below.

CIBSE BSG IBPSA Event - Estimating airborne infection through simulation and analysis - 5th May 2021

We were pleased to host speakers from academia and industry discussing some of the simulation and analysis tools and methods used to understand airborne infection in the built environment and some of the latest research programmes that have been designed to further improve our understanding and applications.

Programme

• Welcome: Darren Woolf
• An introduction to AIRBODS: Malcolm Cook
• Estimating the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by airborne aerosols:    Benjamin Jones
• Estimation of airborne risk in schools and an introduction to CO-TRACE: Paul Linden
• Return to work imperative - How CFD is helping to mitigate risk in enclosed environments: Fred Mendonca
• Indoor air quality during lockdown - A monitoring-based simulation-assisted study in London: Farhang Tahmasebi and Elizabeth Cooper
• Summary - Building simulation and airborne infection: Darren Woolf
• Panel Q&A

Speakers

• Darren Woolf, CIBSE BSG Chair & Head of Building Physics, Wirth Research
• Malcolm Cook, Associate Dean (Research), Professor of Building Performance Analysis, School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University
• Benjamin Jones, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham
• Paul Linden, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
• Fred Mendonca, Technical Experts Director, OpenCFD Ltd
• Farhang Tahmasebi, Lecturer, UCL
• Elizabeth Cooper, doctoral researcher, UCL & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

CIBSE Building Simulation Awards at Build2Perform 2019

The CIBSE Building Simulation Group held its Annual Prize at Build to Perform 2019 with 6 presentations from the shortlisted finalists and excellent presentations providing different takes on building simulation from different sectors of the construction industry.

Darren Woolf introduces the event below:

Darren Woolf - Introduction - CIBSE Building Simulation Awards

Our finalists then presented their exemplar projects followed by brief questions.  Video's of their presentations can be seen later in this blog.

Once the entrants had completed their presentations and before the Judges headed off to deliberate, Darren Coppins, Head Judge, presented a brief update to the BSG CERT movement that is working towards providing training courses and certification for building performance professionals.  Darren makes a plea in his presentation to anyone who wishes to get involved to email helpcert@cibsebsg.org

Darren Coppins - CIBSE BSG CERT

The judging panel then left to make their deliberations whilst Eleonora Brembilla provided an academic perspective on building simulation & CBDM:

Eleonora Brembilla - Building Simulation Skills: Academic perspective

Reinier Zeldenrust then provided a presentation on Building Simulation Skills, An Architects Perspective:

Reinier Zeldenrust - Building Simulation Skills: An Architects Perspective:

Douglas Baldock followed with Building Simulation Skills, A Contractors Perspective

Douglas Baldock - Building Simulation Skills: A Contractors Perspective

Darren Woolf then returned to present Building Simulation Skills, A Consultants Perspective.

Darren Woolf - Building Simulation Skills: A Consultants Perspective

Judges then returned to announce the winner & runners up.  All the sessions excellent presentations can be seen here:

Winner: 

Liam Harrington - Multi-tool building simulation modelling for Rolls Royce factory ventilation retrofit

Runner Up:

David Brown - Combined Building Simulation Modelling - Evaluating condensation risk in swimming pools design through the combination of dynamic simulation modelling and numerical finite difference modelling.

Runner Up: 

Karim Dada - Design by code

Finalists:

Roberto Caria - Holistic design through digital innovation

Kartikeya Rajput - LSE Centre Building, London

Hassan Younes - Demand side management (DSM) Monitoring and evaluation model

All of these shortlisted presentation represent the best of building simulation in the world.

We look forward to the CIBSE Building Simualtion Awards 2020.

Thanks to Greg Daines of Built Physics Limited for recording content and creating the video's.

CIBSE BSG & CIBSE HVAC Colaboration Event 2019

CIBSE BSG Vice Chair Darren Coppins collaborated with the CIBSE HVAC Group to provide a joint CIBSE Building Simulation Group and CIBSE HVAC Group event at Hoare Lea on the 18th July.  Darren discusses the event below:

 

I was privileged to be given the opportunity to present a piece on HVAC Simulation at a joint CIBSE HVAC and BSG Group event alongside Robert Cohen of Verco and Ant Wilson MBE of AECOM.

Ant Wilson was first to present, providing views on the risks associated with advanced modelling, suggesting there isn’t enough data to accurately model buildings.  With advanced modelling, you have a chance of getting it right, but you also have a chance of getting it even more wrong considering the assumption that is necessary to make during the early stages.  Couple this to weather data that may be flawed and variable competencies and you might be better off using an Excel spreadsheet than building simulation.  I should highlight that those were not Ant’s exact words, more my perhaps slightly exaggerated interpretation.

