Design Ontology for Comfort Systems and Energy Infrastructures: Flexergy

At present the main focus of research in Building Services is on reduction of energy consumption of buildings through high insulation and the application of high efficient equipment. In future however it will be no longer sufficient to look only at the building itself: the occupant and the energy infrastructure need also be considered too. Building, user and energy infrastructure together are linked strongly with a dominating position for the user. The strong focus on the energy reduction led to situations in which health and comfort are endangered. "Connecting" the end-user and/or the external energy sources to a climate process control system of a building is complex. Design tools for energy installations are only available on the level of individual installations. There is a need for an Integral Design approach which describes at the conceptual level the design process as a chain of activities, which starts with an abstract problem and which results in a solution. The paper discusses an integral approach combined with that of Open Building to reach a flexible integration of end-user, building and energy infrastructure.