District-scale simulation for multi-purpose evaluation of urban energy systems

Abstract

This article presents a simulation model for application to several commercial sector buildings in a particular area to analyse the impact of changes in buildings and building energy systems on the issue domains of mitigation of global warming and heat island phenomena as well as the planning of urban infrastructures for electricity and water. The impact on these issue domains is evaluated using five indicators: primary energy consumption, carbon dioxide emission, sensible anthropogenic heat release, peak electricity demand and water consumption by cooling towers. This article explains the modelling methodology, the simulation model including databases and a case study carried out to demonstrate the simulation capacity of the model. The case study shows that the form and function of buildings influence energy consumption and the five indicators significantly. The trade-off relationship is also shown between the five indicators with respect to changes in the heat-source system of buildings.

Keywords:

• district-scale simulation
• global warming
• heat island
• commercial sector building

Acknowledgement

This work is supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science No. 20760409.

Notes

1. Parameters where elementary effect is larger than 10% of the base condition is listed.

2. Sources of the information: Direct gas-fired absorption chiller: Ebara Refrigeration Equipment & Systems Co., Ltd., 2005. Catalogue of direct gas-fired absorption chiller (in Japanese). Compression chiller and Double effect absorption chiller: Technical committee of District Heating and Cooling System Technologies in The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan. 2003. [Iinkai seika houkoku, Netsugenkei setsubi no gijyutu jyoho syusyu to syorai doko tyosa], Accomplishment Report of the committee, Survey of Technical Information of Heat Source Equipments and Investigation of Future Prospect, 1–8 (in Japanese). Air-cooled heat pump driven by electricity (AHP): Sumiyoshi et al. 2005, IBEC (Institute for Building Environment and Energy Conservation )2001, Distributed air-conditioning system: Yamazaki et al. 2002, Gas engine heat pump (GHP). 2006. Catalog of GHP (in Japanese) Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 2006.