Book Description

Across Europe, new buildings are required to demonstrate that their energy consumption will not exceed levels set by each country’s government. Both new and existing buildings, when they are sold or let, are required to have energy labels. SBEM was produced to meet these requirements. This BRE Trust Report describes how SBEM works, and gives users a practical insight into the processes and assumptions within SBEM. It describes the structure, features and methodology of the calculations in terms that match the background and experience of building services engineers and architects. The report has been written specifically for professionals who need (or want) to see behind the user interface, without going into mathematical detail. 32 pages.

Contents:

Glossary of terms
Executive summary
1 Background
Introduction: what’s inside the box? Context: what’s outside the box? Optimising consistency and minimising uncertainty
2 The thermal calculation process: how does it work
Choice of calculation method. Heat balance
3 HVAC systems: how are they handled?
System representation. Controls. Temperature gradient adjustment. Radiant heating and cooling adjustment. Mechanical ventilation systems
4 Hot water supply
5 Low- and zero-carbon technologies
General. Solar thermal. Photovoltaics. Wind. Combined heat and power. District heating
6 Lighting
Lighting energy demand. Lighting system energy efficiency. Display lighting
7 CO2 emissions
8 Outputs: what do I get?
Regulatory outputs. Additional iSBEM outputs
9 Possible future developments: what next?
General. Some examples
10 References
Appendices: Overview of standardised activities. Note on uncertainties