Building Modeling 20101

Building Modeling:

The first step in determining if geothermal is an appropriate technology for a building is to determine how much heating and cooling a building requires. This is done by modeling the building. How well is the building insulated? The type of glass installed? How will the occupants use the building?

Building simulation sometimes highlights building features, that if changed, can significantly alter the capacity of the heating and cooling system needed. How the ventilation is handled, or the type of windows specified can have a major impact on the size and cost of the ground heat exchanger required. Geo-Xergy works closely with the owners and the entire design team to ensure everyone is aware of such issues.

Hour by hour weather data is used to simulate how a building will interact with the environment to estimate energy during extreme weather and throughout the entire year. This allows us to estimate energy consumption and cost, greenhouse gas emissions and develop life-cycle cost models, helping building owners make informed decisions for their projects.

Accurate building simulations combined with solid GHX modeling tools provide the information required to determine the size and cost of a ground heat exchanger (GHX). Hybrid GHX options are considered as part of the analysis for the most cost-effective GHX.

Regardless of the type of mechanical system ultimately selected, accurate building loads provide the designer with the information needed to design an efficient system.