Influence of selected calculation tool on a design process: A case study

Several tools exist to predict building energy use, but their application in current design practice has had limited penetration in the design process to influence the design evolution and decision making. Due to the complexity and singularity of each design process, the choice of the appropriate tool is not obvious and it is the critical moment which largely determines the success of energy calculations supporting building design. In this paper, a case study is analysed and some key factors are discussed to understand how far the chosen calculation tool was appropriate for the project and useful to assist the design process. The impact of calculation results on some design decisions is analysed. To analyse the case study, the project calculation is compared with a model calibrated with monitoring data from the actual building. The case shows that the calculation could inform some decisions regarding the envelope, but it was insufficient for providing information for other decisions regarding the ventilation system during the design process.