Teaching the fundamentals of building performance simulation 

Building performance simulation (BPS) tools employ a large number of mathematical models to simulate a building's performance under a given set of weather and operating conditions. Many aspects of performance can be appraised, including energy consumption, ventilation effectiveness, thermal comfort, lighting quality, etc. The objective is to represent the significant physical processes so that the simulation provides an accurate-or at least a useful-representation of reality.
This technology provides tremendous potential for addressing some of the key challenges facing the building industry in the 21st century by improving design and operation. However, much of BPS’ potential remains unfulfilled. There are various reasons for this, but one important factor is a credibility gap that can only be addressed when we adequately prepare users to effectively apply tools with full knowledge of their applicability, modelling limitations, and default methods and data, and provide them the skill set to scrutinize their results.
This talk will argue the necessity for teaching the fundamentals of how BPS tools model physical processes, the impact of modelling choices, and the significance of input data, including hidden defaults, as opposed to training on tool operation. It will introduce the book Fundamentals of Building Performance Simulation that I have authored in an attempt to address this need and will demonstrate the methods I use to teach this topic at the postgraduate and professional development levels.