Towards the improved representation of manual window operation in open plan office buildings

Abstract

Manually operated windows have an important part to play in the future of building development and design. This research sets out to improve the way in which manual window control is represented in building simulation software. It is hoped that an improved mathematical representation of manual window control will help to enhance the accuracy of building simulation predictions, and ultimately to improve the design of low energy buildings. The research commences by investigating the degree to which the different assumptions, which are commonly used to represent manual window control, can impact on simulation predictions; findings suggest that they can have a significant effect.