Transient numerical modelling and experimental validation of building heating plants

Approximately 30% of energy consumption in European Union countries is used for domestic heating and cooling so thermal comfort in buildings has become a key sector in the energy policies pursued by the EU today. One of the possible solutions to reduce fossil fuel consumption is to optimise energy use with efficient management of heating plants. Given that energy saving actions are possible only with a knowledge of the behaviour over time of the different elements of the plant, a dynamic approach is necessary. In this contribution, the development of a dynamic model to build heating plants is described. The model has been validated by means of a comparison with measured data and allows simulation of the variation in time of some key parameters and a description of the behaviour of the entire system for varying boundary conditions. Some parametric studies are also presented so that the capabilities of the model are clearer.