Teaching Building Performance Simulations to students with a diverse background by using a Control Method

Performing advanced and reliable Building Performance Simulations (BPS) in order to study, for example, the energy use of future buildings is an important ability to gain as a future energy specialist. Learning and understanding BPS software and results may be arduous, notably for groups with disparate knowledge. Frustration may arise among students, making learning even more difficult. In this paper, we use questionnaires to evaluate the introduction of a so-called “control method” in the first BPS teaching module of a Master Programme attended by students with diverse backgrounds. The control method verifies – or controls - the results of a basic energy simulation of a traditional shoebox model with those obtained via an Excel sheet based on building code. Through a smoother and guided introduction of BPS to novices, the method aims to increase the level of confidence in BPS tools and more independence in the work. The questionnaires’ answers suggest that the method fulfils its goals to a reasonable extent. (Less)