Robert Cohen of Verco was up next, discussing the improvements Australia has achieved in its building stock over the last 2 decades of the NABERS Scheme.  For those not in the know, NABERS is an in-use rating scheme that has been running in Australia for some time.  Based on the in-use rating of buildings, it measures the real performance of the landlord services and drives the reduction of that energy.  When designing a building that will target a NABERS rating, advanced building simulation is required to demonstrate that the buildings are actually capable of achieving that target.  The model and mechanical design are then independently scrutinised.  This has lead, not only to the reduction in building energy use in Australia, but also the upskilling of the modelling professionals and improvements in mechanical design to deliver better systems.

Robert then handed over to me to discuss advanced modelling in the UK and why we should do it, but also how we don’t do it.  The majority of us modellers have developed very good skills in modelling for regulatory compliance or overheating, but when challenged with detailing a full HVAC system and its controls, ultimately we fall very short of the combined skills needed to correctly configure the model.  As Ant mentioned in his session, if we undertake more advanced modelling, then there are more variables to get wrong and more chance the results will be even further from reality.

We also have another barrier to being able to accurately model buildings, which relate to limitations within the software itself.  There are aspects of complex thermal responses happening in buildings which we usually ignore, like stratification or local radiant impacts. Thermal bridging is usually also ignored in respect of how that actually impacts on the zone it is within.  It is for this reason that I believe that the modelling community need to step up to the greater challenges that more advanced modelling presents with an open mind to develop their own skills and hold some scepticism in interpreting the results.  In an ideal world, modellers will develop the skills to be able to interpret the results and provide an assessment of how likely a building is to achieve those results, in full knowledge of the software’s ability to accurately model the building in question AND the quality of information that has been provided to model it.

For anyone wishing to pursue full HVAC systems simulation, my advice would be:

• Try it out with a simple building first with simplistic controls and then spend some time reviewing the results in detail at a time step level.   Even better if this can be an existing building from which some good energy data exists.  Experiment with changing control strategies and see what happens;
• Do not get drawn into applying software templates for HVAC systems without fully understanding what each physical and control item within it does and how it works.  The main software providers have good technical documentation on these, but reference to CIBSE Guide H (Controls) CIBSE AM11 and a good understanding of HVAC systems is essential;
• Understand metering of systems and how the energy flowing into an item of plant may be different from the energy flowing out, where the meters are placed and why.  CIBSE TM39 is a good resource for some additional information on metering strategies;
• If you are not a mechanical engineer, find one experienced in detailed design of HVAC systems and go through your model and controls with them;
• Don’t underestimate how long it will take to set-up a correctly detailed model;

I’d like to thank CIBSE HVAC Group for leading and organising this fantastic joint HVAC and BSG group event and everyone who came along, for attending.

Technical Presentation 12 June 2019

Attendees of the CIBSE Building Simulation Group 2019 Annual General Meeting had the chance to sit through the technical presentations of the group's chairman Darren Woolf followed by a lively discussion. 

The first presentation 'How flow can you go' drew from Darren Woolf's talk at The Future Envelope 12, Building Envelope Conference. 

Five case- studies were presented on:

• Wind pressure simulation 
• Pressure loss calculations (effective areas & discharge coefficients) and resulting flows
• Heat flow through complex glazing systems
• Glass temperatures impact on room air flow
• Multiple phases of heat transfer and condensation risk

Challenges very often presented to dynamic thermal modellers when modelling for natural ventilation were presented and links to CFD studies especially relevant to designing for performance.

The second presentation focused on ground heat transfer, the limitations and potential misalignment of ground heat transfer/U-value calculations and dynamic thermal models. Comparisons of the heating energy predicted by DTM and a co-heating test for a case study were also presented and discussed later on.

Click below to see the presentation.

Building Performance Modelling at this years CIBSE Technical Symposium

CIBSE BSG's Vice Chair Darren Coppins discusses his perspective of the CIBSE Technical Symposium in Sheffield which was held on 25th & 26th April 2019.

As a long term attendee of the CIBSE Technical Symposium, I look forward to getting away for a few days to listen to technical papers presented by the very enthusiastic and bright minds who make up our community.  This years event was held in the rather nicely equipped Diamond building of Sheffield University.

