In the present paper, a modular, object-oriented and parallel methodology for the multiphysics simulation of buildings is presented. The whole building is modeled as a collection of basic elements (e.g., walls, rooms, outdoor, people, ventilation, solar radiation distributor, etc.). These elements can be modeled with different physical models and scales. A combined heat and moisture transfer model for the building envelopes and rooms have been implemented and validated with different benchmark cases. The simulation tool has been used within the framework of EU project for the simulation of hygrothermal behavior of various existing characteristic rooms inside three different public buildings (hospital, university and school) located in distinct locations of Europe (Spain, England and Sweden). Simulations allow the analysis of energy performance of different characteristic rooms of these demosites before the retrofitting solution of these buildings.

Peer Reviewed