Main content:
Measurement, Verification, Optimization
How well do non-residential buildings, which are often labelled ‘innovative’, ‘‘green’ or ‘intelligent’ in the ambitious early design phase really perform in everyday use? Do they perform as intended? What does really work? Research projects have shown: Many buildings fall well below their energy efficiency targets or do not meet user expectations. And often building owners and even the architects and engineers don’t even know about their buildings performance: Do they learn from their projects?
Measurement and verification have become an integrated part of commissioning for energy efficient buildings enabling engineers to significantly enhance building operations. Within the EnBop section of EnOB research and development projects are carried out developing new methodologies and tools to analyze and optimize building operation and applying them to innovative buildings and building services. The projects reach from commissioning guidelines for innovative systems to new software for automated analysis of buildings operations.
Office buildings
The EnergieForum Berlin is a building complex whose ambitious energy concept relies on energy piles for providing seasonal heat and cooling storage within the building’s foundations. The monitoring of the building started soon after it was inaugurated. A decisive problem was the continual increase in the ground temperature. However, by means of many different measures that did not require capital investment, considerable improvements have been made to the building’s performance and the heat and cooling storage in the foundation area has been successfully balanced out.
more details Seasonal heat management at the EnergieForum Berlin
Special buildings
The building for the Volkswagenbibliothek in Berlin was evaluated shortly after it opened in terms of its energy efficiency and levels of comfort. As part of an energy-oriented optimisation of the operation, the primary energy consumption was lowered within one year by 19 per cent. At the same time, the user comfort has improved tangibly.
more details Volkswagenbibliothek in Berlin
Office buildings
The head office building for Siedlungswerk gGmbH, which is situated in the centre of Stuttgart, was evaluated with a view to optimising its operation. The aim was to lower the energy consumption and at the same time make it more comfortable to use. The optimisation focussed on the heating and ventilation systems.
more details Head office of Siedlungswerk
