ExRET-Opt: An automated exergy/exergoeconomic simulation framework for building energy retrofit analysis and design optimisation
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Kerdan, IG
Raslan, R
Ruyssevelt, P
Galvez, DM
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Energy simulation tools have a major role in the assessment of building energy retrofit (BER) measures. Exergoeconomic analysis and optimisation is a common practice in sectors such as the power generation and chemical processes, aiding engineers to obtain more energy-efficient and cost-effective energy systems designs. ExRET-Opt, a retrofit-oriented modular-based dynamic simulation framework has been developed by embedding a comprehensive exergy/exergoeconomic calculation method into a typical open-source building energy simulation tool (EnergyPlus). The aim of this paper is to show the decomposition of ExRET-Opt by presenting modules, submodules and subroutines used for the framework’s development as well as verify the outputs with existing research data. In addition, the possibility to perform multi-objective optimisation analysis based on genetic-algorithms combined with multi-criteria decision making methods was included within the simulation framework. This addition could potentiate BER design teams to perform quick exergy/exergoeconomic optimisation, in order to find opportunities for thermodynamic improvements along the building’s active and passive energy systems. The enhanced simulation framework is tested using a primary school building as a case study. Results demonstrate that the proposed simulation framework provide users with thermodynamic efficient and cost-effective designs, even under tight thermodynamic and economic constraints, suggesting its use in everyday BER practice.
Date Issued
2017-04-15
Date Acceptance
2017-02-04
Citation
Applied Energy, 2017, 192, pp.33-58
ISSN
0306-2619
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
33
End Page
58
Journal / Book Title
Applied Energy
Volume
192
Copyright Statement
© 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Energy & Fuels
Engineering, Chemical
Engineering
Building energy retrofit
Exergy
Exergoeconomics
Building simulation software
Optimisation
WASTE HEAT-RECOVERY
EXERGY ANALYSIS
THERMOECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EXERGOECONOMIC OPTIMIZATION
MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION
GENERAL METHODOLOGY
GENETIC ALGORITHMS
THERMAL-SYSTEMS
MODEL
EFFICIENCY
Publication Status
Published