The Diamond Building - Sheffield University (Image from Sheffield University Website)

It is an event where the technically minded get together to talk much the same language.  There's little in the way of sales and products but much in the way of debate, opinion and fact.  With 3 parallel sessions, there has always been something to whet the appetite.  The papers and presentations that go with each session are also available for delegates to download to review at their leisure.  For me this is great, as you can have the paper or presentation in front of you as you are listening to the speaker.  Papers of past symposiums can be downloaded here.

CIBSE Technical Symposium Chair Prof Tim Dwyer addressing delegates on Thursday Morning.

Building Simulation is normally a popular topic but this year it appeared in some form in almost every session I attended.  For the first time there were some suggestions that software limitations could impact the results to the extent that more simplistic hand calculations have as much chance in predicting actual building performance as advanced simulation.  These were more opinion papers or opinions of the delegates than anything based on study or fact, however, it brings to light that the more advanced modelling we do, the more we will find limitations in the software we use.

In my view, this is a good thing.  If we are taxing advanced modelling software to begin to find its limits, it shows that the modelling community is stepping up to what the built environment needs to deliver better buildings.  As limitations begin to become a problem, software developers will need to address such deficiencies where previously, such deficiencies have been of very little importance.

During another session and completely unexpectedly, some of my past work was presented by Dr Robert Cohen.  This modelling shows some such issues but more importantly demonstrates how modelling can be used to highlight where buildings may not be operating correctly.

Dr Robert Cohen presenting some of my own work from a few years ago, comparing modeled building data with actual metered data.

The final presentation was by Susie Diamond of Inkling who presented an opinion paper addressing how to recognise competency of building performance modelers.  Susie referenced some of the work by our group in pursuing certification and made a strong recommendation that the ASHRAE Building Energy Modelling Professional (BEMP) scheme is introduced to the UK and that maybe it should be administered by CIBSE.

 Susie Diamond of Inkling LLP discussing how to recognise competency

As a BEMP certified modeler myself, I know that the ASHRAE scheme is heavily biased to US systems and standards.  I also know that they have worked hard to identify both ability and experience, with some of the 120 exam questions presenting a set of modelling results and the candidate is expected to interpret the results, find a potential error and identify what input may have caused the error.  Such abilities are vital but only grow with experience and I applaud the BEMP for incorporating such tricky questions.

The work I am doing with others in CIBSE BSG to bringing certification and recognition to this sector continues, with AM11 based training modules due this year.  It is intended that basic and advanced level certifications are to follow, with my aspiration being that the advanced certification provides a similar level of difficulty as the ASHRAE BEMP and thus a higher level to aim for.  Hywel Davies suggested more than a year ago that this could be a route to Chartered Engineer status, which Susie also mentioned in her paper, something I feel is vital as such a route is missing for dedicated building simulation/modeling professionals.

BEMP is a worldwide scheme, with certified modelers across the globe and thus is already available to modelers in the UK.  I became BEMP certified without leaving the UK, taking the exam at a test centre near Liverpool Street Station.  There is no official training course for it as it recognises existing ability, although being familiar with ASHRAE standards is essential.

Uptake of the BEMP scheme can be considered to be relatively small.  As of today there are less than 500 BEMP certified modelers worldwide.  This may be due to the voluntary nature and difficulty of the exam.  Don't let this put you off applying and I encourage anyone wishing to demonstrate their abilities to investigate the scheme: https://www.ashrae.org/professional-development/ashrae-certification/certification-types/bemp-building-energy-modeling-professional-certification.

As ever, I left the conference enlightened by the enthusiasm and passion of everyone involved and very much look forward to the 2020 CIBSE Technical Symposium.

Darren Coppins BEng CEng MCIBSE BEMP.

10 Years of the CIBSE Building Simulation Group

The CIBSE BSG held its 10th Anniversary event last Thursday (4th April 2019) with presentations by the BSG Chairperson Darren Woolf, CIBSE President Stephen Lisk and myself Darren Coppins.

It was April 2009 when the first meeting of the CIBSE BSG was held, chaired by Prof Hazim Awbi who remained group Chairperson for the first 9 years.  Prof Darren Woolf discusses our achievements with Stephen Lisk discussing where the next 10 years will take us.  I finish up with a summary of our progress on training and certification.

Stephen Lisk also announced the CIBSE Building Simulation Awards 2019 which will again see finalists present at CIBSE's Build 2 Perform event in November (see blog below).

The CIBSE BSG would like to thank Buro Happold for providing the event space, CIBSE for their sponsorship and support over the past 10 years (including drinks and food at the event) and to the Committee and Members of the BSG for all the support and voluntary contributions that have made the last 10 years of achievements possible.

Darren Coppins - CIBSE BSG Vice Chair