Building Energy Modelling

Taking the interdisciplinary nature of the program and its diverse intake into account, this levelling course is designed to introduce the basic and advanced building science principles with a focus on heat, air, and moisture transfer in buildings. Topics include heat conduction, convection and radiation, psychrometric chart, airflow through building components due to combined forces, and moisture transport in air and porous materials including vapour diffusion, convection, and capillarity. The theory is illustrated through the application of analytical methods such as the thermal network in solving typical heat and mass transfer problems through building envelope components and heat and mass balance within buildings. Concepts such as surface heat and mass transfer coefficients, equivalent solar-air temperature, clear sky long-wave radiation, thermal and moisture storage, psychrometrics and condensation due to vapour and airflow are covered.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

The goal of this course is to learn formal methods and practices to effectively apply basic 21st century management skills in the workplace. Application of these skills is acquired through a series of readings, case studies, and workplace analysis. The course begins by examining the evolution of management and organizational culture and environment. It proceeds to teach and develop the skills of decision making and the skills involved in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Communicating effectively, teamwork, facilitating change, and applying motivational techniques are also investigated. The course transforms the traditional management functions into 21st century practices that effectively respond to today’s dynamic environment of accelerated change. A case-study group project will investigate the management methods and practices utilized by an engineering or an architectural firm to promote and facilitate one of the following: management, leadership, organizational participation, planning, communication, delegation, decision-making, and teamwork. Possible improvements to these methods and practices will be proposed for that firm. The project will help students understand the roles and interactions of professionals in practice, and help them build confidence to conduct themselves with professionalism in the work place.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

This course works in conjunction with the technical course projects in the Building Science Graduate programs. The aim of the course is to help students develop skills required to communicate competently with other building professionals, owners, and clients in different work contexts. Students will also learn to research, summarize, and deliver technical information required for building performance analyses, such as energy modelling; and present findings from relevant technical building science projects to a range of technical and non-technical audiences, in both oral and written formats.
Prerequisite(s):

• Bachelor's Degree

The course is presented as lectures and assignments, with a term project to be conducted in parallel with lectures. The course is broken into seven segments: 1. Building Thermal Demand Analysis – heating and cooling loads (includes envelope transmission losses and gains, solar gains, internal gains, lighting and appliance loads, and climatic and operating considerations). 2. Passive Solar Design Concepts in Building Application – solar heating and cooling, thermal mass, natural ventilation, daylighting, building orientation. 3. Building HVAC System – various types of heating, cooling and ventilation system and components. 4. Energy-efficiency Measures – high-efficient building mechanical, service hot water and lighting systems, improved envelope thermal properties, smart energy management and control. 5. Whole-Building Energy Models – simulation of building thermal behaviors and energy system performance characteristics. 6. Analysis of Simulation Results – building energy profiles and drivers, GHG emissions reduction opportunities analyses, simple and complex payback, life-cycle costing and present-value analyses. 7. Regulatory and Voluntary Programs – BC Energy Step Code, ASHRAE 90.1 and 90.2, Model National Energy Codes, LEED, CBIP. Each week's lesson includes a two-hour lecture session, and a one-hour lab session. In addition, a bi-weekly preparatory session of active learning (reflection of key readings) will be scheduled.
Prerequisite(s):

• (60% in BSCI 9000 and 60% in BSCI 9120) or 50% in BLDC 3050^† (^† may be taken concurrently)

This elective course will benefit students who want to develop knowledge, and the principles of heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems and their roles in building applications. It also helps students to have a more comprehensive understanding of mechanical system’s role in improving building energy efficiency and reducing the associated GHG emissions. Topics include the theory and practice of all-air air-conditioning systems, all-water air-conditioning systems, air-water combination air-conditioning systems, heating and cooling load calculations, psychrometric analysis, and building automation systems. For each type of these systems, design procedures and operating theories will be introduced and their features will be addressed, along with the concepts of control. The course will review the code compliant minimum energy efficiency requirements of key components in HVAC system as well. In addition, some innovative concepts including the passive and energy recovery technologies which can potentially be incorporated into the conventional HVAC system design will be discussed in terms of their technical, economic, and environmental applicability. This course is presented as lectures and assignments. Students will be assigned a term project relevant to course content and submit the report by the end of the class. Students will also be asked to present their project in class. In addition, a bi-weekly preparatory session of active learning (reflection of key readings) will be scheduled.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in BSCI 9000^† (^† may be taken concurrently)

This course introduces students to the most important indoor air contaminants and their respective emission sources, including building materials, occupants and their activities, and outdoor air pollution. Students will learn how to measure typical indoor air contaminants and assess their impact on the built environment and health. Strategies to assess and improve IAQ, by building material selection, modelling pollutant emissions and dispersal, field and laboratory measurements, and ventilation systems are addressed. The course introduces ventilation systems and ventilation strategies to maintain satisfactory indoor air quality in buildings.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in BSCI 9000

The purpose of measurement and verification (M&V) of buildings is to provide feedback to building owners, managers and design teams on the effectiveness of measures incorporated into the design and retrofit on the building annual energy use and cost. This course introduces the principles, procedures and benefits of measurement and verification to building professionals in order to enable them to usefully and efficiently incorporate measurement and verification into the building design and operation process. Students will gain a solid literacy in the science of measuring energy use of buildings and verifying the results of energy efficiency measure. Verifying energy savings is an important part of energy saving initiatives and provides developers, owners and financiers of projects assistance in quantifying the expected or measured return on investment. The course covers the International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVP), which is the most widely accepted protocol worldwide for savings verification. Students will learn how to design an M&V Strategy for their projects and to manage the savings and verification process for both internal and external reporting.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in BSCI 9130 and 60% in BSCI 9150

The elective course is presented as lectures and assignments, with a term project to be conducted in parallel with lectures. It will benefit students who want to gain more in-depth knowledge of building energy performance simulation as well as the skills to use sophisticated simulation tools. Meanwhile, through the study, students will acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the most widely adopted building energy standard (e.g. BC Energy Step Code, ASHRAE90.1). This elective course is broken into four segments: 1. Engineering algorithms of software – including advanced knowledge of modelling software and heat transfer and thermodynamic algorithms related to building mechanical, electrical and plumbing (M.E.P.) systems. 2. Minimally-code compliant building modelling – ASHRAE 90.1 ECB and PRM modelling guidelines, ASHRAE 90.1 ECB and PRM baseline and proposed building design modelling. 3. BC Energy Step Code modelling – City of Vancouver Energy Modeling Guidelines, BC Energy Step Code requirements, GHG emission calculations. 4. Workarounds of selected innovative and/or complex building M.E.P. systems/components. Starting with commonly used computer building energy simulation tools and their features, student will apply principles and knowledge of building envelope, the building M.E.P. (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing) systems, the typical building energy simulation methods and building energy standard to more complicated building performance simulation models. Students will learn how to optimize various systems such as lighting, HVAC, and renewable energy systems for improved comfort and energy performance with consideration for the impact on life-cycle costs with the assistance of energy modelling software. Each week's lesson includes two hours and a half (2.5 hours) lecture session, and a one-hour (1.0 hour) lab session. In addition, a bi-weekly preparatory session of active learning (reflection of key readings) will be scheduled.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in BSCI 9130 and 60% in BSCI 9150