Simulation-Based Design in Experimental Researches of Building Performance: A Case Study of an Office Building in Tabriz

Simulation is a very important tool which has been used for several years in several fields (with computer and non-computer systems). This paradigm is called “Simulation-Based Design” or SBD. It is the process in which simulation is the primary means of evaluation and verification. As a result of the rising awareness of environmental issues and the increase in the cost of energy, building professionals increasingly have to consider the sustainability and energy performance of their designs by using building energy performance simulation and optimisation (BEPSO)tools. Despite of the number of countries that use simulation tools in architectural design, BEPSO has not yet been implemented in Iran widely. This paper provides an overview on this subject, aiming at clarifying computer simulation and BEPSO tools and outlining potential challenges and obstacles in them. In Addition, the BEPSO results of an office building in Tabriz are presented to show the role of simulation in three main stages of building energy performance evolution namely: 1) design stage, 2) construction stage and 3) operation stage. The simulation results show that, in general, the factors that result in the most significant reduction in energy consumption, by up to 50%, are as follows: 1) the implementation of double skin façade with a 0.6 cm cavity space in the south facade as a design solution, 2) lowering u-value of external walls and flat roofs as construction factor, 3) automatic control of lighting, using light sensors, window, indoor set-point temperature, natural ventilation and shading as operation factors.